Weights and Measures of New York, 113 



first blow to the hitherto pre-eminent reputation of the articles 

 of that country. 



(6.) From what has already been stated, it will appear that 

 I am not of opinion that the pendulum of lat. 45°, the northern 

 boundary of our state, could be advantageously used, either as 

 the unit of lineal measure, or as the standard existing in nature 

 whence the unit of lineal measure is to be derived, and with it 

 all other measures. 



This, however, is a subject on which I venture to speak not 

 without some hesitation ; the authority of Mr. Jefferson is so 

 high, both as a man of science and a statesman, that I do not 

 differ from him without a feeling of extreme diffidence. Still, 

 however, being satisfied that in the present state of knowledge, 

 he would have concurred with me, and that the difference is 

 one, not of opinion, but of existing facts, I do venture to differ 

 from his views, stated as long ago as 1790. 



I do not conceive that the pendulum of that latitude is to be 

 preferred before that of any other as a standard existing in 

 nature, while, as the absolute unit of length, it must be rejected 

 upon the ground of the impossibility of introducing it, in con- 

 sequence of its discrepancy, and that of all its derivatives from 

 the habitual measures of the country. The latitude of 45'' 

 appearing at the first view as the mean between that of 

 the Equator and the Pole, might been thought peculiarly 

 advantageous. On this head it is to be observed, that it is a 

 matter of question at the present moment between the govern- 

 ments of the United States and Great Britain, what this lat. of 

 45° is ; are we to take for it the latitude determined by Astro- 

 nomic observation at the surface of the earth, or the latitude 

 corrected for ellipticity which is known by the appropriate name 

 of Geocentric ? And in connexion with the present subject, 

 a third view of the question arises, for neither of these is distant 

 from the Equator, the half of the itineraiy distance between 

 that circle and the Pole, but the point of bisection falls between 

 them ; which, then, of these three positions are we to choose for 

 our experiments, particularly when the two most adapted, and 

 between which the choice would most reasonably appear to 

 fluctuate, are actually witliin the limits of possession of another 



JAN. — MARCH, 182/. I 



