Report of the Council of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, for the Year 1886[1]

 

[Originally published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in Transactions, New Series, No. 19 (1889)]

 

Annual Meeting, 12th January, 1887.

ANNUAL REPORT.

QUEBEC, 12th January, 1887.

 

The President and Council of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, beg to submit their report for the past year, to this annual meeting of the Society. We have again to state that the finances of the institution are not as satisfactory as we would wish. The membership has not increased to any appreciable extent, and though the greatest economy has been practised in all directions, our available resources are still far short of what they ought to be. Unless the membership increases very materially this year, the Board seriously believe that subscriptions to many leading publications, which are now to be found in the Reading Room, will have to be abandoned. Other privileges at present enjoyed by the members may also be cut down. During the year only 20 new members were elected, four withdrew, 12 left the city, and four members died. The latter were Abraham Joseph, William Sharpies, Jean Langlois and Alexander Fraser, Esqs.

 

The Council again desires to impress on our citizens the value and usefulness of the Literary and Historical Society, and it is to be hoped that every member will feel it to be his bounden duty to propose at least one friend for membership. At this moment we have but 210 members on our rolls—a number wholly inadequate to successfully carry on our work of historical study and investigation.

 

Some members have complained of the scarcity of new books in the Library. "We agree with them that additions to the Library ought to be made. But without money this is impossible. We have added a few new books, but even to do that much, we have been compelled to discount the future.

 

Dr. L. W. Bailey, of Fredericton, N.B., was elected a corresponding member last year.

We were invited last May by the Royal Society of Canada, to send a delegate to the annual meeting of that body at Ottawa. Dr. Harper was appointed to attend to that service in behalf of our Society.

 

In July last, the Royal Historical Society of London, England, celebrated the commemoration of Domesday Book, and we were invited to appoint a representative to that celebration. The President, George Stewart, jnr, D.O.L., was named to attend, but owing to unforseen circumstances, he was unable to take part in the meetings of the Royal Historical Society.

The opening lecture for the session of 1886 was delivered by Dr. Harper on the 29th of January, subject : " Quebec and Literature.'' Other lectures were delivered by Revd. Dr. Mathews, on the 12th February, subject : " Historic Glimpses in the Old World;" Rev. J. 0. K. Laflamme, F.R.S.C., 19th February, subject: "The Origin of the Saguenay ;" Mr. "W. A. Ashe, 26th February, " Hudson's Straits ;" Mr. J. XJ. Gregory, 12th March, " Stories of Coast Life and description of some of the least known and most interesting fish of Canada ;" Joseph Shehyn, M.P.P., March 19th, " Railways and Waterways." The opening lecture of the present course, 1887, was delivered by the President on Friday evening, 7th January, subject : " Whittier, the New England Poet."

 

During the year, the Society published, by private subscription, Belmont's Histoire du Canada.

 

The reports of the Librarian and Treasurer are herewith submitted.

 

GEORGE STEWART,

Jr., President.

A. ROBERTSON,

Council Secretary.

 

Quebec, January 12th, 1887.

 

The Librarian's report was then read by Mr. F. C. Wurtele :—

 

The Librarian has nothing important to report this year. There have been 218 additions to the Library, composed of 17 bound and 182 unbound volumes. These consist of donations from friends, exchanges from other societies, also the sessional papers for 1885, which have been received from the Dominion and Provincial Governments, as well as all the blue books for 1886 as they were issued at Ottawa. Nineteen volumes were purchased, these being books of reference, and the continuation of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and the International Science Series.

 

The Librarian hopes that the new Council will be in a position to make more additions to the Library by purchase than they have done lately. There have been 2219 volumes issued to the members during the past year, of which 119 still remain out over the time specified by the rules of the Society. The thanks of the Society are due to Major Tapp for kindly placing the Broad Arrowj regularly on the table. The usual magazines and papers have been supplied, and it has been decided to bind only those that are most called for. This year there has been an increased demand for the Society's transactions and historical documents, and as a good many of the oldest publications are now out of print, it would be advisable to reprint them, especially the historical documents.

 

The list of donations, exchanges and purchases, also the magazine list for 1887 are herewith attached.

 

Respectfully submitted,

F. C. WURTELE,

Librarian.

Quebec, 31st December, 1886.

 

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN ACCOUNT WITH EDWIN POPE, TREASURER.

Dr.

To cash paid for books and periodicals: $ 214 24

To cash paid for rent: 90 00

To cash paid for fuel and light: 197 26

To cash paid for printing and binding: 70 18

To cash paid for salaries: 240 00

To cash paid for miscellaneous: 105 19

To balance from last year: 1 19

To balance: 35 26

=$ 953 32

 

Cr.

 

By members' subscriptions, 1886: $ 634 00

By member’s arrears: 232 00

By newspapers sold: 30 00

By historical documents sold: 41 32

By donations towards printing fund: 16 00

=$ 953 32

 

By balance=$ 35 26

 

Quebec, 12th January, 1887.

EDWIN POPE,

Treasurer.

Examined and found correct.

RICHARD TURNER,

Auditor.

 

On motion, the reports, as read, were adopted.

 

The election of office-bearers for the year 1887 was then proceeded with. Col. Pope and Mr. Peter Johnston were appointed scrutineers. The following gentlemen were duly elected :—

President: George Stewart, Jr., D.C.L., F.R.G.S., F.R.S.C.

1st Vice-President: Wm. Hossack.

2nd Vice-President: Cyr. Tessier.

3rd Vice-President: John M. Harper, Ph.D., F.E.I.S.

4th Vice-President: George R. Renfrew.

Treasurer: Edwin Pope.

Librarian: Fred. C. Wûrtele.

Recording-Secretary: J. Elton Prower.

Corresponding-Secretary: Wm. A. Ashe.

Council Secretary: A. Robertson.

Curator of Museum: P. B. Casgrain, M.P.

Curator of Apparatus: W. C. H. Wood.

Additional Members of the Council—J. M. LeMoine, F.R.S.C., Peter Johnston, H. M. Price and William Clint.

 

S. Macdonald in charge of the Rooms.

 

Prof. A. W. Walters was elected a member of the Society.

 

The meeting then adjourned.