Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/176

 168] ENGLISH HISTORY. [a*g.

perpetual interference ; but every great subject was fully debated, and the Secretary of State was perpetually questioned upon every kind of affair.

The financial policy of the Government in acceptipg the report of the Currency Committee was scarcely touched upon in the debate, although already published (July 28). According to the recommendation, the British sovereign was to be adopted "without delay" as the standard coin of India. The local mints, although remaining closed for the coinage of silver, would be open for the unrestricted coinage of gold, the value of the rupee being fixed at Is. 4d. or one-fifteenth of a pound. Pay- ments might continue to be made to any amount in silver, but the Government was not bound to exchange silver for gold or to issue gold, except for certain purposes of exchange. The Committee, moreover, deprecated, although the Government did not actually forbid, a loan in sterling to procure gold, in the belief that in the course of time the Indian mints would draw the necessary gold by the ordinary process of trade.

Before Parliament rose for the recess two interesting papers, both bearing, directly and indirectly, upon the constitution of the next House of Commons, were published. The first of these was addressed to the First Lord of the Treasury, Mr. A. J. Balfour, signed by 126 members, asking for a definite statement of the views of the Government on the question of a redistri- bution of seats. The letter was forwarded through Mr. Ember (Wandsworth) who on behalf of his colleagues stated in their opinion (1) that a readjustment of the graver anomalies should be made before the next dissolution ; (2) that such readjust- ment need not necessarily involve a general redistribution, nor affect more than one-fifth of the existing constituencies, and (3) that the members specially interested should be acquainted as early as possible in the ensuing session with the principle which the Government proposed to adopt. In reply Mr. Balfour said simply that the matter should be brought before the Cabinet at the next opportunity.

The other paper which was circulated before the close of the session was the report of Mr. Chaplin's committee on Old Age Pensions, a subject upon which many pledges had been given, many hopes held out, and much recrimination arisen. The committee had been appointed by the Government after the unfinished debate (March 22) on Mr. L. Holland's bill and in view of the four other bills dealing with the same subject. It was directed to consider and report on the best means of im- proving the condition of the aged and deserving poor, and for providing for the helpless and infirm. The terms of reference ' were held to exclude consideration of the financial aspect of the question apart from which the committee resolved, by a majority of 9 to 4, that a national pension system was feasible and desir- able. Having rejected schemes for the universal grant of pensions, without regard to thrift or merit on the part of the

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