Financial Agreement Validation Act 1929 (Cth)

Financial Agreement Validation Act 1929 No. 4, 1929 An Act to validate an Agreement made the twelfth day of December One thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven between the Commonwealth of Australia of the first part and the States of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh parts respectively Contents 1 Short title 2 Validation of Agreement The Schedule Financial Agreement Validation Act 1929 No. 4, 1929 An Act to validate an Agreement made the twelfth day of December One thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven between the Commonwealth of Australia of the first part and the States of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh parts respectively [Assented to 18 March 1929] The Parliament of Australia enacts: Preamble WHEREAS an agreement (a copy of which is set forth in the Schedule to this Act) was made on the twelfth day of December One thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven between the Commonwealth of Australia of the first part and the States of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh parts respectively: AND WHEREAS the Agreement has been approved by the Parliaments of the Commonwealth and of the States: AND WHEREAS the Agreement provides among other things that the Commonwealth will take the necessary action to submit to the Parliament of the Commonwealth and to the electors proposals for the alteration of the Constitution of the Commonwealth in the following form: 105A(1) The Commonwealth may make agreements with the States with respect to the public debts of the States, including: (a) the taking over of such debts by the Commonwealth; (b) the management of such debts; (c) the payment of interest and the provision and management of sinking funds in respect of such debts; (d) the consolidation, renewal, conversion, and redemption of such debts; (e) the indemnification of the Commonwealth by the States in respect of debts taken over by the Commonwealth; and (f) the borrowing of money by the States or by the Commonwealth or by the Commonwealth for the States. (2) The Parliament may make laws for validating any such agreement made before the commencement of this section. (3) The Parliament may make laws for the carrying out by the parties thereto of any such agreement. (4) Any such agreement may be varied or rescinded by the parties thereto. (5) Every such agreement and any such variation thereof shall be binding upon the Commonwealth and the States parties thereto, notwithstanding anything contained in this Constitution or the Constitution of the several States or in any law of the Parliament of the Commonwealth or of any State. (6) The powers conferred by this section shall not be construed as being limited in any way by the provisions of section 105 of this Constitution. AND WHEREAS a proposed law embodying the said proposals was, on the fourteenth day of September, One thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight, passed by both Houses of the Parliament of the Commonwealth by an absolute majority, and, having been submitted to the electors in accordance with the Constitution, was on the seventeenth day of November, One thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight, approved in a majority of the States by a majority of the electors voting, and approved by a majority of all the electors voting, and was presented to the Governor-General for the King's assent: AND WHEREAS the law embodying the said proposals was assented to by the Governor-General in the King's name on the thirteenth day of February One thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine: AND WHEREAS it is desirable to validate the agreement: BE it therefore enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows: 1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Financial Agreement Validation Act 1929. 2 Validation of Agreement The Agreement made the twelfth day of December One thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven between the Commonwealth of Australia of the first part and the States of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh parts respectively with respect to the public debts of the States, including: (a) the taking over of such debts by the Commonwealth; (b) the management of such debts; (c) the payment of interest and the provision and management of sinking funds in respect of such debts; (d) the consolidation, renewal, conversion and redemption of such debts; (e) the imdemnification of the Commonwealth by the States in respect of debts taken over by the Commonwealth; and (f) the borrowing of moneys by the States and by the Commonwealth and by the Commonwealth for the States; (a copy of which Agreement is set forth in the Schedule to this Act), is hereby validated. The Schedule AGREEMENT made the twelfth day of December One thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven BETWEEN THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA (in this Agreement called the Commonwealth) of the first part, THE STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES of the second part, THE STATE OF VICTORIA of the third part, THE STATE OF QUEENSLAND of the fourth part, THE STATE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA of the fifth part, THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA of the sixth part, and THE STATE OF TASMANIA of the seventh part (each of the parties of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh parts being in this Agreement referred to as a State and the expression "the States" hereinafter used meaning where the context so permits or requires all of such parties). WHEREAS with a view to making provision for the adjustment of Commonwealth and State financial relations the general principle of a draft scheme was affirmed by a Conference of Commonwealth and State Ministers in Melbourne which commenced on the sixteenth day of June One thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven; AND WHEREAS permanent effect cannot be given to the proposals contained in the said scheme unless the Constitution of the Commonwealth is altered so as to confer on the Parliament of the Commonwealth power to make laws for carrying out or giving permanent effect to such proposals; AND WHEREAS pending the submission to the electors of a proposed law for the alteration of the said Constitution as aforesaid and in order to obtain immediately some of the advantages which would result from united action by adoption of the said scheme the Commonwealth and the States have agreed that for the period commencing on the first day of July One thousand nine hundred and twenty-seven and ending on the thirtieth day of June One thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine certain of the proposed provisions of the said scheme shall be temporarily adopted: NOW THIS AGREEMENT WITNESSETH: PART I 1. This Agreement shall have no force or effect and shall not be binding on any party unless and until it is approved by the Parliaments of the Commonwealth and of the States. 2. DEFINITIONS In this Agreement- "Net Public debt of a State existing on 30th June, 1927," means in respect of each State the amount of debt set forth hereunder opposite to the name of that State, viz.:- New South Wales.…………………………….. £234,088,501 Victoria…………………………………………..136,949,942 Queensland………………………………………101,977,855 South Australia……………………………………84,834,364 Western Australia…………………………………61,060,675 Tasmania…………………………………………..22,434,060 ----------------- £641,345,397 ----------------- The said amount of the net public debt of each State includes the debts of that State secured by - (i) Inscribed Stock, including Local Inscribed Stock and Government Inscribed Stock; (ii) nstalment Stock; (iii) Registered Stock; (iv) Funded Stock; (v) Stock payable to bearer; (vi) Bonds, including registered bonds; (vii) Debentures, including registered debentures and instalment debentures; (viii) Treasury Bills not repayable within twelve months from the date of issue; or (ix) Fixed deposit receipts or special deposit receipts for moneys borrowed for other than temporary purposes; issued or created by the State or by or on behalf of a Colony the predecessor of the State in respect of moneys borrowed by the Colony or State together with debts of the State to the Commonwealth of the amount set out respectively hereunder opposite to the name of the State so far as those last mentioned debts are not included by being secured in manner aforesaid:- New South Wales.…………….……………….. £12,553,698 Victoria……………………….…………………..23,688,269 Queensland…………………….…………………16,082,583 South Australia………………….………………..18,446,197 Western Australia……………….………………..16,739,872 Tasmania……………………….…...……………..3,948,613 ----------------- £91,459,232 ----------------- after deducting therefrom the amount for which the Commonwealth by this Agreement assumes liability under Part III, Clause 4, of this Agreement and the amount of any moneys or securities standing to the credit of a sinking fund, redemption fund, or a fund of a like nature of the State as on 30th June, 1927, and does not include any moneys raised by the State by way of overdraft, fixed deposit, or special deposit for temporary purposes only. The said sum of £234,088,501 (being the amount of the debt of New South Wales abovementioned) comprises the debts referred to in, and has been computed in the manner shown in, the statement signed by representatives of the Commonwealth and of New South Wales. "Gross Public Debt of a State existing on 30th June, 1927," means in respect of each State the amount of debt set forth hereunder opposite to the name of that State, viz.:- New South Wales……………………….…£239,441,363 Victoria……………………………..……….144,844,530 Queensland………………………………….105,259,916 South Australia……………………………….87,614,005 Western Australia…………………………….70,705,913 Tasmania……………………………………..24,254,688 ----------------- £672,120,415 ----------------- The said amount of the gross public debt of each State includes the net public debt of that State together with the amount for which the Commonwealth by this Agreement assumes liability under Part III, Clause 4, of this Agreement and the amount of any moneys or securities standing to the credit of any sinking fund redemption fund or fund of a like nature of the State as on 30th June, 1927. "Transferred Properties" means the properties mentioned or specified in the Schedule of Transferred Properties signed by representatives of the Commonwealth and the States as revised to the 30th June, 1927, being properties which became vested in the Commonwealth pursuant to Section 85 (i) of the Constitution of the Commonwealth. "The Loan Council" means the Australian Loan Council created in pursuance of this Agreement. "Bondholder" means an owner of any - (i) Inscribed Stock, including Local Inscribed Stock and Government Inscribed Stock; (ii) Instalment Stock; (iii) Registered Stock; (iv) Funded Stock; (v) Stock payable to bearer; (vi) Bonds, including registered bonds; (vii) Debentures including registered debentures and instalment debentures; (viii) Treasury Bills not repayable within twelve months from the date of issue or (ix) Fixed deposit receipts or special deposit receipts for moneys borrowed for other than temporary purposes; issued or created by a State or by or on behalf of a Colony the predecessor of the State in respect of borrowed moneys but does not include the Commonwealth. 3. AUSTRALIAN LOAN COUNCIL (a) There shall be an Australian Loan Council, which shall consist of one Minister of State of the Commonwealth to be appointed in writing from time to time by the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth to represent the Commonwealth, and one Minister of State of each State to be appointed in writing from time to time by the Premier of that State to represent that State. Provided that, if in the opinion of the Prime Minister or of any Premier of a State, special circumstances exist at any time which make it desirable so to do, a person who is not a Minister may instead of a Minister be appointed by the Prime Minister or the Premier as the case may be to represent the Commonwealth or a State as a member of the Loan Council. The name of each person appointed to represent a State shall be notified in writing by the Premier of that State to the Prime Minister. (b) The member representing the Commonwealth on the Loan Council shall hold office during the pleasure of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth and a member representing a State shall hold office during the pleasure of the Premier of the State which the member was appointed to represent. (c) A decision in which all the members for the time being of the Loan Council concur shall be a unanimous decision of the Loan Council notwithstanding any vacancy then existing in its membership. (d) A meeting of the Loan Council may at any time be convened by the member representing the Commonwealth, and shall be so convened upon the request of at least three members representing States. (e) A majority of the members of the Loan Council shall constitute a quorum of the Loan Council for the exercise of its powers at any meeting. Provided that- (i) a member may at any time appoint in writing a deputy to act in his absence; and any deputy so appointed may in the absence of the member exercise all the powers and functions of the member and his presence shall be deemed the presence of the member; and (ii) an absent member who has not appointed a deputy may vote by letter or by telegram, and in such case that member shall be counted as being present in relation only to the questions on which he has voted. (f) The Loan Council may make rules of procedure including rules relating to places, times, and notices of meetings, and conduct of business at meetings, and from time to time may alter such rules. (g) The Commonwealth and each State will from time to time while Part II of this Agreement is in force, and while Part III of this Agreement is in force, submit to the Loan Council a programme setting forth the amount it desires to raise by loans for each financial year for purposes other than the conversion, renewal or redemption of existing loans or temporary purposes. Each programme shall state the estimated total amount of such loan expenditure for the year, and the estimated amount of repayments which will be available towards meeting that expenditure. Any revenue deficit to be funded shall be included in such loan programme, and the amount of such deficit shall be set out. Loans for Defence purposes approved by the Parliament of the Commonwealth shall not be included in the Commonwealth's loan programme or be otherwise subject to this Agreement. (h) If the Loan Council decides that the total amount of the loan programme for the year cannot be borrowed at reasonable rates and conditions it shall decide the amount to be borrowed for the year, and may by unanimous decision allocate such amount between the Commonwealth and the States. (i) If the members of the Loan Council fail to arrive at a unanimous decision under the last preceding sub-clause allocating the amount to be borrowed for any year, the amount to be borrowed for that year shall be allocated as follows:- (i) The Commonwealth shall, if it so desires, be entitled to have one-fifth or any less proportion of such amount allocated to the Commonwealth; and (ii) Each State shall be entitled to have allocated to it a sum (being a portion of the balance of such amount) bearing to the balance of such amount the same proportion which the net loan expenditure of that State in the preceding five years bears to the net loan expenditure of all the States during the same period. Provided that any State may, if it so desires, have allocated to it a sum less than the sum to which it is entitled under this sub-clause or no sum, and that when a less sum or no sum has been allocated to any State or States in manner aforesaid the amount then remaining available for allocation shall be allocated to the other States in the proportion which the net loan expenditure of each of such other States in the preceding five years bears to the net loan expenditure of all such other States during the same period. For the purposes of this sub-clause net loan expenditure does not include expenditure for the conversion, renewal, or redemption of loans, but means the gross other loan expenditure of a State less any amounts of such expenditure repaid to the State other than moneys repaid to the State in manner stated in Part II, clause 4 (e), or Part III clause 3 (i), of this Agreement. (j) If the total amount to be borrowed as aforesaid for any year is to be borrowed by means of more than one loan the Loan Council may by unanimous decision apportion between the Commonwealth and the States the amount to be borrowed by each such loan other than the loan by means of which the balance of the total amount to be borrowed as aforesaid for the year is borrowed. (k) If the members of the Loan Council fail to arrive at a unanimous decision under the last preceding sub-clause apportioning the amount to be borrowed as aforesaid by any loan the amount to be borrowed by that loan shall be apportioned between the Commonwealth and the States in proportion to the amount then to be borrowed as aforesaid for the Commonwealth and for each State for the year. (l) The Commonwealth and each State will also from time to time, while Part II of this Agreement is in force and while Part III of this Agreement is in force, submit to the Loan Council a statement setting out the amount it requires for each financial year for the conversion, renewal or redemption of existing loans. (m) If the members of the Loan Council fail to arrive at a unanimous decision on any matter other than the matters referred to in sub-clauses (h) and (j) of clause 3 and sub-clause (b) of clause 4 of this part of this Agreement, the matter shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members. On every question for decision by the Loan Council the member representing the Commonwealth shall have two votes and a casting vote, and each memberrepresenting a State shall have one vote. (n) A decision of the Loan Council in respect of a matter which the Loan Council is by this Agreement empowered to decide shall be final and binding on all parties to this Agreement. (o) In this clause the expressions "Prime Minister" and "Premier" include the persons for the time being respectively acting as such. 4. FUTURE BORROWINGS OF COMMONWEALTH AND STATES (a) Except in cases where the Loan Council has decided under sub-clause (b) of this clause that moneys shall be borrowed by a State, the Commonwealth, while Part II or Part III of this Agreement is in force, shall, subject to the decisions of the Loan Council and subject also to Clauses 5 and 6 of this Part of this Agreement, arrange for all borrowings for or on behalf of the Commonwealth or any State, and for all conversions, renewals, redemptions, and consolidations of the Public Debts of the Commonwealth and of the States. (b) If at any time the Loan Council by unanimous decision so decides, a State may in accordance with the terms of the decision borrow moneys outsideAustralia in the name of the State, and issue securities for the moneys so borrowed. The Commonwealth shall guarantee that the State will perform all its obligations to bondholders in respect of the moneys so borrowed. For all the purposes of this Agreement, including the making of sinking fund contributions, the moneys so borrowed shall be deemed to be moneys borrowed by the Commonwealth for and on behalf of that State. (c) If any State after the 30th June, 1927, and before this Agreement has been approved by the Parliaments of the Commonwealth and of the States, has borrowed moneys in the name of the State and issued securities for the moneys so borrowed, such moneys shall for all the purposes of this Agreement, including the making of sinking fund contributions, be deemed to be moneys borrowed by the Commonwealth for and on behalf of that State. (d) While Part II or Part III of this Agreement is in force, moneys shall not be borrowed by the Commonwealth or any State otherwise than in accordance with this Agreement. 5. BORROWING BY STATES For any purpose (including the redemption of securities given or issued at any time for moneys previously borrowed or used in manner stated in this clause) a State may, while Part II or Part III of this Agreement is in force:- (a) Subject to any maximum limits decided upon by the Loan Council from time to time for interest, brokerage, discount and other charges, borrow moneys within the State from authorities, bodies, funds or institutions (including Savings Banks) constituted or established under Commonwealth or State law or practice and from the public by counter sales of securities, and (b) use any public moneys of the State which are available under the laws of the State. Any securities that are issued for moneys so borrowed or used shall be Commonwealth securities, to be provided by the Commonwealth upon terms approved by the Loan Council. Where any such borrowing or use is solely for temporary purposes, the provisions of this Agreement, other than this clause, shall not apply. Where any such borrowing or use is not solely for temporary purposes, and Commonwealth securities are issued in respect thereof, the moneys borrowed or used shall be deemed to be moneys borrowed by the Commonwealth for and on behalf of the State, and may be retained by the State. A State may convert securities given or issued at any time by that State for moneys previously borrowed or used in manner stated in this clause. New securities issued on any such conversion shall be Commonwealth securities to be provided by the Commonwealth upon terms approved by the Loan Council. The amount for which such new securities are issued shall be deemed to be moneys borrowed by the Commonwealth for and on behalf of the State. If the moneys deemed under this clause to be moneys borrowed by the Commonwealth on behalf of a State, together with the amounts raised by the Commonwealth for and on behalf of the State exceed the total amount of loan moneys decided upon by the Loan Council as the moneys to be raised for and on behalf of the State for the financial year in which the money is deemed to be borrowed, the excess shall, unless the Loan Council otherwise decides, be deemed to be moneys received by the State in the following year on account of its loan programme for that year. For the purposes of this clause counter sales of securities shall be deemed to mean sales of securities made at the offices of the State Treasury, and at such other places as may be decided upon by the Loan Council. The Commonwealth shall not be under any obligation to make sinking fund contributions in respect of moneys borrowed or used pursuant to this clause to meet a revenue deficit of a State, but the provisions of clause 4 (d) of PartII and of clause 3 (j) of Part III of this Agreement shall apply respectively to all moneys borrowed or used for that purpose. Except in cases where the Loan Council has otherwise decided under sub-clause (b) of clause 4 of Part I of this Agreement a State shall not have the right to invite loan subscriptions by the issue of a public prospectus. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement, any State may use for temporary purposes any public moneys of the State which are available under the laws of the State, or may, subject to maximum limits (if any) decided upon by the Loan Council from time to time for interest, brokerage, discount, and other charges, borrow money for temporary purposes by way of overdraft, or fixed, special, or other deposit, and the provisions of this Agreement other than this paragraph shall not apply to such moneys. 6. BORROWING BY COMMONWEALTH For any purpose (including the redemption of securities given or issued at any time for moneys previously borrowed or used in manner stated in this clause) the Commonwealth may-while Part II or Part III of this Agreement is in force- (a) Subject to any maximum limits decided upon by the Loan Council from time to time for interest, brokerage, discount and other charges, borrow moneys within the Commonwealth from authorities, bodies, funds or institutions (including Savings Banks) constituted or established under Commonwealth or State law or practice and from the public by counter sales of securities, and (b) use any public moneys of the Commonwealth which are available under the laws of the Commonwealth. Any securities that are issued for moneys so borrowed or used shall be Commonwealth securities, to be provided by the Commonwealth upon terms approved by the Loan Council. Where any such borrowing or use is solely for temporary purposes, the provisions of this Agreement, other than this clause, shall not apply. Where any such borrowing or use is not solely for temporary purposes, and Commonwealth securities are issued in respect thereof, the moneys borrowed or used may be retained by the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth may convert securities given or issued at any time by the Commonwealth for moneys previously borrowed or used in manner stated in this clause. New securities issued on any such conversion shall be Commonwealth securities to be provided by the Commonwealth upon terms approved by the Loan Council. If the moneys so borrowed or used are not borrowed or used solely for temporary purposes and Commonwealth securities are issued in respect thereof, and such moneys, together with other moneys borrowed by the Commonwealth for and on behalf of the Commonwealth as part of the total amount of loan moneys decided upon by the Loan Council as the moneys to be raised for and on behalf of the Commonwealth for the financial year in which the securities are issued, exceed such total amount the excess shall unless the Loan Council otherwise decides be deemed to be moneys received by the Commonwealth in the following year on account of its loan programme for that year. For the purposes of this clause counter sales of securities shall be deemed to mean sales of securities made at the offices of the Commonwealth Treasury, and at such other places as may be decided upon by the Loan Council. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement, the Commonwealth may use for temporary purposes any public moneys of the Commonwealth which are available under the laws of the Commonwealth or may, subject to maximum limits (if any) decided upon by the Loan Council from time to time for interest, brokerage, discount, and other charges, borrow money for temporary purposes by way of overdraft, or fixed, special or other deposit, and the provisions of this Agreement other than this paragraph shall not apply to such moneys. 7. PAYMENT OF INTEREST AND SINKING FUNDS In the event of Part III of this Agreement not coming into force each State shall in respect of all moneys borrowed by the Commonwealth for and on behalf of that State during the period commencing on the 1st July, 1927, and ending on the 30th June, 1929- (a) pay to the Commonwealth interest at the full rate of interest payable by the Commonwealth in respect of the loan by which such moneys were borrowed or such other rate of interest as may be payable by that State to the Commonwealth under any agreement made or to be made between the Commonwealth and that State in respect of such moneys. Such interest shall be payable for the full term of that loan and be paid to the Commonwealth on the respective days upon which interest is payable by the Commonwealth in respect of that loan; and (b) make sinking fund contributions to the National Debt Commission in respect of the loan by which such moneys were borrowed at the full rate, and for the portion unexpired on the 30th June, 1929 of the full period, provided for in the conditions under which the public were invited to subscribe to that loan; and (c) pay to the Commonwealth when the loan matures an amount which (together with the sinking fund contributions made by the Commonwealth and the State in respect of that loan and the accumulations of such contributions) will be sufficient to provide for the redemption of that loan. For the purposes of this sub-clause such contributions shall be deemed to accumulate at the rate of 41/2 per centum per annum compounded. PART II 1. This part of this Agreement shall be in force only during and in respect of the period of two years, commencing on 1st July, 1927, and ending on 30th June, 1929. 2. CONTRIBUTION BY COMMONWEALTH TO INTEREST The Commonwealth will in each of the said two years pay to each State by equal monthly instalments the amount set out opposite to the name of that State as shown hereunder:- New South Wales…………………..……………£2,917,411 Victoria……………………………………………2,127,159 Queensland………………….…….………………1,096,235 South Australia………………….…………………..703,816 Western Australia………………….………………..473,432 Tasmania………………….…………………………266,859 -------------- £7,584,912 -------------- Each State shall apply the amount so paid to it towards payment of interest due by that State on the Public Debt of that State. All amounts paid by the Commonwealth to a State in pursuance of Section 6 of the States Grants Act 1927, of the Commonwealth shall be deemed to be payments to that State under this clause. 3. TRANSFERRED PROPERTIES The Commonwealth will in each of the said two years pay to each State interest at the rate of 5 per centum per annum on the agreed value of transferred properties in the State, such value being in the case of each State as follows:- New South Wales………………………….£4,788,005 Victoria………………………………………2,302,862 Queensland……………………….………….1,560,639 South Australia………………………………1,035,631 Western Australia……………………………...736,432 Tasmania……………………………………….500,754 -------------- Total……………………….……£10,924,323 -------------- 4. SINKING FUNDS (a) In each of the said two years the Commonwealth will pay from revenue a sinking fund contribution at the rate of 2s. 6d. per annum for each £100 of the net Public Debts of the States existing on 30th June, 1927, and each State (other than the State of New South Wales) will pay from revenue a sinking fund contribution at the rate of 5s. per annum for each £100 of the net public debt of that State existing on 30th June, 1927. The State of New South Wales will in the financial year commencing 1st July, 1928, pay from revenue a sinking fund contribution at the rate of 5s. for each £100 of the net public debt of that State existing on 30th June, 1927. (b) Where in respect of any debt included in the gross public debt of a State existing on 30th June, 1927, there is under laws or contracts existing at that date an obligation to provide a sinking fund at a rate in excess of 7s. 6d. per annum for each £100, any amount to be so provided in excess of the rate of 7s. 6d. per annum for each £100 shall be provided out of the National Debt Sinking Fund established under the laws of the Commonwealth. Provided that if any law imposing such an obligation is repealed or is amended so as to reduce the rate of sinking fund to be provided, the only amount (if any) to be provided out of the National Debt Sinking Fund pursuant to this sub-clause in respect of that debt shall, as from the date of such repeal or amend