Weights and Measures (Metric System).

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Weights and Measures
(Metric System).
A
BILL
To render permissive the Use of the
Metric System of Weights and
Measures in this Country.
(Prepared and brought in by
Mr. William Ewart, Mr. Adderley, M1'. Cobden,
and Mr. Finlay,)
Ordered, by The Hou se of Commons, to be Printeo,
18 Feb rua1"y 1864.
[Bill 24.]
Unde1' 1 oz.
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Render permissive . the Use of the Metric System
of Weights and Measures in this Country. "
"' X THEREAS, for the Promotion and Extension of our internal Preamble.
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as well as our foreign Trade, and for the Advancement of
~
I,
I?
t
Science, it is expedient to legalize the Use of the Metric
·· System of Weights a~d Measures = Be it enacted by the Qu~en'8
5 most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of
. the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, ' in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, as follows .:
'"
1. This Act may be cited as the" Metric Weights and Measures ShQrt Title.
C . Act, 1864."
2. From and after the pa88vng of thi8 Act the Weights and
10
.
Measures of the Metric System shall be legal Weights and
Measures, and may be used for all Purposes whatsoever ..
I
~
The Use
of Metric
Weights
and Measures al-
3. The Length ' .of that Bar of Platinum, having the Word ~:~!. de.
~,
Metre" engraved upon it, in the
Possessio~
of the Royal Society,
15 and made in consequence of a Resolutio~ of the House of Commons,
adopted on the Fifteenth Day of Mai'ch One thousand eight hun~
[Bill 24. ]
A
dred
fined;
2
dred ' and ,sixteen, -shall at the TemperaJ~e~ pI {melting Icer, be
the Standard of the Measure of -':terrgth caHed the Metre; 'tHe
Decimal Multiples 'arid Divisions of ' which, and their:Equiv:~le~t~
in Imperial Measures, are set forth in '., the Schedule : hereunto
annexed.
5
The Are
Unit of
Superficial
Measure.
4. The Metric Unit of Superficial Measure shall be the Are
which is equal to One hundred Square Metres, or to a Square
Dekametre, the Decimal ,Multiples and Divisions of which, and
their Equivalents in the Imperial MeasUres, are set forth in the
Schedule hereunto annexed.
10
The Litre
Unit of
Measure of
Capacity.
5. The Metric Unit of Measures of Capacity, as well for Liquids,
as for Dry Goods, sh~ll be the Litre, equal in Capacity to a Cubic
Decimetre, the Decimal Multiples and Di1ci:sions of which, and
their Equivalents in the Imperial Measures, are set forth in the
Schedule hereunto annexed.
15
The Gram
Unit of
Weight.
6. The Metric Unit of Weight shall be the Gram, being the
Weight of a Cubic Centimetre of Distilled Water at the Temperature of its greatest Density; the Decimal, Multiples and
Divisions of which, and their Equivalents in the Imperial Weights,
are set
forth in. the
Schedule
hereunto
annexed.
20
,
"
..
-,
.....
"
Standard
Kilogram
of Platinum.
Double and
Half of
Principal
:Measures
andWeights.
Copies and
M· odelds to d
bemaean
deposited
' lp'nlcertain
aces.
.
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".
7. The Kilo'g ram Or Kilo, ,being ,t he Weight of
On~ thousand
Grams, " is hereby declared to be represented by the Standard
Kilogram of Platinum preserved in the Royal Observatory at
Greemvich.
8. For the Subdivision of the Metric Measures and Weights it 25
~hall be lawful to use the D~ubie, and Half of all 't~e afoi'esaidUnits,
and of their Decimal Multiples and Divisions.
,
,
,
9. Exact Copies of the aforesaid Metre and Kilogram, together
with a Standard Litre, and of such Multiples and Parts' thereof as
the Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council for Trade shall 30
judge expedient, shall, within Six Months after the passing of this
Act, be made under th'e Direction of the said Committee, ' and
after being dUly verified shall be sent to the Lord Mayor of London, ·
the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Lord Provost ' of Edinburgh, and
to all Counties, ,S hires, Stewartries,Ridings, Divisions" Cities, 35
Towns, Liberties, and Places in which by; Law Copies and Models
of the Standard Imperial Weights and ,Measures are or are required
to be , kept, and to such, other Places and Persons as the President
..
Weights and Meas'ures (Metric System).
3
"
of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade may from Time to
Xime direct .
. 10. 1'he _Rates ._.and .. Dutie:s _of the C,ustoms o,n . any Goods ,
o~ Cus~oms
MerchandisEY arriving from any Country in which the Metric ??eu~~~~e::~
5 Weights and Measures . are in use shall, if the Person ,paying or by Metric
chargeable with the ,Duty thereon shall so require, be collected by MWeights
and
easures.
the Metric Weights and Measures; and so soon as conveniently
. may be after th(3 pa88ingoj thi8 -:Act accurate Tables shall be prepared and published under . the ~irection of the said Committee of
10 the Privy Council for Trade, in order that the severaL Rates and
Duties of Customs and Excise and other, Her Majesty's Revenue
maylJe adjusted,~ and, when required by the Parties, made payable
according to, the ..respective Quantities of the Metric Weights and
Measures.
15
11. All Judges, Magistrates, and other ,Person or Persons who
now are or shall. hereafter, be authorized, by Law to order
or provide'
: __
Copies of the Imperial, Standard :Weights · and Measm'es .. shall at all
Times hereafter have like Power and Authority to' order or provide -- Coples of the ' Metric: Standard Weights and Measures, and
20 to charge :the Expense , thereof upon the Fund or Funds, Money
or Monies, that would have ,been liable in case it had beel?- Copies
of St~ndard Imperial Weights and Measures that had been ordered
or provided.
'"
,.
..
Magistrates
I!,lcay,Provfide
oples 0
Metre
Weights and
Measures for
Reference.
12'- All and ' every the Provisions and Pr~vision whidh' are or may Provisions
25 ·be hereafter by Law ' in force with respect to the Insp~c1Jion, Verifi- iegard,i~g
R everl'ficat"IOn, ' StampIng,
'
Count eriel
i! 't'
mpel'la and
"
cat lOn,
..
mg, alfd 1M 0 des 0 f Weights
Conviction, witli the Penalty or Penalties relating thei'eto, of the Measu1res
' 1W
' h ts an'u M easures, sh a11 app1y to and be ;m
' force WIth
, ' to
to MetriC'
app y
I mperm
. mg
regarp, to the Metric !Weights and Measures in every 'respect as if Weights and
30 the Metric Weig.hts and :M:~asm'e~ wer~ compl'ised in a~d designated Measures.
by the Imperial Weights , and Measm'es in , the Acts "relating to
such Inspection', Verification, Reverification, Stamping, Counterfeiting, and Modes of Conviction, and the Penalty :01' Penalties
relating thereto, .as aforesaid~
[24.J
A2
SCRE.-
4
Weights and M easures (Metr'ic System)"
SCHEDULE to which thjs Act refers.
-
Metric Names,
Metric Equivalents,
~'
Imperial Equivalents,
,
,.
r Myriametre
I Kilometre Linear
Measures,
~ Heetometre
Dekametre
Metre,
ICentimetre
Decim etre~-
LMillimetre
-
Dekare
-
Are
LCentiare
-
r Kilolitre
-
I
M
Hectolitre easure
~ D ek al
rtre
f
o ,
Litre
CapaCIty,
I Decili,t re -
-
I
l
I
-
"
reet",e
Square'
Measure,
10,000 Metres 1,000
"
106
"
10
The Unit "
-loth of a Metre
r <l-u t h
"
l'o'ooth
Centil~tre
-
Inches,
-
-
.
-,
-
-
' 39~,
'39
Square Yards,
Roods,
9'885
-
1000 Litres, or a Cubic
Metre.
_.
100
"
10
The Unit," or a Cubic
Decimetre,
-r\,th of a Litre Th th
-
I
Weights,
-
,
. Qumtal .Myriagram
Kilogram -
1
Heetogram
Deka()'ram
t>
Gram
-
l
Dec;gram -
Centigram
Milligram -
1000 Kilograms the
Weight of a Cubic
Metre of Water,
100 Kilograms
10
"
1000 Grams
100
"
10
"
The Uni.t the Weight of
a Centimetre of Water,
,loth of a Gram
, ~ uth
"
TO-Jo th
-
-
"
-
-
~
----"
-
10
-
J
Acres,
2" 471
' 988
' 24.7
' 099
' ' 025
-
Pints,
' Gallons,
1760'773
220 ' 097
-
19
~
20
•
~'
176 ' 0.77
17'608
1'761
'J76
'018
-
"
-
Miles,
6 ' 2 l4
0'621 , 5
0 ' 062
-
100 Ares or 10,000 11960'333
Square Metres,
10 Ares or J,OOO Square 1196 '033
Metres,
,.
11 9 '603
The Unit
1' 196
Th t h of an Are, or 1
Square Metre,
Grains,
[ Ton
Yards,
10936 ' 331
1093 ' 633
, 100 ' 363
10'936
1 ' 094
39'371
3 ' 937
-
.;
22'010
2'201
'220 ,
-
-
I
-
--
.,
.~
25
~
,
Ounces,
Pounds,
- : ' .>
-
-
2204, ' 714: 30
-
-
-
220 ' 471 .
22'047 .' ,
2' 205 35
----.
-
15'433
1'543
' 154
'015
35'275
3'528
'353
--
-
'
"
-
-,
--
40