212 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



international conferences were held in Paris to consider the 

 question of preparing new metric standards, one in 1870 and the 

 second in 1872. In this connection a proposition was put for- 

 ward for the establishment of an international bureau of weights 

 and measures, and the matter was submitted to various govern- 

 ments including that of the United States for consideration. It 

 was brought by the Secretary of the Treasury on March 7, 1873, 

 to the attention of the Academy which in turn referred it to the 

 Committee on Weights and Measures. On June 13 of that year 

 a report was transmitted to the Treasury Department. 



Two years later, in 1875, tne metric convention at Paris voted 

 for the establishment of an international metric bureau and in 

 April of that year, as was noted in an earlier chapter, the 

 Academy adopted resolutions proclaiming its belief in the use- 

 fulness of such a bureau, and its " solicitude that the Govern- 

 ment of the United States should ratify the convention prepared 

 to that effect." A copy of the resolutions was transmitted to 

 the President, with a request for his favorable consideration. 

 This letter was as follows : 12 



" NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, 



"WASHINGTON, May 3, 1875. 

 " To the President. 



" SIR : I have the honor to transmit to you herewith, in conformity with a 

 resolution of the National Academy of Sciences, the expression of their opinion of 

 the usefulness of an International Bureau of Weights and Measures, which is 

 now the subject of a diplomatic conference at Paris, and of their solicitude that 

 this Government should ratify the convention which has been prepared to that 

 effect, and to ask your favorable consideration of the same. 



" Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



" JOSEPH HENRY, 

 " President National Academy of Sciences." 



" Upon this recommendation the convention was ratified by the 

 United States Senate." 13 It was signed at Paris, May 20, 1875, 

 the United States being the first to sign. 14 



11 Rep. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1879, P- 1 3- 

 "Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. i, p. in. 



13 Rep. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1879, p. 13. 



14 Encycl. Amer., vol. 10, 1904, article Metric System. 



