In deliberating on the important subject before us, it seems to me there are two essential points which we should constantly bear in mind.
1. We should consider what will best promote the general advantage, not now only, but for all future years, while causing at the present time as little individual and national inconvenience as possible.
2. We should, in coming to a determination on the main question for which this Conference is called, leave nothing undone to avoid offence, now or hereafter, to the sensitiveness of individual nations.
The motion is, that the initial meridian to be chosen should be selected on account of its neutrality. This undoubtedly involves the selection of an entirely new meridian, one which has never previously been used by any nation, as all initial meridians in use are more or less national, and, as such, would not be considered neutral in the sense intended by the honorable Delegates from France.
Let us suppose that this Conference adopted the motion. Let us suppose, further, that we found a meridian quite independent of and unrelated to any existing initial meridian. Would we then have accomplished the task for which we are met? I ask, would the twenty-six nations here represented accept our recommendation to adopt the neutral meridian? I greatly fear that the passing of the resolution would not in the least promote the settlement of the important question before the Conference. The world has already at least eleven different first meridians. The adoption of the new meridian contemplated by the Delegates from France would, I apprehend, simply increase the number and proportionately increase the difficulty which so many delegates from all parts of the earth are assembled here to remove.
This would be the practical effect of the passing of the resolution. If it had any effect, it would increase the difficulty, and I need not say that is not the object which the different Governments had in view when they sent delegates to this Conference. The President has well pointed out in his opening address the advantages which would be gained, and the great dangers which, at times, would be avoided by seafaring vessels having one common zero of longitude. Besides the benefits which would accrue to navigation, there are advantages of equal importance in connection with the regulation of time, to spring, I trust, from our conclusions.
It does not appear to me that the adoption of the motion would in any way advance these objects. I do not say that the principle of a neutral meridian is wrong, but to attempt to establish one would, I feel satisfied, be productive of no good result. A neutral meridian is excellent in theory, but I fear it is entirely beyond the domain of practicability. If such be the case, it becomes necessary to consider how far it would be practicable to secure the desired advantages by adopting as a zero some other meridian which, while related to some existing first meridian, would not be national in fact, and would have the same effect as a perfectly neutral meridian in allaying national susceptibilities.
The selection of an initial meridian related to meridians now in use gives us a sufficiently wide choice. Allow me to read the following list, showing the number and the total tonnage of vessels using the several meridians named, in ascertaining their longitude.
| INITIAL MERIDIANS. | SHIPS OF ALL KINDS. | PER CENT. | ||
| Number. | Tonnage. | Ships. | Tonnage. | |
| Greenwich | 37,663 | 14,600,972 | 65 | 72 |
| Paris | 5,914 | 1,735,083 | 10 | 8 |
| Cadiz | 2,468 | 666,602 | 5 | 3 |
| Naples | 2,263 | 715,448 | 4 | 4 |
| Christiana | 2,128 | 695,988 | 4 | 3 |
| Ferro | 1,497 | 567,682 | 2 | 3 |
| Pulkova | 987 | 298,641 | 1½ | 1½ |
| Stockholm | 717 | 154,180 | 1½ | 1 |
| Lisbon | 491 | 164,000 | 1 | 1 |
| Copenhagen | 435 | 81,888 | 1 | ½ |
| Rio de Janeiro | 253 | 97,040 | ½ | ½ |
| Miscellaneous | 2,881 | 534,569 | 4½ | 2½ |
| Total | 57,697 | 20,312,093 | 100 | 100 |
It thus appears that one of these meridians, that of Greenwich, is used by 72 per cent. of the whole floating commerce of the world, while the remaining 28 per cent. is divided among ten different initial meridians. If, then, the convenience of the greatest number alone should predominate, there can be no difficulty in a choice; but Greenwich is a national meridian, and its use as an international zero awakens national susceptibilities. It is possible, however, to a great extent, to remove this objection by taking, for a zero of longitude and time, the meridian farthest distant from Greenwich. This being on the same great circle as Greenwich, it would not require the establishment of a new observatory; its adoption would produce no change in charts or nautical tables, beyond the notation of longitude. It would possess all the advantage claimed for the Greenwich meridian in connection with navigation, and as a zero for regulating time it would be greatly to be preferred to the Greenwich meridian. This Pacific meridian being accepted as the common zero, and longitude being reckoned continuously in one direction, there would be an end to the necessity of any nation engraving on its charts the words "longitude east or west of Greenwich." The one word "longitude" would suffice. The zero meridian would be international and in no respect national. Even on British charts all reference to Greenwich would disappear.