HISTORY OF THE STANDARDS OF WEIGHT. 
761 
Assuming the Russian observations to be the most accurate, as they probably are, it 
will be seen that even if we leave entirely out of the question the injurious effect of 
the error likely to arise in establishing the standard of length, a troy pound deduced 
according to the method prescribed by the Act would be 2’829 grains too heavy ; 
while, if the Austrian observations had been accepted as the best, the troy pound 
would have been 4’707 grains too heavy. On the other hand, it was possible to 
recover the weight of the lost standard in air to within a fraction of O’OOl grain, by 
means of the troy pounds which had been compared with it, and could be easily 
brought together for recomparison. Seeing, then, that the error of one of these two 
methods of restoring the lost standard is at least 2829 times as large as the error of 
the other method, the Committee could not hesitate to recommend the adoption of 
the latter. The Commissioners recommend also that the avoirdupois pound, being 
universally used through the kingdom, while the troy pound is wholly unknown to 
the great mass of the population, be adopted as the standard of weight ; that the troy 
pound be no longer recognized ; and that the use of the troy ounce be confined to 
gold, silver, and precious stones. 
In the year 1843 a Committee was appointed to superintend the construction of 
the new Parliamentary standards of length and weight, to replace those which were 
destroyed by the burning of the Houses of Parliament. The members of this Com- 
mittee were, the Astronomer Royal, the Marquis of Northampton, the Earl of Rosse, 
the Lord Wrottesley, Sir J. W. Lubbock, Bart., Sir J. F. W. Herschel, Bart., the 
Rev. G. Peacock, Dean of Ely, the Rev. R. Sheepshanks, F. Baily, Esq., J. E. D. 
Bethune, Esq., J. G. S. Lefevre, Esq., and Professor W. H. Miller. To the last 
of these was intrusted the construction of the new standards of weight. 
The evidence for ascertaining the weight of the lost Standard Troy Pound, placed 
at the service of this Committee, consisted of the following weights : — The brass troy 
pound of the Exchequer Office. The brass troy pounds from the cities of London, 
Edinburgh and Dublin. The platinum troy pound and the two brass troy pounds 
then in the custody of Professor Schumacher. The platinum troy pound of the Royal 
Society. The troy pound used by the late Mr. Robinson of Devonshii’e Street, Port- 
land Place, purchased by the Committee. Two troy pounds, formerly in the possession 
of Mr. Bingley (one of which, lately in the possession of Stansby Alchorne, Esq., of 
the Royal Mint, has been purchased by the Committee). The troy pound formerly 
the property of Mr. Freeman, now the property of Messrs. Vandome and Titford. 
To these has very recently been added a troy pound the property of the Bank of 
England. 
The results of the comparisons of the troy pounds of the Exchequer Office, of the 
cities of London, Edinburgh and Dublin, and of the three troy pounds in the cus- 
tody of Professor Schumacher, and the troy pound of the Royal Society, with the 
lost standard, have already been given. Mr. Robinson’s troy pound is also said to 
have been compared by Captain Kater, but no record has been discovered of the 
