§ MR. T. SUTHERLAND (Greenock)asked the Secretary for Scotland, in his capacity as Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Currency, Whether his attention had been called to a paragraph in the Money Article of The Times of that day of an extraordinary character? The paragraph was as follows:—
Hopes have been raised in many quarters that the Royal Commission recently appointed to investigate the effects of the fall in the value of silver upon international commerce might possibly recommend our Government to listen to the appeals which have been made to them to join other Powers in some attempt to restore that metal to the price from which it had fallen. It will be satisfactory to those who entertain fears in that regard to learn that one Member of the Commission, at least, whose practical experience and sound views will be likely to exercise considerable influence on his Colleagues, does not hesitate to let it be known that he intends to put his foot down at an early stage of the proceedings, and to stifle any attempt to discuss the question of tampering with the Currency system under which this country has reached unrivalled prosperity and economical development. The Member of the Commission referred to is of opinion that, as far as this country is concerned, all we have to do is to examine into the Currency system of our Indian Empire, and to determine whether or not the time has arrived for assimilating that system with our own, by establishing there a gold standard.He (Mr. Sutherland) would like to ask the right hon. Gentleman, Whether the expression of such an opinion as that here attributed to a Royal Commissioner is at all consistent with the terms of the Reference to the Royal Commission in question, or could possibly have been expressed by anyone holding such an appointment?
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)As far as I caught the quotation, it appears to be an unsigned article about an unnamed Member of the Commission. I cannot believe that any Member of the Commission could have expressed the opinion there attributed to him, because, as the terms of the Reference show, the English Currency as well as the Indian Currency distinctly comes under the terms of that Commission.