108 



REPORT — 1864. 



Metric WeiffJits, with English equivalents. 



Metric Namea. 



1 decigramme (1-lOth) . . , 



1 GRAMME 



1 dekagramme (10 grammes) 

 1 hectogramme (100 grms.) 

 1 kilogramme, or kilo (1000 



grammes) 



1 myriagramme (10 kilos). . 

 1 metric quintal (or 100 



kilos) 



1 metric tonne (1000 kilos) 



cwt. qrs. 



1 3-874 

 19 2-736 



Professor Chevalier, in his evidence to the Committee of the House of 

 Commons on Weights and Measures, states his oi^inion that some objections 

 may be made to the Gramme as the unit of weight. " It is very small : 

 perhaps it would have been better to have taken the kilogramme ; but such a 

 change can be easily made. If yon think our measure of weight is too small, 

 in case you adopt the system, you may take the kilogramme " (observes the 

 Professor) "for the unit." 



The metric system of weights and measures has been adopted, not only 

 by France, but by Italy (except the portion under Pontifical government), 

 Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Holland ; it has been partially received in 

 Switzerland, which adopts the half-kilogramme as the pound. The majority 

 of the States composing the " ZoUverein," or Customs League, in Germany, 

 have expressed their approval of the metric system. The half-kUogramme 

 has been introduced into aU great mercantile operations in Austria. 



At the luternational Statistical Congress, held at Berlin, in September 1863, 

 thirty-three nations of Europe and America were represented by statistical 

 delegates, and the congress agreed to the following fundamental resolution on 

 weights and measures : — 



" The adoption of the same measure in international commerce is of the 

 highest importance. The metric system ajjpears to the congress to be the 

 most convenient of all the measures that could be recommended for interna- 

 tional measures." 



A commission of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg has 

 recommended that such alterations should be made jn Russian weights and 

 measures as would put them in conformity with the metric system of Prance. 

 The Grand Duke Constantine, brother of the Emperor of Russia, is in favour 

 of the metric system ; and Dr. Kupffer, a delegate from the Russian govern- 

 ment, has declared that Russia would recommend the adoption of the pure 

 metric system, if Great Britain would take the lead. 



"We -wish England," said Dr. Kupffer, "to take the lead. England is 

 a country of prior civilization. Let England do it, and we are sure to 



foUow." 



In the new Belgian law on weights and measures, the units of the metric 

 system have been extended by adopting the doubles of each unit, and of its 

 multiples and subdivisions. The Belgians have also adopted the principle of 

 Laving weights representing 50, 20, 5, 2, and 1 ; and they have followed a 



