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

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening.

The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
BOILER EXPLOSIONS.

Mr. FEB 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 streei
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 of
a British naval force.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES CMETRIC SYSTEM)

BILL.

Mr. EWAILT moved that the house resolve itself hit
committee on this bill.

Mr. lIU3II3ERSTONE 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 country, it would have re-
ceivedvery 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 aliuwed to go into committee,
After a few words from Mr. D. GRIFFITH, the house
went into committee on the bill.
Clause 1 was agred to.
On clause 2,

Mr. 11.1, 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. He thought
that was proceeding too fest, because no means of verifi-
cation had yet been introduced into the bill proposed to
establish a new national standard. (Hear.) He thought
for the present, the hon. gentleman having this bill in
charge ought to rest satisfied with going the length of
enacting that no contracts shall be deemed invalid in which
the weights and measures therein mentioned referred to the
metric system. He did not think that one 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 120, on the chance of a customer
coming in and desiring to be served in litres and grams, in-
stead of ounces and pounds. (Hear, 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. lie thought that what he proposed
might be done in about six menthe,
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. EWA.RT eventually moved that the Chairman re-
port progress, un the understanding that the right hon.
gentleman (11r. 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,

CHIEF RENTS (IRELAND) BILL.

Mr. LONGFIELD moved that the house go into com-
mittee on this bill, which was merely permissive, the
object of it being to facilitate the disposal and purchase of
land in Ireland, upon which there were small limited in-
terests in the form of chief rents.

After a short discussion tho mction was agreed to, but
on the first question, viz., that the preamble be postponed,
Colonel French moved that the Chairman report progress.
The committee divided, when the appeared—

For the motion
Against it
Majority —2B
The preamble was then postponed, and the consideration
of the clauses of the bill was then proceeded with.
The first three, after some amendment, were agreed to.
Clauses 4,8, and 9 were struck out. The other clauses
were agreed to, and the bill was ordered to be reprinted„

ADMIRALTY LANDS AND WORKS BILL.

This bill was read a second time.
PROMISSORY NOTES AND BILLS OF EX.-

CHANGE BILL.

This bill was read a third time and passed.
PIER AND HARBOUR ORDERS CONFIRMA-

TION BILL.

Mr. M. GIBSON obtained leave to bring in a bill for
confirming certain provisional orders made by the Board of
Trade under the General Fier and Harbour, 1861, relating
to Brighton, Eastbourne, Saudown, Walton on the Naze,
Clevedon, Rhyl, Bray, Kircubbin, Walton (Suffolk), Holy-
wood, Exe Bight, Lytham, Ardglass, Filey, Greenock,
Carlingford Lough, Wexford, Torquay, and Oban.