“Resolved, That the Conference proposes the adoption of a universal day for all purposes for which it may be found convenient, and which shall not interfere with the use of local or other standard time where desirable.”

The following States voted in the affirmative: 

Austria-Hungary,        Mexico,
Brazil,                 Netherlands,
Chili,                  Paraguay,
Colombia,               Russia,
Costa Rica,             Salvador,
France,                 Spain,
Great Britain,          Sweden,
Guatemala,              Switzerland,
Hawaii,                 Turkey,
Italy,                  United States,
Japan,                  Venezuela. 
Liberia,

There were no negative votes.

Germany and San Domingo abstained from voting.

Ayes, 23; noes, 0; abstaining, 2.

So the resolution was carried.

Mr. RUTHERFURD, Delegate of the United States.  Mr. President, I now propose to offer the other portion of the resolution, or rather I propose to offer the other portion in the form of a distinct resolution.  It will run as follows: 

“Resolved, That this universal day is to be a mean solar day; is to begin for all the world at the moment of midnight of the initial meridian, coinciding with the beginning of the civil day and date of that meridian; and is to be counted from zero up to twenty-four hours.”

This is, in substance, the resolution adopted by the Conference at Rome, with the exception that the Conference at Rome proposed that the universal day should coincide with the astronomical day instead of the civil day, and begin at Greenwich noon, instead of Greenwich midnight.

Professor ADAMS, Delegate of Great Britain.  I desire to make one remark merely.  Would it not be a little more correct if we said “at the moment of mean midnight?” I think I have mentioned this before, but, to be clear, I think it should be made.

Mr. RUTHERFURD accepted Professor ADAMS’S suggestion.

Mr. JUAN VALERA, Delegate of Spain.  Mr. President, I wish to call special attention to the proposition now before us, on which we are called upon to vote, as it is of very great importance.

As for me, I acknowledge that my mission is already fulfilled.  The Government of Spain had directed me to admit the necessity or the usefulness of a common prime meridian, and also to accept the meridian of Greenwich as the universal meridian.  I have attended to these directions.

We have now to deal with a scientific question on which I cannot well express an opinion, as I do not feel that I am competent in such matters; besides, I am not authorized to do so.  This may be due to my ignorance in matters of this kind, but I fear that extraordinary difficulties may arise in the adoption of this proposition, and if we proceed with too great haste, we run the risk of placing ourselves in contradiction to common sense.  All the popular ideas of men