This statement shows that 43 per cent. of the whole population are occupied in some business or work of some kind, and leads us reasonably to suppose that the remaining 57 per cent. consist of women, children, and people who--to put it short--are non-producers; the whole of whom can hardly be considered as much interested in the making of any alterations in the weights and measures of their country, rather the contrary, for they cannot expect to be much benefited by any change. The professional class naturally comprehends Theology, Law, Medicine, and Science generally, so that the 2·5 per cent. ascribed to it would be seriously reduced, if the advantage derived from the desired change were reckoned by the number really benefited by it. A similar reduction would have to be made on the 3·7 per cent. stated to be occupied in Commerce, as it is not to be supposed that the whole of the number are engaged in foreign trade. Thus the number of people in these two classes who might really reap some advantage from the change, may be reduced by at least one half; and if we consider that one person in ten of those occupied in the Agricultural and Industrial classes is a scientist--we may pardon the Domestic class--a very liberal allowance indeed, we arrive at the conclusion that 6 per cent. of the whole population might find, some more, some less, interest in the introduction into our country of the French metric system. The above statement refers only to England and Wales, but if Scotland and Ireland are added to them, the 6 per cent. proportion could not be very greatly altered: perhaps it would be less favourable to the change. Thus 94 per cent., or something like 37 millions, of the whole population of the United Kingdom would be called upon to change their whole system of weights and measures, in order that 6 per cent., or somewhere between 2 and 2-1/2 millions, should find some little alleviation in a part of their labours; and surely 2 to 2-1/2 millions of scientists and merchants engaged in foreign trade is a very liberal allowance for the population of our country. If this does not show a tendency towards despotism, it would be hard to tell what it does show.