New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-08
WEIGHTS, MEASURES IND COINS. =. NO.a

To the French nation belongs the remarkable dis
tiuction of the first and only complete and Systematic
attcmp 10 construct weights and measures on an I'M
proved plan. An attempt only, for experience has
shoyn il to be an Unsuccessful one. But it the
work of great minds and we may chartably ascribe
their want of success partly at least to the inexpor
ence Of mankind in such attempts; plea which we
cannot have in future, with their experience before
us; which, therefore, will do we'll to anayzc
fully in order To determine what in their system was
wanting to insure success.
This great attempted reformation naturally divides
itself into two prominent aspects under which II may
be considered. The first OF these relates to the attain
mcut Of a standard of length related To some well.
ascertairol natural law that can be verified at any
time, or reproduced if lost; together with definite
relation founded or similar laws, between this stand
ard and The primary units Of other measures and of
weight. The Accomplishment Of these objects was
the great work of the appointed to perfect and
car1y out the French system, and was performed IN
manner that has gwen enduring fame to the names OF
Mechain, Borda, Delambre, and Le:evre Gineau and
enhanced not little that which belongs to those of
Iavosier Lapace, PIony LagraDge, and others
though the IropIicy sound principle OF the stand
ard selected by them has often been called in question:
and may hereafter claim some comments. The second
principal aspect under which the French system may
be consdelCd-and that with which we have now to
do-relatcs 10 the adoption of such ratio between
the successive denominations of the same kind of
measure uniform in al the different kinds of measured
as gave the greatest facility for calculation; result
further promoted by the peculiar nomenclature
adopted Thus the standard unit of length is the
METRE, which is multiplied by the successive powers
of TIN for the larger denominations which are named
in the ascending order, deca-mere, hectOmetre klo
metre ard myria-metre; and dirided by the ike pow
ers of ten for the lesser descending denominations,
called respectively decmetre, cent-metre, and milf
metre This arrangement entirely does away with
any necessity for the process OF reduction from one
denomination TO another for when distance Is stated
TO be G Kilometres, il is known a. once that II Is
equal to 600 metres; and space of ceniimeires
We know with the same readiness TO be .O2 2lOO Of
metre So. four kilometres, five decametres, two
metres sad seven ccntime,res is al once written down
by mere inspection as L. 4052.07 hence these guam
titles so expressed like dollars and cents In FEDERAL
money exactly correspond TO the common aT1thnei-
cal notation and admit Of all the operations o. ath
netic with the facility abstract OF common
numbers. The system Of ratios and pIsfAes Is
adopted for all other kinds of measure, and for weight
the principal unit metre being changed to are Tor arcs
htre for capacity sers for sodity, and gronme FOR
weight. The adaptation of this system to the pur-
poses of calculation, with tho common notation, is so
obviously perfect to induce its general by SCI
entfc men except perhaps in Great Brtaiu in sisse
Of national prejudice-.
Though, as has been said above, the fyng of
| the standards Of the French system wss ne grea.