TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 
135 
to the producer for the produce of each harvest since that of 1843, the apparent 
fluctuations of supply and demand, and the total sums paid (by the consumers) for 
British grain in each year. The most striking result obtained is apparent in the 
following figures:— 
Total sums estimated to have been received by the British producers 
of wheat in each of the last eleven harvest years. 
1843- 44 .£38,953,000 1849-50 .{.'27,517,000 
1844- 45 ....... 43,910,000 1850-51 . 24,063,000 
1845- 46 . 41,6 7 2,000 1 851-52 . 26,936,000 
1846- 47 . 50,989,000 1852-53 30,195,000 
1847- 48 . 37,647,000 1 8 53-54 . 34,864,000 
1848- 49 . 30,009,000 
After tracing this fluctuation of the returns in the business of grain-growing in 
1*6 to the absence of a mercantile spirit among the growers, and pointing out how, 
' a "ther occupations, such obstacles as those of adverse seasons, and the irregularity 
r ^dividual action, are frequently overcome, Mr. Danson suggested the use of a 
" l!| nd system of agricultural statistics as likely to be quite as useful to the farmer as 
lj 'he consumers of his produce—saving the former from uncertainty in the invest- 
neuiof his capital as much as the latter from the distressing alternations of glut 
scarcity. 
decimal Coinage and Accounts, showing the impracticability of the franc 
oi' lenpcnny unit. By Jacob A. Fiuanklin. 
® u ^ 0r commenced by stating that the advocates of the penny integer delude 
-niselves by assuming that the proposed “ English franc” or lenpcnny piece, would 
yv ~® lze with the French franc, or that the proposed " English dollar," 5 francs or 
The f C |. Wo ^ harmonize with the U.S. dollar. 
•'•into ifi? r are ^ le exact legal weights of flue bullion assigned by the respective 
0 England, France, and America, to the values named : — 
French 5/h American Dollar. English 50 pence. 
n n i,i 8 rs - I gr3. I 8 rs - 
22-401795^^. 23‘22 23-542001 t V b 1 b 
S| lver.. 347-22783 | 345-5591 | 330-3636^, 
bet ween these weights ami values are such ns to render it imprac- 
“'“ninal eo' * i Were l 100681 ' to palm r >tf, internationally, the inferior coin for its 
r,|| “pletc en r ent ' ^®Yert1ielesB, the closer the approximation—stopping short of 
fraud Pi-m. v—lb* 2 1 CSH would be the protection of ordinary persons against 
Ki,X'* n «™Wo n incalculable. . 
I, 1 ,r ‘v erac ? ‘hat the actual par of cxchauge (bullion against bullion) is, for gold, 
“’ivert o„ r „ jj Q that of silver; and supposing it were honest ami expedient to 
r ' :p -'li , redaWai f a ? da . r< l. cven t* 11 ’ 11 - except n convention-money be concerted and 
H^^intenfaf i r ' n several countries (like the Conventions Munt:e of Ger- 
“'-Hcring inerd^i • CXfban 6 CH would be more tedious to calculate between moneys 
All dfcij r( , t - * n a thousand, thau between those differing 1 in 10. 
Pl'Ortiong of con ^ . simplicity of decimal accounts, and to abolish the com- 
t" Jnf l and the .P 0U , arithmetic ; but it is found that wc cannot preserve both the 
a ® relation bornf. 0 **^" «_ ^ or a I 108 *' cogent reasons we elect to retain the pound. 
w v!’y-. Shall wi.rulo 1 , po . Uml b y tbc intervening shilling can be expressed dcci- 
i “ cl ‘'s not decimni| !lri ,otb , tbp poun< l and the shilling far the sake of the penny, 
^‘forward 24 nr “P 1 '® 581 * 1 '® in eitlrcr of the other denominations; and write 
J, V hc contest irJ T^ ai1 of 1 d* uun,i ) f 
?crt!, D availab 'c. whetW tl? ked ' thf ! 1 all 1 exislin g coin9 °f circulation might, as such, 
might still F pound or the penny be the unit of account. The cop- 
SS?!»« *» «? wr-*mu4. whii. a..man Z 
ere | 0n Wo "ldcirculate rn more valuabl, ‘ °r alloy (perhaps silver, copper and 
decimal 8 - 1 ? cho °se between y 5 h alf-shilling ; and so enable the public 
coinage. tbe tvs0 methods of harmonizing decimal accounts and 
