50 PKOCEEDIN'GS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



the Dominion GoA^ernment in May of last year. In answer to this 

 memorial the Government replied on the 28th September, that an 

 Order-in-Council was passed creating a division of the Geological 

 Survey to attend to these matters. Furthermore, in reply to an 

 interview had with the Deputy-Minister of the Interior by an 

 authorized sub-committee of the section, consisting of the chairman 

 and secretary, the Minister stated : (li That the officers of the divi- 

 sion I'eferred to have been appointed ; (2) That the publication of 

 statistics and information by this division will hereafter be much 

 more prompt after the close of each year than hitherto ; (3) That 

 the Dominion Government has co-operat d and will co-operate with 

 the Provincial Governments in the direction of acquiring mining and 

 metallurgical infoi-mation : and (4) That the Government is consider- 

 ing the pul>lication oi all reports of the Geological Survey relating to 

 mining and metallurgy in Canada since 1^63 in connection with the 

 work of the forthcoming census. 



A select committee of the section has also pre]iared an exhaustive 

 report, with tables of exports and imports, on the minerals and i-aw 

 metallurgical products of the United Kingdom, the United States, 

 Canada and the other Colonies of the Emi)ire, more especially in 

 regard to the trade cf the several countries with each other. 



In addition to the foregoing work accomplished by the section, 

 papers wei-e read at the several meetings as follows : 



1. " On the Mineral Production of Canada in 1886-7," by "Wm. 

 Hamilton Merritt. 



2. " On Iron and other Ores of Ontario," by James T. B. Ives. 



3. " On certain Lacustrine Deposits and their Economic Values," 

 by Arthur Harvey. 



4. " On the Physical Aspects of Iron Smelting," by Sainuel D. 

 Mills, ot St. Ignace, Michigan. 



5. " Notes on Thunder Bay Silver Ores," by Robert B. Headley, 

 of Port Arthur. 



6. " Notes on New Jersey Iron Ores," by Wm. Hamilton Merritt. 

 Two Officers elected at the organization of the Section, viz. : 



