UNIFORMITY OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 25 



Report on the best means of providing for a Uniformity of Weights and 

 Measures, with reference to the Interests of Science, by a Com- 

 mittee consisting of Sir John Bowring^ F.R.S., The Right Hon. 

 Sir Stafford H. Northcote, C.B., M.P., The Right Hon. Sir 

 C. B. AdderleYj M.P., Samuel Brown, F.S.S., Dr. Farr, F.R.S., 

 Frank P. Fellowes, Professor Frankland, F.R.S., James Hey- 

 wood, F.R.S., Professor Leone Levi,F.-S.^., F.S.S., C. W. Siemens, 

 F.R.S., Professor A. W. Williamson, F.R.S., Dr. George Glover, 

 Sir Joseph Whitworth, Bart., F.R.S., J. R. Napier, J. V. N. 

 Bazalgette, and Sir W. Fairbairn, Bart., F.R.S. 



The Metric Committee of the British Association have much pleasure in 

 reporting that another great stride has been made towards the attainment 

 of uniformity in the Weights, Measures, and Coins of all countries by the 

 passing of a law in Austria, in June 1871, rendering the use of Metric Weights 

 and Measures permissive from the 1st of January, 1873, and compulsory from 

 the 1st of January, 1876. The Metric System is gradually diffusing itself all 

 over Europe. At this moment fully two thirds of that Continent, measured by 

 population, have adopted the Metric Sj'stem of Weights and Measures, and 

 the other third has manifested sufficient interest in the question to justify the 

 expectation of its early adhesion to the general agreement : but in this third 

 there are comprised Russia and England, two countries which, by their popu- 

 lation and commerce, exercise an enormous influence in the whole world. 



The state of the question in Russia appears to be as follows : — In 1859 a 

 Committee of the Imperial Academy of Russia, consisting of the Academicians 

 Ostrogradski, Jacobi, and Kupffer, issued a report on the subject, which 

 approved of the decimal division ah-eady incorporated in the Russian System, 

 the rouble being divided into 100 kopecks, the vedro into 10 krouchki, and 

 the inch into 10 lines, and expressed an opinion in favour of extending such 

 decimal divisions to Weights and Measures. In discussing, however, the 

 possibility of even this moderate reform, the Academicians saw that a very 

 considerable change would be required. Supposing the foot were retained 

 as a unit, how could it be decimalized without abandoning altogether such 

 divisions as the archine, which is 2^, and the sagene, which is 7 feet ? Yet 

 these are really more in use than the foot itself. And what multiples could 

 be adopted? The foot of Russia, which is identical with that of England, 

 is too small to measure cloth by, and 10 feet would be too large a unit. 

 With such difficulties attending the decimahzation of the existing Weights 

 and Measures, the Academicians felt that it would be far better for Russia 

 at once to introduce the Metric System ; and this was the conclusion of 

 their recommendations. Since the publication of this Report, the Imperial 

 Academy of Russia has taken an active part in the advance of the system all 

 over the world. In 18(i7 M. Jacobi was a Member of the International 

 Committee on Weights, Measures, and Coins in connexion with the Paris 

 International Exhibition, and wrote the report which was agreed to by 

 the representatives of all the nations who took part in the Conference on 

 the subject. And later still, in 1870, on the representation of the Imperial 

 Academy of Russia to the French Government and to the scientific bodies of 

 other nations of the need of preparing more accurate and uniform Metric 

 Standards for the use of countries which might adopt the Metric System, an 

 International Commission was appointed to prepare such Standards. This 

 Commission met in Paris in June 1870, and is about to resume its labours 



1872. D 



