The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-09
IConfdential.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
"WAsHINGTOY. May Ia, 1885.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE. !
"WAsHINGTON, May Ia, 1885.
robert NJ. Nc Lane, ESQ Paris:
''Sir-Mr. Manton Marble has been chosen by
the President as the confidential agent of the
government of the United States to visit the
principal countries of Europe. to ascertain the
present opinions and purposes of their govern
ments touching a fixed ratio between gold and
silver and their unrestricted coinage and collat-
eral use as money in domestic circulation and in
ternatonal exchange. The nclosed copy of the
instructions given to Mr.. Marble will possess
you of the objects of his mission, and the man
ner and extent of the aid which you and the
other ministers of the United States to whom
like instruction is addressed, will be expected
to assist him. AS it is difficult to overstate the
importance of the question, and the momentous
consequences to the American people which are
involved in its solution, the necessity for accu-
rate and full knowledge of all the facts and of
the real intentions and attitude of theleading
powers of Europe in regard thereto, becomes
apparent / desire, therefore, that not later
than the LIST of November next, with the assist
ance of Mr. Marbles labor, you will enable the
President to lay before Congress information,
coupled with proper suggestions, which may
make practical such legislation as will meet the
grave emergency. | need not impress upon you
the necessity for reticence as to Mr. Marbles
functions. You will naturally regard this in
struction, for the present. as personal withhold
hight from the files of the legation until the
proper time arrives for making it of record.
81 am, sir, your obedient servant.
''T. f. BAYARD."
Mr.. Marble has spent the last four or five
months in personal conferences with the prin-
cipal members and finance ministers of the gov
ernments in London, Paris and Berlin and
in such consultation with the leading econ
omists and monetary experts of the three great
powers of Europe, including all the principal BIZ
metalists and also the foremost leaders of the
opposition in England. Conversations of
such character, especially with the
leaders of government and of party are.
of course, confidential, unless it is
desired to create difficulty like that which
lately arose between Lord Granville and Prince
Bismarck concerning the alleged advice of the
latter on the occupation of Egypt But the
State Department permits it to be known that
Mr. Marbles private letters to Secretary
Bayard and the President have recounted his
discussions respecting an international bi-metal-
lie union held with extraordinary number of
persons in those countries of the highest com
potency in this regard, by their politi-
cal rank aud 4. influence or by
their expert knowledge. For example,
of the opposition leaders in Great Britain
with whom Marble conferred were Mr.. Glad
stone, Mr.. Childers, Mr. Goschen 1.-THE emf
nent economist and statesman, who was in
1876 the chairman of the House of Commons
committee on the depreciation OF silver, and in
1878 the chief delegate of Great Britain to the
international monetary conference at Paris),
Earl Spencer 1.-THE late Lord Lieutenant of Ire
land) Lord Rosebery. Lord Sherbrooke, who, as
Robert Love- was formerly Chancellor of the
Exchequer under Mr.. Gladstone; j. K Cross,
the late parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for India; Sir VIM. Harcourt, John Bright. ETC.,
etc.; of the present government. Lord Iddes.
leigh, First Lord of the Treasury who
as Sir Stafford Northcote, was Chan
cellor of the Exchequer under Lord
Beaconsfield; Sir Michael Hicks Beach, the pres
ent Chancellor of the Exchequer whose motion
defeated the Gladstone government in the House
OF Commons last June; Robert Griffin, formerly
an editor of the London Economist and pres-
dent of the Statistical Society, now at the head
OF Inc commercial department of the Board of
lfade; or other well known men. Mr.. Henry II.
dreenfeii, whose writings, with those of Henry
~ Gibbs, have chiefly upheld bi-metalism in
England, both directors OF the same bank; Prof
y. =. Thorold Rogers, of Cambridge; Prof Da
i'd Massie, of Edinburgh; Prof JAS Bryce. of
Oxford NJ. P; Samuel Smith, who with S.
Williamson represents bi-metalism and Liver
pool in the House of Commons; Mr.. Her
bert Spencer, Count Munter. and NJ
Washington. the German and French
ambassadors in England, besides numerous
merchants, bankers and publicsts. many of the
latter having been brought together from all
parts of Europe by the ffty-ye jubilee of the
Statistical Society, held in London last june.
OF France and Germany, theprrcipal men grith
whom Mr.. Marble conferred are less we'll known
here, but they include: la France, Clavery and
pther experts in the departments; Sadi Carnot,