THE CANADIAN JOURNAL. 



NEW SERIES. 



No. XIY.— MAUCH, 1858 



THE PEESIDENT'S ADDEESS. 



BY THE HON, CHIE? JUSTICE DSAPEE, C.B. 



Mead before tne Canadian I.istctute, January QtTi, 1858. 



Honored by being a second time placed in the position of your 

 President, it would ill become me to dwell upon wbat you have so 

 generously overlooked : my want of adequate fitness for the dis- 

 charge of the duties of that office. I will thank you, however, for 

 the testimony you give that you believe in the sinceriiy of my 

 desire for the success and advancement of the Canadian Institute, 

 and will endeavor to derive greater confidence in myself for the 

 future from this sanction and approval on your part of that which 

 is past, and will here borrow, as not wholly inapplicable, the language 

 of Montesquieu on a somewhat similar occasion, — " Soit que vous m' 

 " ayes fait justice — soit que j'ai seduit mes juges, je suis egalement 

 " content de moi meme — le public va s'aveugler sur votre choix — 

 " il ne regardera plus sur ma tete que les mains savantes qui me 

 " couronnent." 



It is a highly gratifying circumstance, that, notwithstanding the 

 commercial difficulties of the past year, the Report of the Council 

 for 1857 afibrds as great proof of satisfactory results as did that 

 of 1856 5 and the continued success of the Journal of the Insti- 

 tute, the accession of new members, the numerous donations to the 



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