government of the Emperor will entertain with readiness the overtures which might be addressed to it in this view. Accept, Mr. Secretary of State, the assurances of my very high consideration. BERTHEMY. Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c. The translation of the text of the convention of December 23d, 1865, will be found annexed to Mr. Ruggles's report of 7th November. Mr. Seward to M. Berthemy. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 13, 1867. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 4th ultimo, transmitting a copy of the text of a monetary convention concluded on the 23d of December, 1865, between France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland, the origin and purpose of which your note lucidly explains, and which by its terms is open to the adhesion of other governments. Your note indicates a wish on the part of the imperial government, in the event of that of the United States not being prepared to subscribe to the stipulations of the convention, to be made acquainted with the obstacles in the way of such an arrangement; and you most courteously suggest that if this government, even though not able to accede to the conventional union actually constituted, should be disposed either to agree upon stipulations destined to establish equations between some of its monetary types of gold or silver and those which the convention may determine, or to take part in an international conference at which might be discussed the means of arriving at a more extended monetary understanding, the government of the Emperor will entertain any overtures which might be addressed to it with this view. Having consulted the Secretary of the Treasury upon the subject, I have the honor to state, in reply to your note, that this government, both in its legislative and executive departments, has repeatedly manifested its interest in the question of international unification of monetary standards; that the importance of a standard unit of equal value in all commercial countries for the uses of account and currency is fully recognized and appreciated; and the ideal object presented in your communication being acceptable, it only remains to be decided how the desired result may be brought about. It is to be hoped that neither the quadripartite convention, nor the proceedings already adopted by the four governments under its provisions, will be held to preclude any of those governments from entertaining considerations in favor of its modification which may be offered by other governments in the interests of a system universally acceptable. From the enclosed reports you will be able to form an idea of the progress of the investigation of this question by this government, and of its views as to the manner in which the discussion of it should be continued. Both branches thereof have concurred in providing the agencies for this purpose, in connection with the Universal Exposition to be opened at Paris in April next, on which occasion it is presumed that leading nations, not parties to the convention before noticed, will be represented, with authority vested in their delegates or commissioners to consider and report upon this question with those of the four powers. This government, however, has no hesitation in avowing its desire to come into accord with other governments with which the United States hold important relations, to attain the object proposed, and to encourage a spirit of conciliation in face of the conflicting interests and inconveniences involved in its accomplish ment. I beg that you will accept, sir, a renewed assurance of my highest consideration. M. BERTHEMY, &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. The documents enclosed with the above were: the report of the Hon. John Kasson, from the Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures, of the House of Representatives, (report No. 62, thirty-ninth Congress, first session;) the report of the director of the mint of the United States for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1866; and President's message and documents, (Senate Ex. Doc. No. 5, thirty-ninth Congress, second session,) relating to the collection of products, and of weights, measures, and coins, for the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867. M. Berthemy to Mr. Seward. [Translation.] LEGATION OF FRANCE TO THE UNITED STATES, Washington, May 27, 1867. Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: On communicating to you, under date of 4th January last, the text of the monetary convention recently concluded between France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland, I had, at the same time, the honor to call your attention to the opportunity for submitting to an international conference which should be held at Paris the study of the more general question of uniformity of coinage. In view of the reception given to these overtures, as well by the cabinet of the United States as by those of other countries to which they were addressed, the government of the Emperor has thought that the time has arrived for following out the project, the realization of which it was their aim to prepare. In consequence, a formal proposition has been transmitted through the diplomatic medium to divers governments in order that they might cause themselves to be represented in a commission which should meet at Paris on Monday, the 17th June next, at the hotel of the department for foreign affairs. This conference would be presided over conjointly by the minister for foreign affairs and the minister of finance. The vice-presidency would be devolved on Mr. de Parieu, vice-president of the council of state, who, with Mr. Herbet, minister plenipotentiary, director of consulates and commercial affairs, would thereat represent the department for foreign affairs. The delegates from the department of finance would be Mr. Pelouze, member of the institute, president of the commission on coinage, and Mr. de Lavenay, president of the section of finance in the council of state. His excellency the Marquis de Moustier charges me, in placing these notices before the government of the United States, to convey to it, at the same time, the invitation to participate in the international monetary conference. It would attach even, in consequence of the early time at which the labors should commence, very special value to the information as soon as possible of the name of the delegate by whom the cabinet of Washington shall deem fit to be represented, and I would be very thankful to your excellency if you would, as soon as possible, inform me on this point. There is no need to add that the commissioners will assemble without any programme arranged in anticipation. They will thus be able to look more freely for a solution of the difficulties which would oppose an assimilation between the systems actually in operation. This mode of proceeding, which has already received so happy an application at the conferences of 1865, appears at this time of greater utility, inasmuch as different countries, while appreciating the importance of the object to be attained, would have the means of recurring to divergent opinions. The conference proposed has not otherwise any immediate object than to call out an interchange of views and discussion of principles; in a word, to seek for the bases of ulterior negotiations. Accept, Mr. Secretary of State, the assurances of my high consideration, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, &c., &c., &c. BERTHEMY. Mr. Seward to M. Berthemy. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 29, 1867. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 27th instant, in relation to an international conference proposed to be held at Paris on the 17th of next month, for the purpose of an interchange of views and discussion of principles, with a view to ulterior negotiations upon the subject of a uniform system of coinage. You express on the part of the imperial government a wish to receive early information of the name of the delegate who will be selected to represent the United States at the conference. In reply I have the honor to inform you that the honorable Samuel B. Ruggles, who is now in Paris in the character of a scientific commissioner of the United States to the Universal Exhibition, and who is familiar with the views of this government, has been specially authorized to represent it on the occasion to the extent and in the spirit indicated in your note. General Dix, the minister of the United States at Paris, has been requested to confer and co-operate with Mr. Ruggles to such a degree as may be convenient or necessary. Appreciating the courtesy of the imperial government in notifying that of the United States of the proposed conference, I beg you to accept, sir, a renewed assurance of my highest consideration. M. BERTHEMY, &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Mr. Seward to Mr. Ruggles. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 29, 1867. SIR: I transmit a translation of a note of the 27th instant, addressed to me by the minister of France, under instructions from his government, in regard to an international conference proposed to be held at Paris on the 17th of June next to consider the general question of the uniformity of coinage. You are hereby empowered to attend that conference on behalf of the United States, and to represent your government to the extent and in the spirit indicated in the enclosed. You are requested to transmit to this department a detailed report of the deliberations and conclusions of the conference, with such observations as may seem to you to be useful. General Dix has been apprised by the same mail which bears this communication to you of the circumstances under which you are empowered to represent the United States on this occasion, and he has been requested to confer and co operate with you to such extent as may be convenient. SIR: I enclose a translation of a note of the 27th instant which was addressed to me by Mr. Berthemy, the minister of France accredited to this government, concerning an international conference proposed to be held at Paris on the 17th of June next. The honorable Samuel B. Ruggles having heretofore received special instructions to take into consideration the general subject of a uniform system of weights, measures, and coins, I have by this mail forwarded to him a copy of the enclosed, with instructions to attend the proposed conference on behalf of the United States, and to participate in its deliberations to the extent and in the spirit indicated in Mr. Berthemy's note, concerning the question of the uniformity of coinage. I will thank you to confer and co-operate with Mr. Ruggles in this matter to such an extent as may be convenient, and to render him any aid and facilities which it may be in your power to afford. I am, sir, your obedient servant, JOHN A. DIX, Esq., &c., &c., &c. WILLIAM H. SEWARD Mr. Ruggles to Mr. Seward. [Extract.] PARIS, May 30, 1867, * * * SIR: Before the meeting of the international committee for examining the question of a uniform coin had commenced, the undersigned was enabled, through the introduction of Monsieur Michel Chevalier, senator of France, who takes much interest in the subject, to confer fully with M. de Parieu, vice-president of the conseil d'etat, and one of the two representatives of France in negotiating the quadripartite treaty or monetary convention of the 23d of December, 1865, between France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy. To that treaty the United States are now invited to become a party, in the communication of M. Berthemy, minister of France at Washington, to the Secretary of State of the United States, a copy of which, forwarded from Washington by the Department of State, reached the undersigned on the 29th of May, instant. The undersigned does not assume in any way to discuss the diplomatic question whether the United States, for the purpose of securing the adoption of a common unit of money, should attain that result by means of a permanent and obligatory treaty, or should rest satisfied with concurrent legislation capable of easy change, and thus reserving a wider freedom and greater elasticity of action. He felt, however, at liberty, in case the concurrence of the United States by needful legislation in any form was required, to suggest to M. de Parieu the expediency, and, indeed, to urge the necessity, of modifying that portion of the treaty in question which prohibits either of the four nations who had made it from issuing gold coin of any denominations but those of five, ten, twenty, fifty, and a hundred francs. This necessity is obvious at once from the fact that the gold coin most in ordinary use in the United States is the half-eagle of five dollars, which, with a slight diminution, could be readily reduced to twentyfive francs in value. This coin, when exported to France, in order to be readily and generally current, must there find itself side by side with some well-known French coin of like weight, diameter, and value. The propriety of this suggestion M. de Parieu not only admitted at once, but expressed his belief that the treaty might be modified by the four nations, in thirty days, to meet the necessities in this respect of the United States. Shortly after this conversation with M. de Parieu, the undersigned, through the introduction of General Dix, the minister of the United States to France, had a personal conference with M. Rouher, chief minister of state, to whom the same suggestions as to the twenty-five franc gold coin were made, with some more extended remarks on the lasting importance of unifying the coin of the world, thereby inaugurating a new historical era in the monetary affairs of mankind. The peculiar significance of the fact that the Congress of the United States, in recently authorizing the issue of one of our smaller coins, had given to it precisely even metric weight and metric diameter, (being five grams in weight and two centimetres in diameter,) thereby scattering widely through the pockets of the American people the means of studying the metric system by specimens of the metre and its derivative the gram, constantly visible, was also brought to the notice of M. Rouher. He became so much interested in the subject and its further examination, that he shortly afterwards caused the undersigned to be invited to a personal interview with the Emperor at the Tuileries. Upon that occasion the Emperor, after expressing very cordially his gratification that the United States of America had shown their willingness to aid in unifying the coin of the world, proceeded in a straightforward, business way to ask, "What do you wish France to do in aid of the work?" To that interrogatory it was answered, first, that much could be done by distinctly recognizing in the official documents and discourses of the government the international unification of coin, as a result of cardinal importance to be attained at the Universal Exposition; that most of its memories, however brilliant, were necessarily evanescent, while a common coin, once secured with universal uniformity, would endure for a series of ages. Allusion was made to the historical fact that the world under the Roman empire, governed by Augustus and his successors, had practically enjoyed the boon of a common coin, but had lost it in the wreck of that imperial power; that now, after the lapse of fourteen centuries, the modern nations of the earth, convened under a higher civilization in a universal congress, wisely organized, had the opportunity to establish a new and better Augustan age of money, having a world-wide equality It was further urged that the United States of America, politically, commercially and geographically, had a peculiar interest in the subject; that they not only produced a large proportion of the precious metals needed by the world, but, from their continental and interoceanic position on the globe, enjoyed the pre-eminent and distinguishing advantage of having two outlets for their coin-one leading westward across the Pacific to Asia, the other eastward across the Atlantic to Europe; that it was alike their interest and their ambition to secure for that coin the greatest facility for unchecked, economical and rapid circulation, freely passing through both the hemispheres without recoinage or other impediment; that, in a word, the money of the world, as the common measure of its values, should be as uniform and as circumambient as the atmosphere of the world; and, finally, that the United States of America, |