" And N% hereas it is expedient, that persons should be allowed to use the several weights and measures which they may have in their possession, although such weights and measures may not be in conformity with the standard weights and measures established by this act ; be it therefore enacted, that it shall and may be lawful firr any person or persons to buy and sell goods and merchandise by any weights or measures, established either by local custom or founded on special agreement ; provided always, that in order that the ratio or proportion which all such measures and weights shall bear to the standard weights and measures established by this act, shall be and become a matter of common notoriety, the ratio or proportion which all such customary measures and weights shall bear to the said standard measures, shall be painted or marked upon all such customary weights and measures respectively ; and that nothing herein contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to permit any makers of weights or measures, or any person or persons whomso ever, to make any weight or measure at any time after, except in conformity with the standard weights and measures estab lished under the provisions of this act.
"And be it further enacted, that accurate tables shall be prepared and published, showing the proportions between the weights and measures heretotbre in use, as mentioned in such inquisitions, and the weights and measures hereby established ; and after the publication of such tables, all future payments to be made shall be regulated according to such tables.
"And whereas the weights and measures by which the rates and duties of the customs and excise, and other his majesty's revenue, have been heretofore collected, are dif ferent from the weights and measures of the same denomina tions directed by this act to be universally used ; and whereas the alteration of such weights and measures may, without due care had therein, greatly affect his majesty's revenue, and tend to the diminishing of the same ; for the prevention thereof, be it theretbre enacted, that, so soon as conveniently may be, accurate tables shall be prepared and published, in order that the several rates and duties of eustoms and excise, and other his majesty's revenue, may be adjusted and made payable according to the respective quan tities of the legal standards directed by this act to be univer sally used ; and that from and after the publication of such tables, the several rates and duties thereafter to be collected by any of the officers of his majesty's customs or excise, or other his majesty's revenue, shall be collected and taken according to the calculations in the tables to be prepared as aforesaid."
Table of the several Standard illeasures.—English Long Measure.
4 Inches = 1 Hand 6 Feet = 1 Fathom 3 Miles = 1 League 60 Geographical miles = 1 Degree 691 English miles = 1 Degree nearly 360 Degrees, or 25,000 miles, is equal to the eircumference of the earth, Dearly.
Cloth Measure.
Inches. Nails.
1 Quarters.
9 = 4 = 36 = 16 = 4 = 1 yard 27 = 12 = 3 = 1 ell Flemish 45 = 20 = 5 = 1 ell English 54 = 24 = 6 = 1 ell French The French standard was formerly the mte, or ell, con taining 3 Paris feet, 7 inches, 3 lines, or 1 yard 2-sevenths English ; the Paris foot royalexceeding the English by 6S thousandth-parts. This ell is divided two ways, viz., into halves, thirds, sixths, and twelfths, and into quarters, half quarters, and sixteenths.
The standard in Holland, Flanders, Sweden, and a good part of Germany—many of which were formerly called the Hans-towns, as Dantzic and Hamburg, and at Geneva, Frankfort, &c.—is likewise the ell ; but the ell in all these plaees differs from the Paris ell. In Holland, it contains one Paris foot eleven lines, or four•sevenths of the Paris ell. The Flanders ell contains two feet one inch five lines and half a line, or seven-twelfths of the Paris ell. The ell of Germany Brabant, &e. is equal to that of Flanders.
The Italian measure is the branchio, brace, or fathom. This obtains in the states of Modena, Venice, Florence, Lucca, Milan, Mantua, Bologna, &c., hut is of different lengths. At Venice, it contains one Paris foot eleven inches three lines, or eight-fifteenths of the Paris ell. At Bologna, Modena, and Mantua, the brace is the same as at Venice. At Lucca, it contains one Paris foot nine inches ten lines, or half a Paris ell. At Florence, it contains one foot nine inches four lines, or forty-nine hundredths or a Paris ell. At Milan, the brace for measuring of silks is one Paris foot seven inches four lines, or four-ninths of a Paris ell ; that for woollen cloths is the same with the ell of Holland. Lastly, at lk.rga I no, the brace is one toot seven inches six lines, or five-ninth, of a Paris ell. The usual measure at Naples, however, is the canna, containing six feet ten inches and two lines, or one Paris ell and fifteen-seventeenths.
The Spanish measure is the vara, or yard—in some places called the ba•a—comaining seventeen twenty-fourths of the Paris ell. But measure in Castile and Valencia is the pan, ion, or palm, which is used, together with the canna, at Genoa. In Arragon, the vara is equal to a Paris ell and a half, or five feet five inches six lines.