PROCEEDINGS FOR 1S9G LI 



" Exploratory Work with the Government Diamond JJrill," Thomas 

 W. Cribson. 



" Progress in Mineralogical Science," W. A. Parkes, B.A. 



" What is a Metal ?" Eobert Dewar. 



" Ontario along the 48th Parallel," Archibald Blue, Director, 

 Bureau of Mines. 



While the attendance has not been all that we might desire it has 

 still kept up to the average of the jjast six years. 



One field-day was held during last summer up to the Don Valley, 

 which was attended by an unusually large number of members and 

 friends. 



Dui'ing the past session of the institute, the president, at one of the 

 regular meetings, suggested that as it had occurred to several of the 

 officers and members of the institute, that the system of sections, as 

 recognized in and"by the Canadian Institute, is a cause of considerable 

 weakness to the institute proper on account of the division of attendance, 

 which results from the specialization of subjects treated of in said sections, 

 that the sectrons be desired to abolish their right of executive and indi- 

 vidual existence, and thus augment the number attending meetings of the 

 institute proper, concentrating all ability and energy in the furtherance 

 of the success of its meetings. 



On the matter being brought to the notice of this section, it was 

 decided that although the section had been in existence for some ten 

 years during which it had been the most active section of the institute, 

 introducing or taking the initiative in many reforms in mining and other 

 matters which had eventually become law, and although the other sections 

 of the institute which were organized at the same time as this section 

 (the architectural, philological and others) had since lapsed and become 

 defunct : that a meeting would be held on the 30th of April, 1896, to 

 consider the proposal of the president of the institute, not as a recog- 

 nition of the impairment of power, decline of influence, lack of interest or 

 failure in any particular which would constitute a cause for the dissolv- 

 ing of the section, but as the result of a strong desire for the welfare and 

 advancement of the institute. 



The result of this meeting was that after a serious consideration of 

 every phase of the subject, it was decided that as the meeting was not 

 fairly representative of the section, the discussion of the matter should be 

 adjourned until next session. 



