there; that it has been, interfered with by the tremors of the earth
and emanations in the air, which prevent it from fulfilling its
usefulness; that for several years past strenuous efforts have been
made to remove the observatory from Paris to some other place where it
may be free to follow out its course of usefulness, and that the only
thing which keeps it there is the remembrance of the honorable career
of that observatory in times past. He added that he was sure that
there was no one here who failed to recognize its claims to
distinction; that there was no one here acquainted with the past
history of astronomy but looks with pride upon the achievements of the
human intellect effected there. At the same time, however, if a
change is to be made, if sentiment should give way to practical
reason, a locality, no doubt, will be found which may be calculated to
fulfil the requirements of a prime meridian better than that one.

As to the fitness of Greenwich, he said that the observatory was
placed in the middle of a large park under the control of the
Government, so that no nuisance can come near it without their
consent, and that it was in a position which speaks for itself; that
he would only add one word more in regard to this matter, and that is,
that the adoption of the meridian of Greenwich as the prime meridian
has not been sought after by Great Britain; that it was not her
proposition, but that she consented to it after it had been proposed
by other portions of the civilized world.

Mr. JANSSEN, Delegate of France, said: We do not put forward the
meridian of the observatory of Paris as that to be chosen for the
prime meridian; but if it were chosen, and we wished to compare it
with that of Greenwich as to the accuracy with which it is actually
connected with the other observatories of Europe, it would not lose by