ANNIVEESAEY ADDRESS. 9 



An apj^licatiou was made nearly two years ago by myself and a 

 member of the present Council to the Minister of Public Instruc- 

 tion respecting a grant for our special purposes, and this 

 application was favourably received ; but, in consequence of 

 objections raised by some of our members, the necessary steps 

 were not then taken to bring the matter before the Parliament. 

 The objectors thought it was not right to place this Society on 

 the same footing as a mere School of Arts, which sometimes 

 becomes a circulating library of light literature ; but it was alto- 

 gether forgotten that the Eoyal Society of G-reat Britain receives 

 a grant (I believe, yearly) from the Parliament for its general 

 purposes. And I do not doubt that a proper statement of our 

 application would have met with no denial. "We may, I think, 

 appeal to-night to such private individuals as m.ay be willing to 

 contribute to our library, works of scientific value in their posses- 

 sion which they could spare, and I have sufficient faith in the 

 kindly disposition of many in this community in relation to the 

 " higher education" as it is called, to believe that our incipient 

 library might, in this way, be gradually increased, though not so 

 efficiently at once as by the Grovernment itself. 



E-elieved of some of our internal expenses in this way, our own 

 funds might go in another direction in helping to obtain a resi- 

 dence for the Society free of rent, the amount of which could 

 then be employed in necessary wants that would be sure to arise 

 on its establishment and extended undertakings. By the active 

 exertions of our Secretaries a wide correspondence has been 

 opened with kindred Societies in Europe and America, and the 

 greatest desire has been expressed by leading Associations to 

 exchange publications with us. 



Messrs. Trlibner and Co., of London, have also offered to be 

 our agents in the business of such exchanges, and the President 

 of the Smithsonian Institution in America has not only endorsed 

 the circular on the subject, issued by us last year, but has under- 

 taken to collect publications for our service from the various 

 Societies in the United States and Canada. An abstract of 

 this correspondence has been placed in your hands. 



