68 UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME, 
of the Department of State. Eight sessions were held, viz. :—On 
October lst, 2nd, 6th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 22nd, and on the 1st 
November. 
After patient and careful discussion the following resolutions were 
carried, the Delegates, according to usage, voting by nations :— 
I. 
‘* That it is the opinion of this Conference that it is desirable to adopt a 
single Prime Meridian for all Nations in place of the multiplicity of initial 
Meridians which now exist.” — Unanimously adopted. 
II. 
‘* 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.”— 
Adopted. 
Yeas, 22. Nays, 1. Abstaining, 2. 
Il. 
*“ That from this Meridian longitude shall be counted in two directions up 
to 180 degrees, east longitude being plus and west longitude minus.” —Adopted. 
Yeas, 14. Nays, 5. Abstaining, 6. 
Ve 
“That the Conference proposes the adoption of a Universal Day for all pur- 
poses for which it may be found convenient, and which shall not interfere 
with the use of local or other standard time where desirable.” — Adopted. 
Yeas, 23. Nays, 0. Abstaining, 2. 
Vie 
** 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.” —Adopted. 
Yeas, 15. Nays, 2. Abstaining, 7. 
: VE 
‘* That the Conference expresses the hope that as soon as may be practi- 
cable the astronomical and nautical days will be arranged everywhere to begin 
at mean midnight,”—Carried without division. 
VII. 
‘‘ That the Conference expresses the hope that the technical studies de- 
signed to regulate and extend the application of the decimal system to the 
division of angular space and of time shall be resumed so as to permit the 
extension of this application to all cases in which it presents real advantages.” 
—Adopted. 
Yeas, 21. Nays, 0. Abstaining, 3. 
It was further resolved unanimously, 
‘* That a copy of the resolutions passed by the Conference shall be com- 
municated to the Government of the United States of America, at whose 
instance and within whose territory the Conference has been convened.” 
It will also be seen on reference to the proceedings of the last 
session that the thanks of the Conference were given to the Presi- 
dent, Admiral Rodgers, of the United States Navy, and to the See- 
