UNIFOUMITY or WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 357 



in France the assortment of a bureau of verification of weights and 

 measures of the first order. 



It will be seen, therefore, that the ximerican Government has not only 

 brought its present system for the manufacture and distribution of its own 

 standards to a considerable degree of perfection, but is already amply pro- 

 vided with copies of the metric standards. 



With regard, however, to the second of Mr. Adams's suggestions, viz. " to 

 consult with foreign nations for the future and ultimate establishment of 

 universal and permanent uniformity," no progress has yet been made. The 

 subject has been commended to Congress on two occasions by Secretaries of 

 the Treasury ; in 1847 by the Hon. E. J. Walker, and in 1861 by Mr. Chase, 

 ■who is now Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Scien- 

 tific men generally throughout the country had been for some time gradually 

 coming to the conclusion that the metric system was that which ought to be 

 adopted ; but it was not till the International Congresses, postal and sta- 

 tistical, held at Paris and Berlin in 1863, that the idea took a practical form. 

 The United States was represented at the Paris Postal Congress by the Hon. 

 J. A. Kasson, and at the Statistical Congress in Berlin by the Hon. S. B. Rug- 

 gles. Both these gentlemen were deeply impressed Avith the advantages of 

 the metric system. They participated in the strong resolutions adopted at both 

 these Congresses in favour of its general adoption ; and in December 1863 

 Mr. Ruggles forwarded to the Secretary of State a Eeport on the subject, 

 which was printed as a public document, and contained in an appendix (A) 

 the Eeport of the Special Commission appointed by the Statistical Congress 

 of 1860 on International Weights, Measures, and Coins ; (B) a copy of the 

 Debate in the House of Commons on the Metric BiU of 1863. This docu- 

 ment was republished by the State Government of New York at Albany in 

 1864, and was in such request that a further issue was required in 1865. 

 At the same time, the Legislature of the State of Connecticut (it is to be 

 remembered that only State Governments in America have to do with educa- 

 tion) had recommended to all its school officers that the metric system be 

 taught in the schools of the State. 



We must bear in mind that during the above period, from 1863 to 1865, 

 the civU war was raging, and it is therefore not surprising that the leading 

 American statesmen had little time to give to such matters as weights and 

 measures. Mr. Chase, however, had (in 1863) procured the appointment, by 

 the N'atioual Academy of Sciences, of a Committee on Weights, Measures, 

 and Coinage. This ISTational Academy of Sciences had been incorporated in 

 1863 by the Senate and House of Eeprcsentatives of the United States, and 

 consists of a body of not more than fifty scientific men, whose chief duty it 

 is, whenever called upon by any department of the Government, to " investi- 

 gate, examine, experiment, and report upon any siibject of science or art." 

 This Committee included all the most notable men of science in America who 

 had given special attention to weights and measures. The members were as 

 follows : — Joseph Henry, Chairman ; J. H. Alexander, Pairman Eogers, 

 Wolcott Gibbs, Arnold Guyot, Benjamin SUliman, Jun., William Chauvenet, 

 John Torrey, A. D. Bache, John Eodgers, L. M. Eutherfurd, Professor iJiew- 

 ton, Samuel B. Euggles, J. E. Hilgard. 



After a thorough investigation of the subject in January 1866, these 

 gentlemen reported shortly in favour of the authorization and encouragement 

 by Congress of the introduction and use of the metric system ; and with a 

 view to this it made three practical suggestions : 



1. The immediate manufacture and distribution to the Custom-houses and 

 States of metric standards of weights and measures. 



