138 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. II. 



nature is a standard for the measurement of time, which humanity in all 

 places and in all ages may accept. 



The direct connection between each locality on the earth's surface 

 and the world's standard chronometer is through the hour meridian. It 

 is plain that when any given hour is indicated by the solar passage, the 

 sun will be vertical over every part of that meridian in both hemispheres. 

 Accordingly, the earth's surface being divided into twenty-four sections 

 or zones, each extending seven and a half degrees on each side of 

 its hour meridian, we obtain the means of establishing universally the 

 one reckoning by the common standard. This has been termed the 

 ■" hour zone system." By its use, the difliculties which have been referred 

 to are overcome without any violent departure from our inherited ideas, 

 and the exacting customs entailed upon us. 



The unity of time is indisputable. Looking forward a few years, unity 

 of notation may become indispensable; meanwhile, the present aim and 

 object is to obtain in all civilized countries uniformity of reckoning. If 

 a common notation were at once attempted throughout the world, it 

 would come into direct conflict with the habits and customs which 

 have everywhere prevailed from the first dawn of civilization. The 

 hour zone system, while furnishing the easy means of transition to 

 one notation, provides a way by which correct principles may at once 

 universally be applied, and uniformity in time-reckoning substantially 

 secured. 



The hour zones theoretically extend seven and a half degrees of 

 longitude on each side of the hour meridians, but an arbitrary enforce- 

 ment of this limitation is by no means essential. The boundary line of 

 contiguous zones must be governed by national, geographical, or com- 

 mercial considerations, as expediency in each case will dictate. 



The principles which underlie the hour zone system are: (i) that 

 on the passage of the sun on any hour meridian it is held to be twelve 

 o'clock (noon) throughout the zone to which that meridian belongs ; 

 (2) that the notation in each zone is directly connected with the 

 common standard unit of the world by an established relationship. It 

 is obvious, that if the notation in the several zones be thus connected with 

 the world's standard, there will be a complete and systematic identifica- 

 tion in the notation of each of the twenty-four zones. There will be 

 differences, but the differences will in every case be known, the grada- 

 tions being the invariable multiple of one hour. Throughout the globe 

 there will be complete identity in the minutes and seconds. For 

 example : when the reckoning is described in the tenth zone as 6 hours, 



