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The Committee consider " that it is desirable that Mr. Sandford Fleming's memorandum _be forwarded to the Governments of all the colonies for their consideration with a view to the adoption of the hour-zone system in reckoning time generally, and of the twenty-four-hour notation for railway time-tables." " The Committee desire to express their concurrence in Mr. Sandford Fleming's view;s as to the advantages which would result from this reform and the ease with -which it could be carried out." I am also to request you to inform the Secretary of State for the Colonies that the Astronomer Eoyal calls attention to a paper by Dr. Schram, published in the April number of the^ Observatory, showing that " standard time " is likely to be adopted shortly on the railways of Germany and Hungary, whilst other European countries are favourably disposed towards it. I am directed to request that you will be good enough to move Lord Knutsford, should his Lordship consider the action expedient, to cause copies of the memorandum and of the map, which have been printed for the purpose, to be sent to the Governors of Her Majesty's colonies. I am, &c. W. D. Donnel.lv. The Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Colonial Office, S.W.

Committee on the Prime Meridian Conference. Meeting of the 25th April, 1890. Present: The Astronomer Eoyal (in the chair), the Hydrographer of the navy, General Donnelly, C.B. Besolved— (1.) That it is desirable that Mr. Sandford Fleming's memorandum be forwarded to the Governments of all the colonies for their consideration, with a view to the adoption of the hour-zone system in reckoning time generally, and of the twenty-four-hour notation for railway time-tables. The Committee desire to express their concurrence in Mr. Sandford Fleming's views as to the advantages which would result from this reform, and the ease with which it could be carried out. (2.) That it would be advisable that a similar recommendation should be forwarded to the Indian Government, and that the adoption of the twenty-four-hour notation for railway timetables (which they understand has been adopted on several lines in India) should be recommended to the railway companies of the United Kingdom.

Memorandum on the Movement for reckoning Time on a Scientific Basis, by which the greatest possible Degree of Simplicity, Accuracy, and Uniformity will bo obtainable in all Countries throughout the World. 1. Notwithstanding the great advance which has been made during the present century in all the arts and sciences, and their application to the affairs of human life, the reckoning of time is still in a primitive condition in many countries, and in an imperfect condition in every country. Difficulties have been developed since the introduction of rapid means of communication through the twin agencies, steam and electricity, which, when examined, prove that time is computed generally on principles which are untenable. The world's time-reckoning is, in fact, an exceedingly complicated combination. It is productive of confusion, and the confusion is apt to be increased and intensified as population increases and lines of rapid communication are multiplied. 2. During the last ten years efforts have been made to overcome the evils referred to by establishing a remedial system on a sound scientific basis which would be acceptable to all nations, and by which perfect accuracy, uniformity, and simplicity would everywhere be obtainable. 3. The subject has been carefully considered by many individuals, and by scientific societies in Europe and America. It has been discussed at Geographical and Geodetic Congresses at Venice and Borne, and at conventions of scientists and practical business men in America. On all these occasions the solution of the problem has been promoted. As an outcome of these various meetings and efforts, the President of the United States, under the authority of an Act of Congress, invited the Governments of all civilised nations to appoint delegates to meet in conference at Washington to consider the whole question, and take decisive action in respect thereto. 4. The Washington Conference embraced delegates from twenty-five nations. They had eight sessions. The first was held on the Ist October, 1884, the last on the Ist November following. After patient deliberation and discussion the object of this International Conference was accomplished by the passage, with substantial unanimity, of a series of resolutions determining the principles upon which all the nations of the world may unite in the adoption of a universal system of reckoning time. 5. The important results of the Conference are the establishment of (1) a prime meridian for reckoning longitude, (2) a zero for time-reckoning, and (3) a unit-measure of time to be common to the whole world. 6. The prime meridian corresponds with the Greenwich meridian. 7. The zero of time may be defined as the moment of mean solar passage on the anti-prime meridian. 8. The unit-measure of time, designated the universal day, may be defined as the interval between two successive mean solar passages on the anti-prime meridian. 9. The Conference further determined that the hours of the universal day shall be counted in a single series from zero to twenty-four. 10. The universal day, as defined by the Washington Conference, begins and ends at the same moment as the civil day in Greenwdch, but it differs from the Greenwich civil day in respect to the numbering of the houys. W Thile the universal day has a single set of hours numbered from 0 to 24, the Greenwich civil day is divided at noon into halves, the half days before and after noon being subdivided into separate sets of hours, each numbered from 0 to 12, and distinguished as ante-meridian and post-meridian. Greenwich time is the local time so called of the meridian of Greenwich. Universal time, on the other hand, is understood to be common to all localities, and the universal day is held to be the date of the world.