The Chancellor of the Exchequerpostponed till to-morrow his motion for repressing the issue of Local Tokens. He should now, however, pursuant to notice, move for leave to bring in a Bill to increase the penalties imposed last year on the imitating and counterfeiting of tokens issued by the Bank. He proposed also, that provision should be made in the Bill for repressing an abuse which must have come within the observation of many gentlemen—he meant the engraving of pieces of paper which had all the semblance of Bank notes, and which were calculated to catch the eye of the unwary. He had seen a parcel of these papers, which at a little distance, and when not narrowly inspected, had the appearance of bank-notes for one, five, or twenty pounds, which escaped the charge of forgery by having the word 'pins' instead of pounds, but which from their texture and appearance might escape detection and pass with the unwary, as had actually happened in a variety of instances. The present penalty for fraudulently putting off such papers was only six months imprisonment. He proposed that the Bill should increase it to 12 months imprisonment for the first offence, and that the offender should find security for his good behaviour for two years. For the second offence, he had to propose transportation for years. For the more effectual prevention of the counterfeiting of Bank tokens, he proposed, that the offence should be made a transportable felony for 14 years. He concluded with moving,
"That leave be given to bring in a Bill for the further prevention of the counterfeiting of silver coin issued by the governor and company of the bank of England, called dollars; and of silver pieces issued and circulated by the said governor and company, called tokens; and for the further prevention of frauds practised by the imitation of the notes or bills of the said governor and company." Leave granted.