Sessional_Paper_1884 — Page 544

37

dollars issued entail trouble and occasionally loss. The small change about to be received does not affect the question of dollar notes, as they cannot well be sub- stituted for notes in general payments.

As regards small silver, it is not known whether the quantities mentioned exceed the supplies of former years, but there appears to be a general scarcity of silver change during the winter months as a rule, owing to the practice of the Chinese of withdrawing large quantities from circulation. I think that a large supply of twenty-cent pieces in particular would much facilitate payments."

EDWIN SANDYS,

Enclosure 3.

Paymaster.

SIR,

HEAD QUARTERS,

HONGKONG, 22nd October, 1883.

In reply to Your Excellency's letter of the 12th instant, No. 20, I have the honour to forward a copy of a report which I have received from the District Paymaster, with five enclosures from other Officers, respecting the inconvenience experienced in making Military Payments, from the deficiency of One Dollar Notes. It will be seen that there is a general agreement as to the desirability of a larger issue of these notes, and I quite concur in this opinion.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your Excellency's most obedient Servant,

J. N. SARGENT,

Major-General Commanding China & Straits Settlements.

His Excellency,

The Officer Administering the Government,

HONGKONG.

SIR,

ARMY PAY OFFICE, HONGKONG, 19th October, 1883.

In returning the accompanying correspondence, I have the honour to submit, for the information of His Excellency the Major-General Commanding, the reports of the several Officers paying Corps and Detachments in this garrison relative to the inconvenience experienced in consequence of the scarcity of One Dollar Notes now in circulation in the Colony.