The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-20
more than one-half of the labor would be saved,

more than one-half of the labor would be saved,
and il . . emotions a..s more than four Aftha III
the course of his examination, which was pro-
longed one, Mr.. de Morgan remarked that
within our recollection the United States have
changed the gold coinage three times. That
!" in the first instance they called thepouud ster
ling four dollars forty-four cents; at subse-
quent period raised it to four dollars and,
think sixty-seven cents; and it is now received
at the banks as four dollars eighty -four cents;
that at this moment they are deteriorating the
silver seven per cent; and that consequently, if
we were to adjust the coins Of the world to the
same quantity of fine gold or silver, there would
be no certainty of their remaining SO adjusted
for any length of time"
Mr.. Strugnall, grocer and tea dealer,
and sev eral other tralesmen, testified that they
thought there would be no difficulty among the
poorer classes in carrying out the decimal
coinage. Mr. Beavan, Of London, banker. be-
lieved that its great advantages could be re-
allied with but little inconvenience, and made
practical suggestions for dealing with specific
tolls, and the penny postage, which latter nc
would advance from four farthings to five mills.
Mr.. George Arbuthnot. of the Treasury office;
the Duke of Leinster, Mr.. William Miller,
cashier in the Bank of England; Mr.. Henry Tay-
lor, the author of book on the Decimal Sys-
tenn; Mr.. Rowland Hill, the author of the penny
postage; Mr.. Bennough, o commission ware
houseman. doing large business with France
and America; Mr.. Beard, an architect and engi-
neer; Mr. Bagley, President Of the Chamber Of
Commerce at Manchester; and other gentlemen,
representing the tea and grocery trade; the civil
engineers, the professional auditors and ac-
countalts; and Dr.. John Bowring. formerly con-
sui at Canton, and Superintendent of Trade at
Hong Kong, and for many years member OF
the House of Commons, completed the list Of
witnesses.
The last named gentleman spoke of the sys-
tenn Of accounts in other countries. The sys-
tenn in Spain is as absurd and inconvenient as
most other non-decimal systems, but its colo
MES have adopted the decimal system, and it is
found in Portugal the moment you cross the
frontier, and all money operations are recorded
there with great facility. In Russia the deci-
NAL system prevails, by the division of the
rouble into 100 copecAs, and the accounts are
kept with clearness and accuracy-but not SO
in Germany. In Japan the accounts have been
kept in decimals from time immemorial. And
the Chinese system, also, is one Of great sim
plicity; the integre is an ounce of pure silver,
which is divided into 1000 parts, and called
cash or tchien. The extraordinary facility and
rapidity with which the arithmetical operations
are conducted and recorded, had frequently ex-
cited his admiration aud astonishment He
never could approach his servant in the celebrity
with which he kept his accounts. Mr.. Bowring
described little instrument, the a6acus OF
scanu-pan, used in China, and also in Russia,
for teaching children to make calculation, and
he believed more could be learnt in one day
with the decimal system and the a6acus, than
would be learnt in twenty with the complicated
system Of pounds, shllings, pence, and far,
things.
The report of the Committee, based upon this
array CT evidence, exhibits careful consdera-
lion Of the whole subject, particularly Of the
only point on which the witnesses were divided
in opinion-tbe precise basis which should be
adopted and the practical measures to be en-
ployed for introducing the decimal system, SO
as to produce the least amount Of temporary
inconvenience.
They had no hesitation in recommending as
the unit Of the new system, the present pound
sterling as associated with all their national
ideas of money value, and the basis of their
foreign exchange; its tenth already exists in the
form. and an alteration Of four per cent in the
present farthing would convert that coin into
the lowest step Of the decimal scale--the
thousandth of pound-to which, to mark it's
relation to the unit Of value, they purposed to
give the name Of mill, the addition Of q coin to
be called cent of the value of ten mills, and
equal to the hundredth part Of a pound, or the
tenth Of form, would serve to complete the
list of coins necessary to represent the moneys
of account, which would accordingly be pounds,
forms, cents, and mills
They propose to retain underany circumstances
the present sovereign Q00O mills), half sove-
reign 600 mills), form goo mills), and shil-
ling (ffty mills or five cents). The present
sixpcnce, twenty-five mills), might be retained,
and the crown, (250 nills). The halfcrown.
and three-penny and four-penny pieces they
have withdrawn, as inconsistent with the deci-
NAL scale.
The committee say that certain period OF
preparation, destined to facilitate the transition
from the present to the new system, is indispen-
sable, but express their belief that no unneces-
sary delay should prevent the full introduction
of the decimal system, and they recommend
that the necessary preparatory measures should
be entered on at the royal mint as soon as posi-
BILE. In regard TO the advantage Of applying
the decima! system to weights and measures,
as well as to coinage they remark, that although
their attention has been incidentally directed
to it in the course Of their inquiries, as it was
not question embraced in the order preference
they do not feel Themselves in position to do
more than express their sense Of the Importance