LXXX ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
out the British Empire; (3), that there is no other existing system and 
no other likely to exist, which can be advocated as having the least claim 
to become the system of the world; and (4), that one of these two, 
therefore, must sooner or later prevail. 
Dr. Barnard pointed out that the great obstacle to metrological 
reform consists in the incommensurability of the unit basis and that this 
one difficulty stands out so prominently in the case of the two systems 
mentioned, as to dwarf all the rest to insignificance. He discussed the 
subject at length, favouring the metric system by reason of its intrinsic 
merits and suggested that commensurability of the standard uni’s, may 
with facility be secured by reducing the length of the British and Ameri- 
can standards of measurement, so as to make the foot coincide with 
three decimetres; that is to say, the foot now 12 inches, would require 
to be reduced to 11:811237 inches, and the yard to 35-433711 inches. 
Here then we find these two eminent men,—on one side of the 
ocean, Sir John Herschel, advocating an increase, on the other side, 
Dr. Barnard, advocafing a decrease of our inherited standards in order 
to accomplish the end in view; but I find no record of any distinct pro- 
posal to change the unit base of the metric system and leave unchanged 
the standard measures of the British Empire and the United States of 
America,—measures, which John Quincy Adams has so clearly shown 
have come down to us through the centuries from the Romans, and have 
been derived through the Romans from the Greeks. Measures which 
have stood the test of long usage and are now completely ingrafted and 
engrained in the lives and habits of the people. 
It indeed seems remarkable that no trace can be found of any sug- 
gestion to emend the metre, a comparatively modern device, in order 
to bring within the range of commensurability the initial units of the 
two great systems. 
It is understood that the metre is not what it was intended to be 
when first designed, and its exact length seems yet to be uncertain. It 
is estimated by various authorities as follows :—39-382 inches, 39-37027 
inches, 39-37079 inches, 39:370113 inches, and 39-37043196 inches. It 
will be noticed that the addition of an inconsiderable fraction in every 
one of these cases would make this linear unit measure precisely forty 
inches and it will be found that an emended metre of forty inches 
possesses many inherent advantages. ‘The new unit measure would have 
numerous multiples and would be capable of division into a remarkable 
number of simple fractions; peculiarities which go to indicate, that, 
compared with the original metre, it would possess incomparable 
advantages. 
