The British Association's Visit to Montreal, 1884 : Letters

by Lady Clara Rayleigh

Capt. Douglas Galton, General Secretary, then read the annual report of the council, which stated that since the meeting at Southport, Dr. F. Lindemaun and Dr. Ernst Schroeder had been elected corresponding members of the Association, and proceeded as follows:—"The present meeting of the British Association, the fifty-fourth in number, is likely to be long memorable in its annals, as the first held beyond the limits of the United Kingdom. It marks a new point of departure, and one probably never contemplated by the founders of the Association, although not forbidden by the laws which they drew up. The experiment was doubtless a hazardous one, but it seems likely to be justified by success, and it may be hoped that the vigour and vitality gained by new experience may ultimately compensate for the absence from this meeting of not a few familiar faces among the older members; there will, however, be as large a gathering of members of more than one year's standing as is usual at a successful meeting in Great Britain, and the efforts which have been made by our hosts to facilitate the coming of members and render their stay in Canada both pleasant and instructive, call for the warmest acknowledgment. The inducements offered to undertake the journey were indeed so great that the council felt that it would be necessary to place some restriction upon the election of new members, which for many years past, though not unchecked in theory, has been almost a matter of course in practice. Obviously these offers of the Canadian hosts of the British Association were made to its members, not to those on whom they might operate as an inducement to be enrolled among its members. The council, therefore, before the close of the Southport meeting, published the following resolution:—"That after the termination of the present month (September, 1883), until further notice, new members be only elected by special resolution of the council." Applications for admission under these terms were very numerous, and were carefully sifted by the council. Still, although the council as time progressed and the number augmented, increased the stringency of their requirements, it became evident that the newly elected members would soon assume an unduly large proportion to those of older standing, so that on May 6th, after electing 130 members under this rule, it was resolved to make no more elections until the commencement of the Montreal meeting, when it would be safe to revert to the usual practice. The details of the arrangements made for the journey have already been communicated to the members, so that it is needless to make any further special reference to them, but the council have to acknowledge the great liberality of the associated cable companies in granting, under certain restrictions, free ocean telegraphy to the members of the Association during the meeting. The death of Sir William Siemens has deprived the Association of one of its most earnest supporters and friends. It was during his presidency at Southampton that the invitation to Montreal was accepted, and he was appointed at Southport a vice-president for this meeting. The council nominated Sir J. D. Hooker a vice-president, but he was unfortunately obliged, for domestic reasons, to resign the nomination in the early part of the summer. It has been the custom at meetings of the Association to invite the attendance of distinguished men of science from all parts of the world, but the council considered that on the present occasion it would be well to offer a special welcome to the American Association (of which also several eminent Canadian men of science are members); they have accordingly issued an invitation to the standing committee and fellows of that Association to attend the meeting at Montreal on the footing of honorary members."

The Report then referred to the fact that the general treasurer had been prevented from being present at the meeting, and that as the usual assistant to the general treasurer could not also be present, they had nominated Admiral Sir Erasmus Ommanney, C.B., F.R.S., as deputy treasurer, and Mr. Harry Brown, assistant secretary of University College, London, as financial officer. The Report proceeded to state that the council had, after consideration, decided to form a separate section of anthropology, and reported with reference to the resolution referred to them by the general committee, "That application be made to the Admiralty to institute a Physical and Biological Survey of Milford Haven, and the adjacent coast of Pembrokeshire, on the plan followed by the American Fisheries Commission." They had done so, and had been informed by the Lords of H. M. Treasury, that they regretted to be unable to institute such a survey, as the Admiralty had no vessels available for this service. With regard to the Report of the Committee of Section A respecting the suppression of four of the seven principal observatories of the Meteorological Council, and to forward a copy of the same to the Meteorological Council, they reported that arrangements had been made, whereby three out of the four observatories relinquished by the Meteorological Council would be continued, though on a somewhat different footing. The council also reported that they had sent a communication to the Executive Committee of the International Fisheries Exhibition, urging upon that body the appropriation of a sufficient sum out of the surplus funds remaining in their hands at the close of the Exhibition, to found a laboratory on the British Coast for the study of marine zoology; but there did not seem any prospect of such an appropriation of the surplus funds. The Report then referred to the Report of the Committee on local scientific societies, and detailed the alterations which its adoption would make necessary in the rules, stating that it was proposed to reserve the consideration of this question by the general Committee for the meeting to be held in London in November. The Report concluded as follows: "The vacancies in the council to be declared at the General Committee Meeting in November will be Lord Rayleigh, who has assumed the presidency, together with the following who retire in the ordinary course: Mr. G. Darwin, Mr. Hastings, Dr. Huggins and Dr. Burdon Sanderson, and the council will recommend for re-election on that occasion the other ordinary members of council, with the addition of the gentlemen whose names are distinguished by an asterisk in the following list:—*Abney, Capt. R. E., Adams, Professor W. G., *Ball, Professor B. S., Bateman, J. F. La Trobe, Esq., Bramwell, Sir F. Dawkins, Professor W. Boyd, De La Rue, Dr. Warren, Dewar, Professor J., Evans, Captain Sir F., Flower, Professor W. H., Gladstone, Dr. J. H., Glaisher, J. W. L., Esq., Godwin-Austen, Lieut-Col. H. H., Hawkshaw, J. Clarke, Esq., Henrici, Professor 0., Hughes, Professor T. McK., Jeffreys, Dr. J. Gwyn, *Moseley, Professor H. N, *Ommaney, Admiral Sir E, Pengelly, W., Esq., Perkin, W. H., Esq., Prestwich, Professor, Sclater-Booth, The Right Hon. George, Sorby, Dr. H. C., *Temple, Sir R." In accordance with the decision arrived at by them at Southport, the General Committee will meet on Tuesday, 11th November, at Three o'clock in the afternoon in the Theatre of the Royal Institution, Albemarle Street, London, W., for the transaction of the following business, viz:—To elect the president, officers and council for 1884-85; to fix the date of meeting for 1885; to appoint the place of meeting for 1886; and to consider the alteration of rules necessary to give effect to the recommendation of the Committee on local scientific societies.

On motion of the Chairman the Report was adopted.

AN ADDRESS FROM THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

The President of the Royal Society, Dr. T. Sterry-Hunt, then read the following address:—

To the President and Council of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Royal Society of Canada greets with cordial welcome the members of your Association on the occasion of its first visit to the American continent, and rejoices to find among those who have accepted the invitation of the citizens of Montreal so many names, renowned as leaders of scientific research.

The Royal Society of Canada, which is a body recently organized and in the third year of its existence, includes not only students of natural history and natural philosophy, who make up together one-half of its eighty members, but others devoted to the history and the literature of the two great European races, who are to-day engaged in the task of building up in North America a new nation under the shelter of the British flag.

Recognizing the fact that material progress can only be made in conjunction with advancement in literature and in science, we hail your visit as an event destined to give a new impulse to the labours of our own students, believing at the same time that the great problems of material nature, not less than the social and political aspects of this vast realm, will afford you subjects for profitable study, and trusting that when your short visit is over, you will return to your native land with kindly memories of Canada and a confidence that its growth in all that makes a people good and great is secured.

T. STERRY HUNT, President,