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

POLKAS.

DECIMAL COINAGE.

DEPUTATION TO THE CHANCELLOR OF THI
EXCHEQUER.
A deputation of gentlemen, from an association lately
formed for the purpose of promoting a decimal system
of coinage, waited upon the Chancellor of the Exoho•
quer yesterday, at his official residence, in Downing-
street, to urge upon her Majesty's Government the pro-
priety of adopting that system. The deputation con-
, sisted of Lord Monteagle, Lord Stanley, M.P., the Hon.
H. Liddell, M.P., the Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, M.P.,
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. Thicknesse,
M.P., Mr. Dundas, M.P., Mr. H. W. Wickham,
M.P., Mr.W. Patten, M.P., Mr. H. Brown, M.P., Mr.
Oliveira, M.P., Mr. Wood, Mr Feilden, M.P., Mr.
Greene, M.P., Mr. Brotherton, M.P., Mr. Thornely,
M.P., Mr. G. Duncan, M.P Mr. Dunlop, M.P., Mr.
Hastie, M.P., Mr. Ingham, M.P., Mr. Dunbar, M.P.,
Mr. M'Gregor, M.P., Mr. Whatman, M.P., Mr.
Greenall, M.P., Mr. Lindsay, M.P., Mr. Hea.dlern,
M.P., Mr. Barnes, M.P., Dr. Michell, M.P., Mr.
Bats, 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 decimal coinage up to the present
time. The committee of the House of Commons having
unanimously reported on the advisability of adopting a de-
cimal system of coinage, by dividing the pound sterling into
1000 parts, a number of members ofthe House of Commons
and others had formed themselves into an association
called the Decimal Coinage Association, which held its
first meeting at the London Tavern a few days ago and
passed certain resolutions' one of which instructed them
to seek an interview with the Chancellor of the Exalt*+
quer, in order that the deputation might have an oppor-
tunity of explaining their views upon the subject and of
urging upon his attention the great importance they at-
tach to the proposed system of coinage. If the deputa-
tion was important, it was not leis so now that the right
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
I 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 resolutiona
into the House of Commons, he (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) had examined them, and suggested the omis-
sion 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 pound
sterling should be the unit of account, the Decimal Asso-
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, them
was a difference of opinion. Mr. Thompson had read
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 im-
portance, 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 will
bound to say that as far as the petitions which had
been laid before the Legislature represented public
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 had been
felt that great difficulty would arise from the change,
but be thought these apprehensions were exagge•
rated, because in Ireland the change from 13d. to 12d.
fur the shilling had been effected without the least in-
convenience, and he believed without any dissatisfaction.
What 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-
I tion of a new and different scale ; and it would be
im-
possible for 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-
' lie 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 followil:g countries the deci-
mal system of coinage was either in existence or was in
course of adoption :—Sweden, Holland, Belgium, born•
barc..y, the Zollverein, Poland, Switzerland, France,
l Rome, Sardinia, Greece, Madeira, Spain, Portugal,
South America, the United States of America, Cariada,
Bermuda, China, Japan, and Russia.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the hon.
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 coinage 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 almost the last to follow
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.
The CHANCELLOR of the Excinouna said that
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 ad-
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 and
feeling of the commercial classes of the. country, and
therefore it was very plain that that class who had really
paid great attention to the subject, the commercial popope'lation, were certainly favourable to the general
e
of a decimal coinage, with a pound as the unit ; but
tohfedreecium.earels,nuatt,nderwonu
os mo
aarsrsieesd of
out peopletheir wbhuos knew
onno tng
ah i
f.
of whichWo
ifnergeisiotnsiyespteemculoiafrafcaccoiluitnite,s,wtihthe
odmiffiesrseionnt divisions, o eirrill.....
be lost if they adopted a decimal system. It was re-
markable 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
20, and aito
people, thesydseteeimmabieliyfiginotoneig
dividing decimallyinto
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 conviction's of the country, and some
by a mixture of both. Now, this was one on which
the feeling of the people must decide the whole
question. He frankly owned that he was by no means
convinced that they could get rid of the penny ; but he
made this admission to them, that nothing could be more
unimportant than the opinion of himself, or any man is
office, upon a subject of this nature. The question Was
—What did the country think? Were they prepared for
this measure t It was a matter on which they could not
take any decisive steps until it had undergoneththast
to
sifting and scrutiny which were necessary enable
and was
masses to well understand it. patienceuntil
tawas
emraya bad
tit u testw
aa ar
for a sermon at an)' time,
one ; but they inust have pa.
further discussed. Tier.e
and were great
views
pdrioffpeornenncdeesd
by
Opinion upon the subject
the various
. nbvi Portionson
of the
no Illfiieranass
unan
particularpress
system,by
so
dit'isocuusssion had gone. He hoped, therefore, that
tithlose gentlemen who were engaged in this interesting
r of any
question—for it was an interesting and important clues-
i°—would persevere, in their laudable efforts to sift.
this " matter, and he 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 the opinion of Parlia-
ment ought sot 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 304
Brown, that the system pi oposed would be a labours,
saving machine, and it was by labour-saving machine"
that the power and greatness of this country had beet
achieved.
Alter _a few. words from Mr. Moore. the depttsto'
vrithdor.