You see that I am not speaking in behalf of any special meridian, not even that of Rome, since I admit that the reform may be necessary.  You see, and I assure you, that I have not the slightest wish that the meridian which is to be the initial point of universal time should bear the name of any observatory or place in Spain, although that nation discovered the New World in which this Congress is holding its sessions, and although it may be said of that nation that it discovered those very meridians concerning which we are now speaking, inasmuch as terrestial meridians were indefinite and unknown lines, and were even without form until one was given them by Sebastian Elcano.  I therefore hope that if you do not honor my proposition by accepting it, you will at least do justice to my intentions.

Prof.  ADAMS, Delegate of Great Britain.  Mr. President, I shall be very short in any remarks which I may make upon the proposition before us.

As far as I understand it, it is that, although we have adopted the meridian of Greenwich as a prime meridian from which to count longitudes, we should begin to count our time according to the meridian at Rome.  I cannot consent to that proposition.  It appears to me to be wanting in every element of simplicity, which should be our chief aim in this Conference.  To count longitude from one meridian and time from another, is something that will never be adopted.  I do not understand that that was at all the proposition recommended by the Roman Conference.  On the contrary, I think that it was quite a different one.

Mr. RUIZ DEL ARBOL, Delegate of Spain.  Mr. President, I do not in reality propose to adopt the meridian or anti-meridian of Rome.  What I have been contending for is that we should abstain at present from adopting any meridian as a point of departure for the calculation of time; otherwise, we introduce a new element of confusion for the future.  We should change the chronological reckoning which is now in vogue, and I contend that we have no right, scientific or historical, to make that change now.  According to my views, the meridian of longitude is relatively an unimportant affair.  It is a practical one; it cannot be changed in twenty years, probably, and it will take that time to correct all existing charts.  But if you adopt a meridian for time, it will be very difficult to alter it in the future.  I cannot now clearly see what the difficulties will be, but I apprehend that the application of this new principle to the various details of scientific and civil matters will necessarily be attended with great inconvenience, and may result in proving to be quite impracticable.  I understand it very well that it is proposed to confine this principle to certain subjects, and that it is adopted for the purpose of avoiding dangers in communications, in navigation, in railways, and in transmitting telegrams, &c.; but this is purely an administrative matter, and can be left for settlement to other bodies.