New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-17

the Revolution did not sui. for popular use, and
sted much dissatisfaction; he knew that IL was useful
for calculation but not for the purposes OF the trades
man and the mechanic; ard he afirms these things,
of which from his position practical talent and popu-
lar sympathies he had good knowledge, in unmstak-
able terms; but when he comes to reason out the
causes and extend these 10 matters not OBJ
served by him, We should respect his logic only ac-
cordng to its intrinsic value without regard TO the
somewhat dctatoria tone in which il is propou1ded
His DEGREES Invested of this logic, and still
more conclusive evidence in point The italics and
small capitals in the following those Of the writx
of this article.
"The Imperial decree Of Feb. 10, 1912, explsned
by an ordr ance of the Department Of the lntenor OF
March %, 1879, provides:
ARTICLE |. Permission 10 use for the purposes OF
commerce: l. A measure Of two metres TO be called
ToIsE Ito be divided into six parts, called feet z The
foot Tor one-thd Of metre) To be divided into IL
thumbs; each thumb into II lines. 49,, y.
CART H. Cloths may be measured by a STICK OF
- decimetres (AUsE) which shall be divided INTO
halre, ou4rter. eiehhs and sTeeas, as well as into
thirds siXhs and twelfths.
"ARr ". Grain may be measured for retail oy
the BoIssEAU equal to the eighth VI hecohtre, ana
which shall have its double, half and quarter.
"ART VII. Wine may be sold by the htre, and
the quarter, eighth and sixteenth of it.
"ART. VIII Retail sales by weight may be maze
by the pound tLlNKEl eQuul 10 nay u
divided into srten the ounce into eight gr0s;
eros into the lat, quarter and eighth. Weights To be
marked with their equivalents IN grammes, VIZ; tne
pound 500 grammes; half pound, 23O faarte,"n, 10
eighth or halt quarterOn, 90; ounce 3l3 nan ounce,
1876; quarter ounce, 49, gros, 81
Here we see that the French Emperor, while re-
tanning the standards utterly does away with the
deciu al feature of the sysem, and, conforming to
what popular had alro ady done, adopts for cloth
neasure-for measures of capacity, both dry and IL
duid and for weight-a set of ratios conforming
strictly to the principle Of multiplication and division
by TWO. In measures of length the old duodecimal
ratio in use in France before the Revolution as well as
in Great Britain and the United States) is adopted
NAPOLEON gives reason for this, reason probably
not original with him. but less simple and consistent
with facts than the admits of. As compared with
the number TO- seems sufficient to observe that IL
twice diyisible by two, while 10 is diysibe but once
Napoleons assertion Of necessary or speclai limit 'i
the division of unit into not more than IL parts ID
simply untrue in fact; though smaller number than
70 seems to be more usual limit. That part OF Art
viii which prescribes the marking of weights con-
structed on a binary system with decimal values is
worthy of special note for lite fasty and perplexty
Every tyro will see that the Imperial decree afixes
wrong value all the small weights yet though open
ing the door 10 fraud, seems the best that could be
done in such conflict of systems.
The venerable John Quincy Adams, the "Old mau
eloquent" Of whose perennial fame the tact OF
having held dignity not inferior to Napoleon'sH,
within one generation, scarcely an appreciaole en-
hancement was especially remarkable Sor his profound
and varied knowledge in POLITICAL legal historical anu
general literature Though not cultivator OF exact
or experimental science, he philosopher in true
sense of the term, and still more, true democratic
statesman and patriot While Secretary OF State I'M
der President Monroe he made to Congress report
on the subject Of Weights and Measures so accurate
and complete in lite bstOra details as to form text
book for subsequent writers on the subject IN ooth
henispheres The French system is discussed by him
at length and yielding to the impulses Of mind with
strong philosophical sympathies, he is led to praise
this cef dqurre of the French philosophers in terms
which seem almost enthusiastic aud contrast strongly
with the language which Napoleon, in his blunt but
keen practical way, employs in speaking OF TINS sys
tem with which, unlike Adams, he was brought into
contact in the administration of government and had
practical experience of its sbsurdty and perplexty
when applied to the common business OF life. But
John Quincy Adams's philosophy was OF a higher or
der than Napoeons and guided by this land perhaps,
also, by ten years longer trial Of the system in
France in opposition to his sympales, he arrives at
nearly the conclusions, but better and more con-
clusivey expressed, and more correctly though not
faultIessy reasoned In his review Of the French sys-
TEN he says Report, p. 10Y:
at appears also, not to have been considered that
decimal arithmetic, although afordiDg great facilities
for the computation Of numbers, is not equally well
suited for the divisions Of material substances.
glance of the eye is sufficient to divide material SUBJ
stances into successive halves fourths eghths and
sxteenths slight attention will give thirds sxths
and twelfths. But divisions Of fifth and tenth parts
are among the most difficult that can be performed
without the aid of calculation"
Again REPORT, p. 81:
at has however, been proved by the most decisive
experience in France that they" decimal numbers ap
piled to Weights and Messures are not adequate TO
The wants of in society and for all the purposes
of retail trade they have been aSanaahed: :. univ
GO The convenience OF decimal arithmetic Is only u
convenience Of calculation"
One more authority will be quoted, and, 80 far as
correct deduction is concerned, the BEST because the
author is familiar with the subject both by habit and
cspacty, This is Professor James Renwick; and the
quotation is made from his wellknown treatise, Ee
ments of Mechanics" edition Of 1882 page 296. 1t
is disfeured by careless expression which seems
very ike contradiction, but does not affect the cor.
rectpess Of his conclusions:
"No system can be imagined more perfect and
beautiful in scientific point OF .eS man .ns
of the French nation. Sun 10 mol Will
out fault even in scientific point OF view.
"The objections in a practical point Of view are
more numerous, and have been found lnsuperaDie
Tins however well calculated for scientific purposes
and even for those Of commerce. the decimal multiples
Of the unit may be, decimal subdivision: have been
found upfuited for the purposes OF retail uamc igr
This object no other than binary system can win
Convenience be used In fact, in the subdivisions Of
the unit no other method appears to be consistent with
nature: and those systems which are founded on a.
vision by two appear to defy any attempts 70 alter
g The system proposed and partially introduced by
hars therefore he considered