The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-13 00:00:00

. ,

IMPERI PAR LI AMEN T

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THis DAY.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at 12 o'clock.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (METRIC S YSTEII)
BILL.
Mr. E WART moved the second reading of this bill,
the object of which was to legalise the metric system in
weights and measures. The hon. member referred to the
bills that had been introduced and considered in former
sessions of Parliament, and said that whenever inquiry had
been made relative to the desirability of adopting an uni-
form system of weights and measures for commercial pur-
poses, the unanimous opinion was invariably in favour of
the metric system of decimals and subdivisions. It bad
been urged that the great inconvenience which would
result from any extensive change in the present system o
weights and measures was a sufficieut reason not to adopt
the metric system, but he thought such an objection was
not sufficient. A slight iuconveuieuce no doubt would for
a short time take place, but the great result would be an
enormous extension of the trade of this country. The
metric system was in full force in upwards of 20 countries,
whore it gave universal satisfaction.
Mr. GRAVES seconded the motion. He was one who
was fully convinced of the absurdity of the present plan
of weights and measures in use in England, and
the simplicity and beauty of the metric system. It
would be a matter of the greatest importance
to this country with respect to the extension
of its commerce if one uniform system was adopted. The
system was now iu full operation iu various countries, and
it worked with au ease and clearness that spoke highly in
its favour. It had been adopted by the Govern-
ment of Franca in their various official de-
partments, and America was now only waiting
for this country to make the change, in order that that
great and exteusivo country might follow our example.
Mr. B. HOPE opposed the motion. He said tho
house was now asked to adopt a plan of weights and
measures, called the metric system, without a clear
description and definition having been given to the house
as to what the system really was. The bill proposed to
abolish a system which everybody clearly understood, and
to substitute in its place one of a complicated sytem of deci-
mals. It was, he did not deny, one for facilitating calculation,
but applied to the purposes of everyday life of the poor
man, who would be baffled and more deceived than he was
at present. It might be all very well for the merchant;
princes of Liverpool and other great towns who coul
afford to keep clerks to attend to their accounts, but to
make it penal for a poor man because he did not know the
value of a decigramme, was going too far. He moved
that the bill be read a second time that day six month,3.
Mr. P. URQUHART supported the second read!.ng of
the bill.

(LEFT SITTING.)

SPORTING INTEL LIGENOE—This Day.

YORK RACES—THIS DAY.
(Br ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
MATCH.
Chelsea beat Russian Bear by a short head.
EGLINTON STAKES.
The Eglinton Stakes of 10 sovs each, h ft, with 50 added.
T.Y.C. (5 fur. 44 yds.)

Donaldbain
I
Lord Hawthorn
2
Carnerino c .. ... a
Four ran.

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1863.
MAY.
Bath
Croydon Ist Summer .., 21 Epsom Summer
Newark 2l Paris
JUNE

West Drayton 1 I Newton
Croydon 2d Summer ... 3 Hampton ...
Alauchester 3 Newcastle
Ascot Summer 9 Bibury Club
I
Beverley, Hull, and Stockbridge
East Aiding lO Alexaudra Park
I
Windsor Summer

JULY.
Chelmsford
Worcester Summer ..: 2 Odiham
Kingsbury and Hendon 6 Stamford
Radcliffe
Carlisle 7 j Nottingham July
Newmarket July 7 I Chesterfield
Hungerford
Pontefract
Down Royal Corp...—. 14 j Sudbury aad Ealing
Reading
Spilsby

AUGUST.
Deauville
Leek 3 Somerset ..
Brighton - 4 Dover
Brighton Club 6 Scarborough
Sum m I
Lewes Su
er
Wolverhampton ll I Great Yarmouth
Stockton
Plymouth
•
Windsor August l3 Ipswich
Egham l7 Lichfield
Hastings
York August
Oxford

SEPTEMBER.
Baden,
Warwick September ... 1 Monmouth
Abingdon 3 Manchester
I Leicester
Doncaster September 8 Walsall
Brecon
Richmond
Hampton Autumn l5 Royal Caledonian Haut
Kelso l.;* and Western M
OCTOBER.
Bedford 1 I Sudbury and Ealing ...
Bromley Autumn
Newmarket 2d October 5 1 Harrow ..
Lanark 8 I Worcester Autumn.
Chelmsford Autumn
Cheltenham

Liverpool
Shrewsbury

NOVEMBER.
.. 3 1 Leamington
.. 9 1

STEEPLECHASES.
OCTOBER.
Bromley
DECEMBER.
St. Albans
Kinatry 1 Eailing
g6L
8