210 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
“ce 
. . . . They also received the assistance of those distinguished members of 
the National Academy of Sciences who constitute the special committee of that 
learned society having charge of these subjects, and particularly Professor 
Newton, of that committee, whose efforts in aid of their purposes have been 
patient and persevering.” ® 
After this follows a résumé of the history of the coinage, 
weights and measures of the United States, Great Britain and 
France, and a comparison of the existing weights and measures 
with the metric system. Finally, on page 20 of the report of 
the House Committee it is said “ Your committee unanimously 
recommend the passage of the bills and the joint resolutions 
appended to this report. They were not prepared to go, at this 
time, beyond this stage of progress in the proposed reform.” 
The reasons are then given and the report concludes with a list 
of the bills recommended. These are as follows: 
“A bill making it lawful to use the metric system. 
“A joint resolution directing the Secretary of the Treasury to furnish metric 
standards to the States. 
“A bill to authorize the use in the post offices of weights of the denomination 
of grams.® 
“A joint resolution to authorize the President to appoint a special commissioner 
to facilitate the adoption of a uniform coinage between the United States and 
foreign countries.” 
The bills legalizing the use of the metric system, directing the 
Secretary of the Treasury to furnish metric standards to the 
States, and authorizing the use in post-offices of weights of the 
denomination of grams passed the House on May 17, 1866, with- 
out discussion. 
® House of Representatives, 39th Congress, rst Session. Report no. 62. Coinage, Weights 
and Measures. (To accompany bills House Res. nos. 596 and 597, and House Res. no. 141.) 
May 17, 1866. Ordered to be printed. p. 1. 
° The text of this bill is as follows: 
“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, etc., That the Postmaster 
General be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to furnish to the post offices exchang- 
ing mails with foreign countries, and to such other offices as shall think expedient, postal 
balances denominated in grams of the metric system, and until otherwise provided by law, 
one-half ounce avoirdupois shall be deemed and taken for postal purposes as the equivalent 
of fifteen grams of the metric weights, and so adopted in progression; and the rates of 
postage shall be applied accordingly.” 
