AMT
Governor
2nd May, 1845.
Victorias, Hongkong,
The Ford Stanley
N51.
2 halosures.
Received
Findemitting Schedule
of Hongkong, and-
of the Proclamation respecting the Currency
Reporting publication.
Establishment
for the fixed 1) the Colony.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
WHEREAS by an order of Her Most Gracions Majesty in Council, dated at Windsor on the 28th November, 1844, His Excellency the Governor and Com- mander-in-Chief has been instructed to publish the annexed Proclamation by the Queen, the said Proclamation is hereby published accordingly; and it is further commanded by Her Majesty in Council that the same do take effect and come into force from the date of the publication thereof
By Order,
FREDERICK W. A. BRUCE,
Colonial Secretary,
Victoria, Hongkong, 1st May, 1845.
BY THE QUEEN,
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS, on the 20th day of March, 1842, a Proclamation was issued at Hong- kong by Sir Henry Pottinger, Baronet, Our Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of the Trade of British Subjects in China, in the terms following, that is to say-
With reference to the desirable object of preventing disputes and laying down some « defined system regarding the Circulating Medium in this settlement. His Excellency Sir "Heury Pottinger, Bart. Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of the <Trade of British Subjects in China, is pleased to promulgate the following brief Rules, "which are to be considered applicable to all common Bazaar Parchases, and Barter, Hire, "&c., &c., but not to interfere with, or affect, what may be termed Mercantile Transactions, and are to be in force on the Island of Hongkong, pending the Gracious Pleasure of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain.
60
1st. The following Cotus are to be deemed legal Tenders :-Spanish, Mexican, and “ other Dollars and their component parts, Company's Rupees and their component parts,
Cash, or the Copper Coin current in China.
2d. Dollars of whatever denomination or device, and whether whole or chopped, are <to circulate at par with reference to each other, always providing that they be of the "proper weight and standard.
sd.
« Dollar.
Two and one quarter Company's Rupees shall be considered equal to one One Rupee and two Aunas (or half a quarter) equal to half a Dollar, and three- quarters of a Rupec (or twelve Annas) equal to one quarter of a Dollar.
4th. Twelve hundred Cash (1200) Copper Coin shall be equal to one Dollar.
Six hundred (600) to half a Dollar.
"Three hundred (300) to quarter of a Dollar.
Five hundred and thirty-three (533) to ane Company's Rupee.
"Two hundred and sixty-six (266) to half a Ropee,
"One hundred and thirty-three (133) to one quarter of a Rupee.
5th. Any other Coius, whether British or Foreign, not enumerated in the "preceding Rules, are not to be deemed a legal Tender, but they eau of course be sold or *otherwise bartered in the Bazaar, according to their intrinsic value.
6th. Cash Copper Coin at the rate laid down in the 4th Rule, will be sold to any « individual requiring it in sums of not less than fifty Dollars, on application to the "Treasurer and Secretary to Her Britannic Majesty's Superintendent of Trade.
"God save the Queen."
And Whereas, on 27th day of April, 1842, a further Proclamation was issued by Our said Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of the Trade of British Subjects in China, in the terms following,--
That is to say,-
"The Letter, of which a Copy is hereunto annexed, having been addressed to me by the Mercantile Firms who have signed it, on behalf of themselves and others, I do "hereby direct and proclaim, in conformity with their application, that pending the gracions pleasure of the Queen of England, the Mexican and other Republican Dollars "shall be taken as, and considered to be, the Standard, in all Government and Mervautile * transactions at Hongkong and other places in China in the occupation of Her Majesty's Forces, unless at the time of such transactions taking place it should be expressly specified to the contrary.
"And I do further announce, that the present Proclamation is not to be taken in any "way or shape as affecting the provisions of the one which I promulgated on the 29th
day of last mouth, relative to the Cirenlating Medium in the Island of Hongkong, "God save the Queen."
And Whereas, by our Letters Patent, bearing date the 5th day of April, in the Sixth Year of our Reign, we did erect and constitute our Island of Hongkong and its Dependencies into a separate Colony, to be known and designated as the Colony or Hongkong; and by Our Instructions to Our Governor of the said Colony, We did ther direct and ordain that he should not propose or assent to any Legislative Ordinance whatever, whereby any "Bills of Credit or any other Paper Currency, or any Coin, save "only the legal Coin of the Realm, may be made or declared to be a legal Tonder, without
special permission from Us in that behalf first obtained.”
14
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.