UNIFORMITY OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 473 



That soon after the reception of the answers which may be given by the 



different States to the official communication, which will be made to 



them of the labours of the Conference by the Trench Government, 



that Government may, if necessary, call a new Conference. 



But on the question as to the' time when such answers should be given, 



the representatives of ten countries voted for before the 1.5th February prox., 



those of five voted in favour for the 1st October 1867, those of the United 



States for the 1.5th May 1868, and those of Great Britain for the 1st June 



1868. Those of France and Spain abstained. 



Such were the resolutions of the International Monetary Conference, 

 which had an official character, and whose proceedings were to a certain 

 extent binding on the States represented. The other Conference, whose 

 decisions on weights and measures we have already reported, vras also pre- 

 sided over by Prince J^Tapoleon, who took the chair on the day when the 

 monetary question was discussed. 



The Committee had not prepared a report on this subject, as in the case of 

 weights and measures, but had adopted the following resolutions, which were 

 submitted to the Conference, and adopted with only some verbal alterations. 

 Whereas the adoption of a uniform system, of coinage would present evident 

 advantages as regards convenience and economy in the settlement of 

 international exchange, and recommends itself to the attention of all 

 enlightened governments ; 

 Whereas, on the other hand, sucli a desideratum cannot be realized unless 

 several nations are prepared to saciiiicc their old and habitual instru- 

 ments of traffic, whilst it is important that the change may be eifected 

 in_ a gradual and continuous manner, and that the mode of effecting 

 this clmnge should be as simple as possible and free from all incidental 

 complication ; 

 The Committee proposes as follows : — 



l.It is necessary in the first instance that the different governments 

 interested in this question should agree as to the same unit in the issue 

 of their gold coins. 



2. It is desirable that this coin be everywhere coined of the same fineness, 

 of nine-tenths fine. 



3. It is desirable that each government should introduce, among its gold 

 coins, one piece at least of a value equal to that of one of the pieces in 

 use among the other governments interested, so that there may be among 

 all the systems a point of common contact, from which each nation may 

 afterwards advance in gradually assimilating its system of coinage to 

 that w^hich may be chosen as a uniform basis. 



4. The series of gold coins now in use in France, being adopted by a great 

 part of the population of Europe, is recommended as a basis of the uni- 

 form system. 



5. Whereas, in consequence of accidental and happy circumstances, the 

 most important monetary imits may be adapted to the piece of five francs 

 in gold by means of very small changes, this piece seems the most con- 

 venient to serve as a basis of a monetary system ; and the coins issued 

 upon such a basis may become, as soon as the convenience of the nations 

 interested permit, multiples of this unit. 



6. It is desirable that the different governments should decide that the 

 coins issued by each nation in conformity with the uniform system pro- 

 posed and agreed, should have legal currency in all other countries. 



7. It is desirable that the system of double standards be abandoned 



