LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
17 
time and much labour was a practical advantage. He had heard of the large 
sum of money the Government had paid for a method of piercing holes in the 
sheets of postage-stamps, with the sole object of saving a little time in separating 
the stamps from each other; and if that was worth paying for, the saving of so 
much time as would be effected by the introduction of the metrical system of 
weights and measures was worth some trouble in its introduction. He did not 
attach much importance to what had been said respecting the convenience of 
weights and measures now in use. Our habits were no doubt associated with 
them, and we had adopted certain conventional methods of comparison, but it 
would be equally easy to adopt similar methods under the new system when the 
mind had become familiar with the new standards. At present they had the 
imperial pint and quart, which was the legal measure, and formed a legal stan¬ 
dard of comparison; but the public, nevertheless, used their wine-quarts and 
other measures, which, although differing from the legal standard, soon came to 
be estimated by comparison at a money value. So in France, when they had to 
give up the shilling and deal with the franc, no one experienced any difficulty in 
making the necessary calculations. Professor Redwood had referred to a happy 
country on the other side of the globe, and said that, however uncomfortable 
they might be here, and however encouraging the prospects were there, they 
would not be disposed to emigrate for fear of the wilderness they would have to 
pass through on getting there. Now, he had only to say that a great many did 
emigrate nevertheless, and it might be stated of the metrical system that it was 
a short cut through the wilderness of figures. 
The President then put the question for the adoption of the petition to the 
meeting, when twelve voted for it, and four against it; the petition was there¬ 
fore adopted. 
Mr. Waugh wished, on behalf of the minority, to state that the vote which 
had been taken must not be considered to apply to the respective merits of the 
existing system and of the metrical system of weights and measures, but to the 
provisions of the Bill before Parliament. There were several points in the peti¬ 
tion and in the Bill which he did not approve of, and therefore he had voted 
against the resolution. 
The President said the petition was an expression of opinion in favour of the 
system, and was not intended to advocate all the details of the Bill. 
Mr. Yates said that none of the details of the measure could be considered as 
fixed ; and from the communications he had had with the promoters of the mea¬ 
sure, he felt assured that they would be glad to receive any suggestions calculated 
to improve the details of the Bill. 
A vote of thanks having been passed to the President, and duly acknowledged, 
the meeting separated. 
PROVINCIAL TRANSACTIONS. 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The concluding meeting of the session was held on Thursday evening, May 28th, at 
the Royal Institution, Colquett Street, the President, J. Shaw, Esq., in the chair. Mr. 
Stewart, of Rodney Street, was elected a member ; and several donations to the library 
and museum were announced. 
Mr. A. Norman Tate, F.C.S., then read a paper on the “Origin of Petroleum.” , After 
a few introductory remarks with reference to the countries whence petroleum is obtained, 
he proceeded to describe the geology of the subject, and said that it was much to be re¬ 
gretted that accurate records had not been kept of all the different strata penetrated in 
boring the oil wells, as much valuable information might have been obtained ; but at 
present, he said, although much important information had been collected, there was still 
VOL. V. C 
