181From Thomas Jefferson to Elias Boudinot, 29 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
As it is desireable that we should receive from our Consuls an exact report of all our vessels with their cargoes which go to the countries of their residence, such fees appear necessary as may induce them to be watchful that every such vessel is noted. At the same time the fee should not be so large as to induce them to connive at foreign vessels reporting themselves as American, merely to...
182From Thomas Jefferson to David Rittenhouse, 30 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 25th. came to hand last night, for which I give you many thanks. The conversion of 36.71428 pouce[s] into 39.1923 inches was an error in division, and consequently the mean taken between that and Graham’s computation is wrong. It has rendered it necessary for me to suppress the note on that subject, and to put it into the form now inclosed. In this I state the reaso[n] for...
183From Thomas Jefferson to William Short, 1 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
A bill has past two readings in the Senate for removing the seat of government immediately to Philadelphia, there to remain ten years, and then to be established permanently in Georgetown. It is to receive it’s third reading to-day, and tho’ it depends on a single vote, yet I believe we may count surely that it will pass that house. As it originated there, it will then have to pass the lower...
184From Thomas Jefferson to Francis Eppes, 4 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
The business of Congress has proceeded very slowly lately. Two interesting questions have so chafed the members that they can scarcely go on with one another. One of these is happily getting over. The Senate has passed the bill for transferring the temporary residence of Congress to Philadelphia for 10. years and the permanent one to Georgetown thenceforward. The other question relative to the...
185From Thomas Jefferson to Mary Jefferson, 4 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I have written you, my dear Maria, four letters since I have been here, and I have received from you only two. You owe me two then, and the present will make three. This is a kind of debt I will not give up. You may ask how I will help myself? By petitioning your aunt, as soon as you receive a letter to make you go without your dinner till you have answered it. How goes on the Spanish? How...
186From Thomas Jefferson to Nicholas Lewis, 4 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you last on the 13th. of June. The Senate have passed the bill for fixing the residence of Congress at Philadelphia for ten years, and then permanently at Georgetown. It has been read once or twice in the H. of representatives and will be ultimately decided on the day after tomorrow. I believe it will pass there by a considerable majority. I imagine we shall remove from hence early in...
187From Thomas Jefferson to Edward Rutledge, 4 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of Apr. 28. came to hand May 11. and found me under a severe indisposition which kept me from all business more than a month, and still permits me to apply but very sparingly. That of June 20. was delivered me two days ago by young Mr. Middleton whom I was very glad to see, as I am every body and every thing which comes from you. It will give me great pleasure to be of any use to...
188III. Thomas Jefferson to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 4 July 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
In obedience to the order of the house of representatives of Jan. 15. I have now the honor to inclose you a Report on the subject of measures, weights and coins. The length of time which intervened between the date of the order, and my arrival in this city, prevented my recieving it till the 15th. of April, and an illness which followed soon after added unavoidably some weeks to the delay; so...
189IV. First State of the Report on Weights and Measures, [April 1790] (Jefferson Papers)
Sir Isaac Newton has determined the length of a pendulum vibrating Seconds in latitude to be 39.2 inches = 3.2666 &c feet measuring from it’s point of suspension to it’s center of oscillation. A rod vibrating seconds must be of the same length between the point of suspension and center of oscillation: and this center will always be found at two thirds of the whole length. Such a rod then will...
190V. Second State of the Report on Weights and Measures, [April–20 May 1790] (Jefferson Papers)
The Secretary of state, to whom was referred by the house of representatives to prepare and report a proper plan or plans for establishing uniformity in the currency, weights and measures of the U.S. in obedience thereto makes the following report. To obtain uniformity in measures, weights, and coins, it is necessary to find some measure of invariable length, with which, as a standard, these...
191VII. Final State of the Report on Weights and Measures, [4 July 1790] (Jefferson Papers)
The Secretary of state to whom was referred, by the house of representatives, to prepare and report a proper plan or plans for establishing uniformity in the currency, weights and measures of the U.S. in obedience thereto, makes the following report. To obtain uniformity in measures, weights and coins, it is necessary to find some measure of invariable length, with which, as a standard, they...
192VIII. Thomas Jefferson to the President of the Senate, 17 January 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to enclose you a Postscript to the Report on Measures, Weights and coins now before your house. This has been rendered necessary by a small arithmetical error detected in the estimate of the cubic foot proposed in that report. The head of Superficial measures is also therein somewhat more developed. Nothing is known, since the last session of Congress of any further...
193IX. Postscript to the Report on Weights and Measures, 10 January 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
It is scarcely necessary to observe that the measures, Weights, and Coins, proposed in the preceding report, will be derived altogether from mechanical operations; viz: A rod, vibrating seconds, divided into five equal parts, one of these subdivided, and multiplied, decimally, for every measure of length, surface and capacity, and these last filled with water, to determine the weights and...