72 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE, 
the adjournments. At last, however, the choice of a Prime Meridiam © 
was obtained. The following resolution was passed, the delegates. 
voting by nations : 
‘ Resolved, That the Conference proposes to the Governments here 
represented the adoption of the meridian passing through the centre 
of the transit instrument at the Observatory of Greenwich as the 
initial meridian for longitude. . 
The above resolution was adopted by the following vote : 
In the affirmative : 
AUSTRIA, ; MEXICO, 
CHILE. = NETHERLANDS, 
COLOMBIA, PARAGUAY, 
COSTA RICA, RUSSIA, 
GERMANY, SALVADOR, 
GREAT BRITAIN, SPAIN, 
GUATEMALA, SWEDEN, 
HAWAII, SWITZERLAND, 
TEALY, TURKEY, 
JAPAN, UNITED STATES, 
LIBERIA, VENEZUELA. 
In the negative : 
SAN DOMINGO. 
Abstained from voting : 
FRANCE anv BRAZIL. 
Ayers 22. Noss 1. 
There was less dithculty and even greater unanimity displayed 
when the consideration oi Universal Time was submitted. The Con- 
ference adopted the principle of a Universal Day without a single 
negative vote. The resolutions carried are substantially in accord 
with the essential principles, if not with the precise features of the 
proposals set forth in the proceedings of the Institute, published in 
1879. 
The resolution defining the Universal Day reads as follows: “ Re- 
solved, 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 beginning of the civil day and date of 
that meridian, and is to be counted from zero up to twenty-four 
hours.” 
This definition, taken in conjunction with the other resolutions of 
the Conference, is fraught with important consequences. 
