International Conference Held at Washington for the Purpose of Fixing a Prime Meridian and a Universal Day. October, 1884. - Protocols of the Proceedings by Various
page 111 of 275 (40%)
page 111 of 275 (40%)
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advantage whatever. On the contrary, it must lead to inconvenience.
You do not, by adopting the meridian opposite Greenwich, get rid of the nationality of the meridian. If there is objection to the meridian of Greenwich on account of its nationality, the meridian of 180 degrees from Greenwich is subject to the same objection. The one half is just as national as the other half. The PRESIDENT. The chair would say that no specific meridian is mentioned in the amendment. Prof. ADAMS, Delegate of Great Britain. That is true, but, at the same time, it should be said that the meridian described is ambiguous. It is the meridian that passes through the poles and the centre of the transit instrument of the Observatory of Greenwich. That is the language of the amendment. But it is intended to apply to only one-half of the great circle passing through the poles, that is to the distant half of the meridian rather than to the nearer half. Unless it defines which half it is intended to take, the amendment is ambiguous, and it is not proper to be voted on. Mr. MILES ROCK, Delegate of Guatemala. Mr. President, It may be well to hear the words of the original resolution, in order that we can clearly see the relation of the amendment to that resolution. The original resolution of the Delegate of the United States was then read. Baron VON ALVENSLEBEN, Delegate of Germany. Mr. President, I think that in this amendment offered by the Delegate of Great Britain two questions are mixed up together. The first thing for us to do is to |
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