THE PEESlDENT's .ADDBESS. 101 



won ground on "which all can meet, and the golden opportunity now 

 presented, if we would but avail ourselves of it, of enlisting all 

 classes and parties in the support of one great institution, in contri- 

 buting to whose library and museum, all may feel that they are not 

 assisting to build up a collection belonging to any one section or 

 party in the community, but that in adding to the contents of the 

 one, and aiding to make the other the depository of all that is inte- 

 resting in the natural history, mineral productions, and historical 

 antiquities of the country, they are assisting to form a collection 

 which will ever be regarded with feelings of common interest and 

 pride by every Canadian. 



But these bright anticipations could hardly be realized, unless the 

 want which we have long felt, of a convenient and permanent home, 

 of such a character as would meet the necessary requirements of the 

 society, was also about to be provided for, and we have therefore 

 scarcely less reason to congratulate ourselves upon another event 

 which has occurred daring the past year, viz. the commencement 

 of our new building, which I trust the liberality of the members 

 will enable the Council to push forward to completion, with as little 

 delay as possible. We have only to look round upon the limited 

 space afforded by our present rooms, to feel convinced that, with such 

 an increase as may reasonably be looked for in the number of our 

 members, and in the extent of our collections both of books and 

 specimens, the means of accommodation here would soon be found 

 wholly inadequate, and I do regard it as a fortunate circumstance for 

 the Institute, that the proposed arrangements with respect to the 

 Library, to which I have before alluded, will undoubtedly give us a 

 strong claim upon the public for pecuniary aid towards the erection 

 of a building, in which they will in many respects have a common 

 interest with ourselves. 



The time which we have chosen for this undertaking is, in many 

 respects, a most favorable one. The Government, whose liberality 

 we have upon many occasions already experienced, is now established 

 here. Its removal hither has brought amongst us many gentlemen 

 who take a lively interest in those pursuits, for the furtherance and 

 management of Avhich this Institute was founded ; and we may rea- 

 sonably hope that our hands will be strengthened by the active sym- 

 pathy and support of many whom distance before precluded from 

 taking an active part in the proceedings of our Societ} r . Indeed, 

 that we are already gainers by the change is evinced by the fact, that 

 we have this year the pleasure of numbering amongst our vice-presi- 



