The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-17 00:00:00

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eloquence of their representatives, but the talk has
not impeded quiet action. As we have seen, the
French coinage was adopted by three other nations
so far back as 1805, and since then other States have
followed, or are preparing to follow, in the wake of
the Convention. The adhesion of Austria will in
all likelihood settle the question. Had England
appeared first in the field, the sovereign might
possibly have claimed precedence ; but we can hardly
expect Europe to reject a system with which it is
rapidly becoming familiar, in favour of one of our
choosing. The Commission argues that the pound
has retained its value for a century and a half ;
whereas other nations, having already altered
their coinage, would be less inconvenienced by
another change. How such a plea found its way into
this very complete and careful report it is not easy
to discover. It must be excessively amusing to the
co etinental nations to be told that, having had some.
experience in the disagreeable art of changing their
cuiTency, they have now an excellent opportunity of
once more displaying their skill. It is palpable that
the prime argument against the sovereign as a basis
is the tardiness with which it has been pro-
posed.

But the Commission seems ,to have bver-
looked another consideration of great import-
ance. It is now many years since a system
of decimal coinage was first proposed to the
country, and the agitation in favour of it has long
ago subsided. The advantages of a decimal cur-
rency could not be disputed, but the practical diffi-
culties—precisely the same as those which stand in
the way of international coinage—caused the
reform to be postponed. The present is a
favourable opportunity for considering a deci-
mal and an international currency together.
Both could be ensured by the same change and the
.
same inconvenience that would be necessary to
adopt one. Moreover, whatever doubt might exist
as to whether an international or a decimal coinage
singly would recompense the trouble of a change, it
is certain that the advantages of the two combined
would repay the country. Now, the French system,
which, as we have seen, is spreading throughout Europe,
is on the decimal principle, and is in that respect far
superior to ours. In choosing between the sovereign
and the franc, would it not, therefore, be better to
select the basis which offers the substantial advantages
of decimal calculation ? It was no part of the duty
of the Commission to examine the question of
decimal coinage; but, having so immediate a connec-
tion with the subject under inquiry, it ought to
have been taken into account. It would
not follow, because a uniform gold coin
was adopted, as proposed by the Paris Con-
ference, that we should extend the change to all our
coins, and adopt the decimal principle. But the
Commissioners themselves are not satisfied with a
uniform gold coin only ; they ask for a complete
assimilation of the currencies of different nations,
thus removing the last obstacle to the combination
of the two reforms. It may be added that Prussia,
though not adopting the franc, is about to have
a decimal coinage, and, no doubt, could be
induced to join the rest. With very little trouble
all the principal nations of the, world could
be provided with a currency which would pass from
one end of the globe to the other, and would be
subject only to the delightfully simple calculations of
multiplication and division by ten. It is necessary,
above all, to consider the matter without prejudice;
our much-loved sovereign—we mean the coin—" that
power throughout civilised communities," would be a
sovereign still, and would lose very little of its
dignity by a diminution to the extent of twopence.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

HEREFORD RACES-YESTERDAY.

The Aristocratic Handicap of 5 soya each, 2 ft (te the fund)
with 100 added; gentlemen riders; jockeys 61b extra
One mile and a half.
Barnabo 1
Cactus 2
Coldstream