XXXIV ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



royalty^, your hospitalities have been offered with a gracious and patient 

 kindness which has relieved what might sometimes be an irksome cere- 

 mony to some persons in this democititic country, without in any way 

 detracting from the dignified attributes which are inseparable from the 

 high positions of your Excellencies. 



'' Composed as it is of members of the two nationalities, sprung 

 from the British and French peoples, the Royal Society of Canada can- 

 not refrain from expressing its high appreciation of the deep interest 

 Your Excellencies have taken in everything that appertains to the intel- 

 lectuïil development of this country in all its aspects. Whenever the 

 society has assembled in this city, the Governor-General, as honorary 

 president, has never failed by his inspiriting words to encourage the grow- 

 ing taste for literature and science in this country, where histori'ans, 

 poets, novelists and publicists have made their mark, as notably in French 

 as in English Canada. The success which has so far attended the efforts 

 of the Royal Society to bring together on a common basis of intellectual 

 endeavour the literary and scientific men of the two nationalities will be 

 among the evidences that Your Excellencies will take away with you to 

 the Imperial state of the generous land active co-operation of the two 

 races in all m^itters relating to the common welfare of a dominion, the 

 foundations of which were laid nearly three hundred ye>ars ago on the 

 heights of Quebec by Frenchmen whose descendants still speak the lan- 

 guage and cherish the institutions of old France under the protecting 

 ajgis of wise British statesmanship. 



" In beiaring our testimony to the fidelity with which the Governor- 

 General has fulfilled the duties of his office, we must at the same time 

 recognize with gratitude the active interest that Her Excellency the 

 Countess of Aberdeen has taken in all matters ^affecting the social, moral 

 and educational development of this country. Her addresses to the 

 National Council of Women, which owes its existence and success to her 

 untiring energy, lare replete with thoughts and ideas worthy of deep and 

 continuous study by the classes for whom they were specially intended. 

 In her efforts to establish a Victorian Order of Nurses, for that class of 

 people who are not blessed with stores of this world's goods, we have 

 but one of many examples of Ian unselfish wish to be something more 

 than the recognized head of an exclusive society at Government House, 

 and to identify herself with the daily lives of that far larger body of 

 people who are among the toilers of our land, who have to bear many 

 burdens, even in this country where the conditions of labour are so 

 favoiiral)le comi)ared with those of the same class in the older coimtries 

 of the world. 



