XTI EOTAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



which wc are passing, tlio volume of our public discussion is so imuiensc, and the amount of 

 public speaking exjjectcd of statesmen so enormous, that it is almost silly to hope for speeches 

 modelled and polished like those of the great orators of earlier generations; and yet how immense 

 is the superiority of those public men who, in addressing public audiences, are able to bring to 

 the illustration of their subject something of real literary power and knowledge. Can we, for 

 instance, believe that Mr. Gladstone would be able to produce those marvellous effects uj)0n 

 British audiences without that literary culture which, if his career had been a non-political one, 

 would undoubtedly have won for him a high place amongst the men of letters of the centujy ? 

 Lord Salisbury is another example of a public man who has wielded the pen with success, and 

 who owes a great deal to his literary training. Nor can any one read the admirable speeches 

 which have been delivered from time to time ujjon political subjects b}- the distinguished man 

 who has for some years represented the great American republic in England, — I mean Mr. 

 Lowell — without feeling how much there is in the culture of the scholar and the jjoet from which the 

 performances of the politician might dei'ive dignity and wisdom and gracefulness. I think, therefore, 

 gentlemen, that although the Eoyal Society is, fortunately for itself, entii-ely dissociated from polities, 

 those who follow politics should be the first to recognize that there should be no divorce between 

 political life on the one hand and literary and scientific life on the other, but that the former stands 

 in need of and owes a debt to the latter. 



With reference to the work of the Royal Society, I have only to say that it appears to me that 

 the volume of Proceedings which has been placed in our hands contains a lai-ge amount of solid and 

 ci'editable work. Theie aie two subjects, the papers upon which strike me as being both numerous 

 and good in quality. The first of these subjects is the ethnologj' of our native races. I dwell u])on 

 this, because the subject is one not only of great importance and interest, but one which demands the 

 earliest possible attention. There can, I fear, be no question that — jiartly owing to the diminution 

 in the number of those j-aces, partly owing to the change in their mode of life and their gradual 

 adojition of Euroj^ean manners and customs — the materials for ethnological study are everj' year 

 becoming scarcer and moie difficult fo distinguish. This was, as you will I'emember, a matter 

 which was pressed upon our consideration bj' the committee of the British Association shortly after 

 their visit to Canîida. The other subject is that of historical ci-iticism bearing upon the histoiy of our 

 own countiv. There can, I think, be no class of investigation to which Canadian research can be 

 more profitably diiected than that of matters concerning the history of the country itself. 1 am glad 

 to see that, in Section I, there are no less than ten excellent papers of this class. As to the future work 

 of the Society, I would beg permission to say. that I have listened with great pleasure to the words 

 which fell tiom your President in regard to the study of the science of forestiy. It is a relief to me 

 to hear forestry spoken of as a science, because I am afi-aid we are too apt to forget what a very 

 scientific matter forestry is. I am afraid that, in this country, we have been rather inclined to 

 deal with our forests in a soinewhat unscientific fashion. I do not mean to .say that nothing has been 

 done, because I have had the opportunity of looking into what has been written on the subject, and I 

 am the first to recognize the value of information such as that contained in the writings of Mr. 

 Phipp, 3Ir. .Toly and Mr. Eussell, of this city, whose excellent Eeport has been printed as a blue- 

 book and jiresented to tlic English House of Commons. But I am satisfied that, the more we 

 look into the subject of forestry, the more we shall find that, whether you regard the forests of this 

 country as a valuable source of national revenue, or in lelerence to the results which will be occasioned 

 to the climate of the countiy from their denudation which has been so rapidly progressing of late, 

 you will find that the mattei- is one deserving of the most earnest investigation. 



I have only to add, before I sit down, au expression of my concurrence in all that has been 

 said by the President with regard to the visit of the British Association. The results of that visit 

 will be far-reaching and most valuable to this country, both in adding to the fund of accurate and 

 scientific knowledge with regard to the Dominion and its resources, and in establishing more intimate 

 relations between the men of science and letters of the Dominion and those of the Old "World, 



