General STRACHEY, Delegate of Great Britain.  Sir, I observe that a very eminent American authority is present in this room, I mean Professor Hilgard.  As he was invited to attend the meeting of this Conference, I suggest that the views of the Conference may be taken, whether he may not be invited to express his opinion on the point now under consideration.

The PRESIDENT.  With the concurrence of the Conference, the Chair will be most happy to ask Professor Hilgard to do us the favor to give us his opinion upon the question now before the Conference.

No objection was made to the proposition of the President.

Professor HILGARD arose and said.  I thank you and the Conference very much for this invitation, and General STRACHEY for having proposed it to the Conference, but my opinion has been squarely expressed both in French and English in the report of a certain committee, that I am in favor of midnight at Greenwich as the beginning of the universal day, and of longitude being calculated both ways from Greenwich.  I really cannot add anything to what has been said in the arguments already presented by Professor ADAMS, and I do not think that I ought to detain this Conference a moment by repeating the opinion he has expressed to all the experts in this matter.

I beg you will excuse me for not further ventilating my views.  Absence from the city, I regret, has prevented me from availing myself of the invitation earlier.

Sir FREDERICK EVANS, Delegate of Great Britain.  I have the honor to address the Conference once more upon the practical aspect of the subject before us as affecting the large body of navigators.  I wish to say upon this point that there appears to me, in the address of my colleague, Professor ADAMS, somewhat of a mixing together of two subjects.

The question immediately before us, as I understand it, is whether the commencement of the universal day shall be midnight or noon of the initial meridian.  That is what we practically have to decide.  Now, I gather from Professor ADAMS’ remarks that upon this question the ephemerides which we now employ have some important bearing.  I do not think that that should influence us, for this reason, that the next resolution which will come before the Conference “expresses the hope that as soon as may be practicable the astronomical and nautical days will be arranged everywhere to begin at midnight.”

This resolution, so far as I understand it, will be the warning to astronomers to begin to make the changes growing out of this resolution which may be necessary for seamen.  Therefore, I consider that we may at once proceed to vote upon the question whether the day is to commence at midnight or noon, without any reference to the practice or interests of navigation.  In reality, it does not appear to me to affect that subject at all.