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PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

Reference :-

TIILICO. 882

سلسلسالسا

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

*

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25th of September. As to the omission of the word "forthwith," referred to in the last paragraph of the despatch just quoted, the omission was merely suggested in order to reduce the amendment to the simplest alteration; but I have no objection to the retention of "forthwith."

6. Pending the amendment of the law the Depreciation Fund investments should not be discontinued

4313

No. 59.

I have, &c.,

ALFRED LYTTELTON.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 8th February, 1904.)

(No. 8.) SIR,

[Copy to Treasury, 20th February, 1901. L.F] [Answered by No. 60.]

Government House, Penang, 13th January, 1904. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 405, of the 3rd ultimo,† informing me that His Majesty will not be advised to exercise his powers of disallowance with respect to Ordinance XXIV. of 1903, to regulate the import and export of coin into and from the Colony.

2. With reference to paragraph 3 of your despatch, I have to state that Orders in Council have been issued under the 1891 Ordinance, dated the 25th November, 1896, and the 28th May, 1901, respectively. The first of these prohibited the circulation of perforated Sarawak copper coin, and the other the circulation of all Sarawak copper coin. The latter step, however, was not taken till after the Government had bought up all the Sarawak copper which could be found and returned it to the Sarawak Government, which took it over.

3. It is, I consider, very desirable that the Government should have the

power of prohibiting the circulation of foreign coin. The importation of Hong Kong subsidiary silver coins, for instance, has recently been prohibited as they were coming in, in quantities sufficient to render them a nuisance to the unwary, and it might be necessary to make the circulation penal, should speculators find it worth while to make a profit out of it when, as may happen, there is a high premium on exchange with Hong Kong.

4. As regards paragraph 4 of your despatch, I am advised that these provi- sions can hardly be enforced against the British dollar when it ceases to be legal tender as Section 3 (3) applies to foreign coin only, a definition which would exempt the British dollar from the operation of the Ordinance. exempt

Section 6 (1) of the Ordinance appears to give a wholesome protection against smuggling on a large scale, and it is always open to the Governor to remit the forfeiture and restore the forfeited coin to the owner. This course was followed lately in the case of a large seizure of British and Mexican dollars imported into Penang from Achin.

6. I may add that the proposal contained in the latter part of paragraph 4 of your despatch under reply would present great difficulties in enforcement. The community is sufficiently intelligent to distinguish between the coins which are and those which are not legal tender, and the demonetization of the British and Mexican dollars, when it takes place, will, as happened when the importation of those coins was prohibited, be made known far and wide. It therefore seems unnecessary to take any steps in the direction proposed. Besides, it would not be easy for the native mind to realize what exactly was the alleged offence connected with the circulation of demonetized coins apart from the offence of cheating, which is fully provided for in the Penal Code, and it would probably come to the conclusion that they were altogether prohibited or dangerous to use, a result which is not contem- plated by the report of Committee, and which would certainly be undesirable.

I have, &c.,

W. T. TAYLOR.

• No. 37.

↑ No. 52.

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No. 60.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING GOVERNOR. [Copy to Treasury, 20th February, 1904. L.F.]

(No. 47.)

SIB,

Downing Street, 19th February, 1904. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 8, of the 13th ultimo,* on the subject of the "Coin import and export Ordinance, 1903." I concur generally in the views expressed in your despatch, and there will be no need for an amendment of the Ordinance.

I should add, however, with reference to paragraph 4 of your despatch, that I am advised that the British dollar, after its demonetization, will become a "foreign coin" in the Straits Settlements within the meaning of Ordinance 24 of 1903.

I have, &c.,

14579

No. 61.

ALFRED LYTTELTON.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 25th April, 1904.)

(No. 98.)

SIR,

[Copy to Treasury, 25th May, 1904. L.F.].

[Answered by No. 62.]

Government House, Singapore, 30th March, 1904. Wrra reference to your despatches, No. 423, of the 17th December, and

No. 30, of the 29th January last, I have the honour to forward Ordinance No. IV.

of 1904, entitled “An Ordinance to further amend 'The Currency Note Ordinance, 1899,"

(L.B.)

2. I also enclose a copy of the Attorney-General's report on the Ordinance..

I have, &c.,

W. T. TAYLOR.

Enclosure 1 in No. 61. ORDINANCE NO. IV. or 1904.

AN ORDINANCE to further amend "The Currency Note Ordinance, 1899.”

[18th March, 1904.]

W. T. TAYLOR,

The Officer Administering the Government. WHEREAS it is advisable further to amend "The Currency Note Ordinance,

1899":

It is hereby enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof as follows:-

1. This Ordinance may be cited as "The Currency Note Ordinance Amend- Short title. ment Ordinance, 1904," and shall be read and construed as one with "The Cur- rency Note Ordinance, 1899" (hereinafter called "the principal Ordinance"). Any Ord. iv of copy of the principal Ordinance printed after the commencement of this Ordinance 1899. shall be printed with the amendments alterations and additions required by this Reprint. Ordinance.

2. Sub-sections (3) and (4) of Section 7a of the principal Ordinance are repealed and the following sub-section to be numbered (3) is substituted:--

Bepaal of rab

and (4) of principal Ordinamos.

eciams (1)

good from

"(3). The cost of such reminting as aforesaid and all charges in oon- Cost of nection therewith including any loss of silver caused by the said reminting remiating and any difference in the way of loss between the nominal value of coin to be made originally taken from the coin portion of the fund to be reminted as afore General said and the nominal value of the new coins actually received back from Revenue. His Majesty's Mint shall be made good to the Commissioners from the General Revenue of the Colony."

Sub-section (5) of the same section is renumbered (4).

8. The following new Section 76 is inserted after Section 7a of the principal New soc- Ordinance :---

tion 7B,

• No. 59.

76. (1). Notwithstanding anything in this Ordinance contained it shall Issue of be lawful for the Commissioners to issue notes in exchange for gold received Notes in

exchange for gold.

† Nos. 57 and 88.

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