Hongkong, 8th Sept., 1886.
Sir,—I am directed by His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government to acknowledge reovipt of your letter of 5th Tuly Inst, asking for the opinion of this Government on a suggestion that has been made by the Auditor-General of your Ci levy that a British dollar should be coined for the Bast, It has been considered in Hongkong that a British would not be coined at a auficiently low cost to compete with the Mexican dollar and the yeu, and th opin been leated to Fou some time ago, lind His Excellency not thought that it would be: more useful to you if some data were furnished att time, showing the ground on which it was based. Hence the delay in replying to your communicat am now directed to forward, for the infor motion of your Government, copy of a report by the Treasurer o kong enclose copy of & report called for by Gove) Sir Richard M lin 1866, with the view of ascertaining whether it would be pomible to ensure the Hongkong Mint 1 ite expe The Mi 1868—as it was found could not be worked except at a consider adio loos, Amongst the enclosures will lao be found a letter from the Technical at Osaky the Hongkong and Shanghni Bank, both of them im ounfirmation of the view that xttompt to coin a British dollar for t Ennt would be attended by failure,—L hi (Sd) Frevenicz Srewanr, Acting Colonial Secretary. The Hox. the Colonial SzcReraRy, Straite Settlements, Singepore.
REPORT BY COLONIAL TREASURER,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.