Star.
London, England, 1826-01-13 00:00:00

NEW WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

In teceivinz the Returns from the several Ward In-
spectors, at Guildhall, the Lord Mayor directed their
attention to the provisions of the New Act, respecting
the'Weights and Measures; his Lordship advised that
the usual perambulations for examining the weights and
measures, should be deferred until the Ist February, to
give the Public an opportunity of procuring them,
which, his Lordship said, he believed they might by
that time accomplish, as he h ,d given directions for
more persons to be employed at Guildhall, to meet the
immense number of applications with as little delay as
possible. His Lordship further added, that he had
directed the officers not to refuse the seal to any mea-
sures that were in conformity with the Act of Parlia-
ment, as to capacity or dimensions, of whatever mate-
rials composed, or whether new or old, provided the.
seal could be so placed as in secure the Public ft.( m the
possibility of the measures being cut or otherwise
altered. In reply to an applkation fromseveral of the
parties as to the persons from whom they were to receive
the standards, and where the expense was to be de.
frayed ? the Lord Mayor observed, that as the I, quest
.was chosen from the Wardmote, for the set vice of the
Ward in general, lie had no, doubt that the proper
fund Irons which the increased charge should be paid
would be a ward-rate.

Vast numbers of local measures, chiefly public-house
pots, are still brought to receive the City stamp, I,r no
other seems to have the entire confidence of the lower
classes. Orders, however, have been given, that the
measures intended to be used in the City shall have the
preference; the weights are sent out with greater dis•
patch than the measusus. From the Ist of November
to the 7th of January, 358,000 weights were stamped.
A general misconception appears to prevail on the
subject of Weights and Measures. The object of the
late Bill is to simplify the system as much as possible,
and to make no al elation but such as may tend to in-
sure uniformity by affording superior facility of veriti-
cation. Measures of capacity are no longer d, fined by
cubical contents, but by the weight of pure water which
they should contain. Thus, any vessel which contains,
when exactly tilled, ten pounds &writ dupois, of pure
rain water, is an imperial gallon; any vessel which will
sentain when so filled 2i pounds avoirdupois, of pure
rain water, is an imperial quart; a';d the vessel contain-
ing 1# lb. of rain water an imperial pint. The bushel
is any vessel which will contain, when exactly filled,
eighty pounds avoirdupois of rain water; but it must
be remembered, that the bushel of heaped measure
must be cylindrical, and its outside diameter 191 inches.
Ne,idteration has been made in the existing standards
of linear dimensions, or of weight; arid the change in
the measures of capacity is such, as, it is presumed, must
tend to cause the new system speedily to become gene.'
ral, by the facility it preseuts to persons possessing
weights, to construct or verify their measures of capa-
city at pleasure.

FlRF.—This morning, about four o'clock. one of the
watchmen, in going his round, di,covered fire issuing
from the shop of Mr. Will,ngton, a locksmith, nearly
oppo,ite James-street ; he immediately gave notice
at Ole watch-h. use, and also at the engine station of
the. Westminster Fire Office. The parish engines 'of St.
Paul, Covent-garden were prompt in their attendance,
and one of them was conducted by Mr, 134:tlett, the
watch-house-keeper, with great effect; .but .from the
ieflArnmable state of the buildings, bring composed of
wood, it speedily extended to the bird-shop adjoining,
and also to the shop of Mr. Webber, the ft uit and egg
salesman, which it partially injured. The two.other
shop were gutted. The market was completely illu-
minated, so much so, that ynu might distinctly see the
hour by the Church clock.
The LITERARY GAZETTE of Saturday, the 14th 01
January, 1826, will contain a condensed and remarkable View of
the West India Islands, in a Notice of Iluniholdes new Volume,
just published in Paris: a Digest of the State of Cochin China;
Reviews also of the Annual Obituary, with Anecdotical and
other Illustrations; of Waterton's Wand& rings and extraordinary
Tales of a 'traveller; of the Edinburgh Janus, with amusing
Scottish Story; and other New Works. A Selection of .curious
Anecdotes from the yet unpublished Volumes of the Nlargravine
of Anspach is given in the Sketches of Society. Poetry by
.11— E. L.
and other popular writers. Scieucifie Novelties; the Fine Atts ;
Musical, Dtantaticl and other Criticisms; riliceedings in Lstera-
sure ; Varieties, &c. &c. &c.—Published every Saturday by W.
A:St:niers, 102, (Exeter 'Change) Strand, price Bd.; orjetamped
filer Country Circulation by Post, price le. •