de.

It would be most desirable to have in all new geographical catalogues
of astronomical and geodetical points the longitudes given in degrees
as well as in time, and that in these new catalogues the new initial
meridian be taken as the starting point for the longitudes.

The PRESIDENT. The Chair has listened with great interest and pleasure
to the paper which has just been read by the Delegate of Russia, Mr.
DE STRUVE, but the Chair begs to state that there is no resolution
before the Conference.

The PRESIDENT. The Chair will now direct the second resolution to be
read.

The resolution was read, as follows:

"From this meridian" (_i.e._, the meridian passing through
the centre of the transit instrument at the Observatory at
Greenwich) "longitude shall be counted in two directions up
to 180 degrees, east longitude being plus and west longitude
minus."

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States. Mr. President, In
submitting this resolution to the Conference, I wish to say that the
remarks of the Delegate of Russia have increased my confidence in the
belief of its propriety.

Mr. W. F. ALLEN, Delegate of the United States. Mr. President, the
establishment of a prime meridian has, from the force of
circumstances, become of practical importance to certain interests
entrusted with vast responsibilities for the safety of life and
property. These interests bear an important relation to the commerce
of the world, and especially to the internal commerce of an extent of
country embracing within its limits about sixty-five degrees of
longitude. Exactness of time reckoning is an imperative necessity in
the conduct of business.

On November 18, 1883, the several railway companies of the United
States and the Dominion of Canada united in the adoption of the mean
local times of the seventy-fifth, ninetieth, one hundred and fifth,
and one hundred and twentieth meridians, west from Greenwich, as the
standards of time for the operation of their roads. The system under
which they have since been working has proved satisfactory. They have
no desire to make any further change. A large majority of the people
in the several sections of the country through which the railways pass
have either by mutual consent or special legislation adopted for their
local use, for all purposes, the standards of time employed by the
adjacent roads. Upon the public and working railway time-tables
generally the fact has