Royal Society of Canada. 333 



tish Association from its narrower early traditions in con- 

 senting to hold a meeting in Montreal. In that meeting 

 (1884) members of Canada's Roj^al Society took an active 

 part, and among the subjects which they chose for their 

 papers there were several which had a distinct relation to 

 the State — such as those on Standard Time, on Tidal Ob- 

 servations on Canadian Waters, on our Mineral Resources, 

 on various branches and details of economic science, and on 

 questions pertaining to our native races. 



But, in reality, it is not occasionally but always that the 

 Royal Society is, in sympathy, aspiration and the sphere of 

 its labors, in close relation to the State and the needs of the 

 country at large. Such relation arises necessarily from the 

 fact that the membership of the scientific sections is so 

 largely composed of officers of the scientific departments of 

 the Government. The head of the Geological Survey and 

 the principal members of his staff, the Surveyor-General, 

 the director of the Experimental Farms, the chief Analyst, 

 the head of the Meteorological Service, the director of State 

 Telegraphs, the Government Entomologist, more than one 

 emeritus official of high standing, and the several members 

 of corresponding services in the provinces — these, with re- 

 presentatives of the Universities occasionally employed in 

 public functions, form a sort of State Council on the whole 

 range of important questions in which scientific knowledge 

 and experience are essential to the general welfare. An 

 examination of the contents of the Transactions for any and 

 every year will, in fine, furnish convincing proof of the alli- 

 ance between the Royal Society and the State, and of the 

 benefits which the former renders to the latter. 



