tion to it, and which will not vary, in any sensible degree, from the length of the foot now in use; and that, after such a standard foot shall be obtained, one or more experiments ought to be made to ascertain the weight of a cube of rain water, which shall be equal to the one-thousandth part of a cube whose side shall be the aforesaid standard foot; and that sixteen times the weight of such a cube of water ought to be the unit of weights or pounds avoirdupois; and that after this unit of weights or pound shall be so ascertained, experiments ought to be made to ascertain the weights of such divisions of this unit or pound, as shall be most convenient for the purpose of weighing all substances that require exactness in the weight, such as the precious metals, and the like, and in making these, the four following methods of dividing the pound have been contemplated by the committee: "The division of the pound, in a decimal ratio, until it shall be divided into 1,000 parts, and the division of each of these into seven parts, which will divide the pound into 7,000 parts. "2. The division of the pound, in a decimal ratio, the smallest weight in common use to be the ten thousandth part. "3. The division of the ounce into 18 parts, and each of these again into 24, which will divide the pound into 6,912 parts. "4. The division of the ounce, in a decimal ratio; the least weight in common use to be the one thousandth part, which will divide the pound into 16,000 parts. "The least weight in the first of these divisions will be the present troy grain, and the remaining will bear the following proportions to it: that is, the second will be to the present troy grain as 7 is to 10; the third as 7,000 to 6,912; the fourth as 7 to 16. Of these respective divisions, the committee are of opinion that the second and last are preferable, because they may be more easily introduced, will better accommodate themselves to decimal arithmetic, and in the least divisions, before mentioned, will produce weights less than the present troy grain, and which must, therefore, be sufficiently exact for most purposes. The committee have conceived it unnecessary to come to any particular determination about the divisions of the foots, or respecting the contents of the gallon and bushel, until it shall be determined whether experiments shall be made relative to this subject; and they would therefore submit the following resolutions: [H. or R. derived from it, which shall be equal to or shall not sensibly vary from, the present foot now in use, and which shall bear an even proportion to the length of such pendulum rod. "2. To ascertain the weight of a cube of rain water, of a known degree of heat, according to Fahrenheit's thermometer, to be ascertained at the time when the experiment shall be made, which shall be equal in quantity to the one-thousandth part of a cube whose side shall be equal to the standard foot ascertained by the pendulum rod, in manner as above directed; which weight of water, when so obtained, shall be the standard ounce avoirdupois; sixteen of which shall make the pound avoirdupois; and the pound, when so determined on, shall be the unit weight for the United States. "3. To ascertain the respective weights of the following divisions of the pound and the ounce : "1. The division of the pound, in a decimal ratio, unto 1,000 parts; and the least of these again into 7 parts. "2. The division of the pound, in a decimal ratio, unto 10,000 parts. "3. The division of the ounce into 18 parts, and each of these into 24 parts. "4. The division of the ounce, in a decimal ratio, unto 1,000. "Resolved, That a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars ought to be appropriated for the purpose of defraying the expenses that may arise in making the foregoing experiments." Mr. KITCHELL said, that the best way of doing this business would be to refer the whole to Mr. Rittenhouse, and let those members who wished to understand the subject go to school to him. Mr. HAVENS said, he should be sorry to confess himself so altogether ignorant as the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. KITCHELL] had professed himself to be, concerning this or any other subject about which it was necessary for him to decide, as a member of a Legislative body. If he had found himself so totally uninformed as the gentleman had professed himself to be, he should certainly endeavor to inform himself as well as he could before he was called upon to vote upon the question. The subject of Weights and Measures was certainly a matter of importance to the United States, and an uniformity in them much "Resolved, That the President of the United States to be desired; particularly in some of the meashall be authorized to employ such persons, of suffi-sures of capacity, as, for instance, in the bushel, cient mathematical and philosophical skill, as he shall in which there was considerable variety in the think most proper, for the purpose of making the foldifferent States. lowing experiments, the result of which shall be reThis want of uniformity, he ported to Congress at their next session: said, was not confined to the United States only, "1. To ascertain the length of a pendulum rod of iron, tions of Europe. In England, in particular, there but was a subject of complaint among the naof a cylindrical form, whose diameter shall not exceed the had been various standards established at differone hundred and twentieth part of its length, which shall ent times by different acts of Parliament, which perform its vibrations in one second of mean time, in an arc not exceeding four degrees, and in the latitude must have produced considerable embarrassment of the city of Philadelphia, at any place between the ri- and much uncertainty on the subject, as would vers Delaware and Schuylkill, and at a known height appear evident to any one who would take the above the level of common high water in the river Del- trouble of examining the report of the late Secreaware, and in a known temperature of the atmosphere, tary of State on this subject. The select comaccording to Fahrenheit's thermometer, both to be ascer-mittee, in forming the report then under consideratained when the experiment shall be made; and after tion, he said, had endeavored to avoid those diffiits length shall be ascertained, by one or more experi-culties, which they supposed had heretofore prements for that purpose, a standard foot, to be the unit vented the introduction of uniformity in our of all measures in length for the United States, shall be Weights and Measures, on the principles contain H. OD R.] Weights and Measures. [MAY, 1796. Mr. PAGE wished those gentlemen who spoke upon this subject would speak as it became legislators; and those who did not understand the principles of the report would do well to be silent. He did not himself boast of any superior knowledge on this subject; but, as he had been put upon the committee, he should wish to say there was great propriety in attempting to obtain the end which the select committee had in view; and he hoped the Committee of the Whole House would have no need to go to school to Mr. Rittenhouse, as had been proposed by the gentleman from New Jersey, [Mr. KITCHELL, unless they were more disposed to ridicule what they did not comprehend than to receive information on the subject. He would not, indeed, attempt to teach gentlemen who knew nothing of the first principles of calculation; perhaps Mr. Rittenhouse himself could not do this. The English and French nations, Mr. P. said, had for some time been engaged in the pursuit of a certain mode by which to regulate and make uniform their Weights and Measures. The French had gone on in the business, and attained a standard, which they had forwarded to the United States. The Senate, he said, had made a report on the subject. The committee had consider ed in that report. It had been proposed, in that report, that an experiment should be made in the latitude of 45 or 38 degrees, to ascertain the length of a pendulum rod, a certain given portion of which should be the standard foot of the United States. The expense attending such an experiment, the committee had conceived, was the principal reason why the proposal had not been adopted, and, to avoid this, they had proposed that such an experiment should be made in the city of Philadelphia, under circumstances that would produce the same uniformity, and would therefore answer the same purpose to the United States. The committee had conversed with a gentleman, [Mr. Rittenhouse,] whom it was probable the PRESIDENT would employ on such an occasion, concerning the probable amount of the expense that would attend the making such experiments as they had recommended in their report, and were informed by him that it might not exceed five hundred dollars, but that one thousand dollars might be considered as amply sufficient. The committee had, therefore, inserted that sum in their report, as the highest that would be probably wanted for the purpose. It was a thing well known to persons who had paid any attention to subjects of this nature, that a cubic vessel whose side was equal in length to the Englished both. foot, would hold one thousand ounces avoirdupois Mr. P. said, he would first show that a standof rain water; the committee had, therefore, re-ard was wanting. There were now in use the commended an experiment of that kind to be ell, the yard, the British foot, and so on, and a made, in order to ascertain the weight of the great variety among the several standards of the avoirdupois pound, which they proposed to adopt foot. The size of the bushel, likewise, varied in as the standard, and to lay aside the use of the troy different parts of the country. To fix a standard pound. This was agreeable to a report of a former by which to regulate Weights and Measures, you committee of the Senate upon the subject, and he must have recourse to some unalterable length in had never heard any person make any objection nature. It was well known that the length of a to such a regulation. In short, the committee had pendulum rod which will perform its vibrations studiously endeavored to remove every solid ob- in a second of mean time, would always be the jection which might be brought against directing same in the same latitude and temperature of the experiments to be made that would ascertain air. And when that length is once known, the standards derived from such principles in nature standard can at all times be regulated by it. The as would produce the uniformity desired. It had French had proceeded in another manner to obbeen their intention to deviate no farther from tain an invariable length, derived from a certain the present prevailing habits of the people than principle in nature; they had measured the length was absolutely necessary to produce uniformity, of an arc of the meriaian, and from that they had the great object which ought to be had in view; determined the length of the ten-millionth part of they had no idea of introducing any unnecessary one-quarter of the meridian of the earth, and had novelties in the Weights and Measures of the adopted this length as their standard. We have United States; they only wished such experi- not, said Mr. P., proposed an undertaking so great ments to be made as appeared necessary, in order and expensive as to measure any portion of the to obtain a natural standard; these they proposed earth's meridian. All that we propose is, an exto be made in the summer ensuing, and, at the periment which will ascertain the length of a pennext session, Congress might again take the sub-dulum rod vibrating seconds of mean time. We ject into consideration, and, after knowing the re-request this at this time, said he, because we have sult of these experiments, might regulate the in this city at present three or four gentlemen standards by them in such manner as should then appear most eligible. Mr. COOPER rose and said, ludicrously, that whilst the report was reading, it put him in mind of the following lines, which he had read in the Deserted Village: "While words of learned length and thundering sound, who are doubtless equal, if not superior, to any in the world for performing an experiment of this kind, and who will no doubt undertake it; and for the credit of the United States, and for the benefit of the country at large, he hoped the experiment would be made this Summer. Gentlemen who thought the report so very mysterious, could not see how this business was to be effected by this experiment; he would there fore inform them, that, by it would be ascertained a certain standard in length, which at present exists no where. There would be but little difference betwixt the present foot and the standard foot to be established. It was a fortunate circumstance for science that it had been well ascertained that the English foot was equal to the side of a cubed vessel which would contain 1,000 ounces avoirdupois of rain water; and, after knowing the weight of a cubic foot of rain water, you may easily regulate by it the unit of weights, which may afterwards be subdivided decimally, or in such manner as shall be most convenient for weighing coin, or any other substance requiring less exactness in the weight; but he would not be too particular on a subject of this kind, lest some gentlemen should by and by call upon him to explain what he meant by vulgar fractions and decimal fractions. [H. OF R. convince gentlemen that this was a subject of importance, and required some Legislative regulation, and that it ought not to be considered in a ludicrous point of light, as some gentlemen seemed to consider it, he would take the liberty of reading a part of the report of the late Secretary of State respecting the great variety of standard bushels which had been established at various times in Great Britain. [He then read that part of the report which states a great variety in the bushels of Great Britain.] From that country, said Mr. H., we derive our measures, and this had produced different bushels in the different States, but he believed the Winchester bushel was the most prevalent; for these considerations, he trusted it would be considered as worth while to expend the sum proposed in the report of the committee, in order to make the several experiments which had been proposed, and that no gentleman would consider it in a ludicrous or trivial point of light. He thought it was of importance to ascertain, whilst we have men of genius amongst us, the standard proposed, and not have to send to the 45th degree of latitude, nor undertake to measure any number of degrees of the meridian, as the French had done. These would be expensive things. All they asked for was $1,000, and he trusted the enlightened world would say $1,000 were never bet-off, from time to time, what the country stood so ter expended. Mr. FINDLEY said, he should vote for agreeing to the report. He believed they were bound by the Constitution to regulate Weights and Measures. This being the case, why should they put much in need of? It was not right, because every one was not a competent judge of the propriety of this report, that it should be rejected. He was obliged himself sometimes to decide on things which he did not perfectly comprehend; this would not prevent him from voting for an experiment which, though not clear to him, might be of the greatest advantage to the United States, and perhaps to the world at large. He was so far a judge of the business as to believe the experiment was necessary, and that it could be done. He He hoped the resolution would be agreed to. Mr. S. SMITH said, he did not pretend to understand anything of philosophy or mathematics; but it was so desirable that the subject should be undertaken, that he was willing to agree to the resolution authorizing the PRESIDENT to employ suitable persons to make the experiment in question. Nothing was more worthy of their attention than the obtaining of uniform Weights and Measures. All commercial men felt heavily the disadvantages arising from the present inequality. He hop-hoped the report would be agreed to. ed the report would therefore be agreed to. Mr. SWANWICK agreed with the gentleman last up. No fact was better ascertained than the great uncertainty of Weights and Measures. He had known various instances in which disputes had arisen for want of some certain standard by which to regulate Weights and Measures; and frequently the payment of a whole cargo disputed on account of a difference in the sizes of bushels. He could not say whether the plan now proposed was the best that could be adopted; but he thought the experiment ought to be tried. Every body was ready to acknowledge the evil existed, though few could say which was the best means of curing it. He thought the report a very ingenious one, and they would do wrong lightly to reject it. He was the more convinced of this from the ingenious observations which had fallen from the gentlemen from Virginia and New York on the occasion. Mr. HAVENS said, that when he was last up, he had not gone into such a consideration of the subject as might make it necessary to introduce many observations of a mathematical or philosophical nature. He had endeavored to avoid such a discussion, lest it should be disagreeable, or might appear ridiculous to some gentlemen who had never attended to subjects of that nature; but, to Mr. DAYTON (the Speaker) said, the subject of Weights and Measures was very important, and to no country more so than to the United States, as every State had its different Weights and Measures, which caused the greatest uncertainty in all commercial transactions in which they were concerned. Mr. D. owned his philosophical and mathematical knowledge was not sufficient to form a correct judgment of the report before them; but he conceived it to be a very ingenious report, and one which did the committee great honor, and for which the House was much indebted. He thought they ought to do what the committee recommended. It would be money well expended. He hoped there would not be found a majority of that Committee who would think differently. He hoped the business would not be treated with levity, but that they should be disposed to treat it with that attention and candor which it deserved. The subject was of consequence, and as it had been stated that there were men now in Philadelphia who would be very able to execute the proposed experiment, he trusted they should af ford an opportunity of its being effected, by granting the money required. Mr. WILLIAMS said, that as they were about regulating the coin of the country, it was very de H. of R.] Compensation to Public Officers-Accountant War Department. sirable to have this experiment carried into effect at this time. Every one, he said, must acknowledge the great inconveniences which at present arose from the great uncertainty of Weights and Measures, and he trusted the report would be agreed to, that a fair chance may be given to effect a cure of the evil which all acknowledged to exist. Mr. BALDWIN was in favor of the report. He had no idea of going much into the subject. The experiment proposed, he said, was only one step. Whether we should deviate much from our present bushel and foot would be a question afterwards to be decided. When they met, at the next session, the result of the experiment would be laid before them, and the comparison could be made. If this step was not taken, they might go on from time to time talking on the subject, without coming any nearer to the point in question. It was an experiment which could only hazard the loss of five or six hundred dollars; because, if, when the experiment was made, it was not thought advisable to apply the principle discovered, the extent of the evil would be the loss of the money. The question was put and agreed to. The Committee rose, and a bill was ordered to be brought in. A bill was afterwards brought in and passed with little opposition; but the Senate (probably from the lateness of the session) postponed the consideration of the subject to the next session. MONDAY, May 16. Mr. HARRISON reported a bill for ascertaining the uniform principle for regulating Weights and Measures; which was twice read, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole to morrow. [MAY, 1796. ter General, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, was agreed to be filled up with $500, there being, on a division, 41 in favor of it, which was declared to be a majority of the members present. The Committee rose and reported the bill, and the House took up the consideration, and, being agreed to, Mr. JACKSON moved to have the yeas and nays taken upon the passage of the bill. They were accordingly taken, and stood yeas 49, nays 30, as follows: YEAS.-Abraham Baldwin, David Bard, Benjamin Bourne, Theophilus Bradbury, Richard Brent, Gabriel Christie, William Cooper, George Dent, Samuel Earle, William Findley, Abiel Foster, Ezekiel Gilbert, William B. Giles, Henry Glen, Chauncey Goodrich, Roger Griswold, William B. Grove, Carter B. Harrison, Thomas Hartley, Jonathan N. Havens, John Heath, James Hillhouse, William Hindman, John Wilkes Kittera, Edward Livingston, Samuel Lyman, Francis Malbone, John Milledge, John Page, Josiah Parker, Francis Preston, John Reed, Robert Rutherford, Samuel Sitgreaves, Nathaniel Smith, Samuel Smith, William Smith, Richphaniah Swift, Richard Thomas, Mark Thompson, ard Sprigg, Jr., Thomas Sprigg, John Swanwick, ZeUriah Tracy, John E. Van Allen, Philip Van Cort landt, Peleg Wadsworth, John Williams, and Richard Winn. NAYS.-Theodorus Bailey, Nathan Bryan, Dempsey Burges, Samuel J. Cabell, John Clopton, Joshua Coit, Isaac Coles, Jesse Franklin, Albert Gallatin, James Gillespie, Christopher Greenup, Andrew Gregg, Wade Hampton, George Hancock, John Hathorn, Daniel Heister, Thomas Henderson, James Holland, George Jackson, Aaron Kitchell, Matthew Locke, Samuel Maclay, Nathaniel Macon, Andrew Moore, Anthony New, John Nicholas, John Richards, Israel Smith, Absalom Tatom, and George Thatcher. GRANTS FOR MILITARY SERVICES. A bill to continue in force for a limited time all the bill regulating the grants of land appropriated The House then took up the consideration of acts relative to light-houses, piers, &c., and an- for military services, and for the Society of Unitother for mitigating or remitting forfeitures un-ed Brethren for propagating the Gospel among der the revenue law, was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow. the heathen; when, after a few amendments, the principal of which were, that the tracts should be divided into townships of five, instead of six miles square; that such officers and soldiers of the late army as had located their warrants within the seven ranges, and had made improvement theremain undisturbed thereon; and a clause reserving on before a certain time, should be suffered to rethe free navigation of all the rivers, the bill was ordered for a third reading to-morrow. COMPENSATION TO PUBLIC OFFICERS. The bill making additional allowances to certain public officers for the year 1796, was read a third time, when the blanks were filled up. The first, which was to contain the additional sum to be allowed to the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and War Departments, Treasurer, Comptroller, Auditor, Register, Commissioner of Revenue, ACCOUNTANT WAR DEPARTMENT. Purveyor, Attorney General, and Postmaster Gen- The House resolved itself into a Committee of eral, was proposed to be filled with the several the Whole on the bill for augmenting the salaries sums of $1,000, $800, $750, $700, $600, $500, and of the Accountant General of the War Depart$400. After some discussion, a division was ment, when, having agreed to fill up the blank taken on the first sum, which was negatived, be-containing the amount of the salary, in the Coming only 19 for it. The sense of the Committee was next taken upon $800, which was negatived, 45 to 31. Then upon $750 and $700, which were lost by the same divisions. And a division was then taken on $600, and carried, 40 to 58. The next blank, which was to contain the additional allowance to be made to the Assistant Postmas mittee, after some debate, the sense of the Committee was taken upon $2,000, $1,700, and $1,600. The first sum was negatived without a division; $1,700 was negatived, 35 to 31; and the last sum which was an increase of $400 on the old salary) was carried, 36 to 32. Mr. TRACY proposed an amendment which MAY, 1796.] Imprisonment for Debt. [H. OF R. should allow the Accountant an additional sum Mr. TRACY, from the Committee of Claims, for the present year, on account of the dearness of made a report on the bill from the Senate, pro living, (agreeably to the advancement of other of-viding recompense for clerks, &c., who resided in ficers.) This occasioned some debate. It was Philadelphia during the yellow fever, to which proposed to fill up this blank with $500 and $400; they proposed to add several names. but at length the sense of the Committee was taken upon the amendment itself, without any sum being named; which was negatived, 40 to 24. The Committee then rose, and the House took up the business, when Mr. N. SMITH proposed to do away with the permanent salary altogether, and allow the Accountant $500 for the present year only, on account of the dearness of living. The amendment did not obtain, and the bill was ordered for a third reading to-morrow. BRITISH SPOLIATIONS. Mr. W. SMITH moved that the House should resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union on the memorial of sundry merchants of Charleston, praying for a loan or other aid fron Congress on account of British spoliations. They also reported on the petition of Alexander Fowler, praying to locate certain warrants on unoccupied lands in the Northwestern Territory. This report was against the petitioner. Both the reports were twice read, and referred to a Committee of the Whole to-morrow. Mr. BOURNE reported a bill supplementary to an act laying duties on snuff. Mr. W. SMITH also reported a bill empowering the Secretary of the Treasury to lease the salt springs of the United States Northwest of the river Ohio. Both the above bills were twice read, and ordered to be referred to Committees of the Whole to-morrow. POST OFFICES AND POST ROADS. made in Committee of the Whole in the bill reThe House took up the amendments yesterday gulating Post Offices and Post Roads, and having This was objected to by Messrs. SWANWICK, VENABLE, and others. They did not see with gone through the same and a few other alterawhat propriety gentlemen who had so warmly for a third reading. Some debate took place on a tions in the bill, it was ordered to be engrossed advocated the British Treaty, and said it would motion made by Mr. NICHOLSON to strike out a furnish ample compensation for all such spolia- clause which obliges printers to dry all their tions, could come forward and ask Congress to afford relief in such cases. It was said to be unne-in strong covers. go by post, and to put them up It was said by Messrs. NICHCLcessary to take up the time of the House on such SON and SWANWICK that this provision would put business; and the Committee of the Whole was it in the power of post offices to stop the circuladischarged from the consideration of it, and the tion of newspapers altogether, by refusing to acpetition ordered to lie on the table. On motion of Mr. WILLIAMS, the House resolv-cept them, on the ground of their not being suffi ed itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill for regulating Post Offices and Post Roads, which having gone through and amended, the Committee rose and the House adjourned. TUESDAY, May 17. newspapers which ciently dry, or in covers sufficiently strong; but, on the other hand, it was argued by Messrs. THATCHER and HARPER that the former part of the measure was at least desirable, and that it could not be supposed that the Postmaster General would unnecessarily obstruct the circulation of newspapers, and that, if he did, he would be liable to punishment. The bill regulating grants of land for military The amendment was negatived; when services, &c., was read a third time and passed. Mr. THATCHER moved to strike out the words The blank mentioning the time of registering war-directing papers to be enclosed in strong covers, rants was filled up with nine months; that containing the time after which no locations will be allowed, was filled up with January, 1800; and that for containing the time at which persons shall have resided on lands already located by military warrants, to entitle them to remain thereon, was filled with April 18, 1794, (the day on which the act bore date, allowing Capt. Kimberly to locate certain lands on the same principle.) and to add a clause, directing that all newspapers, for any particular post office, should be enclosed in a mail by themselves, and directed to said office, and should not be opened until they arrive at their place of destination. This amendment was agreed to, and the bill was ordered for a third reading. DAY OF ADJOURNMENT. Mr. GILES thought it was time to fix upon some The bill altering the compensation of the Ac-early period of adjournment. Most gentlemen, countant of the War Department was read a third he believed, felt anxious to be away. He theretime and passed. fore proposed a resolution to the following effect, which was ordered to lie on the table: A bill from the Senate was read providing passports for ships and vessels of the United States. A message from the Senate informed the House that the Senate have passed the bill, entitled "An act making provision for the payment of certain debts of the United States," with several amendments, to which they desire the concurrence of the House. 4th CON.-45 "Resolved, That the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives be authorized to close the present session, by adjournment of both Houses, on Saturday the 21st instant." IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. The House went into a Committee of the Whole on the report of a committee to whom was |