No. 494.
Mr. Fish
to Mr. Evarts.
Berne , April 9, 1878. (Received April 22.)
Sir: In accordance with the intention expressed in my No. 62, I called at the federal palace yesterday morning, hut the President was unable to receive me until late in the afternoon—too late for me to write by yesterday’s mail.
In my interview with him, I asked him if we might look for an early answer to the invitation to the conference. He said that upon receipt of my note he had at once referred it to the department of finance, as being the proper branch of the government to consider it. He added that it was a question he knew very little about, beyond the fact that Switzerland had advocated the single standard, and that as soon as the finance department reported to the Federal Council he would give the formal answer. I told him that you had authorized me to communicate to you the desires or preferences of this government in regard to the proposed conference, and that I should be happy at any time to do so.
[Page 837]The impression made on my mind was that the President had not conversed with his colleague of the finance department, and that he had not given my note his personal attention.
After trying to see the President in the morning, I called on Mr. Hammer, the vice-president, who is the head of the federal department of finance. He had my note of the 6th to the President, and was evidently much interested in the question. I asked him whether my doubt (expressed in my No. 62) as to the action of the Federal Assembly being requisite was correct. He said that it was not; that, the acceptance of the invitation could be decided without their action, and that he had already put the matter in the hands of an expert for examination and report, and that when he received the report the matter would be laid before the Federal Council, probably the week after next, and that I would then receive an answer. I asked him if Switzerland would join in the conference, and he said that he had no doubt that she would, but that if she did, it was not likely that she would favor the adoption by the conference of our ratio, instead of that of the Latin Union; and he added that such action on the part of the conference would, if adopted, drain America of silver, and flood Europe with it.
During the conversation he asked me whether the word “intrinsic,” in the sixth line of the third page of my note (see inclosure 1 to No. 62), was to be interpreted as internal, in the sense of for home use, or whether it referred to the metallic value of the coin. I said that, while I could riot speak authoritatively, I thought the latter signification of the word was the one intended in your instruction from which I had taken it in my note. I hope that if I have misunderstood the sense in which the word is used, that I may be corrected.
Some days ago, Mr. Hammer asked me for a copy of our tariff to aid him in the revision of the tariff. I gave him the copy of “Morgan’s United States tariff,” which was sent me from the Department, and I told him that while it was not an official publication of the government, I thought he could rely on it as correct, and that I would ask you to let me have for his use any other information in regard to our tariff, which you or the Secretary of the Treasury might desire to add to, or substitute for, “Morgan’s tariff.” I respectfully request that you will do so, and that I may be furnished with another copy of Morgan’s book for the legation.
I inclose my duplicate account for the last quarter, the original having been sent in my No. 60.
I have, & c.,