DECIMAL COINAGE AND ACCOUNTS.

4 Clarence Road, Kentish Town, 24th October 1855.: Ent—I have perused with great interest the various, and many of -them very able, communications that have appeared in your columns-on the suli- ject of Decimal Coinage. If we had only a system to build up—were we only Just commencing business—there would be, comparatively speaking; hut slight difilculty in introducing a perfect system of decimals : but,_Sir, itmuet be borne in mind that existing-arrangements are entwined, as it were,,hr ali our statutes and monetary regulations; and in setting these aside for some- thing new, we must not forget that we have popular prejudice and 'popular ignorance to combat.; and while we have an eye to scientific accuracy, , we must not overlook public sentiment and public convenience.

It would. be all very well if the whole trading community underatoodtdeei- mals—if we had only learned and intellectual people to do with ; lint it is far otherwise. And- besides, Sir, the public will never tolerate any plan that would perceptibly, not to say largely, augment any branoh of the-public revenue, even to obtain the benefits of a decimal coinage. Of some of your correspondents I would say, as was once said or a' great and eloquent statesman in the House-of Commons, who

" went on refining, While they thought of dining "—

they are "too learned." Elaborately refined and scientific plans will_ not do ; they would never be generally understood, and could neVer be carried out in this-country without encountering a storm of obloquy and opposition; such as no Parliament and no Ministry could afford to disregard.

But it is not necessary. A perfect system of decimals. can be established without deranging the present coinage or setting aside a single current coin. The plan would moreover afford an exact equivalent to the all-important penny.

Let there be two figures of account, victorines and mils. The victorine; value 4s. 2d., to consist of 100 mils or-halfpence. The-pound sterling would be equal to 4 victorines 80 mils. By this plan we would have a perfect eyes tern of decimals, amino new- coin need be introduced except, perhaps, a silver victorine sufficiently dissimilar not to be readily mistaken for the fiveshils ling piece.

The present and proposed plans would then stand as follows.

PRESENT.

PROPOSEDV

Sovereign Bl. 0 0 equal to 4v.80mi Half-sovereign .. 10 0 .,

2.40-

Crown 5 0

1.20.- Bali-crown 2

6

0

0'.60' Florin. 2

0,

i. • 0A8 Shilling 1 0 ,. 0.24 Sixpence 0 6

0

0.12

Fourpenee Threepence 0 0 4

3

"

0

0.08 0.06 Penny 0 1

0

0.02 Halfpenny 0 O.

0

0.01 Farthing • 0 0

0

I would also propose that the-introduction- of the system be gradual—in other words, permissive rather than obligatory. Let accounts. and-agree- ments be rendered legal either according to the present or the proposed system; and probably within the present generation the use of decimals would become all but universal This plan was adopted only last year in Canada: and I venture to think, if not quite so scientific as many of the suggestions in your columns, it will be found more practicable, and mote-in accordance with public sentiment.