General Walker's Lecture.

Last evening, in his sixth lecture on Bimetallism, General Walker discussed the International Conference of 1867, which declared in favor of gold monometallism. He condemned the action of this commission as unpractical and heedless. Its action naturally had force in moulding public opinion.

Another blow to bimetallism was the action of Germany in 1873 when, as a result of the Franco-Prussian war, the united German states demonetized silver.

The resulting combination of England and Germany in the support of the gold standard, both of them selling silver and buying gold, compelled even France to restrict silver coinage and finally to cease entirely from coining that metal.

Just at this period production increased and silver accordingly fell still lower.

In the United States the coinage of silver dollars was stopped by legislation in 1873. From this time dates the agition of the "Silver Question." Silver was, however, remonetized by the Bland Bill of 1878. In so far, the step was a wise one, but the unfortunate clause, providing for a minimum coinage of two millions per month was disastrous. The United States was thus made to act as receiver of the surplus foreign silver. Furthermore, this bill had the effect of confusing the whole question, creating the false impression that its evils were due to the principle of bimetallism.