590 " M E A S 
(liver fhouid b^foici by troy weight'. The committee alfo 
recommend that the apothecaries weight fliould remain 
without any alteration, asariy change in the weights em¬ 
ployed by them in Compounding their medicines, might 
be attended with dangerous confequences. 
It appeared to the committee, that the moft accurate 
mode of ascertaining the ftandard-pound, is to immerfe 
in water a folid cylinder of brafs, containing 27-6,$.&■ cu¬ 
bical inches, and to afeertain the difference between its- 
weight in water and its weight in air, by means of the 
common hydroftatic balance. The difference between its 
weight in water and its weight in air (or the weight of the 
volume of water occupying the fame fpace) is the pound 
avoirdupois. This method is recommended, as it has 
been found to be much more eafy to afeertain the folid 
contents of any body, by taking its external dimenfions, 
than to find the exact contents of any meafure by gaug¬ 
ing. In this manner, the ftandard of length is kept in¬ 
variable, by means of the pendulum; the ftandard of 
weight, by the ftandard of length; and the ftandard of 
capacity, by that of weight. 
The Report them concludes, and is fummed up in the 
following Refolutions: 
1. Refolved, That it is the opinion of this committee, 
that it is necefiary, in order effectually to afeertain and 
enforce uniform weights and meafures to he ufed for the 
future, that all former ftatutes relating thereto fhould be 
repealed. 
2. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the dif- 
tance between the two points in the gold ftuds in the brafs 
rod, deferibed in the Report of the feledt committee of 
1758, and preferred in the cuftody of the clerk of this 
houfe, ought to be the length called a yard; and that one- 
third part thereof fliould be a foot, and the twelfth part 
of the foot one inch. 
3. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the 
length of a pendulum vibrating 60 times in a minute of 
time, in the latitude of London, has been afeertained to 
be 39 - i 3047 inches, of which the ftandard yard contains 36. 
4. That it is the opinion of this committee, that all 
meafures of length wliatfoever fliould be taken in parts, 
multiples, or certain proportions, of the faid ftandard yard. 
5. That it is the opinion of this committee, that a cubic 
foot of pure water at the temperature of 56^° has been as¬ 
certained to weigh exactly 1000 ounces avoirdupois. 
6. That it is the opinion of this committee, that all 
meafures of capacity fhould be afeertained by the weight 
of water therein contained, as well as by the number of 
cubical inches. 
7. That it is the opinion of this committee, that all 
meafures of the fame denomination, whether of liquids or 
»f dry goods, ought to contain the fame weight of water, 
and the fame number of cubical inches. 
8. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the 
gallon ought to contain 10 pounds of pure water, or 276-48 
cubical inches ; that the quart, or fourth part of the gal¬ 
lon, ought to contain 40 ounces of water, or 69*12 cubi¬ 
cal inches ; that the pint, or half of the quart, ought to 
contain 20 ounces of water, or 34*56 cubical inches. 
9. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the 
bulhel ought to contain eight of the faid gallons, or 8olbs. 
of water, or 2211*84 cubical inches; and that all other 
meafures of capacity ought to be taken in parts, multiples, 
or proportional parts, of the faid gallon. 
10. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the 
ftandard of weight ought to be the pound avoirdupois, 
which is equal to the weight of 27*648 cubical inches of 
pure water of the temperature of 56^° ; that the ftxteenth 
part of the faid pound fhould be an ounce, and the fix- 
teenth part of fuch ounce (hould be a drachm ; that the 
third part of the drachm fhould be a fcruple, and the 
tenth part of the fcruple one grain ; and that all other 
weights thould be taken from parts, multiples, or propor¬ 
tional parts, of this pound. 
U R E. 
11. That it is the opinion of this committee, that all 
contradts, bargains, fales, and dealings,ought to be taken 
and adjudged to be according to the ftandards aforefaid; 
and that no perfon fhould recover the price of goods fold, 
or the goods themfelyes, or any damages on account of any 
contracts, bargains, fales, or dealings, but according to 
tire faid ftandards. 
is. That it is the opinion of this committee, that it 
ought to be penal for any perfon to have in his poflefiion 
any meafure or weight that is not agreeable to the afore¬ 
faid ftandards. 
13. That it is the opinion of this committee, that it 
ought to be made highly penal for any perfon to make or 
fell any meafure or weight that is not agreeable to the 
aforefaid ftandards. 
14. That it is the opinion of this committee, that for 
enforcing an uniformity in the weights and meafures to. 
be ufed for the future, no perfon fhould be permitted to. 
make weights and meafures, without having firft obtained 
a proper licenfe for that purpofe, on payment of a certain 
fum. 
15. That it is the opinion of this committee, that all 
weights and meafures to be hereafter made, ought to be 
marked with the name of the maker ; and, after a proper 
examination of the weight or meafure, the fame to be 
ftamped with the initials of the name of the perfon who-, 
has examined it. 
16. That it is the opinion this committee, that all 
weights exceeding one pound- thould be made of brafs,. 
copper, bell-metal, or caft iron ; and that all weights of one 
pound or under, fhould be of gold, filver, brafs, copper, or 
bell-metal. 
17. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the 
ftandard yard mentioned in the fecond refolution, and a 
pound avoirdupois, made according to the directions be¬ 
fore mentioned in this Report, together with models or 
patterns of the meafures of capacity before mentioned, 
ought to bedepofited in the Court of the Receipt of the 
Exchequer, and there fafely kept under the feals of the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and of the Chief Baron, and 
the Seal of Office of the Chamberlains of the Exchequer ; 
and not to be opened but by the order of the Chancellor 
of the Exchequer and Chief Baron for the time being. 
18. That it is the opinion of this committee, that mo¬ 
dels or patterns of the faid ftandard yard, gallon,and pound 
avoirdupois, and of the parts and multiples thereof, be¬ 
fore mentioned, fliould be diltributed in each county, city, 
or corporate town being a county within itfelf, in fuch 
manner as to be readily ufed as evidence, in all cafes 
where meafures and weights fhall be queftioned, before 
the juftices of the peace for each county or city, and for 
adjufting the fame in a proper manner. 
19. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the 
proviflons of the adts of the 35 Geo. III. cap. 102. and 
the 37 Geo. III. cap. 143. (hould be extended, fo as to 
empower juftices of the peace to fearch forand deftroy falfe 
meafures as well as falfe weights, and to hear and determine 
and put in execution the law with regard to weights and 
meafures, and to inflidt or mitigate fuch penalties as fhall 
be thought proper, and to have fuch other authorities as 
fhall be necefiary for compelling the ufe of weights and 
meafures agreeable to the aforefaid ftandards. 
20. That it is the opinion of this committee, that the 
fherift'of each county ought to be directed to fummon a 
jury of twelve fufficient men living within the county, to 
return a verdidt, on the comparifon to be made before 
them, of the proportions which the new ftandards bear to 
thofe formerly in ufe in each county refpedtively : and, ac¬ 
cording to the verdidl: then returned, Tables of Equa¬ 
lization fliould be made, and copies of the fame fhould be 
diftributed through each county 5 and that all exifting 
contracts or rents payable in corn fliould be calculated 
according to tliefe Tables of Equalization. 
The molt remarkable point wherein the Report of 1758 
4 and 
