WHEREAS by “The Gold Duties Act 1870” hereinafter referred to as “the said Act” it is enacted that on and after the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one certain new duties therein specified should be collected on the exportation of gold but it is also therein provided that the said Act should come into operation on the first day of October one thousand eight hundred and seventy and that “The Gold Duty Act 1858” should be repealed on and after the date on which the said Act came into operation And whereas by the nineteenth section of “The Customs Regulation Act 1858” it is enacted that in all cases where new duties of Customs or other duties under the management collection or control of the Commissioner are imposed by any Act in lieu of any former duties payable at the time of the commencement of such Act such former duties shall continue payable until such new duties shall become chargeable except where the Act imposing such new duties shall otherwise provide And whereas doubts having been raised whether it was the intention of the General Assembly that “The Gold Duty Act, 1858” should be repealed before the said new duties were collectable under the said Act and doubts having also been raised as to the power to collect the duties imposed by “The Gold Duty Act 1858” on and after the first day of October one thousand eight hundred and seventy it is expedient to put an end to such doubts And whereas by reason of such doubts it was deemed expedient by His Excellency the Governor in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by “The Customs Regulation Act 1858” to prohibit the exportation of gold on and after the first day of October one thousand eight hundred and seventy and until the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one by Proclamation dated the twenty-sixth day of September one thousand eight hundred and seventy And whereas notwithstanding the said prohibition the officers of Her Majesty’s Customs were instructed to permit the exportation of gold upon payment of the duties specified in “The Gold Duty Act 1858” And whereas it is expedient that the said officers should be indemnified for so doing: