RUSTEM EFFENDI,
_Secretary of Legation_.

The delegates were formally presented to the Secretary of State of the
United States, the Honorable FREDERICK T. FRELINGHUYSEN, in his office
at 12 o'clock. Upon assembling in the Diplomatic Hall, he called the
Conference to order, and spoke as follows:

GENTLEMEN: It gives me pleasure, in the name of the
President of the United States, to welcome you to this
Congress, where most of the nations of the earth are
represented. You have met to discuss and consider the
important question of a prime meridian for all nations. It
will rest with you to give a definite result to the
preparatory labors of other scientific associations and
special congresses, and thus make those labors available.

Wishing you all success in your important deliberations, and
not doubting that you will reach a conclusion satisfactory
to the civilized world, I, before leaving you, take the
liberty to nominate, for the purpose of a temporary
organization, Count Lewenhaupt.

It will afford this Department pleasure to do all in its
power to promote the convenience of the Congress and to
facilitate its proceedings.

By the unanimous voice of the Conference the Delegate of Sweden, Count
LEWENHAUPT, took the chair, and said that, for the purpose of