cognized; and that, in recent European
conferences especially, favor was shown to the suggestion that, as the
United States possesses the greatest longitudinal extension of any
country traversed by railway and telegraph lines, the initiatory
measures for holding an international convention to consider so
important a subject should be taken by this Government.

The President, while convinced of the good to flow eventually from the
adoption of a common time unit, applicable throughout the globe,
thinks, however, that the effort now to be made should be to reach by
consultation a conclusion as to the advisability of assembling an
International Congress with the object of finally adopting a common
meridian. He, therefore, abstains from extending an invitation for a
meeting at an assigned day, until he has ascertained the views of the
leading Governments of the world as to whether such International
Conference is deemed desirable.

I am accordingly directed by the President to request you to bring the
matter to the attention of the Government of ----, through the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, with a view to learning whether its
appreciation of the benefits to accrue to the intimate intercourse of
civilized peoples from the consideration and adoption of the suggested
common standard of time so far coincides with that of this Government
as to lead it to accept an invitation to participate in an
International Conference at a date to be designated in the near
future.

You may leave a copy of this instruction with the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, and request the views of his Government thereon, at as early
a day as may be conveniently practicable.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN.

* * * * *

ANNEX IV.

Circular.]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, _December 1, 1883_.

SIR: By a circular instruction of October 23, 1882, you were made
acquainted with (the language of) an act of Congress, approved August
3, 1882, authorizing and requesting the President to extend to other
Governments an invitation to appoint delegates to meet in the city of
Washington for the purpose of fixing upon a meridian proper to be
employed as a common zero of longitude and standard of time-reckoning
throughout the world; and you were instructed to bring the matter