JOURNAL 



OF 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



AUGUST 1 797. 



ARTICLE L 



ui>, Jccou„t ofth New Zyjlcm of Menfures efablijl.ed in France. By Ch. Co^VEBERT*. 



-Tor feveralcen.uries.reafon, good faith, and all the principles of focial order have 

 exclaimed agamlt the diverfity of meafares in France. Nothing was wanting for the de- 

 ftruflion of th.s abufe, already condemned by the public opinion, but a favourable concur- 

 rence of c.rcumftances. The members of the Conftituent Aflembly, charged by their eleftors 

 to eflabhn, at laft that uniformity which had conftantly been demanded by the States 

 General, and no lefs frequently promifed by Minifters. gave charge to the Academy of 

 Sciences to dired their refearches to this great change. There was no doubt of finding in 

 Ae learned a fuffic.ent degree of zeal for a work that mud facilitate the communication of 

 jntelhgence extend the dominion of reafon, and economife that time of which men the 

 n,oa .naruded are ever the moa fparing. From this rare and valuable concurrence be- 

 tween the fc.ences and the legiflation has refulted the fyftem we are about to explain to our 

 readers. In tins fyftem they will difcern the charader of a work independent of peculiar 

 times or individual locality. Its authors have been aware that they could not worthily ferve 

 the French nation in this refped, without embracing in their plan the interefts of :he whole 

 human race. They were defirous that their labours fliould be ufeful to all nations; and 

 hat the commerce winch ferves to unite them might everywhere fpeak the fame language. 

 It IS more particularly on this account, that inftead of confining themfelves to render the 

 ^.cafuresof Paris of general ufe throughout France, they have fought in the nature of 

 things for the invariable bafis of a complete fyftem conneded in all its parts. 



I he pendulum was propoled in the laft century to ferve as the original of all meafurcs; 

 • Journal dcs Minrr,, p.iMio par Ic Co.ifcil Jc. Mine, dc la Rcpubliqoc, No. XI V. , , 



Vol. I.-AoGU8T,797. Cc ,_ 



