"2. That the bearings of cuts of different colored sectors of lights or bearings of lights defining a narrow channel should be expressed in degrees where practicable.

"3. That all bearings expressed in degrees should count from north and south, from 0° to 90°, towards east and west.

"4. That in designating bearings, the letter E shall designate East, and the letter W shall designate West.

"5. That whenever bearings are given, the variation of the compass at the place should be stated.

"6. That distances should be expressed in nautical miles and fractions thereof. The word 'cable' should mean the tenth part of a nautical mile.

"7. That whenever the longitude of a position is given, it should be stated which prime meridian is adopted, and if other than that of Greenwich or Paris, the difference of longitude should also be stated.

"8. That in defining the visibility of a light, it should be stated whether the distance is for 'clear' or 'mean' state of the weather.

"9. That where the geographical range of a light is given, it should be calculated as seen at high water from an observer 15 feet or 5 meters above the sea.

"10. That a uniform classification of lights based on luminous intensity and on the character as seen by the mariner should be adopted.

"11. That the central offices that issue 'Notices to Mariners' or 'Light Lists' should be permitted to correspond direct on such subjects.

"12. That from countries where Notices to Mariners' are published only in newspapers, copies of such papers should be sent to the various hydrographic offices."

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, I rise to move the adoption of this report, and in doing so I wish to take the opportunity of saying, on behalf of my colleagues and myself, how very much we are indebted to the gallant delegate from Germany, the chairman of this committee, and the other members of the committee, for the exceedingly able and interesting report which they have given us. I think that no one can read this report without seeing and feeling that it has necessarily been the result of very great labor indeed. The work which has been undertaken by the gallant delegate and his colleagues is one from which many men would have recoiled; but for them it has been a labor of love, and the result, certainly, I am satisfied, will be of the greatest assistance to all the maritime powers of the world.

Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, on behalf of the members of the committee and myself, I would like to state that we feel extremely grateful for the kind words which have been spoken by the distinguished first delegate from Great Britain. As he has stated, we have given our best attention to the report, and we hope that the work which is begun now, and which is but laying foundation stones for the future, may be found to be of lasting benefit.

The PRESIDENT. This last report seems to conclude the labors of the Conference.

Captain SHACKFORD (United States). Mr. President, I would like to say a word about the statement I made yesterday about the buoyage of

the harbor of New York. I made the statement that can buoys were on the starbord hand, going in from seaward. There seemed to be doubt in the minds of some of the members of the Committee on Buoys in regard to that. I have here the sailing directions for New York Bay and harbor. The first channel mentioned here is Gedney's Channel. It says that there are several buoys passed and then it says: Those to be left on the starboard hand are first-class can buoys painted red, and those to be left on the port hand are nun buoys, painted black. Then it goes on to describe a number of different channels. I merely want to say that these are the sailing directions for New York Bay and that the statement which I made yesterday was right.

Captain MENSING (Germany). Mr. President, I would like to state that I never doubted that the statement made by the gallant delegate of the United States was entirely right. What I meant to say was, that in this case the buoyage was in contradiction to the official statement contained in the report on beacons, buoys, and stakes.

Mr. HALL (Great Britain). Mr. President, now that the labors of the Conference are concluded, I would ask your permission to be allowed to move a resolution, which, I can assure you, is not a mere matter of form. I wish to move a proposition which I am sure will be accepted without a single dissenting voice in this room, for it is a resolution to tender a hearty and cordial vote of thanks to you, Mr. President, for your courteous, impartial, and able conduct in the chair.

Now, Mr. President, I believe that there is not recorded in history any conference at which so many Powers have attended, or at which they have been represented by so many delegates, as that which has been under your direction for the space of nearly three months; and I am certain that in future years we shall all of us look back with pride and satisfaction to the fact that our proceedings have not been marred by a single unpleasant feeling, by a single angry thought or word. I would fain like to say on behalf of my immediate colleagues, the delegates for Great Britain, that we have a very deep sense of the kindness and good feeling which we have received from all of our brother delegates. We shall go away from here feeling that we have made many, many good friends, and with the firm belief and hope that we have not made a single enemy.

When I refer to the good feeling and harmony which have prevailed throughout, I desire to state that it is due not only to the delegates themselves, but it is due in no little degree to the calm, judicial, and unbiased manner in which you have conducted our proceedings, Mr. President. Therefore, it is with very great pleasure and very great pride that I express, however imperfectly I have done so, our gratification and thanks to you for your conduct in the chair. Mr. President, I would fain say more, but there are occasions when words will not come to the lips of the speaker, and I therefore, move formally that a cordial vote of thanks be tendered by the Conference to its President,

Rear-Admiral Samuel R. Franklin, for his courteous, impartial, and able conduct in the chair.

The PRESIDENT. I thank you, gentlemen, for the kind words which have just fallen from the learned first delegate for Great Britain. Any language which I can command would inadequately express the feelings which I have upon this occasion. If I have administered the duties of my office to the satisfaction of the delegates present, it is owing in a great measure to the kind courtesy which they have always displayed towards me, and to the courtesy which they have at all times extended to each other, even in the midst of the most heated debates. You have done your duty, gentlemen, with great ability and with industry such as is rarely witnessed in a conference of this kind. You have worked untiringly and unceasingly day and night. Now the results of your labors will come before the world, and I trust they will be found most satisfactory, as I hope and believe they will. In wishing you good-bye and a happy New Year, I trust that you will find the Atlantic smooth for your passage across, and that you will be received at home by your governments with the credit which you all so well deserve. The motion of the delegate from Great Britain tendering a vote of thanks to the President of the Conference was put to the Conference after having been seconded by Admiral Kaznakoff (Russia), and unanimously adopted.

Dr. SIEVEKING (Germany). Mr. President, I beg leave to propose a resolution which I am sure will meet with the most cordial approval of all the members of the Conference. I beg to propose a vote of thanks to the Secretaries of the Conference, and to the officers detailed by the United States Government to assist us. Their work, as we all know, has been a very extensive and important one. They have given us the whole of their time for nearly three months, since the very first day of their appointment to their duties, and the great number of resolutions passed by the Conference, the many printed pages, and the many committee reports which have been laid before us, all testify to the fact that great zeal has been displayed by the Secretaries and by the officers assisting them, in performing their most important duties.

I am sure that I am only expressing what is the general feeling of the Conference when I say that we never could have thought of arriving at the conclusion of our work in so satisfactory a manner, and in so short a time, without the valuable assistance they have rendered us. But I believe I would fail in fully expressing the feelings of the members of the Conference here present if I did not add that it is not only the zeal which they have bestowed upon the performance of their duty, but it is the very courteous manner in which they have met all the wishes of the delegates, and they were very numerous and trespassed upon their time to a very great degree, which deserves to be gratefully acknowledged. The great courtesy, affability, and kindness in which they have met all our wishes, and the ability with which they have fulfilled them, certainly entitle them to the lasting gratitude of the Conference, I beg to

propose that the thanks of the Conference be expressed to the Secretaries of the Conference and the officers detailed by the United States Government for their services and the valuable assistance given by them to the work of the Conference.

Captain RICHARD (France). Mr. President, I most heartily support the proposition which has been put before this Conference by the learned Dr. Sieveking. In so doing it is unnecessary for me to state the grounds which lead me to support it, and to repeat them. You are all familiar with them. It would evidently be difficult for me to say anything which the members of the Conference have not felt and thought for themselves. But among the secretaries who have co-operated with us, there is a certain number of distinguished officers of the United States Navy whose names have not appeared in any reports of our sessions. I therefore ask that their names be set forth in Dr. Sieveking's resolution as a testimonial of our gratitude both for the permanent and the temporary secretaries who, either in the Conference or in the committees, have assisted us with that courtesy and affability which Dr. Sieveking has so justly described.

I therefore ask that the names be mentioned of Lieutenant Cottman, Mr. Spring-Rice, Mr. Walter Blaess, Mr. Charles Ribière, Lieutenant Beatty, Lieutenant Bostick, Lieutenant Ridgely Hunt, Lieutenant Newton, and Ensign Howard.

If you are of the same opinion, of which I have no doubt you are, we will render to those gentlemen due justice, and the only testimony in our power of showing how we appreciate their enlightened and intelligent services.

If now, at the close of this year and on the eve of the morrow which will give light to a new one, I am allowed to express a wish, it is as follows: May they retain the same pleasant remembrances of us that we will retain of them.

The PRESIDENT. If the Secretaries had a voice upon this floor I have no doubt they would suitably thank the delegate from Germany and the delegate from France for the kind words which they have spoken in their behalf. I therefore, take occasion to thank the Conference for them for these kind words, and also to say that I have, myself, received a great deal of valuable assistance from them.

My first supposition was that the Conference would be adjourned sine die, but upon conversation with some of the delegates I have had reason to change my mind. I will read a letter which I received from the Department of State this morning:

"DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

"Washington, December 31, 1889.

"Rear Admiral S. R. FRANKLIN, U. S. Navy, etc.,

"International Maritime Conference:

"SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st inst., saying that the International Maritime Conference will probably S. Ex. 53-86

conclude its labors on this date, and to state that you are hereby authorized to adjourn the Conference sine die, whenever in your judgment its labors are concluded.

"You will cause the reports and conclusions of the Conference to be certified to this Department in the usual manner.

"In adjourning the Conference you may give suitable expression to the gratification of the Department at the harmony which has prevailed among the members thereof, and to the hope that the commercial world may be materially benefited by the results of its deliberations.

"I am, sir, your obedient servant,

"JAMES G. BLAINE."

I thought I could give no better expression to my views in regard to this matter than by reading this letter. There appears to be no further business before the Conference.

The Conference will now rise.