i^C^ U>' / 'C^ 



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1852.] 



ANNUAL REPORT. 



Q'J 



INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER. 



Annual Gieneial meeting, December 11th, 1852. 



The Annual Meeting of the Canadian Institute was held in 

 the old Government House on Saturday, December 11th. The 

 spacious and commodious apartments in that building which 

 have been placed at the disposal of the Institute by the Govern- 

 inent, are more convenient and accessible than the Hall of 

 Assembly and the adjoining rooms, which were alluded to in the 

 November number of the Journal. The discussion of the 

 Report of the Council, and tiie election of officers and members 

 constituted the business of the evening. In the absence of the 

 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents, George Duggan, Esq., junr., was 

 called to the chaii-, and the Report being read, it was adopted 

 after the introduction of a few unimportant amendments. The 

 Report speaks for itself, and we give it at length, in order that 

 absent members may have an opportunity of satisfying themselves 

 with respect to the progress of the Institute. The list of candi- 

 dates for membership proposed at the last meeting was then read 

 and the gentlemen elected members of the Institute. In addition 

 to the names which we inserted in the October number of the 

 Journal, we have now to announce the names of seveial other 

 gentlemen who were proposed on Saturday, and the formality of 

 whose election will be completed at the next meeting of the 

 Institute. Life Members — John Hutchinson, George Herrick, 

 M. D., James Cotton; Ordinary Memhets — H. S. Fripp, T. 

 Hirschfelder. The Election of Officers was then proceeded with, 

 which tei-minated as follows : — 



Capt. J. H. Lkfrot, R.A., F.R.S. 

 •Professor Cherkiman. 

 mm% Wkz '^mi^mt — Fred. Cumberland, Esq. 

 ©rjagiartr — Dalrymple Crawford, Esq. 

 -Professor Croft. 



^?«?tatg — Alfred Brunel, Esq. 

 I — Edward Cull, Esq. 



Professor Hind, 

 Walter Shanley, Esq., 

 Sandford Fleming, Esq., 



Vol. I, Jfo. 5, Dece.mber, 1852, 



Professor Buckland, 

 Rev. Professor Irving, 

 Dr. Bovell. 



Annual Report of the Council of the Canadian Institute for 

 the year 1852. 



The present Council having taken office shortly before the 

 close of the last session of the Institute, have little more to report 

 than their own proceedings in carrying out the objects of the 

 Society during the recess. 



In the short period ^ ;hich intervened between their appoint- 

 ment and the close of the session only four p>apers were read, viz. : 



1. On Concrete, by Mr. Cumberland, 



2. On Limestones, by Mr. Thomas. 



3. On Auroras, by Capt. Lefroy. 



4. On the Probable Numbere of the Indian Races Inhabiting 

 Biitish America, by Capt Lefroy. 



Each of the above papers, however, led to such discussion as 

 it is the wish and the object of the Institute to elicit. 



During the above mentioned short period a considerable num- 

 ber of new members joined the Institute, and the Council have 

 the further pleasure of submitting a list of sixty-three candidates, 

 the formalities of whose election could not be completed during 

 the recess, but whose names will be brought before the meeting 

 this evening in accordance with the by-laws of the Institute, 

 The number of inembers pi-eviously on the books was one 

 hundred and twenty-six, making in all one hundred and 

 eighty-nine. 



Among the first objects to which the attention of the Council 

 was directed, was the provision of some means for the regular 

 and speedy publication of the papers read before the Society 

 subject to such regulations as might be necessary to sustain the 

 character of its transactions. Experience appeara to show that 

 it is only by offering facilities of this nature that literary and 

 scientific societies can for any length of time either engage the 

 interest of the community, succeed in calling forth exertions from 

 their membere, or secure to themselves the advantage of hearing 

 papere of permanent value read before their meetings. 



As it was impossible in the mfanc}' of the Society to sustain a 

 reo'ular publication by its own funds, the method was adopted 

 after much consideration of originating a monthly periodical, 

 which, while claiming public support upon independent grounds, 

 should also be under the control of the Council to a sufficient 

 extent to secure the attainment of their objects. Such is the 

 Canadian Journal, which, under the editoi-ship of Professor H. 

 Y. Hind, to whose able and gratuitous .services the Institute is 

 most deeply indebted, has now reached its fourth number, and 

 has been recognized in flattering terms by most of the organs of 

 public opinion throughout the Province. 



In order, still further, to extend the usefulness and increase the 

 interest of the Journal, proposals have been made to the Natural 

 History Society of Montreal, and to the Literary and Historical 

 Society of Quebec with the view of rendering the Canadian, 

 Journal the organ for the publication of their pro:eedings. It 



