No. 176.
Mr. Welsh to Mr. Evarts .

[Telegram.]

I submit the reply of the Government of Great Britain, which I received last night from the foreign office, hoping that the President will so modify his invitation as to include the consideration of the standards of currency used in various countries with a view to the adoption of a uniform and universal system, in which case Great Britain will be represented at the conference, and probably the other nations which have not accepted the invitation.

[Page 265]

Reply is as follows:

I have the honor to acquaint you that Her Majesty’s Government have given their careful consideration to the invitation, contained in your note of the 2d of April last, for their participation in an international congress for the purpose of adopting a common system of bi-metallic currency.

I have now to state, while Her Majesty’s Government are unable to hold out the slightest prospect that England will depart from the policy in respect to currency questions which she has pursued for sixty years, nevertheless, in other parts of Her Majesty’s dominions other systems prevail.

In view of this circumstance Her Majesty’s Government are quite willing to attend a conference called by the United States Government to consider freely in all its bearings the subject of the standards of currency used in various countries, and the relations which exist or can be established between them.

I have, therefore, the honor to state that Her Majesty’s Government would be glad to learn from you whether the terms of the invitation of the United States Government could be modified so as to enable Her Majesty’s Government to accept it without departing from the view I have indicated.

WELSH.