Report of the Council of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, for the Year 1884[1]

 

[Originally published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in Transactions, New Series, No. 18 (1886)]

 

Annual Meeting of the Literary and Historical Society.

14th January, 1885,

 

Quebec, 14th January, 1885.

 

The Council of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec have the honour to report as follows :—

 

They regret that for the first time for many years past the usual pecuniary aid has not been, extended to them by the Provincial government.

 

They are not conscious of having failed throughout all those years in judiciously applying towards the fulfilment of the duties which they owe to the promoters of this institution and the public, those funds which have been hitherto so generously bestowed upon them.

 

The subject which must now be discussed is whether we shall seek to maintain our present freedom from debt by means of a higher annual subscription, or by adhering for some time longer to the present rate in the hope that an increase in the roll of membership may enable us to overcome the threatened difficulty.

 

We have certainly reduced our expenditure to a minimum, in accordance with the well-considered and fully-discussed suggestions of a committee specially appointed for the purpose of devising a practical mode of accommodating our new arrangements to our altered financial position.

 

This year we have to deplore the decease of three of our members and most excellent citizens, Messrs. MacLean Stewart, J. B. Renaud and J. Brown, Jnr.

 

On the twentieth of May last, Dr. Harper, a distinguished member of this institution, attended on our behalf the meeting of the Royal Society of Canada, and submitted a report.

The opening lecture for the session of 1884-85 was delivered by the President.

 

The following papers were read before the society during the past year :—

 

February 18 :—Literature and Science, by Matthew Arnold, Esq., D.O.L., of London, England.

 

February 25 :—History and Formation of the French language, by Prof. DeKastner.

 

March 11 :—New France from the first administration of Frontenac to the Massacre of Lachine, by George Stewart, Jr., Esq., 1st Vice-President.

 

December 16 :—King Edward the First, by Hon. D. A. Ross, President.

 

Matthew Arnold, Esq., D.C.L., of England, was elected an honorary, and R. A. Brock, Esq., of Richmond, Virginia, a corresponding member of this society.

 

The Treasurer, Mr. Edwin Pope, then submitted the statement of accounts as follows :—

 

Quebec, January 13th, 1885.

 

The Treasurer begs to report, as follows :—

The number of Associate members at the beginning of 1884, was: 261

There were elected during the year: 23

The number withdrawn was: 45

The number now on the rolls is,—

Associates                                    239

Honorary                                    23

Corresponding                        42

 

An abstract of receipts and disbursements is appended. Over five hundred dollars of the disbursements represent accounts of 1883, which were paid out of the Government grant for that year, shown on the credit side of the account.

 

It is to be hoped that the Government will be able to renew the grant to the society which was withdrawn last year.

 

Subscriptions due by Associate members for 1884, amount to         $292

And for previous years, to                                                                                    132

 

Most of this will be collected, and it is all needed to pay accounts now standing against the society. It would greatly assist the working of the society if the members would observe the rules which calls for the payment of their annual subscriptions at the beginning of the year.

                       

L. & H. Society of Quebec in Account with Edwin Pope, Treasurer.

 

Dr.

By Cash paid for Books and Periodicals:        $          316 09

                                "                      Binding:                     169 48

                                 "                              Printing:                     171 40

                                  "                      Rent:                           140 00

"                        Fuel and Light:            292 40

"                        Salaries:                   336 55

"                        Miscellaneous:            160 40

By Balance:                                                               12 01

$1,598 33

 

 

Cr.

 

By Balance from 1883:                                             $            202 08

"    Government grant for 1883:                                      562 50

" Cash for Historical documents, periodicals, &c, &c:            36 75

" Members' subscriptions for 1884:                                668 00

"      "                     "                   arrears:                                              129 00

$1,598 33

By Balance                                                                            $ 12 01

 

Quebec, January 12th, 1885.

EDWIN POPE,

Treasurer.

Examined and found correct.

LORENZO EVANS,

Auditor.

 

Quebec, 12th January, 1885.

 

The Librarian, Mr. F. C. "Wurtele, then submitted the following report :—-

 

REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN.

 

The Librarian in submitting his annual report is sorry to say that want of funds has greatly curtailed the purchase of books, and the number of members taking out books has fallen off. One hundred and seventy-five members have availed themselves of the privilege of taking out books during the past year, being forty-four less than in the previous year. The number of volumes so taken out is 3,104, of which 239 volumes remained out on the 31st December, the greater portion being kept over the time allowed by the rules, namely, fourteen days.

 

Twenty-five volumes of new books have been purchased, and 39 bound volumes of magazines have been placed on the shelves. Fifty-four bound and one hundred and fifty-seven paper covered volumes, besides maps, have been received as donations, exchanges with other societies and from the Dominion and different Provincial governments, making in all 275 additions to the library as detailed in the accompanying lists. Almost all of the publications and maps of the Canadian Geological Survey have been obtained by exchange, and the set is as complete as it can now be made.

 

Now that the historical documents published by the society are more sought after, the librarian would ask the incoming council to reprint the 24-page document on the campaign in 1760, by Chevalier Johnston. It is now out of print, thus making the second series of historical documents incomplete. Of the books taken out there were 643 bound and 485 loose volumes of the magazines now subscribed for. The society will endeavour to keep the table as well supplied with magazines and papers as heretofore.

 

By order of the Council the Librarian sent to all the members and a few others, a circular containing a list of all the periodicals published by the society, with the view of increasing the membership and also to show what, among other advantages, the society has to offer them in return for their annual subscription of four dollars.

 

It was moved by Mr. R. Turner, seconded by Mr. Archi¬bald Campbell,—That the reports of the Council, Treasurer and Librarian be adopted and published.

 

R. McLeod and G-us. G\ Stuart, Esquires, were appointed scrutineers.

 

The following gentlemen were then elected for the ensuing year :—

President: George Stewart, Jr., F.R.S.C.

1st Vice-President:            William Hossack.

2nd       ":                   J. Whitehead.

3rd        ":                   Cyr. Tessier.

4th        ":                   John Harper, Ph. D.

Treasurer: Edwin Pope.

Librarian: Fred. C. Wurtele.

Recording-Secretary: J. F. Belleau.

Corresponding-Secretary: Theophilus H. Oliver.

Council-Secretary: Alexander Robertson.

Curator Museum: J. TJ. Grregory.

"             Apparatus: R. McLeod.

 

Additional members of Council:—J. M. LeMoine, F.R.S.C, G-ustavus G-. Stuart, H. M. Price and Lt.-Col. Cotton.

 

Mr. R. Turner was appointed Auditor for the ensuing year.