[236] 
CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR 1880-81. 
The Council of the Canadian Institute in presenting their Thirty Second 
Annual Report, are gratified in being able once more to congratulate the Insti- 
tute on another year of satisfactory work throughout the Winter Session. 
The advantages resulting from the admirable accommodation for all the 
ordinary meetings of the Institute which the new building supplies, fully 
justify the action of the Council in recent years in incurring an outlay neces- 
sarily involving a burden of debt, which must continue for some,.time to 
hamper the action of the Institute in various ways ; and especially to absorb 
to a large extent the funds which would otherwise be available for the import- 
ant object of the’ printing proceedings. So important has it appeared to the 
Council to reduce the debt as speedily as possible, that however reluctant to 
delay the issue of their printed proceedings, they have allowed a year to 
elapse without any new issue. This has enabled the Treasurer to devote the 
money to the reduction of the debt, and the Council have accordingly the 
satisfaction of reporting a diminution of the capital sum due, and a corres- 
ponding reduction of the annual charge payable on the mortgage effected on 
the building. 
The debt remaining at the close of the last financial year amounted to 
$5,500, involving an annual payment of interest. of $440. Since then the 
Treasurer has made a further payment of $500 in reduction of the mortgage 
debt, reducing it to $5,000 ; and also has effected an arrangement whereby the 
annual interest is reduced from 8 per cent. to 7 per cent., making the amount 
of present annual interest $350. 
It is inevitable that the existence of a debt involving an annual charge which 
absorbs to so large an extent the annual surplus over and above ordinary 
expenditure, must hamper the exertions of the Council and of all the mem- 
bers of the Institute ; and greatly diminish its efforts in the cause of Canadian 
Science and Letters. The Council accordingly recommend to their successors 
and to the members at large, a renewed effort for the reduction of this debt, 
so as to place at their disposal an annual revenue adequate for the printing of 
the proceedings, and the carrying out on an adequate scale the legitimate work 
of the Institute. 
Appended to this Report are abstracts showing—(1) The present condition 
of the membership, including 124 ordinary and life members ; (2) The Papers 
communicated at the meetings during the year; (3) The additions to the 
Library during the same period, and (4) The Treasurer’s balance sheet, with 
a report of the receipts and liabilities of the Institute at the present date. 
All which is respectfully reported. 
DAN. WILSON, 
President. 
