The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-03-06
Boarding the Gilded Lion.
British Bimetallists Gain IN
expected Success.

uONDUN, I eU AO.-1u tuc 1IOUSc "
Commons to-day, Robert l.. Everett,
Liberal member for Woodbridge Di
vision Of Suffolk, introduced the fol
lowing motion That the House re-
CARDS with increasing apprehension,
the constant 6uctuation and growing
divergence of valnes ofgold and silver
and heartily concurs in the rece
expressions of the governments u
France and Germany in regard to the
serious evils arising theretrom.
Speaking to the motion, Mr..
Everett appealed to Sir William Har-
court to give heed to the real posi-
ton of the question, put aside theo-
rizing and open his eyes to the enor.
nous revolution of the values which
has not been brought about by natural
causes, but by legislation. He ex.
pressed the hope that the government
would cooperate with the other
powers in an effort to bring back a
happier state of things which existed
when the two metals stood upon a
common ratio.
England, Mr.. Everett said, was rich,
but that was no reason why she
should unjustly increase the burden
of other states. Surely, he said, she
was not interested in the bankruptcy
of other nations which were owing
her money but that was exactly what
was going or and what would con-
tinue unless something was done to
check it.
Right Hon. Henry Chaplin tCon-
servative) in seconding the motion,
said that the government had aimed
blow after blow at silver !; and closed
the mints of India. depriving silver of
its last great market, and afterwards
had imposed a duty upon the silver
imports of India. The constant huc.
tuatioas of the metal, he declared,
were directly traceable to the none
tary laws of England. He charged
Sir William Harcourt with having
misjudged the views Of France and
Germany on the question and pre-
dicted that although the opposition
to bimetallism was now bitter,
that system would at no distant date
be victorious because it had upon it's
side expedience, justice and scientific
truth.
Sir William Harcourt said he had
never denied the existence of evil in
consequence of the growing diver
gence of the values of gold and
silver. When other countries had
desired a monetary conference, the
government had not refused to join.
The last conference at Bruised had
shown that a majority of the Europ-
can countries declared in favor of a
monometallic currency He did not
think that Germany had changed her
opinion. When a proposal from Ger
many or any other country reached
the government. it would be time
enough to consider the question of
England's joining in another confer
ence.
To concur in proposals to confer
upon subjects Of common interest
was what belonged to international
courtesy. He would suggest that if
another conference were held it
should be understood that it was not
for mere academic discussion, but
that the delegates ought to be en-
powered to make definite proposals
embodying their views. The res
pective ministers fully recognized
the magnitude Of the problems. The
interests Of the country as the
greatest trading and monetary CEN
tire of the world were bound up in
the soundness of her currency and
it ought to be borne in mind that
England conducted her trade upon
relatively the smallest basis of any
country. She did SO because she had
the largest credit. "(Hear, hear.")
Leaving the international con-
sideration for the national aspect of
the question, he contended that there
ought to be continuity of the cur
rency policy which the nations had
attained. Though hoping little from
an international monetary conference,
inasmuch as q motion had been
brought forward on co!amon grounds,
declaring that evil. existed which
the government admitted, and as he
had only been invited to cooperate
with the powers on the sucject, he
had decided no to oppose the resolu-
ton. Cheers
The parliamentary bimetallist com.