Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts.

16

WEIGITS AND MEASURES.

The Winchester gallon, according to the definition in the statute
1 William and Mary, should contain 269 cubic inches, while in other
Acts it was fixed at 272~ cubic inches. The ale gallon of the Exchequer
contained 282 cubic inches, while the wine gallon was fixed by statute,
5 Anne, at 231 cubic inches. One of the standard pints of the
Exchequer was found to contain 20 ounces of distilled water, which
most probably suggested the assumption that the imperial gallon should
contain ten pounds weight of distilled water, being exactly eight times
the weight of the pint of the Exchequer.
The third report concisely refers to the results obtained, and
recommends the adoption of the regulations and modifications suggested in the two former reports.
In the year 1820, the first year of the reign of George IV., a
select committee was appointed to consider the reports laid before the
House relating to weights and measures. In their report of the date
of 28th May, 1821, they state that " They concur entirely in opinion
with the Commissioners on Weights and Measures, as to the inexpediency of changing any standard, either of length, superficies, capacity,
or of weight, which already exists in a state of acknowledged accuracy;
and where discrepancies are found between models equally authentic,
they deem it right that such a selection should be made as will prove
most accordant with generally received usage, and with such analogies
as may connect the different quantities in the most simple ratios.
They also concur in recommending that the subdivisions of weights
and measures employed in this country be retained, as being far
better adapted to common practical purposes than the decimal scale.
They recommend Mr. Bird's yard of 1758 to be the legal standard
of length, and approve of the means of its recovery by means of the
seconds pendulum in the event of the standard being lost or injured,
and that superficial measures remain as now defined by law. Also
the brass weight of two pounds made by Mr. Bird in 1758 be considered
authentic, and one half of this weight be the imperial standard pound
Troy, consisting of 5760 grains, and that 7000 grains Troy be declared
to be the pound Avoirdupois. The committee are, on the whole, induced to believe that the gallon of England was originally identical
for all uses, and that the variations have arisen, in some cases, from
accident, and in others from fraud. They also agree with the commissioners that the measures may be brought back to an equality,
and at the same time made to bear a simple relation to the standard
weight. And as it has been ascertained that the pint contains twenty
ounces Avoirdupois of distilled water, the cubic inch thereof weighing
252'456 grains in air, at the mean height of the barometer, they
recommend the pint to be taken as a basis, which will make the
imperial gallon to contain 277-276 cubic inches of distilled water,
weighing exactly ten pounds Avoirdupois. They conclude by recommending that leave be given to bring in a bill for declaring these
standards of length, of capacity, and of weight, to be the imperial
standards for Great Britain and Ireland, and for its colonies and
dependencies; and they recommend that several copies of the standards be made with the utmost possible accuracy for the use of the
Exchequer, for the three capitals, for the principal foreign possessions,
for the government of France, in return for the communication of
their standards, and especially for the United States of America,
where the committee have reason to believe that they will be adopted,