362 KEPOKT— 1866. 



others connected with education in the United States, issued an address to 

 editors and publishers of Arithmetics, urging — 



1. That to the Arithmetics now pubhshed an appendix be at once added, 

 that shall contain a full explanation of the metric system of iveights aitd 

 measures, and of their relation to the weights and measures now in common 

 use, and that the whole be illustrated by suitable and numerous examples. 



2. That in every revised edition of Arithmetics now used, and in every 

 new Arithmetic, a projjer development of this system have a place in the 

 body of the work ; and that in examples for practice occurring thereafter, 

 there be frequent reference to these weights and measures. 



I learned that Messrs. Stoddard and Co., of jSTew York, were in June last 

 already engaged in introducing an explanation of the metric system into 

 revised editions of Stoddard's Arithmetics — an important series ; and I 

 further ascertained that the authors and publishers of at least three other 

 series of Arithmetics have promised similar introduction. 



I left Avith Professor Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution at 

 Washington, a copy of Bowling's Synoptic Table, which will be exhibited in 

 the Museum of the Institution ; and I doubt not thnt we shall soon hear of 

 similar Tables or charts of the metric system being made in America for the 

 use of schools. I have much pleasure in acknowledging Professor Henry's 

 courtesy in suggesting that any parcels ■which we wish to send to our friends 

 in America, may be sent free of expense through the Smithsonian Institution. 

 We shall certainly do well to supply them with copies of any miu-al standards, 

 school metres, or other appliances which may be devised for extending the 

 knowledge of the metric system. In the Report of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution for this year, which will shortly appear, and whicli is very widely 

 circulated, will be found Tables of equivalents of the metric and English 

 systems of weights and measures, compiled by Professor Newton. 



The first two pages of Mr. Kasson's Report are devoted to the question of 

 Coinage. Upon this subject the Committee makes no recommendation of a 

 specific nature beyond the joint resolution quoted above. It is therefore 

 singular that the first actual step in advance towards a practical adoption of 

 the metric system in the United States has been made through the Mint in 

 the following manner. 



In May last an Act was passed through the House of Representatives, on 

 the motion of the Hon. J. A. Kasson, and through the Senate, on the motion 

 of the Hon. John Sherman, which subsequently was signed by the President 

 and became law, authorizing the coinage of five-cent pieces of copper and 

 nickel in place of the paper five-cent currency then in circulation, and fixing 

 their weight at 77" 16 grains, equiponderant to .5 grams of the metric system. 

 The diameter of this coin was fixed at 20 millimetres, and they have already 

 been issued from the Mint in large qtiantities, so that every citizen of the 

 United States now carries in his pocket a weight and measure of the metric 

 system. AVhen the Bill authorizing the issue of this coin passed through 

 Congress, the Chamber of Commerce of New York at once held a meeting to 

 express its satisfaction, and unanimously voted thanks to Messrs. Kasson and 

 Sherman for their exertions in thus teaching the people by actual experience 

 the uses and value of the metric system. 



No better instance could be given than the above of the practical and 

 energetic manner in which the friends of the metric system in America are 

 taking up the subject. It is greatly to be hoped that our present Parliament 

 will not slacken its efforts in the dii'ection in which the last Parliament made 

 so good a beginning. I may mention, however, that oui- friends in America 



