argument Her Majesty's Government entering into the speculation, if it be thought desirable.
28.
It would be well however for Her Majesty's Government, if inclined to compute the chances of intervals recurring, when varying exchanges - disturbances of commerce, trader or sudden extensions of premium might occasionally place coined silver at a rate above its intrinsic worth, to reflect that the tendency of all increased facilities of Ocean Transit, and improvements in the transmission of intelligence whether by Telegraph or otherwise and also that the increased familiarity on the part of the Chinese with our trade and the dissemination amongst them of correct notions as to our coins, forbid the hope of any fancy value being hereafter attached, as formerly, to any particular coin, and also operate to maintain a uniformity in the relative intrinsic worth of coined and uncoined silver. If there be no slight difference only between these values the cost of manufacture would be a certain loss.
29. Your Lordship will not fail to see, therefore, that, whilst the influences, which might disturb those relative values, are uncertain and likely hereafter to become more and more temporary, the general usage of the Chinese Empire may on the other hand be likened to the constant and uniform force of gravity, which, though it