SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS. 65 



Time into accord with the rising and setting of the sun — phenomena 

 •which, as we say, necessarily regulate all the ordinary occupations of 

 human life. 



Besides, there is another fact which would confirm the necessity 

 of maintaining the present national hours, in place of adopting the 

 seeondai-y Time proposed by Mr. Sandford Fleming, even should 

 Cosmopolitan Time he universally adopted. It presents itself in this 

 form : — A.t present the political boundary of the several States of 

 Europe establishes the limit throughout which the recognized national 

 date would cease to be used, e. g., that of Rome, and at which com- 

 mences the use throughout of the other national dates, e. g., that of 

 Paris, with regard to which nothing equivocal can take place. But 

 supposing this national hour was suppressed and the secondary hour 

 adopted, very many, with the exception of the astronomers, would 

 not be gifted with the precise knowledge at what place the use of 

 one date should cease and the other day of the secondary hour com- 

 mence. In the hypothesis that the initial anti-meridian of Green- 

 wich should be adopted, ic would thence arise that a part of Spain 

 would use the Meridian M, and the other the Mei'idian N ;, the 

 dividing line would be the Meridian situate at 187^° of longitude 

 (with the new system it would be no longer necessary to adjoin east 

 or west, for longitude would be counted from east to west), and all 

 the countries situated to the east of this line would use the Meridian 

 M, and that of the west the Meridian IST. But how in practice to 

 obtain this separation ? But admitting even that it be obtainable, 

 would it be possible to have part of the same country (in Spain as 

 in Switzerland, in Germany, &c.,) with a system of Time different to 

 ^that used in another part. We do not believe this determination by 

 hour possible, at least in political life. 



But the question presents itself under another aspect when we 

 speak only of scientific consideration. And without doubt in any 

 science, as, for example, astronomy, meteorology, in part terrestrial 

 physics, and generally in all scientific, questions connected with the 

 exact determination of time, the universal adoption of Cosmopolitan 

 Time would be a precious advantage, and would be brought to pass 

 without difficulty. It would save many useless calculations, much 

 loss of time, and would remove much misconception. Moreover, 

 equally, we must acknowledge, that in other scientific questions the 

 use of local Time owing to its agreement with the phenomena of the 

 rising and setting of the sun Would be preferable. 



Therefore at the present time we ought to recommend the adoption 

 of Cosmopolitan Time in all the branches of science in which, with- 

 out inconvenience, it can be introduced, with the possibility of ex- 

 tending it hereafter ; moreover, in all public services in the depart- 

 ments bearing upondnternational relations. 



