U^"IVEKSAL OR COSMIC TIME. 21 



mankind, and in its daily i-otations the passage of tlie sun at any 

 spot will be the index of Cosmic time. 



The resolutions of tlie International Conference establisli a means 

 of reckoning time whicli promises, in the years to come, to be of 

 the highest advantage to the human family. Cosmic Time, or 

 whatever name may be given to Univei-sal Time applied to civil pni-- 

 poses, is an entirely new feature. It has now obtained recognition 

 by a properly constituted authority, although until recently, I believe, 

 it has remained unconsidered. Astronomers have long had equinoc- 

 tial time, which is absolute time, dating from an epoch determined 

 by tlie sun's motion among the stars ; beyond this I cannot find any 

 nearer appi'oach to the mention of Universal Time as now understood. 



The conclusions of the Conference mark a new ei-a. The civil 

 time of England is adopted as Universal Time. It may be said that 

 Greenwich time is already known on every sea, that it has been car- 

 ried by British ships wherever British explorers and colonists and 

 merchants have penetrated, but Greenwich time is the local time of 

 Greenwich, and, heretofore, it has always been held as such. Uni- 

 verst^l time, based on the Prime Meridian of the globe, and recog- 

 nized by the several civilized nations, is an entirely different concej)- 

 tion. As the Time of the world common to every nation, it is held 

 that the term "Cosmic" will better express that meaning than "Green- 

 wich." Cosmic and Greenwich time are identical by accident, but 

 the expressions imply two totally different ideas, and known national 

 sensitiveness suggests the good taste and expediency of distinguishing 

 the two ide'as by different terms. 



I am induced to add a few words in explanation of the principles 

 of Cosmic time. 



Time has been the subject of profound thought by many philoso- 

 phic minds of the past. They have attempted to define it, and their 

 definitions have been manifold. If we view the earth as a whole, and 

 the conditions of the age in which we live oblige us so to view it, I 

 am unable to see that any one of the recorded definitions gives su[>- 

 port to the ancient system of keeping count of time which we folio v/. 

 Our ordinary usages imply that there is an infinite number of times, 

 and they are based on the principle that time is depc;ndent on local 

 situation. Notliing can be more erroneous and misleading. It is 

 this false principle entering into every detail of daily life which has 

 led each insignificant locality on the circumference of the globe to 



