THE SYDNEY SOVEREIGN A LEGAL TENDER. 26 and 27 Vict.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1955, 22 October 1863, Page 4

THE SYDNEY SOVEREIGN A LEGAL TENDER. 26 and 27 Vict.

The following is tho bill "to enable Tier Majesty to declaie gold coins to bo iisued fiom TToi Majesty's Blanch Mint ab Sydney, Now South W.iles, .1 leg.il tender for payments ; and for other purposes relating thcieto." The tlmd rending was caned in the House of Commons on July 13 : — "Whereas by mi nol of llio fifty-sixth year of the leign of HiblatoMajebty Kiug (icoigc the Third, chapter Mxty-cight, intituled, "An Act to provide for a new Silver Coinage, and to legulate the curicncy of the Gold aud Hilvcr Coins of tins licahn," it is amongst other things j>rovided that, after the dale of the passing of that act, the gold com of the realm .should bo the only logal tender for payments (except tho silver coin of tho lealm to tho extent of foiby shillings) within tho United Kingdom of Gic-at iJiitain and licland. And whereas, by the same act, it is dcclaied that tho gold coin of the icalm should hold such weight and fineness as arc prcsciibed by an indenture thciein 1 of 01 red to, and made with Ills Majesty's master and worker of tho mint for making gold moneys at his Majesty's Mint in London, and with such allowances called the remedy as is given to the said master by the said indonluie, which weight and fineness are by the said act declaicdto be tho standaul of the lawful gold coin of the lealm, so far as relates to tho gold coins of the denominations in use at the time of the passing of the said act, and specified in the said indentme; and whcieasgold coins of tho weight and fineness, and of tho denominations mentioned in the said act, and specified in the haul indenture, have, from the date of the said act up to the piesent time, continued to be issued from Her Majesty's Mint m London, and to be tho only legal touder for payments, except as aforesaid, within the United Kingdom ; and whereas Her Majesty has by proclamation established at Sydney, iv New South Wales, a branch

of the Royal Mint for making gold coins of the same weight and'finoness and of the same denominations as the gold coin issued by Her Majesty's v Miub in London, and lias appointed a deputy-master of the fcaid branch mint. And it is expedient that 'power should bo given to Her Majety to make the gold coin Ko issued by llor Majesty's Mint at Sydney a legal tender for payments in the United Kingdom. Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent 1 Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of Louis fSpiutiul and Temporal, and Commons, in tSp^ I present Fdiliiimont assembled and by the authority of the same as follows :—: — " I. Tt shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by proclamation issued with the advice of her Privy Council, to decline that after a date specified in such proclamation gold coins made at the said branch mint, of designs apjnovcd by Her Majesty, at 'Sydney aforesaid, and being of the same weight and fineness as aro lcqmred by law with reypect to gold coins of the same denominations made at Her Majesty's Mint in London, arc to be legal tender for payments within the United Kingdom of Gieat Britain and Ireland ; and upon such proclamation being issued, gold coins made of such designs, and being of such weight and fineness as aforesaid, shall be a legal tender for payments accordingly. "11. It shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by proclamation issued with such advice as aloiesaid, from time to time to impose on the coinage of gold at the said branch mint at Sydney a charge sufficient to defray the expenses of coinage, Over and above the expenses of assay and refining ; and it shall bo incumbent on the said deputy-master to coin gold at the charge so imposed. " 111. This act may be cited for all purposes as ; 'The Syduey Branch Mint Act, 1863.' " f