§ Mr. Wallacesaid, that perhaps it would not be inconvenient if he now put the question which stood No. 17 on the motion list. The question which he wished to ask was, whether the great inconvenience and commercial distress which has been attributed more or less to the drain of gold out of this country of late years, and the consequent restriction in the issue of paper-money by the Bank of England, and by other banking establishments, coupled with the general stagnation of trade and want of employment among the working classes, together with the great trouble and positive loss recently inflicted on all ranks, by crying down the gold coin, which may have become light from the inevitable wear and tear to which a metallic currency is ever liable, will induce her Majesty's advisers, with a view to mitigate these evils and to stimulate trade by a prevention of their recurrence, to recommend to her Majesty and to Parliament the substitution of a silver standard of value in aid of or in lieu of the present golden standard.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, that be could not help noticing that a practice was of late growing up of printing a summary of a speech, when notices of questions were given. The question of the hon. Member contained the summary of the argument in favour of the silver standard of value. He would not answer the argument then, but he would state it was not the intention of her Majesty's Government to propose any alteration in the standard of value in this country.