Mr. Rutherfurd, Delegate of the United States. Mr. President, I think that all of us appreciate the desire which moved the Delegate of Great Britain to present these resolutions. There is a wish on his part that we should not seem, in any way, by our action here, to interfere with the convenience of the world in the use of its present civil time, or any other time which it may be found convenient to adopt, while he recognizes that some of the proposals made as to local time are such as could not be objected to. Still, I cannot refrain from expressing my satisfaction that he has come to the conclusion that these resolutions are not necessary.
I think the whole question is covered by the resolutions already adopted by this Congress; that our universal day is for those purposes only for which it may be found convenient, and that it is not to interfere in any way with the use of civil or other standard time where that may be found convenient. This seems to me to be so fully embodied in our resolutions that it is unnecessary to enunciate again in a negative form the same idea, and I therefore express my satisfaction that the resolutions are withdrawn.
Mr. Sandford Fleming, Delegate of Great Britain. Mr. President, I have a few words bearing on the subject before the Conference which I wish to express before any action is taken.
The President. There will be no subject before the Congress if the resolutions of General Strachey are withdrawn, and the Chair understands that the object of General Strachey in withdrawing these resolutions was to avoid a discussion upon a subject that could hardly lead to any satisfactory conclusion.
If, however, Mr. Fleming desires to address the Conference, he will be at liberty to do so.
Mr. Fleming, Delegate of Great Britain. I do not wish to intrude any new matter upon the Conference. What I had to say had a bearing upon the subject, but, if the resolutions are withdrawn and the Conference desires to end the matter, I shall not insist upon speaking.
No objection being made, the resolutions offered by General Strachey at the last session of the Conference were then withdrawn.
Count Lewenhaupt, Delegate for Sweden, then proposed that the resolutions passed by the Conference should be formally recorded in a Final Act, stating the votes on each resolution that was adopted.
The Conference took a recess, in order to allow the Delegates to examine the draft of the Final Act.
After the recess the Final Act was unanimously adopted, as follows: