at it was
for the purpose of enabling the Delegates to proceed to an immediate
discussion. He added, further, that the resolution was quite open to
amendment in case the Delegates from France desired to amend it.

Commander SAMPSON, Delegate of the United States, stated that he
wished to offer the following as a substitute for the resolution
already pending:

"_Resolved_, That it is the opinion of this Congress that it
is desirable to adopt a single prime meridian for all
nations in place of the multiplicity of initial meridians
which now exist."

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States, then announced that he
accepted this substitution in place of the first resolution.

General STRACHEY, Delegate of England, stated that if he rightly
understood the remarks made by the Delegate of France, Mr. LEFAIVRE,
he thought that it was intended to call attention to the ultimate form
in which the resolutions of this Congress should be recorded. He
referred to the address which the Secretary of State of the United
States (Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN) made to the Delegates on their assembling,
in which he said: "You have met to discuss and consider the important
question of a prime meridian for all nations. It will rest with you to
give a definite result to the preparatory labors of other scientific
associations and special congresses, and thus make those labors
available."

He added that the object at which they should aim was to put together
a series of resolutions which could be presented to the various
Governments whose representatives are here present, with a view to
inducing them to accept the decision which may be arrived at by this
Conference, and, finally, to put that decision in a diplomatic form--a
form which shall be more definite and precise than the mere
resolutions which would be adopted by a purely scientific body; this
he understood to be the position to be adopted by the Delegates to
this Conference. He then said that it seemed to him that it would be
necessary, after settling the original shape of the resolutions, that
they should be reconsidered and afterwards put together in an orderly
way, in a manner which would give a regular and satisfactory record of
the proceedings; that it appeared almost certain to him that the
discussions would be desultory in their nature, but that ultimately a
revision would be had after the rough-hewing of the blocks out of
which the edifice was to be formed; th