, 1872-10-27

Ill 1uttEudtioual CoHleIeuce u now IN bes-
sion, in Paris, for the purpose Of reducing the
conflicting systems Of weights and measures to
one general standard. Very little has been said
or heard Of the Conference, and Jet it embraces
tifc men in the world. Mr. j. E. Hilgard, Of
the Coast Survey, who has charge Of the stand
ard weights and measures at Washington, rep
resents this country. England is represented
by Prof. Airy, the Astronomer Royal, and Mr..
Chisholm, Custodian of Weights and Meas
ures Germany, by DR.. Forster, Director
Of the Observatory, and General
Boyer, President OF the Geodesic
Institute Of Berlin; Russia, by II. jacob, of
the st. Petersburg Academy Of Sciences; Prof.
struve, Director Of the Observatory at Pull
towa, and Prof. Wilde, Director of the Central
Observatory at st. Petersburg; France, by II.
de Bort. Minister OF Commerce and Agriculture,
General NORM, aud NJ. Tresca, Of the Conserva-
tory OF Arts and Trades, and various members
OF the Institute; and the Holy See by the re-
nowned astronomer, Father Zecchi. It is a
proof Of the general interest which is conferred
in this matter that Austria, Bavaria, Sweden,
Norway, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece,
Italy, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, tho Argen-
tine Republic, Peru, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Tur-
key, and Venezuela have all sent their most
eminent men to this Conference.
Of the desirability of reducing weights and
measures to common standard, the world over,
there is no doubt: of tho possibility Of accom-
plishinS it, there is every doubt. The universal
element Of habit, and the feeling OF each na-
tionality that it's system is the best, will un-
doubted1y operate to prevent any practical re-
suits being reached. Wo shall prob
ably have any amount Of learned
disquisitions on this topic, and profound mathe-
matical and astronomical essays, covering
wide range of scientific investigation, and then
the Conference will adjourn without taking any
definite action. It will be very difficult, for in
stance, to convince an American that there is
any better System than the good old rule Of
measuring twelve inches to the foot and twelve
ounces to the pound, the gentlemen from
Venezuela and the Isles OF the Sea will cling to
their Systems With persistent tenacity, and
the profound astronomer Zecch will undoubtedly
bring proofs from the stars and meteors, on be-
half Of the Holy See, that all the Systems ought
to go with the Index E1purgatorius, and that
new one should be constructed. The French
have the preponderating influence in the Con-
ference; it is the French metric system which
has inspired this meeting, and they have hopea
to reduce all other systems to their official STAN
dard Of the "metre,' the "Itre," and "gran-
me-" And yet, according to the statement Of
French papers, the official system has not been
adopted to any appreciable extent by the people
ut large. The ehopkeepers still retain the old
weights and measures, and do business as their
fathers did before them. The prospect, there
fore, that the French authorities can induce the
foreign members Of the Conference to accept
system which their own people are not willing to
adopt, is not a very brilliant one, nor does it
seem at all probable that any result will ensue
from the meeting except some very learned and
very tedious disquisitions OF an oxasper-
atingly technical description. The world will,
undoubtedly, go Oh weighing and measuring as
it hns done since the flood; and, as it has got
along very comfortably, and without conflict, for
thousands Of years past it will probably con-
tinue to do go for thousands Of years to come,
content to leave metres. itres, and grammes,
yards, feet, and pounds as they arc.