The silver lance., 1897-10-29
COMMISSION GOES TO FRANCE.
Ambassador Hay Thinks the Decision Oh
the British Cabinet Is Final.

Ambassador Hay Thinks the Decision OF
the British Cabinet Is Final.
London, Oct. 21.-Colonel John hay,
the United States ambassador, ana Tue
officials of the British foreign once ue-
cline to furnish the press with the TEX
of Great Britain's reply to the sugges-
tions of the United States Monetary
commissioners, though the foreign OF
fee people say it is in substance ldenli-
cal with the Associated Press dis
patches of Saturday last, giving the re-
suit of the meeting of the British Caoi-
met, and that the communication sent
yesterday evening to the commissioners
and to the United States ambassador
was practically reiteranon OF the
statements on the subject already
made.
A similar reply has been sent to the
French embassy.
The United States commissioners rec
ognize that their mission has been un
successful, though they W not admit
it, as the answer of Great Britain says
that country will be glad to receive oth-
er propositions. and the commissioners
have decided. as a matter of form, Il
return to France and consult the
French government as to whether fresh
proposals are desirable. But 1t is not
expected that anything will result from
their visit to France.
The Marquis of Salisbury, in his note
to the United States ambassador and
to the French ambassador. Baron De
Courcel, says that by far the most i'm
portant proposal submitted is that con-
cerning the reopening of the Indian
mints He adds: 1.-The government of
India points out that they can hardly
be expected to give up policy which,
for four years, they have been endeav-
oring to make effective. in the absence
of substantial security that the system
| to be substituted for it is practically
certain to be stable. If, owing to the
relative smallness of the area over
which the bimetallic system is to be es-
tablished, to the great divergence be
tween the proposed ratio and the pres
ent gold price of silver. or to any other
cause, the legal ratio of silver We're not
| maintained, the position of silver might
be much worse than before. and the
| financial embarrassments of the gov
| ernment of India greater than any
with which they have as yet had to
| contend"
The reply then adds that even If
| these reasons are not strong enough,
the Indian government could not be ex-
pected to reverse policy which has on
cludes: Her majesty's government is
therefore desirous to ascertain how far
the views of the French and American
governments have been modified by
the decision arrived at, and whether
they desire to proceed further with the
| negotiations at the present moment. II
is impossible that the time which has
lapsed since the proposals were put for
ward in July last may enable the rep
resentatives of the two governments
concerned to form a more accurate es-
innate than then practicable of the
amount of assistance they say they ex-
pect from other powers. and of the sue
cess their scheme is likely to attain
The government will then be placed
in a position to consider the subject
| with fuller knowledge than they now
possess of many circumstances mater
tally affecting the proposals before
| them"