1903-4. | SCIENCE AND ENGLISH Law. 63 
SCLENCE AND ENGLISH. LAW. 
PRESIDENT’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
BY GEORGE KENNEDY, M.A., LL.D., K.C. 
(Read 12th November, 1904). 
My first duty is to thank the members of the Canadian Institute for 
the honour they have seen fit to confer upon me in electing me to the high 
office of President. I am painfully conscious of the fact that I have small 
claim to an office that for fifty-five years has been filled by a succession of 
men eminent in various branches of science, in literature, and in juris- 
prudence, and can only attribute to the good will of my associates that I 
now find myself in this conspicuous position. I am happy to know, how- 
ever, that the position of the Canadian Institute is so secure and so well- 
established that the deficiencies in its president can in no way affect its 
reputation among the learned societies of the world. Five years ago 
we celebrated its jubilee and were then able to congratulate ourselves on 
the results of fifty years’ efforts in the pursuit of Science in nearly all its 
departments. And these last five years have very materially added to 
our prosperity. Our meetings have been better attended than they ever 
were before; the character and quality of the papers read have been 
well sustained; and the additions to human knowledge as the reward of 
original research by our members have been neither few nor unimportant. 
Our publications now amount to thirty-four volumes, and in return for 
our publications we receive those of all the leading scientific bodies of all 
lands. Our library is now the largest and most complete scientific library 
in the Dominion, and is being constantly added to by reason of our very 
large exchange list. You will have noticed by our minutes that since our 
meeting in May we have received no less than 1,293 exchanges from all 
parts of the world, indicating the rapidity with which our library grows. 
The value of all this literature to scientific students is incalculable. And to 
be of service to those whom it can most benefit, it should be conveniently 
located for them. It can hardly be said that our present location is well 
suited for that purpose. However well adapted for our purposes this build- 
ing is, and however well situated it may have been when built, yet the busi- 
ness growth of our city and the advance of manufacturing establishments 
in all directions all round us, are such as to render necessary our removal 
to some more suitable locality at an early date. This subject is at present 
engaging the earnest attention of the Council, and we have reason to 
hope that we may be successful in finding proper accommodation in some 
