The President therefore thinks the time has come to call the Convention referred to in my instruction of October 23, 1882. I am accordingly directed by the President to instruct you to tender to the Government of ----, through its Minister for Foreign Affairs, an invitation to be represented by one or more delegates (not exceeding three) to meet delegates from the United States and other nations in an international Conference to be held in the city of Washington on the first day of October next, 1884, for the purpose of discussing and, if possible, fixing upon a meridian proper to be employed as a common zero of longitude and standard of time-reckoning throughout the globe. You will seek the earliest convenient occasion to bring this invitation to the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of ---- by handing him a copy hereof and requesting that the answer of his Government may be made known to you. I am, sir, your obedient servant, FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN.