474< REPORT — 18G7. 



■wherever it yet exists, that the system of decimal numeration be uni- 

 versally adopted, and that the money of all nations be of the same fine- 

 ness and the same form. 

 8. It is desirable that the governments should come to an understanding 

 for adopting common measiu'cs of control, so as to guarantee the inte- 

 grity of the coinage both when issued and whilst in circulation. 

 Your Committee will take these and other plans for the decimalization of 

 the coinage into their serious consideration, and as soon as possible will en- 

 deavour to propound one which they hope may meet all the requirements 

 of the question. 



In conclusion, your Committee are happy in reporting that in their action 

 they have obtained the valuable cooperation of the Coimeil of the Interna- 

 tional Decimal Association, and they trust that in the difficult and extensive 

 task they have before them they will obtain the active sympathy, and assis- 

 tance of the members of the British Association. 



The labours of the Conference ■will, wc trust, i^lacc the great and difficult 

 question of the decimalization of the coinage in the United Kingdom on a 

 satisfactory basis ; and it is time that it should be taken up in a practical and 

 busiuess-lilve manner. 



Tour Committee are perfectly agreed on the two great conditions that the 

 coinage should be international and decimal; but they have not yet come to 

 a satisfactory conclusion as to the imit which Avould best satisfy these deside- 

 rata. The pi'oposition of the Conferences to take the five-franc piece in 

 gold as a basis deserves consideration, though as a unit it would be imprac- 

 ticable, being too small as a gold coin, very easily lost, too costly to produce, 

 much subject to wear and tear, and not sufficiently large for transactions of 

 finance and commerce. The five francs could only be used as a submultiple, 

 and upon this two plans have been presented. One is to take the 10-franc 

 piece equivalent nearly to 100 pence ; another is to alter the sovereign to 

 the exact equivalent of 2.5 francs. The Committee will carefully consider 

 these and other jilans, with a view to tlie realization of an object so desirable 

 as an international coinage, and mILI report on the subject in due time. 



Report of the Committee on Standards of Electrical Resistance. 



The Committee consists of Professor Williamson, Professor Sii' C. ^Ticat- 

 stone. Professor Sir W. Thomson, Professor Miller, Dr. A. Matthiesseu, 

 Mr. Fleeming Jenkin, Sir Charles Bi'ight, Professor Maxwell, Mr. C. 

 W. Siemens, Mr. Balfour Stewart, Mi-. C. F. Yarley, Professor G. C. 

 Foster, Mr. Latimer Clark, ]\Ir. D. Forbes, Mr. Charles Hockin, and 

 Dr. Joule. 



TnE Committee have much i^leasure in reporting that during the past year 

 considerable progress has been made, and that the principal instruments 

 required by the Committee for experiments have been completed and are 

 in use. 



The most important experiments have been those conducted by Dr. Joule, 

 liaving for their object the determination of the mechanical equivalent of 

 heat, by observing the heat generated in part of a voltaic circuit, the resist- 

 ance of which was measured in absolute units by means of the standard of 

 resistance issued by the Committee. 



