378 report — 1865. 



national Decimal Association has offered to give evidence before the Com- 

 mission on the subject. 



As a practical mode for diffusing information on the metric system, it has 

 been suggested to fix the metric standards in one or more frequented places 

 in the leading commercial cities of the empire. Tbe Act for rendering per- 

 missive the use of the metric system did not provide for the introduction 

 of standards, but only furnished a table of equivalents of the metric and 

 imperial systems. It would, however, be highly desirable to furnish the 

 people with tbe means of ascertaining the accuracy of the metric weights and 

 measures used by comparison with certain authorized standards. The great 

 want seems to be a Weights and Measures' Department connected with 

 Government, as was recommended by the Committee of the House of Com- 

 mons, whose duty it should be to procure such standards, and to super- 

 intend the necessary arrangements for the security of trade and tbe 

 diffusion of sound information on the subject. Till recently the control 

 of the imperial standards was in the hands of the Comptroller of the 

 Exchequer, but since that office has been abolished and incorporated with 

 the Audit Office, it has become almost imperative to establish such a 

 department. It would be desirable that such a department shoidd super- 

 vise the examination and comparison of the weights and measures in use 

 throughout the country, superintend the Inspectors now appointed by the 

 municipal councils of each town, and more especially issue such tables, 

 books, and specimens of the metric system as will diffuse information of the 

 same throughout the country. This is the plan which has been adopted 

 with great success wherever the metric system has been established. And 

 we are glad to find that the Committee of the Liverpool Chamber of Com- 

 merce has recommended the same course in the following resolution : — " That 

 a Department of Government of weights and measures should be established, 

 subordinate to the Government and responsible to Parliament, to whom 

 should be entrusted the conservation and verification of the standards, the 

 superintendence of inspectors, and the general duties incidental to such 

 department. That these duties should especially include the use of all 

 means for promoting the use and extending the knowledge of the metric 

 system among the people." 



The Committee has observed with much pleasure, that in several scien- 

 tific communications in the Transactions of the Royal Society, and some 

 official documents issued by the Government, metric weights and measures 

 are given side by side with the imperial. In many cases, indeed, a decided 

 preference seems to be given to the former, especially in papers on chemical 

 science. It is greatly to be lamented that the Pharmaceutical Society did 

 not adopt the metric system, the same not being then legal, when settling a 

 new Pharmacopoeia ; the mixed system they have adopted was far from 

 meeting general approbation, and they will be under the necessity of 

 making a new change. 



In foreign countries the principal movement in favour of the metric 

 system is in Germany. For some time past the different German States have 

 been labouring towards the attainment of greater national unity ; and, 

 after having come to an agreement about the coinage, they have given 

 their attention to the state of weights and measures in use in the different 

 States. In 1862 a conference was held at Frankfort for the purpose of 

 concerting as to the choice of one common system, when official delegates 

 were present from nearly all the principal states except Prussia, and after 

 much discussion they recommended the adoption of the metric system. 



