St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-03
ENoUND-An Album. Apply at j. C. Rhodes
~ office naxt fha Dostoffica 07--07Q
A COM MON MERIDIAN.
The Greenwich Meridian Likely to
be Adopted, Although France
Opposes 1t.

WASHINGTON, Oct. An the internal
prime meridian conference to-day resolu-
ton was adopted providing that the meet
lngs of the conference shall be
private, but that certain scientists should
be admitted, and allowed to participate in
the discussions, upon invitation of the presi-
dent. Another resolution was adopted de-
claring the opinion of the conference was
that common prime meridian for all nations
was desirable. Prof, Rutherford, one of the
delegates representing the United States
then offered the following:
RESOLVED, That this conference proposes to
the governments represented the adoption,
as standard meridian, of that passing through
the center of the transit instrument at Green
witch.
This resolution was opposed by the repre-
sentatiyes of France and gave rise to an ami
mated, and at times heated, debate. La
foure and Jansson, French delegates, con-
tended that the object of the conference was
merely to discuss the general question of a
common prime meridian, and not to select
| and establish such meridian. The represen-
tatives of Great Britain and the United States,
on the other hand maintained that common
dissirability of a common prime meridian
was conceded. There was no necessity for
| further discussion or consideration of that
question, and the thing to be done now was
to ascertain whether the delegates could agree
upon particular meridian.
Count Lewenhaupt, representative of
Sweden and Norway, said as he understood
the object of the conference it was to select
and recommend some particular meridian
| for general adoption. The selection made
hx-f he ,ot0 -
self bind the governments represented. He,
as representative of Sweden and Norway,
might come to an agreement with the other
delegates present as to prime meridian, but
he could do nothing more than recommend
1t to his government, and the latter might
adopt it or not He did not agree with the
French delegates that the conference should
| limit itself TO a mere general discussion of
the question. He thought they should select
a common prime meridian and recommend
its adoption, leaving their respective govern
ments to act upon the recommendations as
might seem to them best.
After a good deal of discussion, in the
course of which the French delegates mani
tested some feeling aud disposition to resist
strenuously the adoption of Prof. Rutherford S
resolution. The conference adjourned to
Monday, October 6. The officers of the
United States bureau of navigation express
the opinion that the conference will either
adopt the meridian of Greenwich or come to
no agreement whatever, as neither Great
Britain nor the United States Will consent to
any other. One of the foreign delegates ex-
pressed the opinion tonight that the confer
ence would not be able to come to any
agreement. The French delegates, he said,
manifested a determination not to consent
to the recommendation of the meridian of
| Greenwich, and the representatives Of Great
Britain and the United States would not, he
thought, be satisfied with any meridian likely
| to meet the views of France.