rances that are going to influence
your choice? Science appears here only as the humble vassal of the
powers of the day to consecrate and crown their success. But,
gentlemen, nothing is so transitory and fugitive as power and riches.
All the great empires of the world, all financial, industrial, and
commercial prosperities of the world, have given us a proof of it,
each in turn.

So long as there are not in polities or commerce any scientific means
by which to fix, to enchain fortune, I see no reason to fix, to
enchain, to subordinate, so to say, science to their fate.

The character of the proposed determination of the initial meridian is
so evident, that the reporter of the Conference at Rome, Mr. Hirsch,
admits it implicitly, for recognizing that the adoption of the
meridian of Greenwich is a sacrifice for France, he asks that England
should respond by a similar concession, by favoring the definitive
adoption of the metric system, and by acceding to the Convention of
the metre which furnishes to all States metric standards rigorously
compared. Thus, Mr. Hirsch, in a spirit of justice, wished to make for
each a balance of profit and loss--evident proof that the question was
of a commercial, and of no scientific advantage. I am not aware, and
my mission is not to discover, whether the bargain might have been
accepted by France. However, it is with great pleasure that I heard
our colleague from England declare that his Government was ready to
join the international metric convention, but I notice, with sorrow,
that our situation in this Congress is not as favorable as that of
Rome, since the total abandonment of our meridian is proposed without
any compensation.

At Rome the adoption of the metric system of weights and measures, of
which France had the glorious initiative, was held out to us, but here
we are simply invited to sacrifice traditions dear to our navy, to
national science, by adding to that immolation pecuniary sacrifices.

We are assuredly very much flattered that there should be attributed
to us sufficient abnegation to elevate us to that double heroism. We
wish that we were able to justify such a flattering opinion, and
especially we should like to be encouraged by examples. There are at
this very moment magnificent transformations to be realized for
the progress of science, and of the friendly relations of
nations--unification of weights and measures, adoption of a common
standard of moneys, and man