, 1860-06-19

Uniform Weights and Measures.
han fo1n


The attempt to agree upon unifcrmitr n
Weights srd meAaures s9ems something like th+
attempts TO restore or form r universal Inn
Eaase- The result would be very desirable ue
doubt, bus the difficulties to be sur1nounled ar.
10 mrnF, that Hi,hout = power russessed q,
universal dominion, it would seem to be utierly
1mp1acncah'e, tll legislators ure more enliph.,
enca ;tnd d interested than st present. In The
mstterof coinage, our decin,6f sys.em nav be
cons1dered perfect in itself Considered: ita onl.
misfortune being tn.t there IL no har nation Il
'stsse!n that agrees with it,: Bnt With regard q
~e'Ehss aud melsnreswc are in sad plight
na1alJ any two siatesase allk q. At the iorma,
tion OF TIE Constitution, uniformity in this mat.
ter was fe't to he 50 desirable that the entire
power 10 regulate 1t "as put into the hands oi
Consrese, acd yet it has, in tho language oil
Judge Story, "remained IN @. great, uaeasure
dormant" although II matter OF great pubic
convenience but every Sta.c Lexi.latura has
tinkcred ct it time and :;aiu for its owu iatrr-
ests and against those OF other States and com
manlies 10 In almoat inct edible extent. I1tbis
STATE coal is eu7 mc:t important article Of COM
merce, and re hare, as a'l know, two different
tons, varying By t.o hundred and FORTY hounds.
The lttan who Gun buy By, ono aud SELF by he
osher, makes ize profit out OF tie ambiguity,
In this case tue convenience Of the decimal avx-
TEN may be pleaded is fsror Of our Stale law,
STILL 80 necessary il it fnund to keep up to what
IS understood indesiing br Wholesale w1tl. other
Staies ard countries. sh.: a. tic m'ne> tho old
s"te OF the tinkerlngs Of State Legislative enact
ment.
But in regard to grain Of oil kinds, it REQUIRES
no slight know1e9g: mot cnls Of the markets.
but Of the laws .! esch Stale uud their very
last Legislative enactmcnts, to bny and sell By
the "prlcss curren:,' withtut grea. danger Of
being grossly deceived in al calculations. The
IN Kksf r1..ra f%nt1fa m;A3.
the contrary" ueans Ill sorts Of things in cur
different states: In EsEl<y. for instance, there
IS variation Of 60 less tran eighteen pounds,
weight in its legal equivalent. In our own
State, Il pounds il q Lit ,hel, but in Lau..iana
81, and in California 80! II other STATES there
ase no fewer thau four other different weights.
or eevea distire. standards il tut United States.
In Oats the variation is fron, IS pounds in Con
nectcut to 81 pounds in Washington Territory.
:2 pounds used to b. cur legal weight, hut the
last legislature ,eiuced i. 10 the New Jersey
standard, 80 pcNuds. Indian Corn varies frot,
s. pounds in lilinois to So pounds in New York.
in peuus;lyan'a it keag IS. Backwheat is u
pounds in LIMOS; IS in Pennsylvania. and So
pounds in Kentucky. C.oy.rxetd and Wheat
varv only from 80 10 & pounds. Potatoes ara
uniformly 90 pounds in uil The States, but Dried
Apples rary from "a pounds in Iowa. to Is in
Wisconsin, and Dried peacEes from IS in via.
consiu to 50 pounds IN Iowa. We hare given
hero but slight specimen Of the general dis
cord. II \ nasu takes up the prices current ia
one ci!y, and buys by telegraph 1000 bu. Barley
in New 0rieans, because tho cost Is tritia
lower than in PbiEudelpbia, te finds that be
loses more than one tAi,d in quantity By an act:
Of the Legislature Of louls'aua. Vi course the
effect Of tils is to make each State put The mum
ber OF pounds to the bushel lower and lower.
without any regard to one standard measure.
In oats, for instance. from thirty four to tL,rty
six pounds is often the actual Teight per bushel
in this State. But instead of taking ti,e best.
he rors. Is made The saa-..Fi. This can hardly
have good elltc, upon cur farmers, .Lo ovgit
10 feel that their crops Of oats are below the na,k
il they do mol come mp to 81 lbs. Ifamsu
buys lot Of dried peaches ia Wisconsin. aud
undertakes to retail them tut By measure. he
Eili probably find the g lbs fall 1t least fire
sounds Of ac:u Il loss il cach bushel measured.
But il be buy in Iowa, he will save this. Uutjn
tried apples the gain will Le four pounds II lie
ouy il Wisconsin.
In FraIce they hare 4 decimal system applied
% everything measured. 1t is hxed, Uniform
ind convenient. But If house in Chicago
'hould ship vessel loaded with buckvheat, by
te St. Lawrence to Liverpool, and auother
,ouse in Piiladelphis should de the saIne thing.
here wuRbl 10 'diltrrnce OF eight pounds
Weight. or ouc-fi1sh in ere1y bushel shipped
rom the two rurts. There is no reason Thy
congress should notleg's'atc in this matter. and
make uniform dcc:mal 81 STEM for the couutrv
md all the States.