UNIFORMITY OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 27 



25 francs and 1 francs respectively. Spain issues gold pieces of 25 pecetas, 

 equal to the 25-franc pieces ; and Sweden the Caroline, equal to 10 francs. 



The Committee much regret that the German Empire, which had recently 

 a most favourable opportunity for extending the desired uniformity (an object 

 to which she has shown her adherence by the recent adoption of the Metric 

 System), has issued a new gold coinage having nothing in common either 

 with the money of the Convention of France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, or 

 with the monetary systems of England or the United States. It is much to 

 be desired that we should clearly understand the points on which a common 

 accord exists in matters of international coinage. There is a general agree- 

 ment on the advantage of a complete decimal system, on the adoption of the 

 fineness at nine tenths fine and one tenth alloy; and the greatest number 

 of States agree also on the adoption of gold as the only standard of value. 

 Between the three leading systems of the world, founded respectively on the 

 Franc, the Dollar, and the Pound Sterling, a point of contact has been found 

 in the 5-franc piece and its multiples, the 5, 10, 20, and 25-franc pieces ; and 

 considerable agreement has already been obtained in this method of approach- 

 ing the question. Your Committee would look forward to a much greater 

 identity of coinage being ultimately realized than would be obtained by this 

 method ; but it should be remembei-ed that even the universal acceptance of 

 this plan would immensely simplify the relations of coinage between the 

 diff'erent nations, and of necessity lead to a more identical system. 



During lasfyear your Committee have had communications with the Indian 

 Government on the question of introducing the Metric System of Weights and 

 Measures in India, the original Act by which all the Weights and Measures 

 of the System were introduced having been vetoed by the Home Government, 

 and another, limited to Weights and Measures of capacity, having been passed 

 in its stead. In England the action of the Committee has been most influ- 

 ential, especially in connexion with education. It was at the instance of this 

 Committee that the Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council on Education 

 have inserted in the Code a clause requii'ing that instruction on the Metric 

 Weights and Measures shall be given in the Elementary Schools in the King- 

 dom. And in order to stimulate education on the subject, to explain the 

 general character of the Metric System and its relation to the Imperial, and 

 to indicate the advantages which would result from an International System 

 of Weights and Measures, yoiir Committee have granted to the British and 

 Foreign Schools, the National Schools, the Wesleyan Schools, and the Con- 

 gregational Schools in England, as well as to the National Schools in Ireland, 

 copies of Books and Diagrams on the Metric System, which have been grate- 

 fully received. The Committee were anxious to purchase a set of Metric 

 Standards, as stated in their last Report, for the purpose of illustrating 

 lectures and papers on the subject; but they found that while their cost would 

 have absorbed nearly the whole vote, it would have been impossible to lend 

 out such standards without endangering their preservation. 



In January 1872 a public meeting was held at the Mansion House, under 

 the presidency of Sir John Bennett, Sherifi' of London, when resolutions were 

 passed in favour of the early introduction of the Metric System of Weights 

 and Measures and the Decimal Division generally. At this meeting Sir John 

 Lubbock, F.R.S., General Strachey. of the India House, the Rev. William 

 Jowitt, Dr. Farr, F.R.S., the Hon. N. G. Northope, Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction in the United States, the Hon. Mr. Ryan, of the Canadian Senate, 

 and other persons of distinction took part. 



The tmification of the Weights, Measures, and Coins all over the world is 



d2 



