APPENDIX F CVII 
On the 25th of January last, by special invitation from E. Z. Mas- 
sicotte and R. W. McLachlan, Archivists of the Court House in Montreal, 
the members of the Society had an opportunity of looking over the most 
important series of ancient original documents, housed in this building, 
and learning of their inestimable value in connection with the early 
history of Montreal, if not of all Canada. They were also able to note 
how this vast accumulation was being classified and cared for. 
Following this memorable visit the Society, ever on the alert to 
promote historical studies, has petitioned the Provincial government, 
with success, for the return of a large number of the oldest archives 
belonging to the Montreal Court House, from which they had been 
removed some twenty years ago. This makes the archives department 
of Montreal probably the largest depository of early original documents 
relating to Canada. This, thanks to Sheriff L. J. Lemieux M.D., is 
much better cared for and is now more accessible to students and his- 
torians. A beginning has been made to have the whole properly in- 
dexed, and the work is progressing with such speed, that already docu- 
ments heretofore almost inaccessible are much more easily found. 
The Society has also been untiring in its efforts to preserve some 
of the fast disappearing remnants of old Montreal and to mark out 
the spots made memorable by those who have been famous in Canadian 
history. 
The work of the Society has so grown since the museum was opened, 
twenty years ago, that the old charter had been found altogether too 
strait. A new one giving enlarged powers was asked for and granted 
by the Provincial Legislature. At the same time permission was given 
to change the name of the institution to: The Antiquarian and Numis- 
matic Society of Montreal. This will make the third form of the name 
of the Society, begun fifty years ago as: The Numismatic Society of 
Montreal. 
[t will be therefore the pleasure of its members to celebrate the 
jubilee year of the Society next December, in which they would like to 
have as many members of The Royal Society, as possible, participate. 
The Society has this year to chronicle the sad loss it has sustained 
through the death of its late president, Judge Sicotte. Never absent 
from a stated meeting of the Society, except through indisposition or 
absence from the city, he was ever on the alert to promote its welfare 
by all means within his power, and many valuable additions to the 
Society’s collection were secured through his untiring efforts. He was 
a most persevering collector of books relating to Canada and, although 
commencing this work later in life than most collectors, he had brought 
together a library of early Canadiana that had few equals in this country. 
