Star.
London, England, 1824-09-08 00:00:00

*cid 194ontractv ..... • 7 4 ,
The conductor...

Price allowed for the baker .•... ...... '
" But though the bakets get only el:00A elgh_t-peneshalfpemny
is charged to the army, according to the centrecs.-
But we must stop.—We cannot; however, quit the
subject without expressing our sincere opinion that
every person—high and low—not excepting Mini,ters
of State on the one hand, or the meanest mechanic on
the other, ought to be possessed of thirlittle—very
little—but very valufble letter.
WEIGHTS AND MEISURES.

-..■■0.-..

Among the many useful measures that passed in Par-
liament last Session, not the least important is "An Act
for ascertaining and establishing uniformity of weights
and measures" in the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland. As all our Readers are more or less into-
rested in this Statute, we lay before them the following
account of it

" After Ist May, 1825, a measure referred to as being
in the custody of the Clerk of the House of Commons,
is declared to be. the 16 Imperial standard yard," and
shall be the only standard measure of extension, from
which every measure in the kingdom, whether lineal,
superficial, or solid, shall be computed and ascertained;
one-third part of the said standard yard shall be a foot,
the twelfth part of the said foot shall be an inch; five
and a half such yards a pole or perch, 220 such yards a
furlong, and 1760 such yards a mile. Superficial mea-
sure shall be computed from the said yard ; the rood of
land to contain 1210 square yards, the acre 4840 yards,
being 100 square perches, poles, or rods.
" After the Ist of May, 1825, a brass weight, also re.
ferred to as being in the custody of the Clerk of the
House of Commons, is declared to be the " Imperial
standard troy pound," from which all other weights
shall be derived, computed, and ascertained; one-twelfth
therefore shall be an ounce, one-twentieth of such ounce
shall be a pennyweight, and one twenty•fourth part of
such pennyweight shall he a grain, and 5760 such
grains a paand troy; 7000 such grains to be a pound
avoirdupois, one-sixteenth of said pound an ounce, and
one-sixteenth of such ounce shall be a dram avoirdu-
pois weigl,t.
" After the Ist of May, 1825, a brass measure to be
made under the direction of the Treasury, and to con-
tain 101bs. avoirdupois weight of distilled water, weight
in air at the temperature of 62'deg. Fahrenheit, is de-
clared to be the " Imperial standard gallon," and shall
be the only standard measure of capacity, as well for
liquids as for dry goods not measured by heaped mea-
sure, and from which all other measures of capacity
shall be computed and ascertained; one.fourth part of
said gallon being a quart, one.eighth a pint, and two such
gallons a peck, eight such gallons a bushel, and eight
such bushels a quarter of corn or other dry, goods not
measured by heaped measure. The standard measure
of capacity for coals, lime, potatoes, and other goods
commonly sold by heaped measure, shall be the afore-
said bushel, containing eighty pounds of avoirdupois of
water as aforesaid, the same being made round, with
an even bottom, and being nineteen inches and a half
from outside to outside; and in using such bushels for
heaped measure, the goods shall be duly heaped in the
form of a cone not less than six inches in height, and
the outside of the bushel shall be the extremity of the
base of such cone; three bushels to be a sack and 12
sacks a chaldron.

" Copies and models of the standards of length,
weight, and measure, are to be made and verified, under
the direction of the Treasury; and the Justices of the
Peace for Counties, and the Magistrates of Royal Burghs
shall, within six months from the passing of the Act
(17th June, 1824) purchase for their respective Counties
and Burghs, a model and copy of each of the aforesaid
standards, and of each of the parts and multiples thereof;
which models and copies shall be placed for safe cus-
tody and inspection, with such persons and in such
places as the Justices may appoint, to be produced at
any time and place within the County or Burgh, as any
person by a writing under his hand shall require, he
paying the reasonable charges of the same. The ex-
pense of purchasing these models is to be assessed with
the land tax on Counties and Burghs.
" Where reference cannot easily be had to standards,
the Act favours Country Magistrates s,sitlr the follow-
ing easy practical rule for ascer taininethe measures of
capacity. In that case, it shall be lawful to any Magis-
trate, when the correctness of any measure of capacity
is disputed, to ascertain the correctness of such mea-
sure by direct reference to the weight of pure or rain
water which such measure is capable of containing;
101bs. avoirdupois weight of such water, at the tempe-
rature of 62 deg. Fahrenheit's thermometer being the
standard gallon ascertained by this Act, the same being
in bulk equal to 277 cubic inches and 271.1000 th parts
of a cubic inch, and so in proportion for all parts or
multiples of a gallon.
64 After the Ist of May, 1825, all contracts for sale,
&c. by weight or measure, shall be holden to rd to to
the said standards, unless the contrary is specified ; and
if any agreement shall make a reference to any local
weight or measures, it shall be null and void, unless the
agreement shall specify the ratio or propor:inn which
such local weight or measure shall bear to the imperial
standard weights or measures.
After the Ist of May, 1825, no new weights or
measures shall be made, except in conformity with the
said standards; but persons may use the existing weights
and measures in their possession, provided that the ratio
or proportion which such existing weights and measures
bear to the standards be painted or marked on the ex-
isting weights and measures.—The regulations and
penalties of former Acts respecting weights and mea-
sures are declared to apply to the new Act, for enforcing
observance to it.

" For the purpose of converting all stipends, tents,
and other demands presently payable in grain, malt, or
other commodities in Scotland into the standard weights
and measures established by the Act—the Statute pro-
vides that the Sheriff of each County shall, as soon as
conveniently may be, after the expiration of six months
from the passing of the Act, summon a Jury of the
same number and qualifications as a Fiars Jury, 4 to
inquire into and ascertain the amount according to the
standards by this Act established' of all such stipends,
rents, &c. payable according to the weights and mea-
sures in use in the Shire; and the amount so to be as-
certained shall, when converted into standard weights
and measures, be the rule of payment in regard to all
stipends, &c. in all time coming."

A single pea, which grew in the garden of Mr. James
Main, flour-dealer, in Kelso, this season, was lately ga-
thered, and the produce found to be one hundred and
forty pods; containing biz hundred and eighty-5a peas.