DECIMAL COINAGE. 241 



coin ten to the cent : the decimalisation of weights and 1856. 

 measures to be afterwards considered. 



A deputation from this body (among whom were Lord Deputation 

 Monteagle, Mr. Cobden, Mr. Bright, General Pasley, Gladstone. 

 and others) waited on Mr. Gladstone, the object being to 

 urge the coinage of a sufficient number of cents and mils 

 to circulate with the present money, of which the coins 

 which did not come under the system should be gradually 

 withdrawn. 



Mr. Gladstone ( saw in the deputation a great deal of 

 power, as well as of intelligence, represented/ but hesitated 

 as to the adoption of the pound as the unit of account, 

 and believed the nation was hardly ready for the change. 

 Mr. William Brown, who was the commercial leader of 

 the movement, wrote to Mr. Gladstone, showing how all 

 the various objections had been met. 



1. As to the adjustment of railway fares, by the fact 

 that several directors of leading lines were members of 

 the Association. 



2. As to the Post Office, by Mr. Eowland Hill, who 

 was an advocate of the measure. 



3. As to the turnpike tolls, by Professor Airy. 



4. As to the Customs and Excise duties, which had 

 been supposed to be a great difficulty. Mr. Brown pointed 

 out that nowhere would the convenience of the change 

 be more rapidly felt, both in saving labour and securing 

 accuracy, than in the accounts and returns of the national 

 income and expenditure. 



5. In the wages of working men, wherein the difficulty 

 was shown to be imaginary. 



But Mr. Gladstone still thought the time not ripe for 

 the change. 



Another deputation waited on the President of the 

 Board of Trade. It consisted of men who represented 

 every phase of the subject, each one taking his own 

 special part in the discussion. The recommendation in 

 which all concurred was that the sovereign should be re- 

 ft 



