§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether any modification of the policy of the Government in regard to the proposal for the minting of a British dollar at Bombay, suggested by the hon. Member for Canterbury in the House of Commons on the 15th December, 1893, has been made; and, whether the Government statement on that occasion, that the idea of a British dollar does not appear to have found much favour in the Straits Settlements, and at Hong Kong it has been abandoned, is still adhered to?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON, Tower Hamlets, Poplar)There has been some variation of opinion in the Colonies on this subject. The idea of coining a British dollar, after being dropped in Hong Kong at the end of 1893, was revived last year, and Her Majesty's Government have now approved the proposal. Arrangements have been made for issuing the new dollar from the Indian mint for circulation in the Straits Settlements, Hong Kong, Labuan, and North Borneo concurrently with the Mexican dollar. I may add that the question of the coinage of a British dollar has for some years engaged the attention of the Goverment. but until the Indian Government last year signified their willingness to coin at a uniform rate of 1 per cent. the scheme appeared impracticable.