t it was intrinsically better than the meridian
of Paris, or Washington, or Berlin, or St. Petersburg. Nobody claimed
any scientific preference among these meridians. It was simply because
seven-tenths of the civilized world were already using the meridian of
Greenwich.

If we accept this argument in favor of the first resolution for
selecting the initial meridian, why should we not be equally inclined
to recognize the fact that all the civilized world count longitude in
both ways? There is no difference of opinion on that point. There is
no difference of usage. Shall we break that usage? Shall we introduce
a new system, which may or may not be found practical or agreeable?
Shall we not rather adopt the rule of all nations, already in use
among their practised astronomers and navigators, by saying continue
to do as you have already done?

Sir FREDERICK EVANS, Delegate of Great Britain. Having for many years
mixed among the practical seamen of more than one nation, I confess I
look with some dismay on any other system for the notation of
longitude being adopted than the one proposed in this resolution.

My colleague, Mr. FLEMING, made the remark that he could not
disassociate longitude from time. If he had mixed with seamen, he
would have found out that there is very frequently a well-defined
difference between the two in their minds. Longitude with seamen
means, independently of time, space, distance. It indicates so many
miles run in an east or west direction. Consequently, I am not able to
look upon longitude and time as being identical.

Under these circumstances, this resolution also, as I understand it,
should be considered on practical grounds.

The question of universal time will come on for consideration
hereafter, and how that may be settled seems to me a matter of
indifference compared with the decision on this resolution. I
question, for myself, whether any other plan than that it proposes
would be generally accepted. That is what I am afraid of. Whatever
respect nations may have for this Conference, public opinion would be
very strong upon the point now at issue. When you further recollect
that all around the globe, in all these various seas, there are
colonies with histories; that their geographical positions and
boundaries were originally recorded by longitude according to the
notation of which I have spoken, I think it is to be over sanguine to
expect that those colonies will accept a new notation o