No. 178.
Mr. Welsh
to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
London, June 22, 1878.
(Received July 3.)
No. 98.]
Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 73, of the 27th
of April, last, I have the honor to acquaint you that on the 31st of May
last I addressed a note to Lord Salisbury, a copy of which I inclose
herewith, upon the subject of the invitation to Great Britain to join the
bi-metallic conference which I had sent to Lord Derby on the 2d of
April.
It was not until the 13th instant that I received from Mr. Cross, who is in
charge of the department of foreign affairs in the absence of Lord Salisbury
at Berlin, the formal reply of Her Majesty’s Government to this
invitation.
I inclose herewith a copy of Mr. Cross’s note, although I have already
transmitted it to you by cable.
On the 18th instant I received your telegram without date, communicating the
President’s understanding that the attendance of the British Government at
the conference would import no further commitment in respect to its objects
than was expressed in the limitations stated in Mr. Cross’s note.
I immediately informed Mr. Cross of this by a letter, a copy of which I
inclose, and I sent to him also a translation of your telegram.
Since then I have received no communication from him upon the subject.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 98.]
Mr. Welsh to Lord
Salisbury.
Legation of the United States,
London, May 31,
1878.
My Lord: Referring to your note of the 8th
ultimo, in reference to the monetary conference proposed by my
government, I have the honor to acquaint your lordship [Page 267] that I received yesterday a telegraphic
dispatch from the Assistant Secretary of State, requesting me to
telegraph the answer of Great Britain to the proposal, and the date
thereof. Will your lordship kindly inform me when it is probable that I
may have the pleasure of hearing from Her Majesty’s Government in
relation to this matter?
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 98.]
Mr. Cross to Mr.
Welsh.
Foreign
Office, June 11,
1878.
Sir: 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 that 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 standard 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.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 98.]
Mr. Welsh to Mr.
Cross.
Legation of the United States,
London, June 18,
1878.
Sir: Referring to your note of the 11th instant
upon the subject of the proposed conference in relation to the standards
of currency, I have the honor to acquaint you that immediately upon its
arrival, I transmitted a full copy of it by telegraph to Mr. Evarts, and
this morning I have received his reply by cable, a copy of which I
inclose herewith.
You will not fail to understand from this that my government considers
that the willingness of Her Majesty’s Government, as expressed in your
note, 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, is quite in accordance with the invitation
which I had the honor to transmit to the Earl of Derby on the 2d of
April last, and that the attendance on the part of Her Majesty’s
Government at such conference will import no further commitment in
respect to the conference and its objects than was expressed in such
willingness as communicated to me in your note of the 11th instant.
As this declaration on the part of Mr. Evarts is such a modification of
the terms of the invitation as Her Majesty’s Government desires, I think
that I may consider that Her Majesty’s Government has now accepted the
invitation, and I shall be happy to learn at your early convenience
whether the time and place proposed for the conference meet with your
approbation, and beg to ask, also, that you will kindly send to me the
names of the gentlemen whom you propose to appoint as delegates.
It will be particularly agreeable to the Government of the United States
to know that the discussion of the important questions to be submitted
to the conference will be aided by the intelligence and ability of such
representatives as Her Majesty’s Government may think fit to
appoint.
I have, &c.,
