Report of the Council of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, for the Year 1892[1]

 

[Originally published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in Transactions, New Series, No. 22 (1898)]

Annual general meeting : 11th January, 1893

ANNUAL REPORT

 

The annual general meeting of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec was held on Wednesday morning, 11th January, at ten o'clock, in the library of the Society.] There was a good attendance of members, Cyrille Tessier, Esq., President, in the chair. After reading the minutes of the last monthly meeting, the president submitted the annual report of the society for the past year :

 

Report of the Council of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, for the year ending 31st December, 1892.

 

The Council of this society beg to submit this their annual report.

 

This society can boast of having extended its sphere of usefulness during the past year, although the Provincial government has not yet thought fit to continue its usual grant to help the publication of our transactions and of our valuable manuscripts. At least four publications have been added to the list of those already to be found on our tables, and twenty-eight new members have been balloted for and admitted. Against this last figure we have to place three resignations.

 

Among the valuable papers which were read in our rooms within the last twelve months, there is one by Mr. James Stevenson, on a subject interesting alike to historian and financier, to which the Council cannot but give a special notice, viz : " The war of 1812 in connection with the Army bills.'' This paper is the complement of a work undertaken by Mr. Stevenson, who in this and in two other former lectures (all published in our transactions), has given a complete history of the monetary system of this country under both the French and present régime.

 

This society is eminently a public institution. Men of literary and historical erudition, by their valuable papers read in its rooms to the public and subsequently printed and published in its transactions, have given it a name in the scientific and literary world, and Societies of like character in all parts of the globe have exchanged their papers, the products of the minds of their learned men, for our published transactions and for the invaluable historical documents periodically published by us out of those which are stored in our archives. It has thus given to our country the advantage of their indefatigable research, as their exchanges are in our rooms available to all.

 

Professor James Douglas, one of our esteemed former Presidents, has represented our society at different congresses and meetings held in Spain to solemnize the Columbian centenary. Our learned friend, will, no doubt, send us a report on the proceedings of these foreign congresses and on their results.

 

The delegate of our Society to the Royal Society of Canada this year was Mr. Archibald Campbell, one of our vice-presidents. On his return from Ottawa, where he had attended its meetings, he made on the proceedings and on the different papers read thereat, a scientific as well as pleas-sing resume, which is entered at full length in the minute-book of the general meetings of our Society.

 

We have on view in our rooms a precious relic in the original wooden model of the teamship " Royal William ". Although a good many citizens of Quebec, where she was built, were aware of the fact of this ship being the first to cross the Ocean under steam, the thing was not universally acknowledged. Mr. Archibald Campbell, in order to vindicate the honor to the City and Province of having built and sent to sea the first ocean steamship, gathered and co-ordinated all the information to be found concerning the pioneer ocean steamer, and in an able paper which was read before this society and published in its transactions, gave such evident proof of the correctness of our claim that the Royal JJaval Exhibition of Chelsea, England, held under the distinguished patronage of Her Majesty, and presided over by H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, to which the model was sent with authentic testimonials, awarded a diploma which we have a right to be proud of.

 

The publicity thus given to an achievement of such paramount interest to Canada has attracted the attention of the Canadian Institute of Toronto. At the close of a paper read in its rooms, by Dr. Sandford Fleming, F. R. S. C, on Ocean Steam Navigation, the following resolution was unanimously passed :

 

" That the subject of the " Pioneer Ocean Steamship "

" having been brought to the consideration of the Canadian

" Institute at its meeting held in Toronto on Saturday, December "17th, 1892, it was resolved that suitable measures be

" taken to establish a memorial tablet in honor of the men

"associated with the building and sending to sea of the

" Royal William," and that the members for the city of

" Toronto be requested to obtain permission for the tablet

" to be placed in a fit position in the Parliament Buildings

"at Ottawa; and that it be remitted to Ihe Council to

" invite the co-operation of societies or individuals, and to

" take such other " means as may be needful to carry out

" in the best manner the spirit of the resolution."

 

In forwarding a copy of this resolution to our society, the Canadian Institute has invited the co-oporation of the Literary and Historical Society in the movement. Our society cannot remain indifferent to this matter and the thanks of our Institution are due to the Historical Society of our sister city for having taken the lead in a movement which is of great moment to the whole country it is true, but which is especially so to the city of Quebec.

 

The Council dwells with pleasure on the large attendance m our Library rooms, attracted, no doubt, by the ever increasing number of scientific and literary works, magazines, and reviews on our shelves, as well as by the facilities, comfort, and better light and genial temperature afforded by the introduction of the electric light and hot water registers.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

CYRILLE TESSIER,

President.

 

REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN

 

Owing to reasons of economy a limited number of books have been purchased during the past year.

 

The increase to the library would have been very small indeed but for the numerous exchanges, containing most valuable information on all subjects, that are received from other Societies. These comprise fifty-four bound, and two hundred and thirty-seven unbound volumes, making a total of 357 accessions. Among the donations will be found a valuable collection of the works of the " Egypt Exploration Society," presented by the Very Revd. the Dean of Quebec.

 

A complete set of the journals of the Synod of the Diocese of Quebec, and almost a complete set of the reports of the Church Society of the Diocese of Quebec, were received from their respective secretaries ; these books being important for reference, have been bound. Also an interesting sketch of the late Dr. SterryHunt, from the author, James Douglas, Esq., of New York, one of our past presidents. Dr. Hunt, a very short time before his death, sent to this Society his last work entitled Systematic Mineralogy.

 

Valuable donations have been received from the following gentlemen :—E. T. Fletcher, Esq., of Victoria, B. C, an honorary member of this society ; General J. "Watts De Peyster, of New York, one of our corresponding members : Chevalier Baillairgé, City Engineer of Quebec ; Major W. H. Tapp, Quebec ; L. Homfray Irving, Esq., Toronto ; Dr. G-, N. Dawson, Ottawa ; Dr. Amos Perry Fry, 1ST. S., also from the secretary of the Royal Military College Club, and the Smithsonian Institute.

 

Two thousand one hundred and sixty-seven volumes have

been issued to members, which is an increase of 300 volumes

over last year. One hundred and nine of these are still out

beyond the time, 14 days, specified in the Library rules.

Two magazines and one paper have been added to the

usual list of periodicals placed on our tables. The Dominion

Illustrated Monthly, Review of Reviews and Arcadia. The

card catalogue is progressing and even now is found extremely

useful, 4556 books have been entered and numbered ; this

takes much time seeing that each work requires from two to

three and sometimes four cards, but through the exertions

of our indefatigable custodian of the library, Mr. J. W.

Strachan, it is hoped this catalogue may be completed by

next annual meeting.

 

F. C. WURTELB,

Librarian.

 

Quebec, 31st December, 1892.

 

 

On motion of J. M. LeMoine, Esq., seconded by P. Johnston, Esq., the council report was unanimously adopted.

 

It was moved by W. Hossack, Esq., and seconded by P. B. Casgrain, Esq., that all the reports be adopted and published.

 

Moved by J. M. Lemoine, Esq., seconded by Peter Johnston, Esq., that the cordial thanks of the Literary and Historical Society be tendered to Oaptaiu Sir Alfred Jephson, R. K\, Hon. Secretary to the Royal îfaval Exhibition, held at Chelsea, England, in May, 1891, under the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, for his kind offices and for the facilities afforded the Society in submitting to the committee, presided over by H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, the model and claim of the steamer " Royal William," built at Quebec in 1831, as pioneer steamer crossing the Atlantic in 1833, and for forwarding to the Society the diploma of honor awarded to the Society by the committee of management.

 

The election of officers for the ensuing year was then proceeded with :

 

President : Cyrille Tessier, Esq.

1st Vice-President:  A. Campbell, Esq.

2nd Vice-President: W. Hossack, Esq.

3rd Vice-President: Very Revd. R. W.Norman, D. D., the Dean of Quebec

4th Vice- President: W. A. Ashe, Esq.

Treasurer: James Geggie, Esq.

Librarian: Fred. C. Wurtele, Esq.

Recording Secretary: T. Ainslie Young, Esq.

Corresponding Secretary: A. Robertson, Esq.

Council Secretary: W. C. II. Wood, Esq.

Curator of Museum: W. Clint, Esq.

Curator of Apparatus:  T. II. Jones, Esq.

Additional Members of the Council:  — P. B. Casgrain, Esq., J. M. LeMoine, Esq., Peter Johnston, Esq., John Hamilton, Esq.

Auditor: —W. S. Bennett, Esq.

Custodian of the Library: —J. W. Strachan, Esq.

 

And the meeting adjourned.