The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-11 00:00:00

lIIE DECIMAL SYSTEM OF WEIGH7S
AND. MEASURES.

--4

The.. report of the select committee appointed to
consider the practicability of adopting a simple and
uniform system of weights and measures is pub-
lished. The following recommendations are laid
before the house, together with a great mass of evi-
dence and tabular appendicea

1. That the use of the metric system be rendered
legal. No compulsory measures should be resorted
to until they are sanctioned by the general convic-
tion of the public.

2. That a Department of Weights and Measures
be established in connexion with the Board of Trade.
It would thus become subordinate to the Govern-
ment and responsible to Parliament. To it should
be entrusted the conservation and verification of
the standards, the superintendence of inspectors,
and the general duties incident to such a depart-
ment. It should also take such measures as may
from time to time promote the use and extend the
knowledge of the metric system in the departments
of Government and among the people.
3. The government should sanction the use of
the metric system (together with our present one)
in the levying of the customs duties ; thus familiar-
ising it among our merchants and manufacturers,
and giving facilities to foreign traders in. their
dealings with this country. Its use, combined with
that of our own-system in government contracts,
has also been suggested.
4. The matric system should form one of the sub-
jects of examination in the competitive examine-
tions of the civil service.

5, The,gramme should be used as a weight for
foreign letters and books at the Post-office.
6. The Committee of Council on Education should
require the metric system to be taught (as might
easily be done by means of tables and diagrams) in
all schools receiving grants of public money.
7. In the public statistics of the country quanti-
ties should be expressed in,terms of the metric sys-
tem in justa-position with those of our own, as
suggested by the International Statistical Congress.
8. In private bills before parliament the use of
the, metric system should be allowed.

9, The only weights and measures in use should
be the metric and imperial, until the metric has
been generally adopted.
10. The proviso in the sth and 6th Wm, IV.,
chap. 63, clause 6, allowing the use of " local and
customary measures" in cases where- the vessel em-
ployed "is not represented as containing • any
amount of imperial.measure or of any fixed local or
customary measure heretofore in use," should be
repealed, as giving facilities to evade the statute.

11. The department which it is proposed to ap-
point should make an annual report to parliament.

THE SHEEP PDX-ORDERS 1N COUNCIL.

- ,
(From the London Gazette Extraordinary of last night.)
At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, the 10th
day of September, 1832, by the Lords of her Ma-
jesty's Most Honourable Privy Council. Present
Duke of Somerset, Viscount Palmerston, Sir Chas.
Wood, Bart. Whereas by an act passed in the
session of Parliament, held in the eleventh and
twelfth years of her Majesty's reign, intituled " An
Act to prevent, until the first day of September, one
thousand eight hundred and fifty, and to the end of
the then session of Parliament, the spreading of
contagious or infectious disorders among sheep,
cattle, and other animals" (which act has since been
extended and continued in force until the first day
of Angust,.one thousand eight hundred and sixty-
three, and to the end of the then next session of
Parliament), after reciting that " a contagious or
infectious disorder known or described as the sheep
pox or variola ovine, now prevails among the sheep
in some parts of the United Kingdom, and it is ne-
cessary to take measures to prevent such disorder
from spreading ;" it was and is enacted (amongst
other things) as follows, namely :—" In case any
sheep or lambs infected with or labouring under
the, said disorder, or any disorder of the like nature
be exposed or offered for sale, or be brought or at-
tempted to be brought for the purpose of being so
exposed or offered for sale in any market, fair, or
other open or public place where other animals are
commonly exposed for sale, then in any such case
it shall be lawful for any clerk or inspector or other
officer of such fair or market, or for any constable
or policeman, or for any other person authorised by
the mayor, or by any two justices of the peace
having jurisdiction in the place, or for any per-
son authorised or appointed by her Majesty
in Council, to seize the same, and to report
such seizure to the mayor or any justice of the
peace having jurisdiction in the place; and it
shall be lawful for such mayor or justice either to
restore the same, or to cause the same, together
with any pens, hurdles, troughs, litter, hay, straw,
or other articles which he may judge likely to have
been infected thereby, to be forthwith destroyed or
otherwise disposed of in such manner as he shall
deem proper, or as may be directed in manner here-
inafter provided ; and any person bringing or at-
tempting to bring any sheep, lambs, oxen, bulls,
cows, calves, or other horned cattle, into any such
market, fair, or open or public place as aforesaid,
knowing such sheep, lambs, or cattle to be infected
with or labouring under either of such disorders as
aforesaid, shall, upon conviction thereof, forfeit and
pay for each and every such offence a sum not ex-
ceeding £20."
And whereas in and by the said act it was and is
further enacted as follows, that is to say :
" If any person turn out, keep, or depasture any
sheep or lambs infected with or labouring under
the said disorder, in cr upon any forest, chase,
wood, moor, marsh, heath, common, waste land,
open field,roadside, ()rather undivided or unenclosed
land, such person shall, on conviction thereof, for-
feit and pay any sum not exceeding £20."
And, whereas in and by the said act it was and
is further enacted (for the more effectually prevent-
ing the spreading of contagious or infectious
disease) as follows, that is to say :
" It shall be lawful for the Lords and others of
her Majesty's Privy Council, or any two or more of
them, from time to time to make such orders and
regulations as to them may seem necessary for the
purpose of prohibiting or regulating the removal
to or from such parts or places as they may desig-
nate in such order or orders, of sheep, cattle,
horses, swine, or other animals, or of meat, skins,
bides, horns, hoofs, or other parts of any ani-
mals, or of hay, straw, fodder, or other
articles likely to propagate infection ; and
also for the purpose of purifying any
yard, stable, outhouse, or other place, or any wag.
gons, carts, carriages, or other vehicles ; and also
for the purpose of directing how any animals dying
in a diseased state, or any animals, or other things,
seized under the provisions of this act, are to be
i order among
disposed of; and also for the purpose of causing
notices to be given of the appearance of any dis-
to revoke, sheep, cattle, or other animals, and to
makeany other orders or regulations for the purpose
tions ; an
of giving effect to the provisions of this act,and again
,dalatlelr,porrovviasiroynsanfyorsuaenhyorodfertsheorpruergruoslaes-
such order o
shall have the like force and
aforesaid, in arty
had been inserted in this aetr•
effect a
orders
ausd iall
et
hnpet
ea
rsi
snaomendes,
I offending against the same
any sum not exceeding £2O,
shall for 'fLoorredascohraontdh
others
seroyf
1 offence forfeit and pay
r
or such smaller suns as thes
sheep
hn
efeecpt infectious
Ss 0 disorder,
se opr
adretrs,
jesty's Privy Council .
may in any case by I
such order direct."
pox, or variola 1
og ni ogu s
theor
is expedient to take
described as the sheep
And whepreraesvaa.iicsonamta
knownn
oovir
ovine,
measures for preventing such disorder from spread-
ing,the Lords of her w-
ing, now, therefore, .
esesty,s
of the United Kingdom, and it,
is
in pursuance Privy Council do herebf, and exer-
CIS° of the powers so vested in them, as aforesaid,
al orders and regulations
;make, and ordain the SCC'el.
,following; that .is to el—
It shall not be lawful for any person to remove
:anysheep or lambs to or from any or either of the
parishes osstythings following, all lying and being
mint
in the c town of
y of Wilts, and near to the
Devizes, that is to say, the parishes or tythings of
Horton, Bishops Cannings, Al'/cannine • ‘es1 Etchil-
fiaMPt") aid Allin batOdrive nduet may
llt or, to or co .
sheep J e
qr. „ant .43 through or.by way ,4 such parishes
or tythings, or any or either of them, unless the,