ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. PROCEEDINGS FOR 1882. ORGANIZATION OF THE SOCIETY. In accordance with circulars setting forth the time and place of meeting of the Royal Society for the promotion of Literature and Science in the Dominion of Canada, the members assembled in the railway committee room, Parliament Building, Ottawa, at ten o'clock in the morning, on Thursday, twenty-fifth May, 1882. The whole of the members of the Provisional Council were present, with the exception of Mr. Goldwin Smith, then absent in England. Those whose names are given below constituted the officers for the organization and the first session of the Society: PRESIDENT, J. W. Dawson, C.M.G., LL.D., F.R.S. VICE-PRESIDENT, Hon. P. J. O. Chauveau, LL.D., Docteur ès Lettres. PRESIDENTS OF SECTIONS. Sect. I.-French Literature, History, and Allied Subjects. J. M. Le Moine, Membre de la Société Américaine de France. Faucher de St. Maurice, M.P., Membre de la Société des Gens de Lettres de France. Sect. II.-English Literature, History and Allied Subjects. Daniel Wilson, LL.D., F.R.S.E. Goldwin Smith, M.A. Sect. III.-Mathematical, Physical and Chemical Sciences. Pro. 1882. A. The Honorary Secretary then read the following Report of the Provisional Council. By invitation of His Excellency the Governor-General a meeting of a few gentlemen designated by him as provisional officers of the proposed organization was held in Montreal on December 29th and 30th, 1881, when a memorandum from His Excellency relating to the formation of an Institute, Academy, or Society for the promotion of Literature and Science in the Dominion of Canada, was read and considered. It was then unanimously decided to suggest to His Excellency a provisional basis for the constitution of such Society; which, with certain modifications introduced in subsequent discussion, stands as follows: 1. That the title be "The Royal Society of Canada for the promotion of Literature and Science within the Dominion"; and that a memorial be addressed to Her Majesty the Queen asking her sanction to the said title. 2. That the members be persons resident in the Dominion of Canada or in Newfoundland, who have published original works or memoirs of merit or have rendered eminent services to Literature or to Science. 3. That the Society consist of two departments, representing Literature and Science respectively, divided into sections, of which the four following shall be at present constituted, with power to subdivide with the consent of the Council. 1. French Literature with History, Archæology, &c. That the number of members in each section be limited to twenty. 4. That the original members be nominated by His Excellency the Governor-General, and that subsequently proposals for election of new members may be made to the Council by any three members, of whom at least two shall belong to the section to which the candidate desires to be assigned, the reasons of the proposal being stated in writing. Such proposal shall be referred to the said section for any representation it may think fit to make. On the approval of the section the Council may submit the proposed name to be ballotted for at any regular meeting of the Society. In each section the Presidents, or President and Vice-President, with such other members as may be appointed by the section, shall constitute a committee to report on such applications, and at least three months shall elapse between the proposal of a name to the Council and the ballot thereon. 5. That the officers of the Society shall be a President and Vice-President, with an Honorary Secretary and a Treasurer, to be elected by the whole Society; besides a President and Vice-President of each section, to be elected by the section. These elections to be annual. That the officers so elected shall constitute the Council of the Society, and that the officers nominated by His Excellency for the first meeting shall hold office during that meeting. That a paid Assistant-Secretary may, if necessary, be employed by the Council. 6. That the first meeting of the Society shall be held at such time and place as His Excellency the Governor-General may appoint; that the headquarters of the Society shall be in Ottawa; and that it shall hold at least one general meeting annually, at such times and places as by bye-law or otherwise it may determine. 7. That the title of any Paper, Memoir or other production, by a member, intended to be read at a meeting of the Society, shall be submitted, together with an abstract of its contents, to the Council, through the Secretary, previous to the meeting at which it is to be read. On its approval, each such communication shall be assigned to the section to which it belongs, and having been therein read and discussed, shall be submitted to the committee of the section, and on report of said committee, may, by vote of the section, be recommended to the Council for publication, either entire or in abstract. Communications by persons not members of the Society may be submitted by members on the same conditions with their own productions. 8. That the Society shall, for its ordinary business, meet in general session, and, for the reading and discussion of papers and other sectional business, shall meet in sections. The public may be admitted to all except business meetings. 9. That the advice and assistance of the Society shall at all times be at the disposal of the Government of the Dominion in all matters which may be within the scope of the Society's functions. 10. That His Excellency the Governor-General be respectfully requested to accept the position of Patron and Honorary President of the Society. The above suggestions having been approved by His Excellency the Governor-General, and the members of the Society having now been convened in accordance therewith, the Council would make the following Recommendations: (1st) That the above provisions be adopted by the Society for the constitution and conduct of the present meeting. (2nd) That the Council be empowered to consider and report at the general session on Saturday next (27th May) on the best mode of associating with this Society the various local Literary and Scientific Societies existing in the Dominion;-on prizes or other inducements that may be offered to scientific or literary men, not members of the Society;—on the time and place of the next meeting;on the desirableness of inviting the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and societies of other countries to send delegates to the next or any future meeting;-on the opening of communication with the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, and others, with reference to the collection of specimens, with the view to the formation of a Canadian Museum of Archives, Ethnology, Archæology and Natural History;—and also to prepare memorials to the Dominion Government in favour of the establishment of such Canadian Museum, and of a grant to this Society in aid of publication and other objects of the Society. (3rd) That the Council to be elected at this meeting be empowered to prepare a permanent Constitution and Bye-Laws for the Society,-to arrange for its incorporation,-to suggest as to the means of paying its expenses, whether by fees exigible from members or otherwise, to apply for Legislative aid, and to report at next meeting. (4th) That His Excellency the Governor-General be respectfully requested to transmit to Her Gracious Majesty the Queen the proceedings of this our first meeting, with our humble petition that she will be pleased to sanction our assuming the title of The Royal Society of Canada. (5th) That the Lieutenant-Governors of the Provinces of the Dominion and of Newfoundland, the members of the Honorable the Privy Council, and the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Chief Justices of the Provinces, shall be ex officio Honorary Associates of the Society, and shall receive copies of its transactions. (6th) That the proceedings of the present meeting be arranged as follows: After this Session the Sections will meet to organize and appoint Secretaries and Committees, and for other business. At four o'clock p.m., the meeting will be formally opened by His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, and addresses will be delivered by the President and Vice-President of the Society. At eight o'clock p.m., the Society will meet in sections for the addresses of Presidents of Sections and for the reading and discussion of papers. On Friday at 10 a.m., the Society will meet in sections for the reading and discussion of papers. On Saturday at 10 a.m., the Society will meet in sections for reading of papers, for reports and for elections. At 12 noon it will meet in general session for reports of sections, report of council, elections and other business. The Council would further report that, in view of the relations of the Province of Newfoundland to the Dominion, and of the eminent scientific services of Alexander Murray, Esq., C.M.G., F.G.S., Director of the Geological Survey of that Province, that gentleman has been nominated special additional member of this Society, in Section 4, and the Council would recommend that in future, with reference to elections of members of the Society, Newfoundland be regarded as in the same position with the provinces of the Dominion of Canada. On motion of Dr. Daniel Wilson, seconded by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, the report was received, and the recommendations therein contained were considered seriatim by the Society. The first, second, third and fourth recommendations having been again read, were unanimously adopted. The fifth recommendation having been again read, it was proposed and agreed that the Council should be requested to take into consideration the advisability of adding to the list of those entitled to receive the Transactions of the Society, and of otherwise amending the said recommendation. The fifth and sixth recommendations were then duly adopted. The Secretary then read the roll. Members of the Society. (Members not present are designated by an asterisk.) Section I-French Literature, History, Archæology, &c. Abbé Bégin, Quebec; *Abbé Bois, Maskinonge; *Napoleon Bourassa, Montreal; Abbé Casgrain, Rivière Quelle; P. J. O. Chauveau, Montreal; Paul De Cazes, Quebec; Oscar Dunn, Quebec; *Hector Fabre, Quebec, Faucher de St. Maurice, Quebec; Louis H. Fréchette, Montreal; *Napoleon LeGendre, Quebec; Pamphile LeMay, Quebec; James M. LeMoine, Quebec; F. G. Marchand, St. John's; Joseph Marmette, Quebec; *A. B. Routhier, Quebec; Benjamin Sulte, Ottawa; Abbé Tanguay, Ottawa; Joseph Tassé, Ottawa; Abbé Verreau, Montreal. Section II.-English Literature, History, Archeology, etc. John George Bourinot, Ottawa; R. Maurice Bucke, London; Rev. Æneas McDonell Dawson, Ottawa; *G. T. Denison, Toronto; *Rev. G. M. Grant, Kingston; William Kirby, Niagara; *John Lesperance, Montreal; Charles Lindsey, Toronto; *Rev. W. Lyall, Halifax, N.S.; George Murray, Montreal; Rev. J. Clark Murray, Montreal; Evan McColl, Kingston; John Reade, Montreal; Charles Sangster, Ottawa; *Goldwin Smith, Toronto; George Stewart, Jr., Quebec; Alpheus Todd, Ottawa; *J. Watson, Kingston; Daniel Wilson, Toronto; *G. Paxton Young, Toronto. Section III.-Mathematical, Physical and Chemical Sciences. Charles Baillargé, Quebec; Herbert A. Bayne, Kingston; Charles H. Carpmael, Toronto; Edward J. Chapman, Toronto; J. B. Cherriman, Ottawa; E. Deville, Ottawa; N. F. Dupuis, Kingston; Sandford Fleming, Ottawa; *Pierre Fortin, Montreal; Gilbert P. Girdwood, Montreal; F. W. Gisborne, Ottawa; E. Haanel, Cobourg; Rev. Thomas E. Hamel, Quebec; Bernard J. Harrington, Montreal ; Christian G. Hoffmann, Ottawa; Thomas Sterry Hunt, Montreal; Alexander Johnson, Montreal; *J. T. Loudon, Toronto; Thomas Macfarlane, Actonvale; J. G. McGregor, Halifax, N.S. Section IV.-Geological and Biological Sciences. Loring W. Bailey, Fredericton; *George Barnston, Montreal; Robert Bell, Ottawa; *George M. Dawson, Ottawa; John William Dawson, Montreal; Edwin Gilpin, Halifax, N.S.; *J. Bernard Gilpin, Halifax, N.S.; James A. Grant, Ottawa; *J. M. Jones, Halifax, N.S.; Rev. J. C. K. Laflamme, Quebec; George Lawson, Halifax, N.S.; J. Macoun, Belleville; George F. Matthew, St. John, N.B.; *Alexander Murray, St. John's, Nfld.; W. Osler, Montreal; W. Saunders, London; A. R. C. Selwyn, Ottawa; *D. N. St. Cyr, Quebec; J. F. Whiteaves, Ottawa; R. Ramsay Wright, Toronto. The Society then adjourned to meet in sections for the purpose of organization and the reading and discussion of papers previous to the Formal Opening of the Session. At 4 p.m. the Society assembled in the Senate Chamber, a large number of ladies and gentlemen. of the city of Ottawa being also present. His Excellency the Governor-General having entered the chamber, followed by the Council of the Society, the members of the Society were presented to him, after which he addressed the Society as follows: Gentlemen-These few words I do not address to you, presuming to call myself one of your brotherhood, either in science or literature, but I speak to you as one whose accidental official position may enable him to serve you, persuaded as I am that the furtherance of your interests is for the benefit and honour of Canada. Let me briefly state the object aimed at in the institution of this Society. Whether it be possible that our hopes will be fulfilled according to our expectation, the near future will show. From the success which has attended similar associations in other lands, possessed of less spirit, energy and opportunity than our own, there is no reason to augur ill of the attempt to have here a body of men whose achievements may entitle them to recognize and encourage the appearance of merit in literature, and to lead in science and the useful application of its discoveries. It is proposed then that this Society shall consist of a certain number of members who have made their mark by their writings, whether these be of imagination or the study of nature. In one division our fellow-countrymen, descended from the stock of Old France, will discuss with that grace of diction and appreciation of talent which are so conspicuous amongst them, all that may affect their literature and the maintenance of the purity of that grand language from which the English is largely derived. They will know how to pay compliments to rising authors, and how with tact and courtesy to crown the aspirants to the honours they will bestow. Among English men of letters the grant of such formal marks of recognition by their brethren has not as yet become popular or usual, and it may be that it never will be customary. On the other hand it surely will be a pleasure to a young author, if, after a perusal of his thoughts, they who are his co-workers and successful precursors in the wide domain of poetry, of fiction, or of history, should see fit to award him an expression of thanks for his contribution to the intellectual delight or to the knowledge of his time. They only, whose labours have met with the best reward-the praise of their contemporaries-can take the initiative in such a welcome to younger men; and whatever number may hereafter be elected to this Society, it is to be desired that no man be upon its lists who has not, by some original and complete. work, justified his selection. The meeting together of our eminent men will contribute to unite on a common ground those best able to express the thoughts and illustrate the history of the time. will serve to strengthen emulation among us, for the discussion of progress made in other lands must breed the desire to push the intellectual development of our own. We may hope that this union will promote the completion of the national collections which, already fairly representative in geology, may hereafter include archives, paintings, and objects illustrating ethnology and all branches of natural history. In science we have men whose names are widely known; and the vast field for study and exploration afforded by this magnificent country may be expected to reward by valuable discoveries the labours of the geologist and mineralogist. It would be out of place in these few sentences to detail the lines of research which have already engaged your attention. They will be spoken of in the record of your proceedings. Among those the utility of which must be apparent to all, one may be particularly mentioned. I refer to the meteorological observations, from which have been derived the storm warnings which during the last few years have saved many lives. A comparatively new science has thus been productive of results known to all our population, and especially to seamen. Here I have only touched upon one or two subjects in the wide range of study which will occupy the time and thoughts of one half of your membership, devoted as two of your four sections will be to geological and biological sciences. It will be your province to aid and |