The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-23

LONDON. Oct, 22,-The correspond,
ence in regard to the blmetalllc propose
ais of the United States monetary COM
mission was issued by the British for
elgn office this evening. The following
account OF the negotiations Is taken
from the official publication;
At the conference held at the foreign
office on July l2. the premier, the Mar
Quis Salisbury, the secretary of state
for India, Lord George Hamlltoni the
chancellor OF the exchequer, Sir. Ms
chael Hicks Beach; the first lord OF the
treasury, Mr. A. G. Baifour, the United
States ambassador, Colonel John w.
Hay and the United States monetary
commissioners, Senator Edward o.
AdlaI u. Stevenson, of Illinois, and
General Charles jackson Paine, OF
Massachusetts, were present, On the
Invitation OF the British premier. sena-
tor Woicott explained that the object OF
the mission was to ascertain. in ad-
vance, OF an international conference,
the views OF the governments. and the
ENJOYS had determined to ascertain the
views OF the French, British and Ger
man governments on the question OF
reaching an international blmetallic
agreement. They had been 10 France
where they reached a complete and
satisfactory understanding with the
French government, and the envoys
would have the cooperation In this
matter OF the French ambassador In
London.
The senator then explained that the
success OF the mission depended upon
the attitude Great Britain would take.
and he requested Great Britain TO agree
10 open the English mints as its con-
tribution to the attempt to restore iu-
ternatlonal bimetnllism with France
and the United States cooperating to-
gether In en- attempt to that end. The
MARQUIS OF Salisbury asked II France
was ready to open her mints to free
coinage and Senator Wolcott replied
YES"
The premier thereupon inquired at
what ratio France would open her
mlnts. Senator Wolcott said at fifteen
and one-hatf, adding that the Ameri-
can ENJOYS had accepted this ratio,
The meeting then closed, and II was
understood by the parties that the alb
sence Of tho French ambassador, Bar
on dc Courcel, from the proceedings,
should be regarded as informal and
second conference was held on the
18th, at which, In addition to those al
ready mentioned, the French ambassa-
dor and b. GeoEfrey. the councillor OF
the French embassy, were present
The French ambassador was inulted
to declare the position OF the French
government and he said France was
ready to reopen her mlnts TO the coin
age OF silver II the commercial nations
adopted the same COURSE and he adyo-
Gated at great length the ratio Of fif-
teen and one-haif But he explained.
France would not consider the reopen
ing OF the mlnts OF India alone as being
sufficient guarantee to permit the
French government to reopen the
French mints to the free coinage OF sill
yer.
Sir Michael Hlcks-Beach then an
uounced definitely that Great Britain
would not agree TO open the English
mints to the unlimited coinage OF sill
yer and that whatever views he and his
colleagues might separately hold re-
gardlng bimetallism, he could say that
kut9 Ntlt uHAhih VIZ hAAAH fNAN'N
Baron de Courcel said as personal
suggestion, that among other contrihu-
tlons, he thought Great Britain should
open the Indian mints and also agree
to purchase annually el00O0,0OO ster-
ling of silver for q series OF years.
Senator Wolcott accepted the propo-
sal that the British government should
make this purchase with proper safe
guards and provisions as to the place
and manner Of It's use.
Since this conference, the British
government has been considering the
proposals and finally made the reply
handed to the United States ambassa-
dor yesterday and cabled exclusively to
the Associated Press.
The reply OF the government OF India
upon which Lord Salisbury based his
decision ia n long document, giving an
emphatic negative to the proposal 10
reopen the India mints.