me. He added that it
seemed to him a great loss of time to go over the question whether a
prime meridian was or was not desirable; that the Delegates were sent
here for the purpose of agreeing upon a prime meridian. He then asked
why this Conference should lose time in discussing that question.

The resolution offered by the Delegate of the United States, Commander
SAMPSON, was then unanimously adopted as follows:

"_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 renewed his
original resolution, as follows:

"_Resolved_, That the Conference proposes to the Governments
represented the adoption as a standard meridian that of
Greenwich, passing through the centre of the transit
instrument at the Observatory of Greenwich."

Mr. JANSSEN, Delegate of France, stated that he wished to reiterate
the objections that he had already offered to the first resolution,
and spoke as follows:

GENTLEMEN: Mr. Lefaivre, my honorable colleague, and I are of the
opinion that the mission of this Congress is chiefly to examine
questions of principle.

I consider that we shall do a very important thing if we proclaim the
principle of the adoption of a meridian which shall be the same for
all nations.

The advantages of such a meridian have been felt by the geographers
and navigators of all ages. France might claim the honor of having
sought to accomplish this reform as early as the seventeenth century.
It is not to be expected, therefore, that France, at this late day,
will seek to place any obstacles in the way of the adoption of an
improvement which would by this time have been adopted if the use of
the meridian which she proposed, and which she had caused to be
generally accepted, had been continued.

We therefore fully agree with you, gentlemen, as to the principle of a
common international meridian, impartially defined and wisely applied,
and we think that if the Congress should cause a useful reform, which
has been so long expected, to be finally adopted, it would render a
great service to the world, and one that would do us the highest
honor.

This point being gained, is it proper for us to proceed to the
adoption of such a meridian? We think not, unless we are assured by a
previous declarati