2*i 



mat Made the Institute Possible. 



manship, as some day there may be again. And it could scarcely fail 

 to happe n that the city which ruled the greatest and wealthiest of 

 all the state-, should naturally stand powerful with the central gov- 

 ernment—occasionally, even, controlling that, as well. 



And bo, as a new phase in the city's career, began its more dis- 

 tnu tiv. lv political history, continuing down to the present time with 

 little variation, except as changing customs of life and conditions of 

 government have compelled it. It is a career replete with the memory 

 of distinguished men among us, each of whom has directly or indi- 

 reetly exert e<l some influence upon the city's history. I speak not 

 altogether of governors and senators, some of them have here gained 

 their promotion to still higher office. I speak also of those who have 

 naturally been drawn into the life of this place, through the varied 

 and often tremendous interests here clustering. There were great 

 ors among us, who were not in the gubernatorial 

 itc ; but who all the same, have left their impress 

 upon their generation. And there were distinguished lawyers and 

 jurists, who were not only eminent in their own' practice, but in 

 many respects gave a new character to the law of the civilized world, 

 codifying and rearranging abstruse principles, and sweeping away with 

 ;lflVe 11 1,1,1 r, ''- h,lil '^ie.a.ul absurdities that had come down from 

 feudal times unchanged ; until the great body of law began to become 



flexible and , 



_ 



tence new theories of jurisprudence that are slowly but surely being 

 adopted elsewhere. A state standing pre-eminently above all other 

 s ates must of course have its public libraries and museums, requir- 

 ing the services of distinguished scholars as librarians and curators ; 

 and this would naturally lead to much scientific exploration and 

 enterprise ot its own. The great work of our State Natural History 

 is only one exemplification of this result ; and we must congratulate 

 MUrsi ' ,v, ' s tll;it s'> many of thoseeminent men who were engaged in 

 J 1:lt ! ' ni1 ' i : . ;,ki!1 - inv * tul among us to continue their labor. Anda 

 " 1 '.' m . u U( 'b was gained the first extended experience in steam- 

 naugation, railways, canals and telegraphing must not withhold its 

 encouragement to invention of every description and degree. In 

 act quiet and settled down into apparent apathy and indifference 

 th SeemS ' theie are few cities which m the space of 



ree centuries have held such a varied population or seen so many 

 andtol * ^ eady DutGh settler ~ the Indian— the trapper 



•in e Jesuit missionary first come before us in picturesque group- 



