“ all the memorandums, I had made when perusing your report.
"The novelty of the Subject, the ingenuity Evinced in its discussion, the pleasure it afforded, added to a sence of duty,
induced me to examine the principles, and make the calculations, the former appeared to me demonstratively Just, the latter,
thro error of the press, or mistake in Notation, I found somewhat incorrect, but in so triffling a degree, that I should neither
have noticed, or mentioned them to you, If I had not been perswaded, that perfection is your aim, as far as it is attainable,
in whatever you offer to the public . . .”
On August 31 George Wythe wrote to Jefferson from Williamsburg: “The report which you, my much respected sir, sent to me, had been seen and read over and over again by me three weeks ago.
thanks are due for it, and it is deposited among my treasures.”
On October 1 a long letter from Robert Livingston to Jefferson written from Clermont, N.Y., closed with the paragraph: “I thank you for the copy of your report on measures weights & coins I had however rec
d. & read it before with great pleasure The standard is happily chosen, & more particularly so if it should be adopted as
the common measure of Europe. I do not know what greater accuracy will be required than that you propose, if however it should,
as heat is always in our power, might not the thermometer be called in to your aid? On the subject of coins you have everything
that can be wished by those who are pleased with the example of Europe, or the resolutions of Congress on this head. But I
who consider the whole system as radically defective while I admire your accuracy & ingenuity, wish to change it for my own.
When I shall be fully satisfied under your hand that you have sufficient liesure to read my reveries on this subject I shall
take pleasure in communicating them.”
On December 2, 1790, Benjamin Vaughan sent to Jefferson from London an autograph manuscript on the subject of uniform weights
and measures for all nations, 3 pages, folio, with a note stating “The inclosed is submitted to you--A copy has been sent to the B
p. of Autun.” [See no. 3761.] The document begins:
Two very able persons, the B
p. of Autun & M
r. Jefferson, have proposed for France & America respectively, that an universal standard of measures, & thence of weights,
for all nations, should be derived from permanent data furnished by nature; & for this purpose, that recourse should be had
to the length of a pendulum vibrating seconds in a given degree of latitude, & in a given temperature.
This respectable proposition has excited the following observations . . .
On June 30, 1792, Jefferson received a letter from James Anderson, of Edinburgh, editor of
The Bee
, q.v.: “I was honoured with your obliging letter of the fifteenth of Sept
r. last accompanied with your valuable paper on uniformity of weights and measures which I have perused with much pleasure
and instruction--It is the more valuable to me at this time, as my son is just now composing a book on weights, measures,
monies coins and exchanges, in every part of the world, and he wishes to have the most authentic information of all that can
be procured . . .”
On December 25, 1792, Jefferson wrote from Philadelphia to John Rutherford a long letter with his theories on weights and
measures. The letter begins: “
I have considered, with all the attention which the shortness of the time would permit, the two motions, which you were pleased
to put into my hands yesterday afternoon, on the subjects of weights and measures, now under reference to a committee of the
Senate, and will take the liberty of making a few observations thereon . . .
”
Some years later, on October 16, 1808, Thomas Cooper wrote from Northumberland, Pennsylvania, to say that he intended calling
the attention of the State Legislature to the subject of weights and measures, and mentioned: “I have been looking for this purpose among my papers for a copy of your report on the Subject, which I preserved for some
years, but I cannot find it now. I write therefore to beg of you, at ”
