The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-11-19

urea ne employment 81 hort Pef1od- That W&s
independents OF the month and the Year, iuch for
ample asthe week At once obvatss this
They have re-enablifhed this eonyenient period
in France; period, which from the highrf ANTIGUA
ty Of which any records remain, has extended without
any intermdion through every age, aud has blended
itfeif with the iuceefive Calendars Of different natl
ons. ,,
But by far the greaseft Inconvenience Of the new
Calendar, is the embarrafment which il produces II,
our foreign relations: in iioating in this ref
peel in the very midst Of Europe; and this is an
Inconvenience. which will for ever exit beeaure we
Can never be prefumptious enough hope that this
Calendar will be universally Admitted. The very
epoch of its introduction is relative only to our own
h,ltory the period which it recognizes FOR the COM
n,encement oil its year, is fixed in n,ot diladvan-
tageoas manner. becaufe it divides and throws into
two ieParae years, the very fame operations aud the
lame labours; it is crn1uSsive of neonveniences in
common life by the days commencing at noon accor,
ding to the cuRon of a.lronomers Bsiides ,hst mo-
'nent refers to the meridian alone OF Paris. When
we perceive that every nation calculates IT'S geography.
cal longitude from principal observatory of its own
eau we believe that they would be willing to carry
back the beginning OF their year to that OF own
required two centuries and the whole rilence of
religion TO produce unverfil adoption of the Gree
goran Calendar. Ii is in tlis dfuiion of it 70 lera
Bile ard yet 10 difficult be obtained, and which it
is OF 10 much importance retain when once efetu
ased, that its greset advantages con!i1s. Th.t Ca
endar at the reient time nearly in u troup hour
all the nations of Europe and America it was for a
long time the Calendar of France even nos it repu-
'ates our religious feals, and it is from it, that we
calculate centuries. No doubt it has many CON-
iiderahle deies the length of its months is
and whimcal the origin of its year DOES not CORES
pond with that of either of the feafons bur il al
nirably accompanies the principal end of Calendar
by dividing the time conveniently into days ard i'm
| placing the commencement of the fhorte year, very
nearly at the fame difiance from the equinox LIS
! Plan of INTERPOLATION is convenient and limpc. Every
one knows that it is 70 contrived as TO ner,sle the
hitenile every fourth yeas; iupprecs one bif-
textile AZ the end Of every century, during three f
ceilive centuries, for the purpofe of re-el,blihn,,
during the fourth and that if according to this j.
naogY 1t iuPpr.fles other bi.lexti!e during 1000
years. 1t will exprefs the true length of the year
Bns according TO the exiting Calendar, i, required
40 centuries to dpole only Of one day and to make
the origin of the horte year correpoad with its true
ORIGIN. 1t was from this circun,lance that the FACES
oil France Were obliged to he continually adiain;,
their Astronomical tables to it, and their tables h.y.
become by their extreme prec;ion the foundation o!
the Epiemirides of all enlightened nations
Some periois perhaps may believe that the reho-
ration OF the ancient Calendar cannot hut he follow
ed IN ihort by the reelablilhmen, of our an
c'ent mral'Hre' But the orator of the government
mas already taSer care 10 remove this doubt Like
nm we are peIfuadei that f, far from reef ihliino
the mmenie number of difereat meaiures, which
formerly covered rhe territory of France and en-,
barraiied It's Interior commerce., the government i
100 deeply irprened with tb utility of one uniform
tyitem of meaiures and the advantage. of the mea.
turing fyfe!n, not 20 employ the moi elfcsciou,
means for secelerang IT'S Introduction and for fubdu
ing thefe obftaces which our ancient cuaoms, thai
are daily wearing away, will yet be able to oppoie I,
them. .t.' -, ~
With thefe ra1na.ks, Your committee unanirnoul,
propoies to yo to adopt the proiet of the fcnatus
conultum, which tie government has laid before va,