98 UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME. 



United States of North America, have come to an understanding, and 

 in other countries, such as Germany and Italy, the like result m.ij 

 be looked for, as the same Meridian is already there legally in- 

 troduced in the preparation of the Hydrographic Charts. Possibly 

 France, out of national feeling, may for some time appear as 

 holding back. Eventually, however, it may be looked for, that regard 

 for the common good, and for the actual interests of its own naviga- 

 tion, may cause the Government of that country to make the unifica- 

 tion complete. We may, therefore, regard the chief object of tlie 

 "Washington Conference, namely, the establishment of the Fii-st 

 Meridian, from which all the remaining questions are more or less 

 natural consequences, as satisfactorily solved. 



Possibly the introduction of Universal Time may experience greate)' 

 difficulties in the administration of commercial institiitions, as this inno- 

 vation will act upon a numerous class of people, and awaken new ideas 

 on questions with which they have had little occasion to make them- 

 selves familiar. In the meantime, according to the opinion of men 

 capable of appreciating these difficulties, at least in Russia, whei^e 

 there is great extent in Longitude, besides where the ideas over the 

 differences of Time Notation are more complicated than elsewhere, 

 they are less important than at the first glance they would appear to 

 be. It is to be expected that at the present time the constantly re- 

 peated Congresses on Railway, Post and Telegraph Administration 

 will soon occupy themselves with this matter, and sustained by the 

 authority of the Washington Congress, will call into practice the 

 Resolutions in this respect which were passed there. 



Much earnest reflection, on the other hand, must be given to the 

 desire expressed at the meeting, that Astronomical Time Reckoning 

 should be brought in accord with the commencement of the day in 

 civil life. 



In this matter astronomers have not simply to abandon a custom 

 of long standing, and consequently to make conditional changes of 

 practice established for many years, but at the same time astronomical 

 chronology is disturbed, which it is easily understood, must exercise 

 a marked effect on the comprehension of all problems bearing upon 

 motion. Without doubt, the astronomer must make a great sacrifice 

 for the fulfilment of this desire ; but in reality this sacrifice is not 

 greater than that entailed on our forefathers, when they passed from the 

 Julian to the Gregorian Notation of Time, or when they altered the 

 commencement of the year : a sacrifice of convenience, by which we 

 yet suffer when it becomes necessary to refer to phenomena of remote 

 dates. At this period we must the less stand in fear of a like sacii- 

 fice, when by such means an acknowledged existing non-accord be- 

 tween science and ordinary life can be set aside : a non-accord which 

 it is true in individual cases does not press heavily on the astronomer, 

 but which is a constant source of inconvenience for non-professional 



