SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS. 75 
tirely beyond the domain of practicability. If such be the case, it becomes ne- 
cessary to consider how far it would be practicable to secure the desired ad- 
vantages by adopting as a 2gro some other meridian which, while related to 
some existing first meridian, would not be national in fact, and would have the 
same effect as a perfectly neutral meridian in allaying national susceptibilities. 
The selection of an initial meridian related to meridians now in use gives us 
a sufficiently wide choice. Allow me to read the following list, showing the 
number and the total tonnage of vessels using the several meridians named, in 
ascertaining their longitude :— 
SHIPS OF ALL KINDs. PEk CENT. 
INITIAL MERIDIANS. 
Number. | Tonnage. | Ships. | Tonnage. 
MATE TET IC LU yal foye ose) asa eiacasrasoisie) S ousie: eiecateteiel oleateyaiay alates 37,663 | 14,600,972 65 72 
Paris roo tidd-nca.o6 5,914 1,735,083 10 8 
WAIT sic 'ce'<01s 2,468 666,602 5 3 
Naples . 2,263 715,448 4 4 
Christiania ... 2,128 695,988 4 3 
Ligh) ABAeEE 1,497 567,682 D) 3 
Pulkova..... tects ate 987 298,641 1} 14 
SiN 6 soononsconinn ts cocoduae oocbpedoee.co a0 717 154,180 14 1 
_IARIDON oa onosagmo beac dood ouncaldodd anes oauguoo 491 164,000 Lae a 1 
CYMER Gora oo 6500 0000 66 OUD On ob dues ieaons 435 81,888 1 Zk 
Ph) GG diag ons ac ceaoqemeds |omssdoaco0o ne qebroo 253 97,040 4 4 
PVRS LIANG OM Sirstereretet tee siavsatsinicreyatenalederstereie et aietielet stayiers 2,881 534,569 4h 24 
TUG 86 oa dU sada pach AS OdC Ona aGucN ba OedooGI! | By AGhvaal aplMebx (area MES Kay 100 
It thus appears that one of these meridians, that of Greenwich, is used by 
72 per cent. of the whole floating commerce of the world, while the remaining 
28 per cent is divided among ten different initial meridians. If, then, the con- 
venience of the greatest number alone should predominate, there can be no 
difficulty in a choice ; but Greenwich is a national meridian, and its use as an 
international zero awakens national susceptibilities. It is possible, however, 
to a great extent, to remove this objection by taking, for a zero of Longitude 
and Time, the meridian farthest distant from Greenwich. This being on the 
same great circle as Greenwich, it would not require the establisltment of a 
new observatory ; its adoption would produce no change in charts or nautical 
tables, beyond the notation of longitude. It would possess all the advantage 
claimed for the Greenwich meridian in connection with navigation, and as a 
zero for regulating Time it would be greatly to be preferred to the Greenwich 
meridian. This Pacific meridian being accepted as the common zero, and 
longitude being reckoned continuously in one direction, there would be an end 
to the necessity of any nation engraving onits charts the word ‘‘ longitude 
east or west of Greenwich.”” The one word, ‘‘ Longitude” would suffice. The 
zero meridian would be international and in no respect national. Even on 
British charts all reference to Greenwich would disappear. 
This view of the question is sustained by many distinguished men. I shall 
only ask permission to read the opinion of Mr. Otto Struve, Director of the 
Imperial Observatory at Pulkova, than whom there is no higher authority. 
“‘The preference given to the Greenwich meridian was based, on one side, 
on the historical right of the Royal Observatory of England, acquired by emi- 
nent services rendered by this establishment during the course of two cen- 
turies, to mathematical geography and navigation ; on the other side, consider- 
ing that the great majority of charts now in use upon all the seas are made ac- 
cording to this meridian, and about 90 per cent. of the navigators of long 
