The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-21 00:00:00

DEPUTATION TO THE C CHEQUER .
HANELLOR OF THE
EXC
A deputation of gentlemen, from an assoeiastion lately
formed for the purpose of promoting a decimal system
of coinage, waited upon the Chancellor of the Exedse.
quer yesterday, at his official residence, in Downine-
street, to urge upon her Majesty's Government the pro•
priety of adopting that system. The deputation cots-
sieted of Lord Monteagle, Lord Stanley, M.P., the Hon.
H. Liddell,
M.P., the Hon. Arthur Kinnaird,
Sir Joshua Walmsley, M.P., Sir G. Strickland, M.P.,.
Sir Charles Paisley, Mr. Cobden, M.P., Sir George
Goodman, M.P.,
Mr. Bright, M.P., Mr. Thickness:,
M.P., Mr. Dundas, M.P.,
M.P., Mr.W. Patten, Mr. H. W. Wickham,
M.P., Mr. H. Brown, M,P., Air.
Oliveira, M.P., Mr. Wood, Mr Feilden, M.P., Mr.
Greene, M.P., Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Thornely,
M.P., Mr. G. Duncan, M.P., Mr. Dunlop, M.P., Mr.
Hastie, MX:, Mr. Ingham, M.P., Mr. Dunbar, M.P.,
Mr. M'Gregor, M.P., Mr. Whatnian, M.P., Mr.
'Greenall, M.P., Mr. Lindsay, M.P., Mr. Headbero,
M.P., Mr. Barnes, M.P., Dr. Michell, mai, Mr.
Bass, M.P., Mr. Jackson, M.P., Colonel Freestun,
M.P., Mr. Kershaw, M.P., Mr. Milner Gibson, M.P
the Lord Mayor of York, Mr. Drysdale, the Mayor of
Blackburn, Mr. Workman, Mr. J. Dillon, Mr. Bennoch,
Mr. Gregson, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Barton, Mr. Cheshire,
secretary- to the Institute of Actuaries ; Mr. Hey-
wood, &c.
Mr. W. BROWN, 'M.P., in opening the business to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, said the right' hon. gentle.
man was aware of what had taken place with reference
to the question of
time.unanimouselyuurempulori decimal coinage up to the present
Th
tt edeoonf
tthhee
aHd
veins
as eb
iolift
yCoot ma
dmaopnt bhg
aving
idnit
iomo al system of c
o parts,
numberoinagaef,
mb y e dividingrahe r
a of
ee
Hpound setfecr gni!nto
o;ig
and others had formed themselves into an association
called the Decimal Coinage Association,
first meeting at the London Tavern
solutwioinths,
the
ee which held it*
Chancellor f
might
quer,fewwhichinterview in order that the deputation
tunity of explaining their views upon the auvl!' aiL°P7f,i
urging upon his attention the great importance they at-
tach to the proposed system of coinage. If the deputy:tion was important, it was not less so now that the gh;
hon. gentleman had been pleased to favour him with
communications, in which he stated that, though he was
willing to lay before the Cabinet the subject of a decimal
coinage, he did not think the Government were pre-
pared to go the full length of introducing that system,
nor could he believe that the country was prepared for
it. When Mr. Brown had introduced his resolutions
into the House of Commons, he (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) had examined them, and suggested the mils•
aeon of that portion of them which had reference to weight
and measures, on the ground that they were not neces-
sarily connected with the question of the decimal curren-
cy. The hon. gentleman then proceeded to explain the
progress which had been made in furtherance of the
question, and went on to say that the committee of the
House of Commons having recommended that the ponint
sterling should be the unit of account, the Decimal Ass*.
ciation had been expressly framed on that basis, and
was intended to carry into practical effect that resolu-
tion. The decimal system was in fact a labour-saving
machine, and they all knew that it was the introduction
of labour-saving machines that had made this country
what it was. With respect to the unit of account, there
was a difference of opinion. Mr. Thompson had read a
paper before the Institute of Actuaries in which he re-
commended that the penny should be the unit. The
right honourable gentleman must be aware that in an
abstract question of this kind it was quite impossible to
raise popular enthusiasm, whatever be its practical its.
portauce, and until they had some way of convincing the
people of the advantages of such a system, by showing
them some material substance in the shape of coins, it
was quite impossible that any important step could
be taken in promoting the immediate establishment
of a decimal currency. At the same time he was
bound to say that as far as the petitions which had
been laid before the Legislature represented publie
opinion, it was decidedly in favour of the change.
These petitions had emanated from corporate bodies,
from mechanics' institutes, from private companies, and
municipal corporations. Some apprehension bad bee*
felt that great difficulty would arise from the change,
but he thought these apprehensions were exagge-
rated, because in Ireland the change from 13d. to 12d.
for the shilling had been effected without the least
in-
convenience, and ho believed without any dissatisfaction.
NVhat they were anxious to see accomplished was an
issue of coins under the new system, by means of which
the public would be able to familiarise themselves with
the system and be prepared for its general adoption
when it should be put in force by the Government. As
to the basis of the new system, the committee of the
House of Commons was decidedly in favour of a pound
sterling as the unit of account, and he hoped therefore
that the Government would carry out the recommenda-
tion of a committee appointed by themselves. Mr,
Miller, cashier of the Bank of England, would tell the
right hon. gentleman that the great majority of the
mercantile and commercial houses were decidedly in
favour of the change. It was to be borne in mind that
there would be no alteration in the value of the money,
but the system proposed would merely involve the adop-
tion of a new and different scale ; and it would . be im-
possible fur the association to popularise the subject
without the assistance of the Government. At the same
time he might. say that all the evidence before the pub-
lic was decidedly in favour of the pound, and they hoped
that the right hon. gentleman would adopt it, and en:.
able them at once to proceed by issuing certain small
coins, which would show the people the practical mean-
ing of decimals. In all the following countries the deci-
mal system of coinage was either in existence or was in
course of adoption :—Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Lorn•
barc:.y, the Zollverein, Poland, Switzerland, France,
Rome, Sardiriia, Greece, Madeira, Spain, Portugal,
South America, the United States of America, Canada,
Bermuda, China, Japan, and Russia.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the hen.
gentleman had not mentioned the Two Sicilies,
where they had a decimal system of account, but a
system which was not decimal in the actual transactions
of life.
Mr. BROWN was understood to say that he was not
aware of this fact.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said they
would find it most difficult to point to a clear case'
of a country which had a uniformity of collage having
altered that coinage in order to adopt a decimal system.
Mr. BROWN said that, considering that the countries
he had mentioned adopted a decimal system, it did ap-
pear to him extraordinary.that this, the most commercial
country in the world, should be alinUt the last to folio.*
that system. He trusted that the Government would
pass a resolution upon the subject in the course of the
present session, declaring their intention to adopt some
measure, and bring in a bill next session to carry out
that resolution. said that
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
with reference to the proposal to issue new coins, it
was necessary that the Government should previously
have made up its mind not only as to the propriety of
introducing a decimal system, but also that a pound
should be the unit of account. With regard to a question
of this kind he might observe that the main use
of a deputation of this character was not to be JO-
dressed to him, but was a sort of public demonstra-
tion, by which the attention of the country was to be
awakened to the subject. Although they had had
various commissions and committees upon the subject of
a decimal coinage, it had not yet gone through anything
near that process of sifting amongst all classes of the
community interested in the question that would make
it safe for the Government to take any decisive steps.
There could not be a doubt that the decimal system of
account would be of immense advantage ; but if there
were a doubt, the high authority in favour of it would
be resistless ; but with regard to a decimal system of
coinage, they had not yet received sufficient evidence—
he did not say abstract evidence—as to the sense andn
feeling of the commercial classes of the country, and
therefore it was very plain that that class who aq. really
paid great attention to the subject, the commercial
principle
popu-
lation, were certainly favourable to the general
but
of a decimal coinage, with a pound as the unit ;
there were numerous masses of people who
knew
nothing
of decimals, and who carried out their business on a dd.
ferent system of account, with different divisions, offer•
ing some peculiar facilities, -the omission of which would
be lost if they adopted a decimal system. It was re-
markablo how the mixed decimal and duodecimal
system bad lived. It was impossible not to be struck
with this, and also with the fact that it was bound up
with the habits of the people, the system being one of
dividing decimally into .20,-and duodecimally .into .12:
But in his opinion this was a question on which the
mere judgment of the Government was of no im-
portance. There were some questions which were
carried on the recommendation of Government, and
others by the convictions of the country, and tin,:
by a mixture of both. Now, this was one an '
the feeling of the people must decide the
meanswlll—olB
question. He frankly owned that he was b 9 but he
convinced that they could get rid of the penny
mon
made this admission to them, that nothing
ocrc:rman in
unimportant than the opinion of
himself,
question was
office, upon a subject of this naturt they p
re aced for
—What did the country think? Were
which they could not
this measure ? It was a mitttr onit
bad undergone that
take any decisive steps
until
sifting and scrutiny which were necessary to enable the
it Patience was a bad text
masses to well understand .
fur a sermon at any time, and was not a very popular
have patience until matter was
one ; but they must
There were great tdifferences of
further discussed.,,ub.ect ;
and the views propounded by
()pillion upon the: j
the various portions of the press were by no means
n in favour of any particular system, so far as
the
unanici• oisc•u discussion had gone. He hoped, therefore, that
those gentlemen who were engaged in this interesting
questson—for it was an interesting and important ques-
tion—would pen;evere in their laudable efforts to sift
this matter, and lie had no doubt that future discussion,
with the means happily afforded for such a purpose,
would bring them before long to some practical result ;
but the feeling of the Government was that they were
not ripe for decisive measures, and tha opinion of Parlia-
ment ought not to be invoked until they were ripe. Sir
John Herschel, a favourable witness, had said that it
would take 20 years to carry out an object of this nature.
He was far from committing himself to such an opinion
as this, but he quite agreed in the statement of Ur.
Brown, that the system proposed would be a labour-
saving machine, and it was by labour-saving machines
that the power and greatness of this country had been
achieved.
After a few words from Mr. Moore, the deputsice
witidreir.