CO129-253 - Public Offices & Others - 1891 — Page 32

I was

was dealt with & as far as possible. atisfactorily dispond of (see par 3 of deep & Whay in 14636/88)

S.W. 9. 11/6/91

In the reply to this Letter the following Number should be quoted.

7622

91

j

sir,

ford.

29

C.O.

10991

TREASURY CHAMBERS,

27

May 1891.

inted 30 MAY 31

With reference to Mr Meade's letter of the 15th

instant, I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint, you for the information of

Lord Knutsford, that They have authorised the Deputy

Master of the Mint to supply through the Crown Agents for the Colonies, the additional subsidiary coins ($500,000, making $1,500,000 in all) requisitioned by the Colonial

Government of Hong Kong for the current year, in the amounts and proportions requested by Governor Sir G. Des Voeux.

This increased demand will seriously tax the

capacity of the Royal Mint especially in the latter part of the year; and the Crown Agents should therefore be in- formed that it may at any time become necessary to hand

instalments of the coinage over to the Mint, Birmingham*

for execution.

3

The present increase leads Their Lordships to

again draw the attention of theSecretary of State to the

doubtful policy of issuing amounts of subsidiary coin admitted to be far beyond the actual requirements of the Colony of Hong Kong itself, more particularly now the

Canton Mint is in operation. Lord Knutsford has already

assured This Board that the coin issued should be closely watched, and the necessity for such watching becomes the greater now that the annual supply of $750,000 asked for in 1888, has be en doubled. My Lords would point out to his Lordship the possibility of the return of these coins hereafter from China to flood the Colony of Hong Kong at

their full nominal value.

The Under Secretary of State,

In

Colonial office.

reign