BEPOETS 



ON THE 



STATE OF SCIENCE 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Sir William Thomson. Pro- 

 fessor A. W. Williamson, Mr. W. H. Preece, Mr. Barlow, and 

 Mr. J. M. Thomson {Secretary), appointed to consider and advise 

 on the best means for facilitating the adoption of the Metric 

 System of Weights and Measures in Great Britain. 



Tour Committee have held several meetings daring the past year. 



They wish to take this opportunity of expressing their very deep 

 regret at the loss which the Committee has sustained in the death of 

 their colleague, Sir William Siemens, F.R.S., since the last meeting of 

 the British Association. Sir William Siemens had taken a very pro- 

 minent part in the formation of this Committee, and had himself under- 

 taken personally much of the business of the Committee, and his 

 colleagues farther regret that his sadden and unexpected death has 

 prevented them hearing from him more particulars of the results of the 

 inquiries which he had undertaken to make. 



Your Committee have been in correspondence with the Board of Trade 

 on the subject of the introduction and wider employment of the metric 

 system in Great Britain ; but the answer received has not been so favour- 

 able to the general adoption of the system as they could have wished. 



After due consideration, your Committee determined to memorialise 

 Her Majesty's Government on the subject, and endeavour to induce the 

 English Government to become members of the ' Bureau International 

 des Poids et Mesures.' 



Understanding that the Royal Society had already entered upon 

 negotiations with the Government, and wishing to proceed upon the 

 same grounds, your Committee put themselves in communication with the 

 Society. 



From the Royal Society your Committee learn that the former has 

 been, and is still, in communication with the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 and that the chief difficulties in the way of the Government joining the 

 Bureau are (1) the expense, especially the arrears of payment, and (2) 

 the question of being able to contribute to the Bureau without joining 

 the Metric Convention, Her Majesty's Government — they are given to 

 understand — regarding this latter step as committing this country to the 

 metric system, which they are unwilling to do, as being opposed, in their 

 judgment, to the public opinion of the country. 



