184 REPORY— 1890. 
character of the British Association as scientific was, to a certain extent, 
a positive obstacle to the efforts of the Committee, instead of an aid. Not- 
withstanding the courtesy with which deputations from your Committee 
were invariably received by the Minister or the Cabinet on the occasions 
of an interview, it was obvious that there was always lurking in the 
background a suspicion that the Committee might, not unnaturally, take 
an exaggerated view of the practical value of the observations in their 
appreciation of the scientific interest of their results, and this notwith- 
standing the fact that there is not at the present moment a single official 
tide-table, giving the rise and fall of tide, for any of the ports of the 
Dominion, and that ocean steamers run aground in places where they 
ought not if sufficient information were supplied them. Nor is information 
as to the tidal currents obtainable, though the want of it is the cause of 
numerous wrecks and great consequent loss of life and property, as shown 
by the annual wreck lists for years past. 
The Committee has been earnest in pressing both of these needs of 
navigation on the attention of the Government, and has been most effec- 
tively supported in its efforts by a committee of the Royal Society of 
Canada, of which Dr. Sandford Fleming, C.M.G., President of the Society, 
was chairman. Sir William Dawson, C.M.G., former President of the 
British Association, has on every occasion this year, as heretofore, given 
his valuable assistance and taken part in the efforts of your Committee. 
A petition to Parliament from nearly 400 masters and officers of ships 
asking for survey of the tidal currents (involving, of course, observations 
at fixed stations on the rise and fall) was circulated during the last 
session, and a petition to the same effect was presented also by the ‘ Ship- 
ping Interest’ of Montreal. This latter body obtained an interview with 
the Cabinet to discuss the question, at which were present, besides their 
own deputation headed by their chairman (Mr. Andrew Allan, of the Allan 
Line), the Chairman of the Board of Trade of Montreal (Mr. Cleghorn), 
and members of both committees, including those members above named. 
Subsequent to the interview the Minister of Marine (the Hon. C. 
H. Tupper) continued the inquiries which he had been making of the 
Committee. These were so thorough and searching that the Committee 
has the satisfaction of feeling that any extra labour thereby caused them 
is well repaid by the fulness of the proofs of the great practical value of 
the observations of both kinds presented to the Minister ; proofs to which 
the Minister himself added by his independent inquiries from others, 
including the Hydrographer of the Admiralty and the Superintendent of 
the Coast and Geodetic Survey of the United States. 
The only matter of regret is that the grant for the present year is not 
sufficient to establish at the moment more than three or four stations. 
An anticipatory grant for next year to establish others was, it is under- 
stood, not presented to Parliament in consequence of the absence of the 
Minister at Washington in connection with the negotiations going on 
with the United States ; but it will, no doubt, be made next session. 
Observations of such importance to the commercial interests of Canada, 
having been once begun by the Government, must necessarily be con- 
tinued to be of any service. 
The Committee considers that it has thus brought to a successful 
conclusion the work for which it was appointed, and therefore begs to be 
discharged. 
