No. 397.
Mr. Birney
to Mr. Evarts
Legation of
the United States,
The
Hague, April 6, 1878. (Received April
22.)
No. 66.]
Sir: I nave the honor to inform you that upon
receiving your No. 57 of date March 19 ultimo, in regard to the conference,
I lost no time in preparing the note hereto annexed and in delivering it in
person to the minister for foreign affairs. He expressed much interest in
the proposed conference, and said that he would refer my letter to the state
cabinet; it holds a session to day. He promised to make known to me its
conclusions as soon as practicable.
Should the cabinet accept the invitation I will request the secretary of
legation at London to cable you the words “Holland
accepts,” and write you by mail her preference as to time and
place. If she declines, it may only be necessary to send her reply by
mail.
Yours, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 66.]
Mr. Birney to Baron
van Kell.
Legation of the United States,
The Hague, April 3,
1878.
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the
Congress of the United States has enacted a law authorizing the coinage
of the standard silver dollar, and to restore its legal-tender
character. A copy of the act I hereto append for your examination.
The second section of the act provides that immediately after its passage
the President shall invite such European nations as he may deem
advisable to join the United States in a conference to adopt a common
ratio between gold and silver for the purpose of establishing
internationally the use of bi-metallic money and securing fixity of
relative value between those metals, such conference to be held in such
place in Europe or in the United States at such time within six months
from the passage of the bill (February 28, 1878) as may be mutually
agreed upon by the executives of the governments joining in the same,
whenever the governments so invited, or any three of them, shall have
signified their willingness to unite in the same.
The President of the United States, through the Secretary of State,
instructs me to invite the Government of the Netherlands to unite in the
proposed conference, and to call its attention to the great interest
which the United States feels in the measure now proffered for
conforming the coinage and proportions of the two precious metals in the
systems of the countries invited to participate therein to the common
advantage of the commerce of the world. From the character of recent
legislation, the policy of the United States in support of bi-metallic
money may be regarded as decided.
Should the government which your excellency has the honor to represent
signify its willingness to unite in the conference, it will be
convenient to receive from you, at the earliest practicable moment, an
expression of preference as to the time and place at which it shall be
held. This is important in order to enable my government to select its
commissioners and to give the requisite notice to all concerned.
I seize the occasion to offer your excellency renewed assurance of my
high consideration.
