IT. ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 
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, Archeology, &c. 
2. English Literature with History, Archeology, &c. < 
3. Mathematical, Chemical and Physical Sciences. 
4. Geological and Biological Sciences. 
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 nomin- 
ated 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-luw or other- 
wise 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, 
