23 JANUARY 1858, Page 17

DECIMAL COINAGE.

SIR—Referring to your very able article at page 40 of the Spectator of January 9th, may I ask the name of any pamphlets or other publications in *Melt he views of the "American School" are distinctly stated ? I have blade inquiries of several of my friends, who, like myself, take an interest in the question, but without being able to learn anything of Professor Alex- ander and his party ; and the extract you give from his description of the scheme does not clearly show in what respect it differs from the pound and mil system of Professor De Morgan. Indeed, it looks very much as if it did not virtually differ at all, but was merely tacking on to the other an attempt to bring the English gold standard into harmony with the American silver one.

There is either a clerical or a printer's error in the early part of the article. You say, "reduced 4 per cent in value so that 24 farthings take the place of 24".: it should be "25 farthings." The same error is repeated about half-way down the second column.

[Our correspondent is quite right as to the clerical error which he points out. There was another—the pound sterling was represented as equal to four dollars : it should have beenfive. The names of the pamphlets are-1. "International Coinage for Great Britain and the United States " ; 2. "An Inquiry into the English System of Weights and Measures." Both by J. H. Alexander, Esq., LL.D. Feb- balled by Parker, Oxford, and 377 Strand.]

[For BOOKS, tte., See the accompanying Supplement.]