34 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. viii. 



" In January, 1832, a petition from Dr. Rae, praying for 

 pecuniary assistance in prosecution of a geological and statistical 

 survey of the province, was sent down by message to the Legisla- 

 tive Assembly, with a favourable recommendation from his 

 Excellency Sir John Colborne, Lt. Gov. of Upper Canada. It 

 was read and referred to the committee of supply, but not con- 

 sidered. 



" In February, 1836, on the motion of Mr. W. L. Mackenzie, 

 seconded by Mr. Durand, Messrs. R. G. Dunlop, Gibson and C. 

 Duncombe were named a select committee to consider and report 

 on a plan for a geological survey of the Province. Three hun- 

 dred copies of this report were ordered to be printed, and it was 

 referred to the committee of supply, but was not considered. 



In November, 1836, on the motion of Mr. R. G. Dunlop, se- 

 conded by Col. Prince, the house went into a committee of the 

 whole to consider the expediency of a geological survey, and, on 

 their report being received, it was resolved that an address should 

 be presented to His Excellency the Lieut. Governor (Sir F. B. 

 Head), to ascertain whether there were any means at his disposal 

 to effect a geological survey of the Province. The address was 

 ordered to be drafted, but was not reported. 



" In December, 1836, Mr. R. G. Dunlop gave notice that he 

 would move an address to His Majesty for a grant of wild lands 

 to defray the expense of a geological survey of the Province, but 

 no address was presented. 



" To Lord Sydenham, who well appreciated the importance of 

 an examination into the mineral resources of Canada, the country 

 is indebted for the commencement of the geological survey which 

 has been instituted. 



" In July, 1841, in the first United Parliament, a petition from 

 the Natural History Society of Montreal, praying for aid to carry 

 out a systematic geological survey of the Province, was presented 

 by Mr. B. Holmes. It was referred to a select committee con- 

 sisting of Messrs. Holmes, Neilson, Quesnel, Merrit, and the 

 Hon. Mr. Killaly, but it was not reported on. A similar petition 

 was presented by Mr. Black, from the Literary and Historical 

 Society of Quebec, which was read. The government took up 

 the matter, and on the motion of the Hon. B. Harrison, the sum 

 of £1500 sterling for the purposes of a survey was introduced 

 into the estimates."* 



* From Scobie's Canadian Almanac for 1851. 



