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Weights and Measures (Metric System).

A

BILL To render permissive the Use of the

Metric System of Weights and Measures in this Country.

(Prepared and brought in by Mr. William Ewart, Mr. Adderley, M1'. Cobden,

and Mr. Finlay,)

Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printeo, 18 Februa1"y 1864.

[Bill 24.]

Unde1' 1 oz.

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Render permissive . the Use of the Metric System of Weights and Measures in this Country. "

"' X THEREAS, for the Promotion and Extension of our internal Preamble.

~ f as well as our foreign Trade, and for the Advancement of Science, it is expedient to legalize the Use of the Metric

~ ·· System of Weights a~d Measures = Be it enacted by the Qu~en'8 '" 5 most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of

. the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, ' in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, as follows .:

1. This Act may be cited as the" Metric Weights and Measures ShQrt Title.

C . Act, 1864."

10 2. From and after the pa88vng of thi8 Act the Weights Measures of the Metric System shall be legal Weights Measures, and may be used for all Purposes whatsoever ..

and The Use . of Metric

and Weights and Mea­sures al-

I ~ 3. The Length ' .of that Bar of Platinum, having the Word ~:~!. de.

~, Metre" engraved upon it, in the Possessio~ of the Royal Society, fined;

15 and made in consequence of a Resolutio~ of the House of Commons, adopted on the Fifteenth Day of Mai'ch One thousand eight hun~

[Bill 24. ] A dred

The Are Unit of Superficial Measure.

The Litre Unit of Measure of Capacity.

The Gram Unit of Weight.

Standard Kilogram of Platinum.

Double and Half of Principal :Measures andWeights.

2

dred ' and ,sixteen, -shall at the TemperaJ~e~ pI {melting Icer, be the Standard of the Measure of -':terrgth caHed the Metre; 'tHe Decimal Multiples 'arid Divisions of ' which, and their:Equiv:~le~t~ in Imperial Measures, are set forth in '., the Schedule : hereunto annexed. 5

4. The Metric Unit of Superficial Measure shall be the Are which is equal to One hundred Square Metres, or to a Square Dekametre, the Decimal , Multiples and Divisions of which, and their Equivalents in the Imperial MeasUres, are set forth in the Schedule hereunto annexed. 10

5. The Metric Unit of Measures of Capacity, as well for Liquids, as for Dry Goods, sh~ll be the Litre, equal in Capacity to a Cubic Decimetre, the Decimal Multiples and Di1ci:sions of which, and their Equivalents in the Imperial Measures, are set forth in the Schedule hereunto annexed. 15

6. The Metric Unit of Weight shall be the Gram, being the Weight of a Cubic Centimetre of Distilled Water at the Tem­perature of its greatest Density; the Decimal, Multiples and Divisions of which, and their Equivalents in the Imperial Weights, are set forth in the Schedule hereunto annexed. 20

, " . " . . -, ..... ~ ".

7. The Kilo'gram Or Kilo, ,being ,the Weight of On~ thousand Grams, " is hereby declared to be represented by the Standard Kilogram of Platinum preserved in the Royal Observatory at Greemvich.

8. For the Subdivision of the Metric Measures and Weights it 25 ~hall be lawful to use the D~ubie, and Half of all 't~e afoi'esaidUnits, and of their Decimal Multiples and Divisions.

, ,

, Copies and 9. Exact Copies of the aforesaid Metre and Kilogram, together Mb· odelds to d with a Standard Litre, and of such Multiples and Parts thereof as emaean ' deposited the Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council for Trade shall 30

' lp'nlcertain judge expedient, shall, within Six Months after the passing of this aces. .

Act, be made under th'e Direction of the said Committee, ' and after being dUly verified shall be sent to the Lord Mayor of London, · the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Lord Provost ' of Edinburgh, and to all Counties, ,Shires, Stewartries,Ridings, Divisions" Cities, 35 Towns, Liberties, and Places in which by; Law Copies and Models of the Standard Imperial Weights and , Measures are or are required to be , kept, and to such, other Places and Persons as the President

..

Weights and Meas'ures (Metric System). 3

of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade may from Time to Xime direct .

. 10. 1'he _Rates ._.and .. Dutie:s _of the C,ustoms o,n . any Goods, o~ Cus~oms MerchandisEY arriving from any Country in which the Metric ??eu~~~~e::~

5 Weights and Measures . are in use shall, if the Person ,paying or by Metric

chargeable with the Duty thereon shall so require, be collected by MWeights and , easures.

the Metric Weights and Measures; and so soon as conveniently . may be after th(3 pa88ingoj thi8 -:Act accurate Tables shall be pre­

pared and published under . the ~irection of the said Committee of 10 the Privy Council for Trade, in order that the severaL Rates and

Duties of Customs and Excise and other, Her Majesty's Revenue maylJe adjusted,~ and, when required by the Parties, made payable according to, the . .respective Quantities of the Metric Weights and Measures.

15 11. All Judges, Magistrates, and other ,Person or Persons who Magistrates

now are or shall. hereafter, be authorized by Law to order or provide' I!,lcay,Provfide , : __ oples 0

Copies of the Imperial, Standard :Weights · and Measm'es .. shall at all Metre

Times hereafter have like Power and Authority to' order or pro- Weights and Measures for

vide -- Coples of the ' Metric: Standard Weights and Measures, and Reference.

20 to charge : the Expense , thereof upon the Fund or Funds, Money or Monies, that would have ,been liable in case it had beel?- Copies of St~ndard Imperial Weights and Measures that had been ordered or provided. '- " , . ..

12'- All and ' every the Provisions and Pr~vision whidh' are or may Provisions

25 ·be hereafter by Law ' in force with respect to the Insp~c1Jion, Verifi- iegard,i~g t " R 'fi t" St ' C t i! 't' d M d f mpel'la ca lOn, .. everl ca IOn, ' ampIng, oun eriel mg, alf 1 0 es 0 Weights and

Conviction, witli the Penalty or Penalties relating thei'eto, of the Measu1res

I ' 1 W ' h 'u M h 11 1 ' , ' to app y mperm . mg ts an easures, s a app y to and be ;m force WIth to MetriC'

regarp, to the Metric !Weights and Measures in every 'respect as if Weights and

30 the Metric Weig.hts and :M:~asm'e~ wer~ compl'ised in a~d designated Measures.

by the Imperial Weights , and Measm'es in , the Acts "relating to such Inspection', Verification, Reverification, Stamping, Counter-feiting, and Modes of Conviction, and the Penalty :01' Penalties relating thereto, .as aforesaid~

[24.J A2 SCRE.-

"

4 Weights and M easures (Metr'ic System)"

SCHEDULE to which thjs Act refers. - ~'

Metric Names, Metric Equivalents, Imperial Equivalents, ,

,.

Inches, Yards, Miles, -r Myriametre 10,000 Metres - - 10936 ' 331 6 ' 2 l4 I Kilometre - 1,000

I 1093 ' 633 0'621 , " - - -

~ Heetometre 106 " - - . - 100 ' 363 0 ' 062

Linear Dekametre 10 ,

10'936 " - - - -

Measures, Metre, The Unit - - 39'371 1 ' 094 ----" I Decimetre~- -loth of a Metre -, 3 ' 937 - -Centimetre r <l-uth

" - ' 39~, - -

5

10 L Millimetre l'o'ooth " - '39 - - J

Square Yards, Roods, Acres,

reet",e - 100 Ares or 10,000 11960'333 9'885 2" 471

Square Metres, Square' Dekare - 10 Ares or J,OOO Square 1196 '033 ' 988 ' 24.7

Measure, Metres, Are - The Unit - ,. 119 '603 ' 099 ' ' 025

19

L Centiare - Th th of an Are, or 1 1' 196 - - ~

Square Metre,

Pints, ' Gallons,

r Kilolitre - 1000 Litres, or a Cubic 1760'773 220 ' 097 • 20

M I Hectolitre -Metre. ~'

100 176 ' 0.77 22'010 .; .~

" _.

-easure ~ D k rt 10 17'608 2'201 f e al re - " - - - -

o , Litre - The Unit, or a Cubic 1'761 '220 , -CapaCIty, I I

Decimetre, I Decili,tre - -r\,th of a Litre - - 'J76 - - -.,

l Centil~tre - Th th " - '018 - ~

, : ' .>

25

-Grains, Ounces, Pounds,

[ Ton - 1000 Kilograms the - - 2204, ' 714: Weight of a Cubic

I , Metre of Water, . Qumtal .- 100 Kilograms - - - 220 ' 471 .

Myriagram 10 " - - - - 22'047 .'

Kilogram - 1000 Grams - - - 35'275 2' 205

30

,

35 Weights, 1 Heetogram 100

" - - ---. 3'528 -Deka()'ram - 10

" - - - '353 -t> Gram - The Uni.t the Weight of 15'433 - -

a Centimetre of Water, l Dec;gram - ,loth of a Gram - 1'543 - ' " - -,

--Centigram , ~uth " - - ' 154 -Milligram - TO-Joth

" - ~ '015 - -40