4 ALEXANDER JOHNSON : 



established if the practical advantages arising from the cultivation of pure Science could 

 be kept steadily before the public eye. The case of the general public might be similar to 

 that of the ilhistrious Helmholtz, who, pursuing his researches in Physiology, found a 

 deeper study of Physics necessary, and in order to master Physics, was compelled to take 

 up Mathematics, becoming finally an original investigator in all. Thus the cultivation 

 of the most abstract of the Sciences might be more extensively encouraged for the sake of 

 the beneficial results in the Applied Sciences. The practical applications of electricity 

 especially are likely to have a good effect in this way at the present day. 



If we in this Society could bring forward, or induce others to bring forward (for it is 

 to be remembered that the reading of papers is not limited to members of the Society, and 

 we ought, I think, to exert ourselves in our several localities to induce competent men to 

 take up their special subjects and present papers written here) — if, I say, we could get mem- 

 bers or others to take up practical subjects to a considerable extent, without neglecting 

 what is really more important for progress, viz., the purely scientific studies, we might 

 expect a favorable influence on the cultivation of pure Science. Subjects special to 

 Canada might rank in the foreground, such, for example, as the utilization of the water 

 power of the St. Lawrence for the production of electric light, referred to by Lord 

 Eayleigh ; or, again, the investigation of the most troublesome phenomena, of frazil ice, 

 which yearly causes a great loss to the country. Descriptions of facts and phenomena in 

 the Physical Greography and Meteorology of the country might also be valuable. Having 

 thus sketched, hastily and imperfectly, a general outline of the manner in which we 

 might possibly aid best in the progress of Science, I proceed next to make note of some- 

 thing which has been done. 



An event of not only scientific but international importance, which this Society and 

 this Section have taken some part in bringing about, is deserving of special mention on 

 the present occasion, because it has actually been accomplished mainly by the energy of 

 one of the members of this Section, supported strongly by the Founder and first Patron of 

 the Society, the late Governor-Greneral, the Marquis of Lome. In the month of October 

 last, at the invitation of the President of the United States, a conference was held at 

 Washington to consider the question of choosing a Prime Meridian for all the world. The 

 conference was composed of delegates frona twenty-five civilized nations. We can well 

 imagine that the conference was prolonged in consecjuence of the use of so many different 

 languages as were there represented, and the necessity for frequent translations, that all 

 the delegates might understand the proceedings. But at length the following Resolution 

 was unanimously adopted : — 



" Resolved, — That the conference proposes to the Governments here represented, the 

 adoption of the meridian passing throiigh the centre of the transit instrument at the 

 Observatory of Greenwich as the initial meridian of longitude." 



After this, another Resolution, relating to a Universal Day, was passed without a single 

 dissenting vote, viz : — 



" Resolved, — That this Universal Day is to be a mean solar day ; is to begin for all the 

 world at the moment of mean midnight of the initial meridian, coinciding with the begin- 

 ning of the civil day and date of that meridian ; and is to be counted from zero up to 

 twenty-foiir hours." 



The history of proceedings which led to such action as this, cannot but be interesting 



