The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-17 00:00:00

CURRENCY IN MALTA.

Some weeks ago mention was made of the vicious
state of the currency in Malta and other British pos-
sessions, and the plan proposed for its amelioration,
which tray be shortly repeated as the introduction of
a 4.i. piece as the only legal tender for payments of a
large amount, the effect of which, as the proposer be-
'eves, would be the removal of all the South American
dr:11 irs, part of the British silver coin, and all the Mal-
tese 4 will protably be remembi red, that the
preValence of the South Ameri. an dollar is regardc,l
ns the et ,i,ll defect of the present srptem, and that. the
removal of this is to be regarded as ti:e pt n ip it step
in arty improvement that tray be proposed. This ob-
ject being admittel to be desirable, the proposer bee.
ieg explained it in one pamphlet, has primed others
t examine the obstacles which may stand in
the way of its adoption, and considers the chief
oljectiens wool I be the expense of coining the
dellirs or bul ion brought to the Mint for tint
purpose, and the expense of conveying the new
coin to the foreign possessions, and bringing to
England to be remelted, the coin intended to be re-
drawn from circulation. As for the first objection,
it is assumed that the charge of coining cannot be of
great moment, as the Mint exi. ts, and its officers re-
ceive salari,.s, whether coining goes on or not. Tee
second objection requires to be considered more in
detail, and here the proposer of the scheme observes,
that the expense of carrying a new currency to the
possessions in the Mediterranean, and bringing back
the old one, costs no more than 10s. or ISs. on the
1001., which is the rate charged at present to pri-
vate merchant., v 7., 10s. to Malta, and 15s. to
Corfu ; and further, it is bel eyed that a large sum
might be carried at half that expense. The whole
sum required for Malta would not, it is estimated,
exceed 200,000/., and a similar sum is set down as ti e
highest. that would be required by the lonian Islands.
'rho currency of the West Indies, Canada, and other
North American possessions (including both specie
and paper) is set down at 1,539,162/., which with the
400,000/. amounts to 1,939,162!., or in round numbers
2,000,0001., would suffice for possessions north of tlie
Equator, which, assuming 15s. as the average charge,
would give as the expense of conveyance no more than
15,000/. The currency of the whole of the posses-
sions to the south of the Equator (including paper)
is estimated at 1,991,952/., and the cost of con-
veyance at 40,0001. at the highest. B.wond this
charge it is calculated no less could be sustainc 1.
A pound of standard silver costing 60s. would, in
confcrmity with the old standard previous to 1816,
he coined into 625., so that the gain would be
2s. Nearly the whole of this gain must, however,
be deducted from it on account of the fact that
South American dollar silver contains fewer grairs
of pure silver, and thus the conversion causes
neither loss nor (essehtial) gain. Another scheme,
howiver, is proposed, which would involve greater ex-
pense, but is considered preferable by some of the re,i•
dents in Malta. This is, to make the 4s. piece of the
same vague at a sf. piece ; to effect which the stan-
dard pound of silver must be coined into a fraction less
than 61s. 41d. and the loss it is cellulite I would be
about 21,000/. for the possessions north of the Equator,
and a similar sum for those to the south. Addir g
this sum to the 15,0004 and 40,000/. we have for the
northern possessions 36,000/. and for the southern
61,000!. giving an aggregate of 97,000/. The accuracy
of these di tails can of course only be ascertained front
a minute examination of the statistics of the British
possessions, and on this the above arguments necessarily
depend. The present system, however, is so vicious in
itself, that every plan for
its amelioration is worthy of
consideration.—Times.

MA RYLEBONE VESTRY.-On Saturday, at the
me, tint; of the Marylebone vestry, Mr. Flood read a lever
from Mr. Randall, the parish soteitor, relative to the vay-
meat of the costs of the Chancery sent, which again cones
on in that Court on Tuesday; and also the report of the
committee appointed to wa•ch the proceedings in reference
to the application that the costs should be pa:el from the
general funds of the parish. according to the opinion of
the Attorney-General. The report recommended that, to
as-Ad expense, the Attorney-General's proposi ion should
be acceded to. Mr. liensett opposed the adopti mof the
report, and moved " Tlytt the payment of the retool's
Chancery suit e,sts be delayed until a better promime be
given to the promoters r.f the bill to abstain from further
litigation, and costs for all past acts done by the vestry."
This was opposed by Mr. Young, ho said if the suits pre-
ceedcd f,r three years they would be no hotter s,ff, end
would have a most alarmingly increased bill of costs. lie
conside•ed the Chancellor's remark very just—" That Vie
time of the C .urt could be better employed in I e'ng
made the arena `.or a parish squabble." Tee report aas
adopted by thirty-four to three.
On Monday afiernoon, between twelve and one
o'clock, as some of the Tt arnes police were rowing in a
boat up to the Penitentiasl at Milb.ank, they discovered
the body of a young woman floating on the surface. t ff
Lambeth Palm e. The deceased was attired in a black
si:k dress and black beaver bonnet, and bah a ring on her
finger. It is supposed th; tit is the holy of the unfortu.
nete young woman who some time since, in the day time,
threw liet,e;lf from London-bridi..e.
STOCKHOLM, RCH 2.—HIS Majesty has
appointed M. Von Lowcnskiuld, hitherto N_rwegian Mi-
ni,ter of State, to the post of Governor of the kingdom
cf Norway, in the room of the lstc Count Wedel
burg. M. Von Due hitherto Secretary of State, is ap-
pointed Minister in his place.
ELOPEMENT.-The Commerce Belge announces
the elopement of a Portuguese Jewish gentleman, who
has for many years resided at Brussels, with one of the
most wealthy heiresses of 1351gium, who had refused sevc-
ral splendid offers. The fug,itii,C3 were supposed to have
proceeded to London,