In the face of these alterations it is impossible to appeal to history for a proof that it is not lawful to make any desirable change. But some objectors say, If the British Mint no longer coins gratis, gold bullion will no longer make its way to this country as freely as it now does. At the present time England is the great bullion exchange of the world, because it is the country where the mint charges are lowest. Deprive this country of this advantage, and the stream of bullion will be directed elsewhere. If this argument is of any validity, of course all, or at least the greater part, of the bullion which has already reached this country, must have found its way to the Mint. But what is the real fact? That not so much as the ninth part of the gold bullion imported into this country within the last four years, has been coined into British money. The following figures are taken from the Statistical Abstract for 1869:-- COMPUTED REAL VALUE OF THE REGISTERED IMPORTS OF GOLD AND SILVER BULLION, AND SPECIE, INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM. Gold. Silver. Total. 1865 £14,485,570 £6,976,641 £21,462,211 1866 23,509,641 10,777,498 34,287,139 1867 15,800,159 8,020,888 23,821,047 1868 17,136,177 7,716,418 24,852,595 _____________ £104,422,992 AMOUNT OF GOLD AND SILVER MONEYS COINED AT THE ROYAL MINT. Gold. Silver. Total. 1865 £2,367,614 £501,732 £2,869,346 1866 5,076,676 493,416 5,570,092 1867 496,397 193,842 690,239 1868 1,653,384 301,356 1,954,740 ___________ £11,084,417 Looking at these figures, it will scarcely be argued that the fact of gratuitous coinage at the Royal Mint is of any power in attracting gold bullion to this country. The charges made on coining in other countries amount to large sums in the aggregate. It is desirable to show what these sums are. It has been calculated that, upon each million pounds sterling worth of gold coin delivered, the charge (including adjustment for loss of interest in the fixed delays for delivery) amounts in all England to £ 1,605 France 10,490 United States 15,000 Australia 13,330 India 13,330[8]