The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS.---This Day,
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
BOILER EXPLOSIONS.

Mr. FAR RAND brought in a bill with reference to
boiler explosions, which was read a first time.
STREET MUSIC.

Mr. BASS brought in a bill with reference to street
music, which was read a first time.
AUSTRIA AND DENMARK.

Mr. D. GRIFFITH gave notice that on the 13th inst.,
on the motion for adjournment of the house for the Whit•
suntide holidays, he should call attention to the permission
which had been given to the Austrian squadron to leave
these shores and take up a position favourable for the fur-
ther prosecution of the war against Denmark without any
practical check or supervision by means of the presence o f
a British naval force.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (METRIC SYSTEM)

BILL.

Mr. EWART moved that the house resolve itself int
committee en this bill.

Mr. HUMBERSTONE said he did not believe the people
of this country were prepared to give up their weights and
measures to which they had long been accustomed, and
measures bearing foreign names. If the house had just
confined itself to a measure for making improvements in the
weights and measures of this coun try, it would have re-
ceived,very properly general support. As to the measure
now before the house he should say " no" to the proposi-
tion for going into committee.

Mr. ADDERLEY thought great convenience would
accrue to the commercial and trading community by the
adoption of the metric system, The house had already
twice adopted the principles of the bill, and he therefore
hoped the measure would be allowed to go into committee.
After a few words from Mr. D. GIF7ITH, the house
went into committee on the bill.
Clause 1 was agred to.

vougl:t
On clause 2,
Mr. M. GIBSON said the clause enacted that from and
after this bill the metric system shall be legal, and may be
used for all purposes of weights and measures.
tiHes
thoughtbiu
that was proceeding too feat, because no means eof
th erifi
cation had yet been introduced into the bill proposed to
ia
establish a new national standard. (Hear.)
for the present, the hon. gentleman having this
charge ought to rest satisfied with going the
in which length of
enacting that no contracts shall be invaliddeemed
the weights and measures therein mentioned referred to the
metric system. He did not think that me single retail
dealer in the country would go to the expense of providing
himself with a set of metric weights and measures which
would cost him over £2O, on the chance of a customer
coming in and desiring to be served in litres and grams, in.
stead of ounces and pounds. Tear, hear.)
Mr, AYRTON was of opinion that steps ought to be
taken to disseminate information to the public generally as
to the metric system, before a measure of this description
was
passed into a law. He thought that what he proposed
i
might be done n about six. months,After some discussion,
Mr. M. GIBSON proposed that a clause should be intro-
duced into the bill acknowledging contracts made in the
metric system ; and said that, in the event of his proposition
being agreed to, he would undertake to publish a table of
equivalents in an official fcrm from the Board of Trade.

Mr. E WART eventually moved that the-Chairman re-
port progress, un the understanding that the right bon.
gentleman ("dr. Gibson) would do all in his power to meet
the object of the bill.
The motion was agreed to, and the Chairman accordingly
reported progress,