Weights and Measures of New YorJc, 107 



two different units for liquid and dry measures of capacity, I 

 should recommend the abolition of one of them as useless, and 

 particularly from the confusion that arises from two dififerent 

 magnitudes being called by the same name. But it appears 

 evident from the law of 1784, that but one measure is contem- 

 plated for both objects. The introduction of the British wine 

 gallon is, therefore, unwarranted by the law of 1703, by the 

 ancient practice of the province, or by the law of 1784, and has 

 probably crept into the revised law of 1813, in consequence of 

 its being used in the Customs of the United States: it is, 

 therefore, consistent with the ancient law to prescribe but one 

 standard for measures of capacity ; but it might be expedient to 

 permit the retail of articles paying duties to the United States 

 in measures derived from the offices of the several surveyors of 

 the Customs. 



(5.) The act of 1784 adopts, as the standards of the state, 

 certain weights and measures in the custody of William Har- 

 denbrook, the sealer of the city and county of New York ; and 

 directs that he shall deliver them to the clerk of the city, in the 

 presence of the mayor, recorder, and one or more aldermen, 

 declaring upon oath that they are the identical articles received 

 by him from the British exchequer. The importance of the 

 object justified the solemnity of the manner pointed out for the 

 transfer of these ancient and venerable standards of the province 

 to the custody of the authorities of the state. But no corre- 

 sponding means of preserving them were pointed out, and it is 

 to be believed that they are no longer in existence ; for a law of 

 the 24th of March, 1809, adopts as the standard yard a brass 

 measure, procured by the corporation of New York, in 1803, 

 from the British exchequer ; the hquid measures of capacity 

 in the custody of the Secretary of State bear date in 1822, (at 

 least nine years later than any existing law,) and the standards 

 of dry measure are dated 1804. Now, as it has been found 

 that the yard, purporting to be a copy of that described in the 

 law of 1809, and deposited in the Street-commissioner's office, 

 in this city, is shorter than the usual English yard of the begin- 

 ning of the present century, which was itself shorter than the 

 standard, as examined in 1760, and perpetuated by the cele- 



