The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-27 00:00:00

NEW SOUTH WALES.

(From the Sydaty Gazette, Aug. 30, 1822.)
In pursuance to our promise of last week, is
ttserted the Address that was presented to his Excellency Sir

7.'IIO".tIAS BRISBAXE, on the 21st inst.; and the Reply of his

EXCELLENCY is subjoined.

To his Excellency Sir-Titoatas BRISBAXE, K. C. B. Captain
'General, Governor and Commander-in-Chief, &c. &c. &c.
•We, the undersigned Inhabitant-Landholders, Merchants,
and Free Colonistsof New South Wales, beg, most respectfully,
to lay befbre your Excellency a humble 'atatement of the em.
barrassing and ruinous consequences which, we have too much
ground to fear, will result from the system lately adopted by
the Commissariat, in paying for the supplies required by Go-
vernment, in Spanish dollars . • and we ate confident your Ex-
cellency will give our respectful representations all the consi.
deration the importance of the subject demands.
We respectfully represent to your Excellency, that as Land.
holders, Merchants, and Inhabitants of the Colony, our pro-
perty is at one blow depreciated at least 20 per cent. ; and, in
addition to that undoubted loss, we are further embarrassed, by
being compelled to receive in payment, for whatever produce is
supplied to Government, a foreign coin of doubtful and fluc-
tuating value; that, hitherto, all our transactions have been re.
gulated by equivalenteof sterling value and denomination ; and
all accounts kept, and contracts made, in that description of
money,, which is alone binding and legal in the Mother Coun-
try ; that payments, made in dollars, necessarilyrequire another
mode of keeping accounts, and it will be impossible, from the
fluctuatin value of that article, according to the demand for
it, to regulate, with any.degree of precision, the sterling prices
of articles which are to be paid for, in an- equivalent of con-
stantly fluctuating value.
We beg most respectfully to represent, that any attempt to
substitute a foreign coin for a sterling payment, must be in-
efl'ectual in law, dollars not being a statutary.coin of the realm,
Unless a fixed arid certain degree of value be given them, by and
per force of your Excellency's Proclamation, or British Legis.
lative enactment ; that, dollars being the sole medium of pay-
ment, an enormous and ruinous loss (in addition to the fictitious
value at present fixed on the dollar by the Commissary), will
inevitable be an consequence of being obliged to remit in
dollars, instead of. a sterling equivalent.—We humbly. repre-
i sent, gist, haring no regular packets, or' stated .periods of
communication with the Mother Country Ito which all our
remittances are ultimately made), we shall be unable to
procure either safe freight, or to effect insurances on so
valuable a property, as it roust necessarily be uncertain by
what ships, or what route, our remittances can be made.
We are confident your Excellency must ,be aware, that a
system of dollar payments will, induce every species of stock.
gambling into what ought to be a fair and honourable money
transaetiona we can have no confidence in the impartiality
with which these dollars will be re-purchased in the market for
Government bills ; we can have no security that these bills
will be given to the lowest offer, or, that the specie will not
be 'imported from other quarters, and probably bought up—
a circumstance which must ultimately ruin the holders of dol-
lars in the Colony; and, in their ruin, must be involved all
die settlers who may have connections in business with them.
We intreatyour Excellency to consider the difficulties we may
have to labour under, from the decisions of the several Courts
of haw. .four Excellency must be aware that the Courts will
compel the fulfilment of agreements, and the payment of
debts, in sterling money ; we trust your Excellency will de.
vise some means, under existing circumstances, to relieve us
from the pressure of loss, which must necessarily attend the
decrees of Court. We di) not now ask your Excellency to
make a dollar a legal tender, because we are aware of the se-
rious consequences of such a step ; but, we respectfully ask
your EXcellency how it Is to be determined what relative and
fixed value the dollar bears, when tendered as an equivalent for
sterling, and into'what sterling subdivions it is possible to di-
vide a coin not of sterling demonination.
We are aware that, by Act of Parliament, the duties autho-
rised to be collected in this Colony, are of course contem.
plated to be in sterling money ; and we owe it to your
Excellency's indulgence, that, without a sterling circulating
Medium, we are permitted to pay those sterling duties in dol.
lars at ss. value ; and we 'do not fear but the some forbearance
will prevent us from entertaining any well-grounded cause of
alarm, lest, at sonic future period, we may be called upon to
pay the difference between What we have paid, and what we,
by law, are bound to pay.
Arise in the priceofneceasaries will naturally induce a 'dollar
rise in the price of labour : and we respectfully submit to your
Excellency, that it will be impossible, with our property and pro-
duce so greatly, and so suddenly lowered, to continue to give
those wages to our convict servants, which, by the present
Ordinances of Government, we are compelled to do : we have
no hesitation inartathig to your Excellency that it will be im-
give any thing like such wages ; and
that, passiblea a far to
respectsacaonti nu e tor
the settler, the least serious of the con-
sequences will be the return to Government of the greater
number of convicts at present maintained by him.
Although we have only stated a few of the more obvious ob-
jections to lie intioductwn, of a currency other than sterling,
yet we respectfully trust *e have stated more than enough to
induce your Excellencyto give this important subject further
consideration, before your Excellency's sanction is finally given
to the present measure of the Commissary.
Being entirely ignorant of the particular advantages that can
possibly arise by the introduction of a depreciated medium of
payment, we can only look upon it as a measure that (without
reference to ulterior consequences) might promise to reduce the
expellees of the Colony ; we beg your Excellency to belieVe,
that every measure of economy your Excellency may deem It
advisable to adopt, *ill be most cheerfully seconded and sup.
ported by us ; but, in consideration of the vital interest of this
Colony, involved, as we are convinced It is, in your final de
implore -
termination, we' your Excellency to consider, whether
other and more efficient means, to obtain those desirable ob-
jects, may not be resorted to, rather than affiird a nominal and
fictitious relief to the Mother Country, by substituting a depre-
ciated currency for a sterling one.
We most respectfully entreat and hope, that your Excellency
will, on a full consideration of the statement thus submitted,
give such directions for the future guidance of the Commis-
sariat Department as will relieve us from the serious loss we
have already experienced, and the difficulties in account and
general transaction we at present labour under. We most
respectfully beg leave to entertain the hope, that arrangements
may be made- which will prevent any loss accruing to the Go.
velment by paying in future for all supplies required by the
Commissariat in store receipts, to be consolidated as fonnerly.
In order to lead to a result so anxiously 'contemplated by us,
we most respectfully trust your Excellency will, on mature
consideration, be pleased to give instructions to the Deputy.
Commissary-General not to purchase, or receive, any more
Spanish dollars ; but that after all those at present in his charge
shall have been issued to the public in payment of supplies re-
quired by the Crown, a recurrence may be had to the mode of
payment to which we have thus ventured to advert.
We trust your Excellency will believe, that in dna submit-
ting our sentiments to your Excellency's liberal consideration,
we do it under the full conviction that you will be governed by
the desire and intention to do justice, and extend protection
and support both to the interests of the Mother Country and
the Colonists ; and we throw ourselves upon your Excellency's
wisdom and liberality to relieve us from the distress and ruin
with which we are threatened; assuring your Excellency, that
such a mark of beneficent attention to our wishes and interests,
will be most thankfully received, and ever gretefully acknow.
-.edged.
New South Wales.