Page images
PDF
EPUB

evidences of the resources of the United States as would exhibit to Europe the ability of the National Government fully to maintain its legitimate authority in the struggle then pending, and to save the American Union from dismemberment and ruin. The undersigned was not directed nor expected, at such a moment, to participate very fully in any abstract investigations in what is called the "science of statistics," which, after all, does not denote any particular science, but is a term of broadest generality, embracing the proper philosophical analysis of the "quantities" involved in any subject of inquiry, whether material, moral, or political. The minute analysis required in solving many of the problems of social science, and even the examinations of the multiform conditions of human life involved in vital statistics and other similar subjects, were held of light account by the Government of the United States, in view of the higher and more pressing necessity of demonstrating to the assembled representatives of the European nations the broad and massive statistics of the vital strength of our continental republic. The examination of such a subject was clearly within the proper scope of the International Statistical Congress, especially in connection with similar exhibitions of the statistics of other nations. In the report which was then presented to the congress in behalf of the United States, after adducing the language of the inaugural address of Prince Albert above referred to, it was urged that the new-born "solidarity" of modern nations rendered the statistics of each important to all, and that, as a matter of science, it was only by the statistical comparison of the different portions of the world that the International Statistical Congresses could discharge their highest office in presenting "in scientific form the prominent and distinctive features of the comparative anatomy of nations."

Owing to the lateness of the appointment of the undersigned, (in the latter part of August, 1863,) he was not able to reach Berlin until the morning of the opening of the congress on the 1st of September, leaving but four days in which to prepare the report in behalf of the United States, so that it was necessarily incomplete in many respects, and especially deficient in omitting to present full comparisons of the statistics of the United States with those of the other nations but, nevertheless, on reception of a copy at Hamburg, so deep was the interest of its capitalists and men of business in the resources of the United States, that the undersigned was requested, in a letter from twelve of the leading bankers and merchants of that important monetary and commercial center, to explain more fully the details of the subject in a public address, which was delivered at the "Bourse" of Hamburg on the 10th of October, 1863.

The international importance of the metrical system of weights, measures, and coins, in harmonizing the statistics of the various countries, was distinctly recognized and urged by the first International Statistical Congress, held at Brussels in 1853. Its recommendation was reënforced by the second congress held at Paris in 1855, in view, not only of the difficulties of statists in dealing with statistics, widely varying in weight and measure, but of the embarrassment of juries in the international exhibition of industrial products, in comparing the prices of the commodities of different countries. The sentiments of the third congress, held at Vienna, in 1857, were unanimous in the same direction, but no specific or practical action was had on the subject until the fourth congress, held at London, in 1860. In that important assemblage it was brought into full discussion upon a comprehensive and well-considered programme presented to the body by Mr. Samuel Brown, of London, one of its members, and also secretary of the royal commission organ

ized by the government of the United Kingdom, to which had been committed the duty of preparing the programme for the consideration of the congress. Abstaining from any specific details, the programme clearly and comprehensively presented the different questions arising, and especially in establishing a uniform coinage.

Under the presidency of Mr. James Heyward, F. R. S., in the appropriate section of the congress, this programme was ably discussed at successive meetings by Sir John Bowring, Mr. Visschers, of Brussels, Sir Charles Pasley, Professor Ackendyck, of the Hague, Mr. James Yates, F. R. S., Lord Monteagle, Mr. Brown, writer of the programme, Mr. John Benjamin Smith, M. P., and others, showing little or no difference of opinion on the subject of metrical weights and measures, but decided differences in respect to a uniform international coinage.

The discussion led to the appointment by the congress of an international commission that was directed "to examine the subject in all its aspects and to prepare a report to the next International Statistical Congress," (to be held in Berlin in 1863,) " on the actual systems of coinage in use, and on the best means of overcoming the obstacles that may exist in any country to the establishment of the proposed charges." This commission was composed of thirty-five members, twenty-nine of whom were from the fourteen following countries: The United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Prussia, Netherlands, Oldenburg, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States of America; and six members from the five British colonies, Canada, Cape of Good Hope, New South Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand. This wide-spread distribution of countries, including not only Europe and Americà, but portions of the remote regions of the southern hemisphere, strikingly foreshadows the world-wide internationality which a coinage not only international but intercontinental must eventually embrace.

After full examination by the commission during the interval of three years, an elaborate report was presented to the congress of Berlin in 1863 by Mr. Samuel Brown and Professor Leone Levi, secretaries of the commission. As a noticeable fact, showing the necessity of the United States being represented in the congress, it may be stated that, in the draught of the report as submitted for adoption to the appropriate section of the congress in 1863, it was asserted, among other matters, that "the Confederate States had expressed a desire to introduce the metric system of weights and measures." On hearing read this portion of the report the undersigned at once stated to the section that under his commission he represented the whole of "the United States of America,” from the great chain of lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific; and that there was no such nation or legal political entity within those limits as "the Confederate States." After a short struggle the words "the Confederate States" were stricken from the report, and the words "some of the States" introduced in their place.

It is matter worthy of special attention that the report of this commission from the fourteen nations recommended the pound sterling, the dollar, the florin, and the franc as monetary units; and that the silver dollar be made equal to five francs, and the (silver) florin to two and a half francs; and that it further proposed that the different governments be invited to send to a "special congress" delegates authorized to consider and report what should be in the metric system "the relative value of gold and silver coins."

On this occasion, as appears more in detail in the report to the De

partment of State from the undersigned, dated December 23, 1863, he urged in behalf of the United States, "that if the dollar and the florin were to be reduced in weight, to make them even multiples of the franc, a simultaneous alteration should also be made by the United Kingdom in the pound sterling, and in the weight of the sovereign representing it, so as to reduce it to the even multiple 25 francs from 25.20 francs, the present weight."

It will also appear that the undersigned on that occasion urged upon the section "the inherent difficulty of fixing any permanent ratio be tween the two metals," necessarily fluctuating in market value with their comparative demand and supply.

On the presentation of the report from the section to the congress in general assembly, they amended the proposed resolutions by substi tuting two general propositions, the first of which recommended "that the units of money should be reduced to a small number, and be as far as possible decimally divided; that the coins should all be expressed in weights of the metric system and have the same degree of fineness, ninetenths fine and one-tenth alloy." And the second recommended "that the different governments be invited to send to a special congress delegates authorized to consider and report what should be the relative weights in the metrical system of gold and silver coins, and to arrange the details fixing the monetary system of the different countries according to the terms of the preceding proposition."

In June, 1867, the "special congress" thus recommended in 1863 was convened at Paris by formal invitation by the government of France to the other governments in Europe, and to the Government of the United States, under the name of the international monetary "conference," that being the highest form of international assemblage known in diplomatic usage. As is well known to the Department of State, that "conference" itself reported soon after July, 1867, to the different nations for consideration its proceedings and deliberations, and its proposed plan of international coinage, which still remains under advise. ment by several of the nations. In view of this definite action by the "conference” no further specific action recommending any particular plan of coinage has since been taken in any succeeding International Statistical Congress, either at Florence, in 1867, or at the Hague in 1869, except that the congress at the Hague, on the motion of Mr. Visschers, of Belgium, passed a general resolution requesting its bureau or official organ "to present an address to the several governments requesting them to prepare and hasten by international conventions in all the countries a uniform monetary system."

The congress at the Hague took steps of the highest international importance in respect to the systematic examination of different subjects of international interest, and especially in regard to the comparison under different heads of the statistics of the various nations. At the preceding congresses it had been the practice for any member to present any report or memoir he might deem proper in regard to the statistics of the particular nation he represented, which, after reference to the organizing committee, was printed with their consent as an appendix to the general "Compte Rendu" of the congress, comprised in quarto volumes sometimes exceeding 1,000 pages. By this discursive method, many valuable contributions, though duly published, have escaped general attention, which would have been secured by systematic arrangement according to the different subjects. At best they furnished but imperfectly the means of internationally comparing the statistics of all the nations under their particular heads. At the congress at the Hague,

a very interesting paper on the pisciculture of the United States, which had been prepared by Robert B. Roosevelt, esq., one of the "commissioners of fisheries of the State of New York," was presented to the Congress. It was received with such lively interest by the delegates from various European nations that the undersigned caused it to be translated into French and published in an edition of 500 copies, which were distributed through Europe. A copy of the original memoir is herewith transmitted to the Department of State, (No. 1.) Numerous other valuable papers from other nations, filled with interesting statistics, were also presented to the congress, and among them a very admirable and well-arranged report by Richard Valpy, esq., one of the two governmental delegates from the United Kingdom, exhibiting a large portion of the statistics of Great Britain and of its colonies and dependencies. A copy of that report (No. 2) is transmitted herewith.

The variety and importance of the subjects upon which action was specially taken by the congress at the Hague, and its several sections, are shown by the official copy of its resolutions, herewith transmitted, (No. 3,) the careful preparation of which for publication by Mr. Fock, minister of the interior of the government of the Netherlands, president of the organizing commission, and the official depositary of its acts, was not completed until the 30th of November last, and was only recently received in the United States by the undersigned. It will be seen that to these resolutions his excellency the minister especially invites the attention of the heads of department and public functionaries (des hommes d'etat et des chefs des services administratifs) of the several govern

ments.

The undersigned, in view of the preeminent importance of presenting international comparisons of the statistics of the several nations in distinctly tabulated form, soon after his appointment undertook the task of discharging that duty in respect to the product of "cereals fundamental basis of the national strength of the United States, to be presented and examined in comparison with the aggregate cereal product of the nineteen nations of Europe, as a whole, and thereby showing a vital element in the comparative continental strength of each of these two great portions of the civilized world. In this labor he was greatly aided by the efficient and well-considered action of the Department of State at Washington, in a circular (copy hereto annexed, No. 4) directing the ministers and consuls of the United States within the different countries of Europe (including even the states on the northern coast of Africa) to procure the necessary information up to the latest attainable dates, to be transmitted to the Hague in time to be presented to the congress. It is gratifying to state that the information thus requested was duly obtained by the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States, and received in time in all but two instances, (Russia and Spain,) in which it was prevented by accidental causes, and the deficiencies supplied through other sources of information.

The information thus furnished enabled the undersigned to present to the congress, soon after its opening, a tabulated continental comparison, with a "Report on Cereals," made to that body in behalf of the United States, a copy of which, with the table, was transmitted to the Department of State in October last. A duplicate copy (No. 5) is now furnished for the convenience of the Department. The general results may be condensed within a narrow compass: Reducing the varying measures of Europe to a single standard (the imperial bushel) of Great Britain, exceeding by only one thirty-second part the "Winchester bushel," in general use in the United States," it was found that Europe,

with a population in 1868 of 296,123,293 inhabitants, produced 4,754,516,604 bushels, being 16 bushels to the head; and that the United States of America, with an estimated population of 39,000,000 in 1868, produced 1,405,449,653 bushels, (exclusive of rice not ascertain able in 1868, the product of which in 1860 was 3,121,959 bushels,) being 36 bushels to the head. The comparative product of the several species of cereals was as follows:

[blocks in formation]

The table exhibits the product of each species of cereals by each of the European nations, which were arranged as far as practicable in geographical groups. The report which accompanies the table also states the comparative numbers of the horses, cattle, and other domestic animals of the United States and of the different nations of Europe, and also the cereal products and the number of domestic animals in Australia and New Zealand. It also embraces to some extent the commercial interchange of cereal food between the different nations, showing the surplus of the nations feeding, and the deficiencies of the nations fed.

On presenting this report and table, and especially for the purpose of securing its continuation from time to time in succeeding congresses, the undersigned submitted for consideration the following propositions, which were unanimously adopted, and appear at page 26 of the official copy of the resolutions of the congress:

1. The official delegates are requested to furnish, as far as practicable, at the next session of the International Statistical Congress, the statisties of the agricultural products of their countries for the three years next preceding the congress.

2. It is desired that the quantities of the cereal products in each country shall be expressed in weights rather than in measures of capacity.

In support of the second of these propositions, the undersigned orally urged upon the congress what he had stated on another occasion, in a report to the Department of State, that it was shown by "experience in all the grain-dealing markets, both in Europe and the United States, that the existing mode of estimating cereals by measures of capacity is and must be radically defective and erroneous. Its inherent absurdity is evident from the fact that the several species of cereals differ widely in weight, and from the further fact that the weight of the different varieties of the same species varies materially, not only in different countries but in the varying soils and modes of culture in the same country. No comparative table of cereals can have any practical value unless it classify the different species under separate heads, so that each may be computed by its actual weight. In point of fact and actual practice, all sales of cereals in any considerable quantities in any of the markets of the United Kingdom or of the United States, whether on the oceans or on the inland lakes, are now made only by weight.

For

« PreviousContinue »