snap. 11] THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 907 
had there been a ground on which a distinction could con- 
veniently have been drawn between the two cases. But that 
would be contrary to the Canadian rule. 
The states are forbidden to coin money, or to make any- 
thing but gold or silver legal tender in payment of debts! 
and the Commonwealth has now passed a law 2 establishing 
a note issue for the Commonwealth, and in effect extinguish- 
ing the rights of private banks to issue notes by imposing a 
10 per cent. tax, as had already been done in Queensland, 
after the Australian bank failure. Moreover, arrangements 
have been made with the Imperial Government, under which 
a silver coinage has been designed for the Commonwealth, 
and it ismanufactured in London and shipped to the Common- 
wealth, where it will gradually supplant the existing silver 
coinage, which is ordinary British money. The validity of 
such coinage is laid down by a Commonwealth Act of 1909, 
and it is valid in the Commonwealth, but of course it has no 
validity elsewhere unless such validity should be given by 
an Order in Council under the Imperial Coinage Act, 1870. 
On the other hand, in virtue of proclamations under that Act, 
there arc, branch mints in Australia, which can coin gold 
coins which are valid not merely in Australia, but all over 
the Empire where ordinary sovereigns are good tender, as in 
(Canada, where also a branch mint has been set up at Ottawa. 
On the other hand, the Commonwealth is restricted by 
s. 116 from making any law for establishing any religion, or 
for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the 
free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be 
imposed as a qualification for any office or public trust in the 
Commonwealth service. Moreover, by s. 117, the state and 
the Commonwealth alike are forbidden to violate the rule 
that a subject of the Queen resident in any state shall not be 
subject in any other state to any disability or disqualification 
which would not be equally applicable to him if he were 
! The whole ground is covered by the Commonwealth Act No. 6 of 1909; 
the old Imperial Orders in Council of 1896 having been revoked retro- 
spectively in January 1911, so that the Act has full effect. 
% Qee Acts Nos. 11 and 14 of 1910.