The Royal Society of Canada. 7 



and the Hudson's Bay Company's officers Lave been foremost in 

 promoting our wishes. The Government is now prepared to 

 house all objects sent to the Secretary of the Royal Society at 

 Ottawa, and contributions for collections of archives, of antiquities 

 and of zoology, and of all things of interest, are requested, I 

 rejoice, gentlemen, that I have been able to be with you now that 

 a year has elapsed since our inauguration, as this period allows us 

 in some measure to judge of our future prospects. These are 

 most encouraging, and the only possible difficulty that I can see 

 ahead of you is this : that men may be apt to take exception tc 

 your membership because it is not geographically representative, 

 I would earnestly counsel you to hold to your course in this mat- 

 ter. A scientific and literary society must remain one represent- 

 ing individual eminence, and that individual eminence must be 

 recognized if, as it may happen accidentally, personal distinction 

 in authorship may at any particular moment be the happy 

 possession of only one part of the country. A complete work, and 

 one recognized for its merit, should remain the essential qualifica- 

 tion for election to the literary sections, and the same test should 

 be applied, as far as possible, to the scientific branches. If men 

 be elected simply because they came from such and such a college, 

 or if they be elected simply because they came from the east, from 

 the west, from the north, or from the south, you will get a 

 heterogenous body together, quite unworthy to be compared with 

 the foreign societies on whose intellectual level Canada, as repre- 

 sented by her scientific men and authors, must in future endeavor 

 to stand. 



One word more as to the kindly recognition already given to 

 you. In America, in France, and in Britain, the birth of the new 

 institution has been hailed with joy, and our distinguished presi- 

 dent is at this moment also a nominated delegate of Britain. An 

 illness we deplore has alone prevented the absence of an illustrious 

 member of the Academy of France ; and the French Government, 

 with an enlightened generosity which does it honor, had expressed 

 its wish to defray the expenses of the most welcome of ambassa- 

 dors. "We have the satisfaction of cordially greeting an eminent 

 representative of the United States, and we express the desire^ 

 which is shared by all in this hall, that our meeting may never 

 want the presence of delegates of the great people who are dear 

 as they are near to us. 



