80 UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME, 
stood by the masses. The causes for such a change to many will appear in- 
sutticient or fanciful. Jn afew years, however, this feeling must pass away, 
and the advantages to be gained will become so manifest that I do not doubt 
so desirable a retorm will eventually commend itself to general favour, and be 
adopted in all the affairs of life. 
Be that as it may, it seems to me highly important that a comprehensive 
Time-system should be initiated to facilitate scientific observations, and de- 
finitely to establish chronological dates ; that it should be designed for general 
use in connection with railways and telegraphs, and for such other purposes 
for which it may be found convenient. 
The Cosmic Day set forth in the recommendations would be the date for the 
world recognizable by all nations. It would theoretically and practically be 
the mean of all local days, and the common standard to which all local reckon- 
ings would be referable. 
With regard to the reckoning of longitude, I submit that Longitude and Time 
are so intimately related that they may be expressed by a common notation. 
Longitude is simply the angle formed by two planes passing through the 
earth’s axis, while Time is the period occupied by the earth in rotating through 
that angle. If we adopt the system of measuring Time by the revolution of 
the earth from a recognized zero, one of these planes—that through the zero— 
may be considered fixed ; the other—that through the meridian of the place— 
being movable, the longitudinal angle is variable. Obviously the variable an- 
gle ought to be measured from the fixed plane as zero, and as the motion of 
the earth by which the equivalent time of the angle is measured is continuous, 
the longitude ought to be reckoned continuously in one direction. The direc- 
tion is determined by the notation of the Hour-meridians, viz., from east to 
west. 
If Longitude be so reckoned and denoted by the terms used in the notation 
of Cosmic Time, the time.of day everywhere throughout the globe would in- 
variably denote the precise longitude of the place directly under the mean 
sun. Conversely, at the epoch of mean solar passage at any place, the Longi- 
tude being known, Cosmic Time would be one and the same with the Longi- 
tude of the place. : 
The advantages of such a system of reckoning and nomenclature, as sug- 
vested in the recommendations which I now submit, will be, I think, self- 
evident. 
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE REGULATION OF TIME AND THE RECKONING OF 
LONGITUDE. 
1. That a system of Universal Time be established, with the view of facilitating 
synchronous scientific observations, for chronological reckonings, for the purpose 
of trade and commerce by sea and land, and for all such uses to which it is ap- 
plicable. 
2. That the system be established for the common observance of all peoples, and 
of such a character that it may be adopted by each separate community, as may 
be found expedient. 
3. That the system be based on the principle that for all terrestrial Time-reckon- 
ings there be one recognized unit of measurement only, and that all measured 
intervals of Time be directly related to the one unit measure. 
4. That the unit measure be the period occupied by the diurnal revolution of the 
earth, defined by the mean solar passage at the meridian twelve hours from the 
Prime Meridiun established through Greenwich. 
5. That the unit measure defined as above be held to be a Day absolute, and 
designated a Cosmic Day. 
6. That such Cosmic Day be held as the chronological date of the earth, chang- 
ing with the mean solar passage at the Anti-meridian of Greenwich. 
