Chapter M: LEFAIVRE, Delegate of France. Not to-morrow

Count LEWENHAUPT, Delegate of Sweden. I beg to propose as an amendment the sixth resolution adopted by the Conference at Rome, which is as follows:

The Conference recommends as initial point for the universal hour and the cosmic day the mean midday of Greenwich, coinciding with the moment of midnight or the beginning of the civic day at the meridian 12 hours or 180° from Greenwich.

The universal hours are to be counted from 0 up to 24 hours.

The PRESIDENT. The Chair quite concurs with the Delegate of Spain in thinking that it would be very proper for us to take some time to consider this matter.

A motion to adjourn would be in order, but before that motion is made, the Chair would like to read a communication which he has just received from the Assistant Secretary of State. It is this:

"The President of the United States will receive the members
of the Conference on Thursday, the 16th instant, at 12
o'clock, at the White House."

The Assistant Secretary of State proposes that we shall meet here at a quarter before 12, and go to the White House from this hall.

The PRESIDENT. If the Delegate of Spain will withdraw his motion to adjourn for one moment, the Delegate of Sweden desires to offer a resolution.

Count LEWENHAUPT, Delegate of Sweden, then read the following proposal:

Hereafter the reports of the speeches, whether in English or
French, will be sent as soon as possible to the Delegates
who made them, and the proofs should be corrected and
returned by them without delay to the Secretary. No
correction will be allowed afterward, except such as are
considered necessary by the Secretaries, who will meet as
soon as possible after the first corrections shall have been
printed to prepare the protocols for the approval of the
Conference.

The motion being put to a vote by the President, was unanimously carried.

The PRESIDENT. The Chair would very informally state that he has received to-day a letter from Sir William Thomson, the distinguished scientist who addressed the Conference yesterday, expressing his regret that he did not then say something which he had in his mind and which he wished to say, namely, that the meridian of Greenwich passes directly through the great commercial port of Havre.

Mr. JANSSEN, Delegate of France. Since the Chairman refers to this subject, I may state to my colleagues that I have received a telegram from Sir William Thomson, in which he makes certain propositions of the nature described.

Yet it is not possible to make out precisely, by this telegram, what are Sir William Thomson's ideas. All that I can say is, that whatever proceeds from such an eminent man should be treated with great consideration, and that is a reason for asking Sir W. Thomson to be good enough to explain to me his ideas more fully. If we could adjourn to Monday, I think that it would be better. The preparation of the protocols is very much behind-hand, and it is desirable that the members of the Conference be kept fully acquainted with all the discussions. I would, therefore, suggest that we adjourn till Monday.

The PRESIDENT. There are several propositions to adjourn to different days. The Chair will take them up in order and will first put the question upon the motion to adjourn until Monday.

The motion was carried, and at four o'clock the Conference adjourned until Monday, the 20th instant, at one o'clock p. m.

VI.

SESSION OF OCTOBER 20, 1884.

The Conference met, pursuant to adjournment, in the Diplomatic Hall of the Department of State, at one o'clock p. m.

Present:

Austro-Hungary: Baron IGNATZ VON SCHÆFFER.
Brazil: Dr. LUIZ CRULS.
Chili: Mr. F. V. GORMAS and Mr. A. B. TUPPER.
Colombia: Commodore S. R. FRANKLIN.
Costa Rica: Mr. JUAN FRANCISCO ECHEVERRIA.
France: Mr. A. LEFAIVRE, Mr. JANSSEN.
Germany: Baron H. VON ALVENSLEBEN, Mr. HINCKELDEYN.
Great Britain: Sir F. J. O. EVANS, Prof. J. C. ADAMS,
Lieut.-General STRACHEY, Mr. SANDFORD FLEMING.
Gautemala: Mr. MILES ROCK.
Hawaii: Hon. W. D. ALEXANDER.
Italy: Count ALBERT DE FORESTA.
Japan: Professor KIKUCHI.
Liberia: Mr. Wm. COPPINGER.
Mexico: Mr. LEANDRO FERNANDEZ, Mr. ANGEL ANGUIANO.
Netherlands: Mr. G. DE WECKHERLIN.
Paraguay: Capt. JOHN STEWART.
Russia: Mr. C. DE STRUVE, Major-General STEBNITZKI, Mr.
J. DE KOLOGRIVOFF.
San Domingo: Mr. DE J. GALVAN.
Spain: Mr. JUAN VALERA, Mr. EMILO RUIZ DEL ARBOL, Mr.
JUAN PASTORIN.
Sweden: Count CARL LEWENHAUPT.
Switzerland: Col. EMILE FREY.
Turkey: RUSTEM EFFENDI.
United States: Rear-Admiral C. R. P. RODGERS, Mr. LEWIS
M. RUTHERFURD, Mr. W. F. ALLEN, Commander W. T.
SAMPSON, Professor CLEVELAND ABBE.
Venezuela: Dr. A. M. SOTELDO.

Absent:

Denmark: Mr. C. S. A. DE BILLE.
Hawaii: Hon. LUTHER AHOLO.
Salvador: Mr. ANTONIO BATRES.

The PRESIDENT. Some days ago a Committee was appointed to report on communications addressed to the Conference through the Chair. All communications that have been received from time to time, and they have been numerous, have been referred to this committee, of which the Delegate from England, Prof. ADAMS, is the chairman. He now informs the Chair that he is prepared to make a report.

The Delegate of England, Prof. ADAMS, then read the following report:

_Letter from the President of the Conference._

INTERNATIONAL MERIDIAN CONFERENCE,
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, _Oct. 14, 1884_.

SIR: I have the honor to submit to the Committee of which
you are the Chairman the following communications:

No. 1. Letters from Mr. Roumanet du Cailland, through Mr.
Hunter, Ass't Sec. of State.

No. 2. Letter and communication from Mr. C. M.
Raffensparger.

No. 3. Letter from Mr. A. S. de Chancourtois, accompanying
books from Paris.

No. 4. Letter from Mr. A. W. Spofford, enclosing letter of
Mr. J. W. Stolting, of Dobbs' Ferry.

No. 5. Letter from Mr. B. Aycrigg, Passaic, N. J.

No. 6. Letter from J. T. Field, St. Louis, Mo.

No. 7. Letter and two enclosures from Mr. Theodor Pæsche.

No. 8. Description of the Universal Time-Piece of Dr. A. M.
Cory.

No. 9. Letter and enclosure from Mr. E. R. Knorr.

No. 10. Letter from Mr. J. E. Hilgard, of the U. S. Coast
Survey and Geodetic Survey.

No. 11. Arguments by Committee of New York and New Jersey
branch, and other papers relating to weights and measures.

No. 12. Letter from Lt. C. A. S. Totten, U.S.A., in relation
to a Standard Meridian.

No. 13. Letter from Mr. J. P. Merritt, in relation to the
Metric System.

No. 14. Postal card from W. H. Yates, in relation to the
Mercator Projection.

No. 15. A New System of Mensuration, by Lawrence S. Benson.

No. 16. Letter of T. C. Octman, of Hope Mills, N. C.,
calling attention to the fact that the meridian of Greenwich
passes through Havre.

No. 17. Letter from Dr. H. K. Whitner, explaining his
notation of 24 hours.

I am, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,