344 ANNUAL MEETING. 



publications." Mr. Thurstan Peter in his stimulating paper read 

 at the Spring- Meeting of 1901 suggested the appointment of an 

 " Index Committee." If no competent volunteer offers to under- 

 take this general index I think it should he made worth the 

 while of some lady or gentleman of literary ability and sufficient 

 leisure to take it in hand. I trust that in cases of doubt, as to 

 whether, or how, certain references should be included in such 

 index that your presentable editors would do you the service of 

 acting as a court of appeal for final decision. We do not accuse 

 your earlier editors of neglect. An index though often wanted 

 used not to be considered a sine qua non. Dr. Johnson in writing 

 to Eichardson, March 9th, 1750-1, said "I wish you would add 

 an index rerum that when the reader recollects any incident he 

 may easily find it." How many thousands have echoed this 

 wish when reading works of great interest. Carlyle complained 

 of the intolerable waste of time involved in verifying references 

 in the un-indexed works he consulted. He led the way in the 

 needed reformation by providing his own books with such as are 

 a delightful study to read. In his "Frederick the Grreat " he 

 speaks of "Books which want all things, even an index." 



We ask the Council to kindly consider how they can help 

 us in this matter, as well as in a catalogue of the library books, 

 manuscripts and records, belonging to this Institution which a 

 former president happily styled "the centre and mainspring of 

 all the historical literature of the county." 



The primary object of this meeting this afternoon was to 

 listen to the report of the Council which you have just heard. The 

 presidential address is not due until next May so I will simply 

 in conclusion ask you to be lenient to my short-comings, and to 

 remember the reqiiest nailed up at the entrance of a saloon in 

 the far west of North America — " Don't shoot the pianist, he is 

 doing his best." 



