To the Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the construction and distribution of weights and measures, of 1857, pp. 4-7, we are indebted for the following information:

1. The actual standard of length, of the United States, is a brass scale of eighty-two inches in length, prepared for the survey of the coast of the United States by Troughton, of London, and deposited in the Office of Weights and Measures. The temperature at which this scale is a standard is 62 degs. Fahrenheit, and the yard measure is between the twenty-seventh and sixty-third inches of the scale. The copies or standards made for the Treasury Department, the States, the Custom Houses, etc., being of brass, the temperature of which the brass scale of Troughton is a standard is not of practical importance as far as making the copies is concerned. In fact, no differences have yet been detected in the various comparisons made between the expansion of the material of the Troughton scale and of our standards. The number used by Mr. Hassler, for the expansion of brass, was derived from his experiments made at Newark in 1817, recorded in the second volume, new series, of the American Philosophical Society's Transactions; it was for the proportional expansion, 0,000,010,509,03, or for expansion in one yard, 0,000,378,325,08 of an inch for 1 deg. of Fahrenheit's thermometer.

2. The units of capacity measure are the gallon for liquid, and the bushel for dry measure. The gallon is a vessel containing 58372.2 grains (8.3389 pounds, avoirdupois) of the standard pound of distilled water, at the temperature of maximum density of water, the vessel being weighed in air in which the barometer is 30 inches at 62 degs. Fahrenheit. The bushel is a measure containing 543391.89 standard grains (77.6274 pounds avoirdupois) of distilled water, at the temperature of maximum density of water, and barometer 30 inches at 62 degs. Fahrenheit.

3. The standard of weight is the troy pound, copied by Captain Kater, in 1827, from the Imperial Troy pound, for the United States Mint, and preserved in that establishment. The avoirdupois pound is derived from this; its weight being greater than that of the troy pound in the proportion of 7.000 to 5.760; that is, the avoirdupois pound is equivalent in weight to 7,000 grains troy. The pound is a standard of 30 inches of the barometer and 62 degs. Fahrenheit's thermometer.

These standards were adopted by the Treasury De

partment, on the recommendation of Mr. Hassler, in 1832. Their distribution has tended to produce practical uniformity in the weights and measures used in the different States, and thus the end proposed by Congress is fully attained. The early measures taken by the State of California to procure authentic standard, is strong evidence of the value attached to this practical uniformity, which can be secured in no other way than by the general distribution of authentic weights and measures. The set of standards furnished to the State of Alabama having been destroyed by the burning of the Capitol, in December, 1849, the Treasury Department, upon application of the Executive of that State, directed them to be replaced by new ones, which was accordingly done. Here is a precedent which may be of service to our State in future. Twenty-four (24) States have directed the distribution of standards to their counties, or provided for the supply of copies of those of the United States. The frequent inquiries by the Representatives from different States, and others, induce a belief that there is much interest on the subject of establishing thorough uniformity in weights and In a subsequent part of this report abstracts are given of the laws passed in the various States on this subject since the date of Mr. Adams' report, A. D. 1821. A list of the titles of the laws will be found in the Appendix of this report. The Territories are not by law supplied with these standards, but each new State as it is admitted is furnished.

measures.

COUNTY STANDARDS.

The standards to be furnished to the counties of each State should consist of a standard of length, standards of liquid and of dry capacity measures, and a set of troy and avoirdupois weights, with suitable scales and beams, or balances, for testing the town standards.

1. The standard of length should be the yard, carefully copied from the United States standard yard. The bar to be longer than the scale to be placed upon it, so that the ends may project beyond the lines between which the yard is measured. The scales of feet, inches of the first foot, and tenths of the first inch, and tenths of yard, with the first tenth divided into hundredths, should be marked upon the yard with fine strokes, transversely to the length, the principal divisions being marked by longer lines than the others. The bar should be a line measure, not cut to the length of the yard, because of the greater facility which it will afford for transferring the yard to other bars, by means