68 UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME. 



of the Department of State. Eight sessions were held, viz. : — On 

 October 1st, 2nd, 6th, 13th, 14th, 20fch, 22nd, and on the 1st 

 November. 



After patient and careful discussion the following resolutions were 

 ■carried, the Delegates, according to usage, voting by nations : — 



I. 



" That it is the opimon of this Conference that it is desirable to adopt a 

 single Prime Meridian for all Nations in place of the multiplicity of initial 

 Meridians which now exist. " — Unanimously adopted. 



II. 



" That the Conference proposes to the Governments here represented the 

 adoption of the Meridian passing through the centre of the transit instrument 

 at the Observatory of Greenwich as the initial Meridian for longitude. " — 

 Adopted. 



Yeas, 22. Nays, 1. Abstaining, 2. 



III. 



" That from this Meridian longitude shall be counted in two directions up 

 to 180 degrees, east longitude being p/ws and west longitude minus." — Adopted. 

 Yeas, 14. Nays, 5. Abstaining, 6. 

 IV. 

 " That the Conference proposes the adoption of a Universal Day for all pur- 

 poses for which it may be found convenient, and which shall not interfere 

 with the use of local or other standard time where desirable." — Adopted. 

 Yeas, 23. Nays, 0. Abstaining, 2. 

 V. 

 " That this Universal Day is to be a mean solar day, is to begin for all the 

 world at the moment of mean midnight of the initial Meridian, coinciding 

 with the beginning of the civil day and date of that Meridian, and is to be 

 counted from zero up to twenty-four hours."- — Adopted. 

 Yeas, 15. Nays, 2. Abstaining, 7. 

 VI. 

 " That the Conference expresses the hope that as soon as may be practi- 

 cable the astronomical and nautical days will be arranged everywhere to begin 

 at mean midnight, "—CarriecZ ivitJiout divisio7i. 



VII. 



" That the Conference expresses the hope that the technical studies de- 

 signed to regulate and extend the application of the decimal system to the 

 division of angular space and of time shall be resumed so as to permit the 

 extension of this application to all cases in which it presents real advantages." 

 — Adopted. 



, Yeas, 21. Nays, 0. Abstaining, 3. 



It was further resolved unanimously, 



" That a copy of the resolutions passed by the Conference shall be com- 

 municated to the Government of the United States of America, at whose 

 instance and wfthin whose territory the Conference has been convened.'" 



It will also be seen on reference to the proceedings of the last 

 session that the thanks of the Conference were given to the Presi- 

 dent, Admiral Rodgers, of the United States Navy, and to the Sec- 



