476 
PROFESSOR SCHUMACHER ON THE LATE 
This pound produced to the Committee was the now lost imperial standard troy 
pound, as appears from the 8th Resolution of the Committee (p. 439 a.), which pro- 
poses : “ That the standard of weight ought to be the pound herewith delivered, 
“ described in this Report, and made upon the examination and review of the several 
“ present standard troy weights therein mentioned ; and that the 12th part of the said 
££ pound should be an ounce, the 20th part of such ounce a pennyweight, and the 24th 
“ part of such pennyweight a grain.” 
This 8th Resolution of the Committee was agreed to by the House on the 2nd of 
June, 1758 (p. 463 a.). The pound itself was presented to the House (p. 456 b.*) in 
the preceding Session (April 11, 1759), and probably remained under the custody 
of the Clerk of the House of Commons until it was destroyed by the late lire. In 
all these statements there is not the least mention made of the metal of which 
it consisted, nor have I been able to find anything decisive about this point elsewhere 
in either of the Reports. 
22. It appears, indeed, (p. 428 a.) that the standard weights of Guildhall were of 
brass ; that the Charter of the Founders’ Company, September 18, 1614, 12 James I., 
speaks of brass weights (p. 428 b.) ; that the weights in the Court of Receipt of the 
Exchequer were of brass (p. 447 b.). So that there is a great degree of probability 
that Mr. Harris, who adjusted his new weights upon those mentioned, made them 
also of brass : but this probability is somewhat lessened by the Report of the second 
Committee. This Committee took into its special consideration (p. 459 b.) the mate- 
rial of which the weights for the future were to be made ; and it seems natural they 
should have decided for brass, if the new standard, already declared such by Parlia- 
ment, (June 2nd, 1758,) or, what is the same, the now lost imperial standard troy 
pound, had been of brass : but they resolve only (p. 461 b.) : “That models or pat- 
“ terns of measures of length and weights established as the genuine standards of 
“ the kingdom should be made of Jine hard metal, and deposited in the same place 
“ and kept in the same manner as the trial-pieces for the coin, used on trials of the 
££ Pix, are preserved in the Exchequer.” 
What is understood by hard metal appears (p. 460 a.) in the same Report, where 
the Committee decides, that ££ the smaller weights, from a pound through all its parts, 
££ are most conveniently made of copper, brass, or other such hard metal where 
copper is even put in the first place as significative of the term hard metal, though, 
after the alphabetic order, brass ought to have preceded. 
23. There is however, in the Report of this second Committee, (p. 457 a.) a state- 
ment which seems at first view to lead us to the knowledge at least of the metal, if 
not of the specific gravity of the lost standard. It is as follows : “ Mr. Harris has 
££ procured, by order of your Committee, two sets of the following multiples of the 
* It seems that the pound was delivered to the House the 2nd of June 1758. “ The Resolution of the former 
“ Committee, agreed to by the House 2nd June 1758, ascertains the standard of weight to he the pound then 
“ delivered to the House,” &c. (p. 456 b.) 
