43 
Coinrmssioners of Weights and Measures, 
ing that the heat of distilled water should have been fixed at 40°, 
and that of common water at 60° or 6^°.- The lowei; tempera- 
ture of distilled water would , have compensated for the’ greater 
specific gravity of common water ; and both would have coin- 
cided, or very nearly corresponded with 1000 Ayoirdupois ounces 
to the cubic foot of water. 
Secondly^ The Commissioners appear to me to have pro- 
posed an improper size of a common gallon for malt-liquor and 
corn measures, without taking care that the wine gallon should 
be of the same dimensions with that standard. The common 
gallon, which they recommend, is said by them to contain S77.3 
cubic inches. A number of objections may be made to a gallon 
of these dimensions. If carried into execution, it would occa-. 
sion a complete change both of our dry and liquid measures. 
The present standard corn-bushel is that of 1601, in the reign 
of Queen Elizabeth, and contains only 2124 cubic inches. The 
gallon derivedfrom it, or the eighth part of that bushel, is 265| cu- 
bic inchesj or 11.8 inches, nearly /^th part less than the proposed 
common gallon. The ancient legal bushel, that of Henry VII. 
which was mentioned by Mr Everardin 1696 as above mention- 
ed, contained 2145.6 cubic inches, and the gallon, or eighth part 
of this, is 268.2 inches, which is 9.1 inches or or per cent. 
less than the proposed gallon. The common bushel of Excise, 
by which the malt duties are charged, is 18 inches in diameter 
and 8 inches deep, contains 2150.42 cubic inches, and was fixed 
upon by Parliament in 1696, as a near approximation to the 
standard of Henry VII. The gallon derived from this, is 268.8 
inches, or g^^st part, or 3|th per dm^. less than the pi'oposed com- 
mon gallon, which, instead of being a measure of a value, 
is considerably larger than any the corn gallons^ derived from 
those legal bushels. If compared with the ale gallon that is 
generally used" in- commerce,^ which Lord Godolphin got mea- 
sured iii 1707, and which contains 261i86 cubic inches, the pro- 
posed gallon of 277.3, is 16 cubic inches^ or Q per cent, larger. 
If compared with the Excise gallon of 282 inches, or the stand- 
ard quart which is nearly one-fourth of that quantity, it is no 
doubt of less dimensions. But neither of these measures is used 
in conimerce though the aid and beer duties are charged at 
that largT rate of the gallon, in order to give a small allowance 
