354 REPOKT — 1866. 



to obtain the cooperation of Her Majesty's Secretary for the Colonies in so 

 important a matter. 



At home, the only legislative measure recently passed bearing on the sub- 

 ject, is o]ie for transferring to the Board of Trade the department of weights 

 and measures, previously connected with the office of the Comptroller of the 

 Exchequer. Your Committee regret that no provision has been made in the 

 Act for authorizing that Board to provide themselves with a copy of the 

 standard metric weights and measures, with a view to the stamping of the 

 metric weights and measures in common use. The law on the subject is in 

 a very anomalous state. Although the Metric Weights and Measui-es Act of 

 1864 has rendered permissive and legal the use of such weights and measures, 

 the inspectors of weights and measures are by law bound to seize any such 

 weights and measures not duly stamped ; and since no means are now afforded 

 for stamping them, the Act is rendered inoperative. Seeing that the system is 

 being extensively introduced in many arts and manufactures, and in com- 

 merce goucrally, it is much to be desired that the law on the subject may 

 speedily be amended. A deputation from your Committee waited on the 

 late President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Milner Gibson, on the subject, and 

 he promised to consider the introduction of a separate measure to remove the 

 anomaly. But the session was too far advanced, and nothing has been done. 



Among the means by which Her Majesty's Government could promote such 

 introduction, we might mention the preparation of all statistical documents 

 by the Board of Trade in the terms of the metric system as well as in the 

 imperial, and the publication of the British Tariff in a similar manner. The 

 International Statistical Congress has strongly lu'ged the former of these 

 measures, and we see no reason why the Board of Trade and the Board of 

 Customs should not supply these additional facilities, both to statists and 

 British merchants. Although the articles now subject to Customs duty are 

 very few, stiU the operation of the British Tariff is most perplexing to those 

 accustomed only to a decunal computation. 



Tour Committee have given their earnest consideration to the procuring 

 of a Mural Standard as a means for diffusing information ; and they have 

 appointed a Subcommittee to ascertain and report on the best form and 

 material in which such standard can be constructed. The Subcommittee 

 have devoted much time to the subject, and they have finally succeeded in 

 obtaining from Mr. Casella a model of a Metre and Yard combined, which 

 seems to fulfil all the conditions necessary for the proper exhibition of these 

 measures in the most conspicuous places. A special report on the subject by 

 the convener of the Subcommittee, Mr. James Yates, is appended (pp. 305-367). 

 The Committee propose purchasing some copies of such standard; and as the 

 cost is five guineas each, the sum already voted by the Association wiU be 

 barely sufficient for this item alone. 



Your Committee are anxious to see school instruction made more operative 

 towards extending the knowledge of the metric system among the young. 

 To promote this object, they have addressed themselves to the President of 

 the Committee of CouncU on Education, for the purpose of suggesting the intro- 

 duction of the metric system into the examination of teachers in the training 

 schools supported by parliamentary grant, and a conference with teachers and 

 others interested in education was held on the subject at the Lecture Theatre 

 in Jermyn Street. Great difficulty is, however, experienced in inducing 

 teachers to give due prominence to the metric system, so long as the use of 

 it is only permissive, and all the tables of weights and measures according to 

 the imperial system are still to be taught. 



