Lord Salisbury, Mr. Balfour, and Mr. Goschen also received on
the same day a powerful deputation of bimetalliats repre- senting, besides the usual professors of that creed, the most im- portant industries of India and Lancashire. Their object was to urge the Government to accept an invitation coming from the United States to an International Conference upon the use of silver. The task of reply was left to Mr. Goschen, who said the invitation, which was "to consider by what means, if any, the use of silver could be increased in the currency system of the nations," and which left every State uncommitted as to its decision, had already been accepted. He was thoroughly aware of existing evils, and their heavy importance both to some domestic industries and to India, and would therefore do his best to make the Con- ference a fruitful one. There is no doubt this statement is sincere, for Mr. Goschen himself is no fanatic mono- metallist; but we can hardly see how the Conference can greatly increase the world's stock of information.
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