26 REPORT — 1872. 



in September next. These steps on the part of the Imperial Academy of 

 Russia have not been followed by legislative action ; yet, when we consider 

 the just influence which the Academy exercises in a subject of this nature, 

 it is reasonable to anticipate that their recommendations will be duly heeded, 

 and that as soon as the Standards are completed the Russian Government 

 will take into consideration the necessary steps for introducing the Metric 

 System, whereby the Weights and Measures of Russia may be rendered iden- 

 tical with those of the greater number of European nations. 



In the Uuited Kingdom considerable progress has been made towards the 

 introduction of the Metric System, though much certainly remains to be 

 done. In 1862 a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed to 

 consider the practicability of adopting a simple and uniform system of 

 "Weights and Measures, with a view not only to the benefit of our internal 

 trade, but to facilitate our trade and intercourse with foreign countries. In 

 discussing the question of the possible decimalization of the existing system, 

 the Committee of the British House of Commons, in tlie same manner as the 

 Committee of the Imperial Academy of Russia, reported that it would involve 

 almost as much difficulty to create a special decimal system of our own as 

 simply to adopt the Metric Decimal System in common with other nations ; 

 and under these circumstances the Committee came to a unanimous recom- 

 mendation in favour of the introduction of the Metric System. 



Accordingly in 1864 an Act was passed to render permissive the use of 

 such Weights and Measures so far as to legalize contracts made in terms of 

 Metric Weights and Measures, which were heretofore prohibited ; but no pro- 

 vision having been made for obtaining correct Standards whereby to verify 

 the same, the use of the System in shops was not thereby pennitted. A 

 Royal Commission has, however, inquired into the question on the Metric 

 Weights and Measures of the United Kingdom ; and after considerable in- 

 quiry it issued a report recommending the preparation of such Standards 

 and the removal of every difficulty which may yet exist in the way of the 

 permissive use of Metric Weights and Measures. We may therefore hope 

 that Her Majesty's Government wiR speedily bring forward a measure for 

 carrying the recommendation of the Commissioners into effect. 



The appended map of Europe (Plate I.) shows how extensively the Metric 

 System is already used. If once Russia and England should finally place their 

 legislation on the same footing, other States will certainly follow, and in Europe, 

 at least, we shall have attained perfect unity as regards T^eights and Measures. 

 But in other parts of the world also considerable progress has been made. In 

 Asia the whole of India maj' be said to have adopted the Weights and Mea- 

 sures of capacity of the Metric System, though some time may elapse before 

 the Act passed by the Indian Government can be carried into operation. In 

 America the United States have introduced it permissively, whilst Brazil, Chili, 

 Mexico, New Granada, and other American republics have adopted the Metric 

 System absolutely. Throughout the world as many as 213,000,000 of people 

 have adopted it absoliitely, 160,000,000 more partially, and 70,000,000 per- 

 missively, giving a total of 443,000,000. 



Nor has there been less done as regards the coinage. If we compare the 

 coins now in use all over the world with those in use some twenty years ago, 

 it will be seen what advance we have already made everywhere towards unity. 

 Some countries, such as Erance, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, and 

 Roumania, have already an identical system of coinage secured to them by 

 the Coinage Convention of the 23rd of December, 1865. The Austro-Hun- 

 garian Empire issues gold pieces marked 20 florins and 8 florins, equal to 



