I will conclude by expressing my opinion upon the subject with which the Congress is occupied.  My opinion is not new, in spite of its having been modified in the course of our sitting.  The works of our eminent colleague and indefatigable propagandist, Mr. SANDFORD FLEMING, the resolution of the Conference at Rome, the valuable opinions of Messrs. Faye, Otto Struve, Beaumont de Boutiller, Hugo Gylden, the scientific work of Monsieur Chancourtois, and the report which M. Gaspari has just presented to the Academy of Sciences of Paris are the text upon which I base the simplest and most practical method of solving the problem, namely, to adopt as the prime meridian for cosmic time and longitude a meridian near the point at which our dates change, and to reckon longitude from zero hours to twenty-four hours towards the west, contrary to the movement of the earth.  The formula would be then:  Cosmic time = local time + longitude.

I think that the best way of finding cosmic time in relation to local time and longitude is to add a quantity to the civil hour of each point of the globe.

But as the majority of this Congress, so worthy of respect, admits no modifications of the system which we may call Greenwich, let us lay aside the question of longitude and consider cosmic time separately.

I have the honor, therefore, to present the following resolutions, and I ask the Congress to consider them, and to accept them as a means of compromise: 

I. We agree to choose as the prime meridian for cosmic time that meridian near which the civil day of the world commences, namely, the anti-meridian of Rome, Greenwich, or Havre.

II.  The cosmic day consists of twenty-four hours, and commences at midnight of the prime meridian.

III.  The earth is divided from the initial meridian into twenty-four hour-spaces, counted in a direction contrary to the movement of the earth from 0h. to 24h.

We shall, then, have the following formula:  T = t + R, where R represents the difference reckoned from 0h. to 24h. between the local time of the prime meridian and the local time of each point of the globe; T the Cosmic Time and t the local time.

The PRESIDENT.  The Chair would ask the Delegate of Spain, Mr. PASTORIN, whether he offers his resolution as an amendment to that offered by his colleague, Mr. RUIZ DEL ARBOL.

Mr. RUIZ DEL ARBOL, Delegate of Spain.  Mr. Chairman, the amendment last offered is not intended to interfere with my proposition.

The PRESIDENT then put the question to the Conference upon the amendment offered by the Delegate of Spain, Mr. RUIZ DEL ARBOL.

Upon a vote being taken, the amendment was lost.

The PRESIDENT.  The question now recurs upon the amendment offered by the Delegate of Spain, Mr. PASTORIN.  That amendment runs as follows: 

     “I.  We agree to choose as the prime meridian for cosmic time
     that meridian near which the civil day of the world
     commences, namely, the anti-meridian of Greenwich or Havre.