Report of the Council of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, for the Year 1897[1]

 

 

 

Annual general meeting : 13th January, 1898

 

ANNUAL REPORT

 

The annual general meeting of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec was held on Wednesday morning, the 12th January, in the library of the Society, at 10 o'clock. There was a fairly attendance of Members. After the minutes for the last annual meeting were read, the reports for the past year were submitted.

 

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR 1897.

 

In addition to the general management of the affairs of the Society, the President and Directors have had during the present year to deal with three subjects of paramount interest to the members of the Association, viz :—1. The promotion of an Endowment Fund ; 2. New arrangements for the publication of the Society's transactions and historical documents ; 3. The prosecution of a claim against the Provincial Government, calling on it either to return to the Society for publication valuable historical MSS. removed by the Government to the Provincial archives, or to make good moneys expended by the Society, to procure, copy, or bind these documents in volumes.

 

Thanks to the activity displayed by the President, the Very Rev. Dean Norman, D. D., assisted by the Librarian, Mr. Peter Johnston, satisfactory progress has been made with the Endowment Fund. Nearly $2,000 out of $3,000 promised are now deposited to the credit of the Society in the Quebec Bank, and it is confidently hoped that this amount will soon reach $5,000. In connection with the above, it may not be amiss to print here the hearty response of Professor James Douglas, late of Quebec, to an appeal for help recently made to him.

 

" THE VERY REVEREND DEAN NORMAN,

 

" Quebec,

" Canada.

 

" MY DEAR DEAN,

 

" I had the pleasure of calling upon you last summer on the subject of a fund for the future security of the Literary and Historical Society. Every Quebecer, whether a resident or non-resident, should feel pride in the old Society. It is one of the oldest on the continent, and I especially, who was more than once its President, still feel a deep interest in its welfare. I offered to subscribe $500 if a fund of sufficient magnitude could be raised to ensure its stability in the future. I am willing to increase that amount to $1,000, to be paid in three equal annual instalments, if $10,000 can be secured.

 

" I heartily hope that you will succeed in your laudable efforts to raise this fund.

 

" I am,

" Yours faithfully,

 

" J. DOUGLAS,

" 99 John street, New York ".

 

1st. The Society has the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of $25 from His Excellency, the Earl of Aberdeen, as a mark of sympathy with, and a recognition of the work of the Society.

 

2nd. An extremely advantageous arrangement has recently been entered into with Mr. Raoul Renault, proprietor of the monthly magazine Le Courrier du Livre, to publish our Transactions and Historical Documents, by instalments, firstly, in his serial, which has a large circulation in Canada as well as in the United States, and secondly, to issue them in a volume, uniform as to size, type, and paper, with previous transactions. The Society will then be in a position to make a suitable return for the numerous presentations and donations received from scientific centres throughout the civilized world.

 

3rd. A deputation from the Council recently waited on the Hon. Mr. Marchand, Premier of the Province, and on Hon. Mr. Robidoux, Provincial Secretary, to press on them the claim of the Society, either for a fair equivalent for moneys expended by the Society, on the Historical MSS. which were removed by a former Government to the Provincial Archives or else to return these documents, from which the Society intends to make selections with a view to publication. The deputation was courteously received and awaits the action of the Government.

 

4th. A special committee was appointed by the Society on the 12th of November last, composed of the President, Sir James M. LeMoine, Past President, and Capt. Wm. Wood, to examine and report on Historical MSS. worthy of publication.

 

Though the Society, like cognate scientific institutions, met with a heavy blow by the withdrawal of the Provincial grant of $500 enjoyed for so many years, it counts yet among the citizens of the " Ancient Capital," many warm friends, intent on continuing the good work and carrying on the literary traditions undertaken by their ancestors, whose names are inserted in the Imperial Charter granted to the Association by "William IV, in 1831.

 

During the past year death has robbed the Society of several valuable members, viz : Mr. J. J. Foote, Hon. D. A. Ross, Hon. Judge G. Irvine, Mr. John Hunter and Miss Martin. As a set off' the Society can count on seven new members : Messrs. John Ritchie, Raoul Renault, George Veasey, Gordon Renfrew, W. H. "Wiggs, T. Brodie, Rev. Lennox Williams.

 

The following lectures were delivered before the Society during the year :

 

1.         By Professor Gunn, January 19th, subject : " The Literature of Germany."

 

2.         By Revd. Fred. Geo.. Scott, February 13th, subject : " Poetry and Life."

 

3.         By Professor Mclntyre, April 22nd, subject : " The Water we drink."

 

4.         By Professor Gunn, November 18th, subject : " The Battlefield of Lutzen."

 

5.         By the Dean of Quebec, December 21st, subject : " Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I," with selections from the play.

 

The above lectures were largely attended, especially those of Professor Gunn.

 

We hope later on to be gratified by a lecture from Mr. Marchand, the Premier of the Province, who proposes to treat of " The Literature of Canada," a most attractive subject ; also one from Mr. James Douglas, before alluded to, one of our warmest supporters, and from others, literary men.

 

The reading-room continues to attract a goodly number of visitors. The Board of Directors have devoted all the funds which they could spare to add to the 14,000 volumes of historical, scientific and literary works which it contains, in addition to a collection of 30 odd magazines and reviews, British, French, Canadian and American.

 

The reports of the Treasurer, Librarian, etc., now published, exhibit the financial state of the Society.

 

In conclusion, the Council expresses the hope that educated men of both nationalities, more especially those intrusted by Providence with the stewarship of wealth, will still continue to take a real interest in the welfare of aSociety so intimately connected with Quebec, past and present.

 

REPORT OF THE CURATOR.

 

The only transaction during the past twelve months, in connection with the Museum of the Society, which the undersigned has to report, is the receipt of a donation from the Protestant Board of School Commissioners, of two of the medals struck in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee year of the reign of Her Majesty the Queen, for distribution among the pupils of the Boys and Girls High Schools, respectively.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

FRANK D. TIMS,

Curator.

 

The report was adopted on motion of Capt. "William Wood, seconded by Mr. Robertson.

 

The result of the elections by ballot of the officers for 1898 was as follows :—

President :                 P. B. Casgrain, Esq.

Vice-Presidents :            Sir James M. LeMoine.

                                   G. G. Stuart, Esq., Q. C.

                                    J. T.Ross, Esq.

                                   Very Rev. the Dean of Quebec, D.D.

Treasurer:                 Jas. Geggie, Esq.

Recording Secretary: A. Robertson, Esq. Corresponding Secretary.. J. F. Dumontier, Esq.

Council Secretary:     William Wood, Esq.

Librarian:                   P. Johnston, Esq.

Curator of Museum:            F. D. Tims, Esq.

Curator of Apparatus: Wm. Clint, Esq.

 

Additional members of Council.—Cyr. Tessier, Esq., Jas. Morgan, Esq., D. Geggie, Esq., T. Ledroit, Esq.

 

Messrs. Johnston and Tims acted as Scrutineers and were unanimously thanked for their services.

 

With the unanimous approval of the meeting, Mr. J. W. Strachan was re-appointed Assistant Librarian and Caretaker.

 

The Very Reverend the Dean of Quebec, whose term of office had expired, then vacated the chair, which was taken by P. B. Casgrain, Esq., the new President, who thanked the meeting for their confidence in him, and conveyed to the ex-President the hearty thanks of the whole Society for his able administration of the Presidential office during the years 1896 and 1897.

 

A letter fronï Mr. F. C. Wurtele was then read, conveying the information that Colonel W. L. Stone had kindly given to the Library the following valuable work :—Records of New Amstersdam, edited by Bertold Fernow ; six volumes of text, one volume of index ; large 8vo., bound full sheep. The Secretary was directed to thank Colonel Stone for this valuable gift.

 

On the request of the Revd. Abbé Casgrain, the meeting approved of the sending of the following three publications of the Society to M. de Beaumont, Paris, who is writing a work on Canada, of which he intends to present a copy to the Society :—1. Compaign of Louisbourg ; 2. Dialogue in Hades ; 3. Mémoires sur le Canada.

 

The following new members were then elected by ballot : Messrs. Gordon Renfrew, W. H. Wiggs and T. Brodie.

 

On motion of Mr. Ross, seconded by Mr. D. Geggie, it was resolved that in future the names of members in arrears for two year's subscription be striken off the list.

 

On the motion of Capt. William Wood, the meeting then adjourned.