xii POLITICAL LIFE 285 



expenditure, and remarked to me in perfect good faith 

 and sincerity : " I don't see for what you can want a 

 grant. I suppose all you have to show would go into 

 my hat " ! 



In the last session of my Parliamentary career, a 

 Select Committee was appointed to inquire whether any 

 and what changes in the present system of weights 

 and measures should be adopted. I served as chair- 

 man, and the evidence which was given before us by 

 competent witnesses was of an interesting and con- 

 vincing character ; all, with one exception, expressed 

 strong views in favour of the adoption of the metrical 

 system, which has long been employed by scientific 

 men all the world over. This exception was the late 

 Sir Frederick Bramwell, who was well known as a 

 stickler for vulgar fractions, the pound, and the two- 

 foot rule. Sir Frederick, the most genial of engineers, 

 was conservative to his finger-ends and firmly believed 

 that nothing could be better than our present system, 

 or rather want of system. All the other engineers 

 who were examined expressed themselves in favour of 

 the adoption of the metrical system, and men engaged 

 in commerce and in industry were of the same opinion, 

 whilst schoolmasters and members of school boards 

 agreed that much time could be saved to school 

 children by the adoption of a simpler system of weights 

 and measures. 



The evidence further showed that, not only is our 

 foreign trade in every branch seriously handicapped, 

 but that the home trade would be greatly benefited 

 by the change. It was also clearly proved that the 

 change from an old complicated system to the 

 metrical had taken place without serious opposition 

 or inconvenience in most of the European States, 

 no attempt having been made to return to the 



