Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Excerpt from State and National Laws: Concerning the Weights and Measures of the United States
Section VIII of Article I of the Constitution of the United States authorizes Congress to fix the standard of weights and measures, but notwithstanding that the importance Of the subject was repeatedly urged by Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, in their messages to Congress, no general legislation has ever been enacted in regard to the weights and measures now in common use. At the time of the American Revolution the weights and measures in common use were of English origin. Most of them had been procured from time to time by the colonies from Great Britain, and although it was well known that there were variations in those of the same denomination, it was not until 1830 that the matter received attention from Congress. At this time an investigation of the weights and measures in use in the various customhouses Was ordered by a resolution of the Senate. As a result of this investigation the avoirdupois pound, the English yard, the wine gallon of 2 31 cubic inches, and bushel Of cubic inches were adopted by the Treasury Department, and the construction of copies of the standards thus established was immediately undertaken in order to supply the customhouses with uniform weights and measures.
In 18 36 a joint resolution of Congress directed the Secretary of the Treasury to deliver to the governor of each State in the Union a complete set of all the weights and measures adopted as standards by that department, to the end that a uniform standard of weights and measures might be established throughout the United States. Nearly all of the States have been supplied with complete sets of standards in accordance with the resolution mentioned, and in many cases they have been adopted by legislative action as the standards of the State. The fundamental standards - the pound, yard, gallon, and bushel - are, therefore, with certain exceptions, . Uniform throughout the Union. The practice, however, in regard to the use of the two units last mentioned and their subdivisions difi'ers materially. In some States the gallon of certain Commodities is defined as a definite number of pounds. Twelve pounds Of strained honey is a legal gallon in Nebraska; 6% pounds of kerosene in Kansas; 7 pounds of linseed in Ohio, and 11 pounds of sorghum molasses in Indiana. These legal weights do not accord with the true volume of 1 gallon of 2 31 cubic inches.
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