system? Is our metric system neutral? It was intended to be, but it is
not; we are using a French system. Had the English, or the Germans, or
the Americans taken the ten-millionth part of the quadrant of the
meridian, they would have arrived at a slightly different measure, and
there would have been an English, a German, and an American measure.
We are using the French metric system. It was intended to be a neutral
system, but it is a French system. We adopt it because it deserves our
admiration, but it is not a neutral system. The various nations of the
world might meet and agree upon some slight modification of this
metric system which would agree with the results of all scientific
investigations, and thus make it international instead of French; but
we do not care to do that, and are willing to adopt one system, taking
the standard of Paris as our standard. How shall we determine a
neutral system of longitude? The expression "neutral system of
longitude" is a myth, a fancy, a piece of poetry, unless you can tell
precisely how to do it. He would vote for a neutral system if the
French representatives can tell the Conference clearly how to decide
that it is neutral, and satisfy them that it is not national in any
way.

Mr. JANSSEN, Delegate of France, said:

I perfectly understand the objection of my honorable colleague, Prof.
ABBE. He asks what is a neutral meridian, and adds that the metre
itself does not appear to him to be a neutral measure, but to be a
French measure. He relies upon the consideration that if the English,
the Americans, and Germans, in adopting a definition of the metre, had
measured it for themselves, they would have arrived each at a slightly
different result, which would have given us an English, American, and
German metre; nevertheless, he adds, we use the French metre, because