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Remarks on the production of the precious metals
Remarks on the production of the precious metals Author:Michel Chevalier Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: APPENDIX. From the " Times" June 2bth, 1852. MONEY-MARKET AND CITY INTELLIGENCE. Thursday Evening. The considerations which, three years ago, were al... more »most derided as to the probable effects of the increased supply of gold, are now assuming a preponderance over all other subjects. The anxious pause of curiosity is latent, but it is nevertheless felt by every one, and it is easy to understand why it has not hitherto been more decidedly expressed. The landowners do not care to avow the full extent of their hopes, and to stimulate a cry from the annuitant class for preventive meddling. That class, on the other hand, together with the much larger body who dislike everything that upsets routine and necessitates thought, endeavour to persuade themselves into indifference. Their original disbelief having been forcibly overcome, they seek new refuge in the conclusion that fresh uses for the precious metals will prevent any alteration of value. The remaining class, consisting of ordinary men of business, who are not affected by the bias of either the landlords or the annuitants, hesitate to discuss a subject which they have no time to work out, and on which, nevertheless, they are expected to be perfectly clear. Under these circumstances, although it may involve a repetition of former statements, it will be useful to review once more the general bearings of the whole question. To arrive at an exact solution it would be necessary to ascertain the amount of gold and silver in the world, and the present annual consumption for coinage and the arts. This is impossible, and conjectural quantities must consequently be taken. The total of coin has been guessed at £400,000,000. Of this £150,000,000 may be assumed to be gold, and £250,000,000 silver. The annual consumption of gold is be...« less