Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-03-16

From the National Intelligencer.
REPORT ON WEIGHTS il MEASURES
M JOHN DUMMY aIf1Jy .Esy0

SECRETARY OF STATE.
In The haste which Is generally produced by
the pressure OF business at the close OF sea
sion of Congress, our fast notice of this Do
cumeus was bnt slight. Since the lth instant
Hme has been afforded for all attentive perm.
sal o. q winch enables US now to present
our read rs with a Oriet view OF lis contents.
The utility Of an uniform Standard or
Weights and Measures may he properly an.
rreciated' by considering that all which is lost
or gained IN tae daily traffic Of the communi.
~ ny me spphcation OF false or defect tive
weights aud Measures il an unjust advantage
ouI"ined or an unjust disadvantage suf.
AIRED, by the seller or the buyer. That il
10 tue duty OF government 10 compel traders
81 I've Inscription 10 use one common Stand,
ari 10 thelr dealings is, therefore, obvious {;
fnr, u is tho province of government to en-
!CTcs Jusilcs III soclety; aud tins, indeed. can
oily he .tfectrd by the operation ut soye-
feign Niii, winch az il relates to the regnla-
fion o. Human affairs, is the peculiar faculty.
81 rublic authority.
8 The us, fuiDeSs OF such standard being n
psrent, u becomes, as 4 matter OF course. an
u,eresting ob1eet, TO ascertain some principle
ny which II may be tested and fixed in its mi.
ivrnnty, aud rendered invaIiabIe throa,h all
future time. This principle, it is evident.
>ftDst bs sought for in some property OF ma
ture, Determined by some invention oi art.
AZ tue subject has occupied tue attention of
scssntihc men and OF governments in all past
ages, II you'd have heen extraordinary if il
Dad escaped the sagacity OF Tue wise men who
frdined The tederal Constitutions The impor-
SaHce OF 81, IN their estimation, il proved by
their having introduced 1t ana ong the mower,
50 ciacsiiy delegated 10 the Congress thus give
Ing 10 u The Character ota necessary compo-
-UeDt element OF national legislatiou
As early a. the fifteenth o. January IT9O
ihe Congress referred the formation OF plan
Lor establishing uniformity II The currency
weights, aud measures, OF the United States
80 the 3ecrstary OF State. Mr. Jefferson then
acid that situation and his report is brief
lucid, and valuable But il vas followed by
20 decisive legislative act
Eroiu 1850 until ISl7,tbe topic had been
occasi,Daliy adyerted to, With more or less
etfeotoD the public mind When, IN The Latter
gear, the Seuaie Of the United States referred
the question, again, III form, TO the Secretary
OfStdts. Tine subject, in tnis manner, pre-
seuiei itself TO Mr.. Adams at his yety en-.
france INFO the Department II was copse.
Sueutly, to bo Investigated in the intervals of
ys'ions occupations amidst negotiations with
foreign Ministers, duties of the interior adj,
manifestation, and the routine OF office. The
House OF Represen tatives CO He'd upon him for
n stateneDt concerning Weights aud Measures
ut later day III December, iSiO.
Following the Tenor oiihe Resolution of the
Hou'e on Representatives, the Secretary of
State pc rsues the enquiry under three heads:
Ibe proceedings ia foreign countries Tor
SNid5iiSiiin. antor niiy Ia Weights aud Mes-
%. eS
2. Zoe Regulations s. Standards for Weiphts
anh Measures IN t1e several States of the q.
Uinn.
Such propositions relative TO tbe upifny.
NIFTY OF Weights and Measures az NAV be
proper to be adopted IN the United STATES.
introductory 10 his examination, and ia re.
fereHce 10 weights aud measures Themselves
the Secretary considers Che term u,iforu,iiy as
sppplic1ble either 10 uniformity OF iieHfty or
SnitorIni;y OF pJop0'ii0n /; mr3niDg, by tllesorv
mer, system founded Oh the principle of
applying ouly Gue urit oil weights 10 all weigh.
able articles. aud Que unit Of measures of ca.
picUy 10 al sHJsiIuc"S, thus measured Uouid
o. dry; aUd. ~ tlIe laher, q system admit
tug more thss one unit Of waiglits, aad more
III u one OF measures OF capacity bat IN which
all the weights aOJ measures Of capAcitN are i'm
ur.iorm proportion with Que another Tins
the present weights dud measures Of tie Unit,
sd states are, or were, a. deived from lie
original Ensliah mO4eis, toUVjed upon the
uniiOfmiiy Ol proportion whilst tho new
freDch mrtfOiJsJ il t0Dpded upou the unifoY-
lniiy OF identity
AiiSr tsscing the theoretical history of
weights ana measures to their original sout.
ces III The natgfS aud tie necessities OF man
connecting liuear measure with individual CIV.
istebce sJpeIhaIzl, capaciOus, i.ii erSTy Inea.
sure, aud decimal arithmetic, with domestic
society weights aud common standards win
evil society mousy, cO!D,, and all ,be Ole
meDts ~ Hniiorrs netTCi6gy, with civil go-
SeHnlneDt daj law aud, ~ corrohoratioi1 of
this theory, adSeriiug 10 the weights, meas.
yTes, and money, VI tJe Hebrews and tie
treeks, WhOaI he Visvs a. having snr,ny
from the Egyptians aud OF the Romans vio
derived theIr standards from The Greeks: the
Sectets'y 0fStale passes TO ibe English and
the ffeuch systems gaFding them az fle
F@p, Sbich, ~ mObefD Guss, from the at.
teptlDn tlai has been paid 10 them, srieniif.
<aiiy aDJ Otherwise, Eicfit tho mos, pdHIcs-
Nr scTniiuy.
de denl1nslSaies FROM the early usages
and laws OF EOgldnd, that 9n English penny
c4iled sterling round, aud without ANY ciips
pug, veighed thirty two wheat coTDs IN The
ias' OF We ear ,thss tTeply DF lhese pence