UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME. 9 



of a cosmopolitan normal datum (Prime Meridian) and of Universal 

 Time, and also the establishment of 24 meridians of an hour apart, 

 by which local time will be absorbed. The first proposal Mr. Porster 

 describes as an important sign of the times and evidently favours it. 



He strongly protests against the establishment of a National Ger- 

 man Time ; but for railway business, and for such matters of commu- 

 nication as require precision, also for the form of expression of all 

 scientific relations to time, Mr. Forster points out that a Universal 

 Time common to the whole world is to be recommended. 



Dr. G. von Boguslavski, in the Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft 

 fur Erdkunde, (Transactions of the Geographical Society of Berlin), 

 commends the new scheme as it has been put forth in the Canadian 

 Institute papers, and foretells that it will be a matter of fact in a 

 short time. 



Col. Aden, Director of the Military School, Belgium, has two 

 papers in the Bulletin de la Societe Beige de GeograpMe. He supports 

 the proposal to establish Universal Timo, and expresses the opinion 

 that longitude throughout the world should have a common notation, 

 dating from one universally accepted Prime Meridian. 



Col. Wauverman, President of the Geographical Society of Ant- 

 werp, in the Bulletin of that society, 1 882, advocates the change, 

 and with ability meets the arguments raised against it, showing them 

 to be groundless and arising from a want of thoroughly understand- 

 ing the question. 



In Spain, the proposals have met with full support. All the papers 

 issued by the Canadian Institute have been translated and published 

 in a pamphlet of 80 pages by the Revista Genenil de Marina. The 

 translator^ Don Juan Pastorin, an officer of the Spanish navy, is 

 warm in his commendation of the scheme, and takes a wise and com- 

 prehensive view of the whole question. The Spanish Government 

 secured the advantage of this gentleman's services as Delegate to the 

 Washington Conference. 



M. Otto Struve, the well-known Astronomer and Director of the 

 Imperial Observatory, Pultowa, reports on the papers transmitted by 

 Lord Lome to the Imperial Academy of Science, St. Petersburg. 

 He gives his adherence to the establishment of Universal Time, based, 

 as suggested, on a Prime Meridian common to the whole globe, and 

 strongly advocates coantiug the hours in one series up to twenty-four. 



In England, the Royal Society considered favourably both the 



