364: 



GKEAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



Turkish Empire and the hopelessness of re- 

 forms ; the responsibilities of Europe, and of 

 England in particular, in reference to the East- 

 ern question ; the review of the recent nego- 

 tiations, the present diplomatic situation, and 

 the means of averting war ; the exactions that 

 should be made from Turkey in the way of 

 reforms, and security for their being carried 

 out ; and a protest should be made against war 

 for the Ottoman power, and against holding 

 out hopss of support to that power in case of 

 war. The Duke of Westminster and the Earl 

 of Shaftesbury presided ; the two chairmen, Mr. 

 Gladstone and Canon Liddon, the Rev. Bald- 

 win Brown, Sir F. Fowell Buxton, M. P., Prof. 

 Fawcett, M. P., and numerous other men of 

 distinction, spoke. An association was formed 

 for the purpose of watching events, of giving 

 further expression to public opinion, and of 

 spreading correct information upon the subject 

 throughout the country. 



A select committee appointed by the House 

 of Commons to consider the causes for the de- 

 preciation of silver, of which Mr. Goschen was 

 chairman, published their report early in July. 

 The committee did not make any recommenda- 

 tions with regard to legislation, and considered 

 that, in view of the many uncertain elements 

 entering into every calculation as to the fu- 

 ture, they were not authorized to offer an 

 opinion regarding the future course of the sil- 

 ver-market, beyond indicating the various cir- 



NEW DOCKS AT CHATHAM, ENGLAND. 



cumstances which had to be taken into account. 

 They were of the opinion that the evidence 

 taken conclusively showed that the full in the 

 price of silver was due to the following causes : 



1. To the discovery of new silver-mines of great 

 richness in the State of Nevada. 



2. To the introduction of a gold currency into 

 Germany in place of the previous silver currency. 

 This operation commenced at the end of 1871. 



3. To the decreased demand for silver for export 

 to India. 



It should be added 



4. That the Scandinavian Governments have also 

 substituted gold for silver in their currencies. 



5. That the Latin Union, comprising France, Bel- 

 gium, Switzerland, Italy, and Greece, have since 

 1874 limited the amount of silver to be coined yearly 

 in the mints of each member of the union, suspend- 

 ing the privilege formerly accorded to all holders 

 of silver bullion, of claiming to have that bullion 

 turned into coin without restriction. 



6. That Holland has also passed a temporary act 

 prohibiting, except on account of the Government, 

 the coining of silver, and authorizing the coining 

 of gold. 



With regard to India and the East, the com- 

 mittee said : 



So much must depend upon the prosperity of the 

 populations, on the abundance of the crops, in fact, 

 on their powers of production, that it is impossible 

 to make any forecast ; and, as regards actual facts, 

 no more can be stated than that, on the one hand, 

 they have always possessed a very large power of 

 absorbing bullion; while, on the other hand, that 

 power has been diminished by the growth of the 

 sums annually payable by India to the home Gov- 

 ernment. The only facts in any calculation as to 

 the future which are certain, and appear to be per- 

 manent, are the increased total production of silver, 

 and the effect caused by the necessity of the Indian 

 Government to draw annually for a heavy amount. 

 Both are adverse to the future value of silver, as far 

 as they go ; but they may be partially counterbal- 

 anced by changes in the trade with the East. 



The elections for members of the School 

 Board in London, held in the first week in 

 December, were warmly contested between 

 the fritnds of the old 

 School Board, whose 

 policy had been marked 

 in favor of undenomi- 

 national education, and 

 those who sought to 

 give more scope to the 

 policy of denomination- 

 al education. The re- 

 sult was a decisive vic- 

 tory for the friends of 

 the old board, and ap- 

 proval of their policy. 

 Of fifty members elect- 

 ed, the friends of the old 

 boai-d returned thirty- 

 one; the National So- 

 ciety, or Denomination- 

 alist Church party, re- 

 turned eighteen ; and 

 one Roman Catholic 

 priest was elected. Four 

 women were chosen 

 members of the board. 

 A deputation from a meeting of Churchmen 

 and Dissenters had an interview with the 

 Duke of Richmond and Gordon, July 8th, 

 with reference to the school-books used in the 

 Roman Catholic schools during the time fixed 

 for secular teaching. They alleged that, mixed 

 with the secular teaching in Roman Catholic 

 schools, there was religious instruction, with 

 the commendation of Roman Catholic cere- 

 monies, pilgrimages, worship of relics, and the 



