1
No. 2.
The Hongkong Government Gazette. [No. 81.-JANUARY 17, 1857.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
Diplomatic Department.
Her Majesty's Consul at Foochow has forwarded to the Chief Superintendent of Trade a Decree from the Authorities of that Port on the subject of the Currency, a Translation of which Decree His Excellency has directed to be published for general iuformation.
By Order,
W. WOODGATE.
Superintendency of Trade, Victoria, Hongkong, 16th January, 1857.
葉明深”
PROCLAMATION by YEH, Préfect of Foochow; CHUNG, Haefang of Nantae; Fux, Magistrate of the Min District; and Ts▲ɛ, Magi.
trate of the How Kwan District,-issued by order.
as
84
We have received the following injunction from His Excellency WANG-E-TIH, Governor General, &c., &c.
Prefect YEH, the Superintendent of Foreign Commercial Affairs, in his report upon the application made by the British and ❤ American Consuls to have the new and old Dollars declared current at similar rates, says, "If these varieties of new dollars be quite pure, "there can be no deficiency in their value, and there need be no bar to their general use as a circulating medium. Shopkeepers are, hun. ever, I fear, not familiar with their appearance, and hesitate to accept them; or perhaps at times their purity is doubtful, and they do not come up to the older coin. In either case it would not have been expedient to force them upon the market by official authority, which would be doing violence to the prejudices of the people. But a new consideration presents itself. Since the probibition upon the export of Tea from Ful-keen has been taken off, numbers of merchants from all ports of the world have come hither, bringing with them large quantities of various kinds of new dollars, which has led to repeated calls for their admission into the currency; and it has become neces sary to issue some Proclamation on the subject, or to direct the Magistrates of Min and How Kwan to sound the feelings of the people "in reference to the measure, and make a truthful report, on which action may be taken. To this end I beg to be furnished with instruc "tions for my guidance.”
Such is the purport of Prefect Yu's Report; and on receiving it I ordered the Local Committee of Finance to look into the matter. and give me their opinion. Time elapsed, and no answer came So, as a promising Tea season was approaching, bringing with it larger arrivals of merchants and these new dollars, rendering it impossible to stay proceedings, and as it had become urgently necessary for me to satisfy myself by application to the Cantou authorities, whether the new dollars and those hitherto in use with ornainental millings ha been there declared current at equal or various rates, or whether differences had been determined among the several sorts of new dollar themselves,I wrote to the Imperial High Commissioner at Canton, enclosing a copy of the Prefect's report above quoted, and beggin him to inform me whether the new dollar and the old one with ornamental millings had indeed been declared equivalent, and the pay, ment of premium made needless, and to send me without delay copies of all papers that had been published on the subject. The Com missioner has answered my letter, and, quoting a report drawn up by his Provincial Commissioner of Finance, he says, "The test by "which current dollars should be judged is purity of touch. In the autumn of the 3d year of His Imperial Majesty's Reign, certain newtry * arrived dollars with Eagles' Heads and various other impressious were in circulation, and although differently stamped from the old kind “with a devil's head and flowery milling, yet they were the same coin, and both were equally pure in touch. The Shopkeepers of Cantos
having repeatedly prayed to have the new sorts admitted into circulation on joint terms with the old, orders were given accordingly, and! "it was positively forbidden to extort any premium on their payment unless where their purity was doubtful, in which case of course a "difference was to be made. These dollars are now generally current, and no difficulty has been experienced in consequence." Such is the Commissioner's reply to my application. Being doubtful (as I have already remarked) whether the various new dollars so ‣ plent fully introduced of late by English and American merchants might pass current at par with the old coin, and whether, while objectionabl from their strangeness to the people of Foochow, they had yet been officially declared properly current at Cauton at equal rates with the old dollars, or, if not so, at different rates from the old and from each other, I wrote to the Imperial ('ommissioner, and received from hi a reply assuring me that these new dollars, although differently stamped from the old kind, were yet similar in point of purity, and ha accordingly been declared current at equal rates. Such being the case, I have no hesitation in following the same course here for uniformin sake, and
order therefore that proclamatious be forthwith issued to that effect for general information and guidance. Having receive this injunction from His Excellency the Viceroy, it becomes our duty to issue this proclamation under our joint authority and seal; an we hereby proclaim for the information of all traders within and without city, shopkeepers, soldiers, common people, and persous of ever description. You must all know that the test by which dollars are to be judged is purity of touch. The dollars lately arrived fro foreign countries, stamped with Eagles' Heads and divers other impressions, and the old dollar stamped with a devil's head and flower millings, are one and the same thing. Both kinds are of standard purity and both of standard value. Both have been declared current a equal rates in Canton Province, and no excuse on the plea of imperfect acquaintance with the newer coin can be admitted for interferin with its free circulation bere. From this moment therefore see to it, that you all obey this mandate, and use all coins equally in you commercial dealings, refraining from exacting premium of any kind, Should you meet with any dollars which have an admixture in their composition, and therefore deficient iu value, you will be at liberty to accept them at the proportional allowance. Our sole motive in publishing these orders is to show kindness to those who come from afar, and promote the interests of ou implicitly own people. Let all implicitly obey. Do not oppose this special Edict.
Given this 15th day of the 11th month in the 6th Year of Heen Fung's Reign, (11th December, 1856.)
copper
Tran 'ated y
W. H. MEDHURST.
True Copy.
W. WOODGATE.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.