, t,:: IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^ A<^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 1^121 |2.j |5o "^™ MIIIH WU.I. ■y£ iii£ Ill '-^ 1.6 mm Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ■^^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/iCIVIH Collection de microfiches. Is] Canadian Institute for Historical Microraproduetionf / InsiHui Canadian de microreproductions historiq ues ^ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverturo de couleur |~n Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag6e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurAe et/ou peiiiculAe I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre qiie bleue ou noire) r*n Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ D Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ ReliA avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge inttrieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouttes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t# fiimies. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires: L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 4tA possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mithode normale de fllmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur □ Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ D Pages restauries et/ou peiiiculAes Pages discoloured, stained or foxe< Pages dicolordes, tacheties ou piqu6es Pages detachsd/ Pages ddtachdes Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualiti inigaie de I'impression Includes supplementary materii Comprend du matdriei suppiimentaire Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible r~7[ Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detachsd/ r~7] Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ |~n Includes supplementary material/ I I Only edition available/ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont dt6 fiimies i nouveau de fapon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmi au taux de rMuction indiqu6 ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 1 1 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Th« copy film«d h«r« has b««n r«produc«cl thanks to tha ganarosity of: L'axamplaira film* fut raproduit grica i la g^niroslt* da: New Bruntwick Museum Saint John Tha Imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality possibia considaring tha condition and lagibility of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract spaclficationa. New Brunswick Museum Saint John l.aa imagaa suh/antaa ont it* raprodultas avac la piua grand aoin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattat* da l'axamplaira film*, at mn eonformit* avac laa conditions du contrat da filmaga. Original copiaa in printad papar eovars ara fllmad baginning with tha front eovar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illuatratad Impraa- sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. Ail othar original copias ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or iilustratad impraa- sion, snd anding on tha laat paga with a printad or illuatratad imprassion. Laa axamplairaa originaux dont la couvartura an papiar aat imprimia sont film*s an commandant par la pramlar plat at an tarminant soit par la darni*ra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'iilustration. soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous laa autraa axamplairaa originaux sont film*s an commandant par la pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'iilustration at an tarminant par la darniira paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha last racordad frama on aach microficha shall contain tha symbol •^^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol ▼ (moaning "END"), whichavar applias. Un daa symbolaa auhrants apparattra sur la darniira imaga da chaqua microficha, salon la caa: la symbols -^ signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbols y signifia "FIN". Maps, platas, charts, ate, may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratioa. Thoaa too larga to ba antiraly includad in ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand comar, laft to right and top to bottom, as many framaa aa raquirad. Tha following diagrams illustrata tha mathod: Laa cartaa, planchaa, tablaaux, ate, pauvant Atra film*a * daa taux da riduction diffirants. Lorsqua la documant ast trop grand pour Atra raproduit ^n un soul clichi, 11 ast film A * partir da I'angla supiriaur gaucha, da gaucha A droita, at da haut an baa, an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nAcassaira. Las diagrammaa suivants illuatrant la mithoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 yf Vih// ///{^ ,/tf/yfr^rx> ANNUAL ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE MEMBERS OF THE FRIDMICTON ATHIMUM, A-i ii ' ■•^■T^ FEBRUARY 23, 1857, "tf-; ■:-m- BY THE BEV. JOHN H. BROOKE, D. D, PRESIDENT. PRINTED BY ORDER OI* THE .'JOCJETY. V i*-v:' FREDERICTON : PRIN'IKD AT THl'; HOY-AI, (JAZKTTi: OKl'lOK, 1857. ■A-. ^..-1-^ ^i. ■■ 3.. ;^#;V-.. E' ! :-■•■** IP' Ir k F] •:ftl ANNUAL ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE THE MEHBEfiS or THE FREDERIOTON ATHBNIUM, TEBRUARY 23, 1867, BIT r .^ 47 ■^1 . JOHN I. BROOKE, D.D. ;«<*' PRESIDENT, PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE SOCIETY. FREDERICTON J fRINTKD AT THE ROYAI< OAZBTTB OmOS. 1857. ^# - . « . '■" 11 i 'l\}h JL'..rh'i f. v." I' N f --V* f ■- -1-4 ■-■ X «-, r ■ ■ 1 *' » , 7 ooli I 1i ' |. R if '^ I* if ;i ■ ■l! i I: same I took am abc My attaint with SI languaJ you wi tions oi ANNUAL ADDRESS. Gentlemen : I congratulate you on the return of another anniversary of our Society, and, still more, on the gratifying fact, that the close of the first decade of its existence finds it still fresh and vigorous. Ten years, indeed, are not to be considered a very lengthened period in the history of a Literary Institution ; yet still it has been sufficient, in our case, to solve, in the most satisfactory manner, the question, whether or not the establish- ment and continuance of such a Society in this City, was pos- sible. This is now settled beyond all dispute. The Athenceum has passed through that period which was most likely to try its strength : it has come out of it unscathed, shewing that its constitution is sound, and giving reason to cherish the hope that a long career of activity and usefulness is before it. We have not been without those changes to which all human things are liable. Several of our members, whom we have often met at this table, have withdrawn, without any ostensible reason ; some have been called away to other lands ; and some, alas ! have been removed by death. I am thankful, that during the year that has passed, we have not been called upon to mourn the departure of any who have taken a part with us in the business of the Society, arising from any other cause than such a change in the place of their abode, as rendered their attendance upon our meetings impossible. In o*her respects, I am exceedingly glad to find the circle unbroken ; and that the same friendly faces that greeted me when, twelve months ago, I took my place in this chair, are still before me, now when I am about to withdraw from it. My predecessors in office have been gentlemen of such high attainments, and their closing Addresses have been received with such well merited applause, that, I assure ycu, I use the language of no affected humility when I express my fears, that you will miss, in this Address of mine, many of those attrac- tions of style and manner, which, on former occasions, have *i ; I In ••I! !f \ f u communicated such a charm to the annual resume of the snb^ jects brought before the Society^ to draw up which is one of the duties that devolves upon your President. Permit me/ however, to say that I bring to the work a hearty good will ', and if, at the close of this Address, you feel disposed to say that I have not done all that you expected, you will, at least, give me credit when I say, ** I have done what I could." Before I proceed to what is more peculiarly the business of this evening, allow me to sei^e on the present opportunity of thanking you, as I do most cordially, for the honor you have conferred upon me, in appointing me your President, and that too for the second time. I regard it as a very gratifying proof of thu good wril of those with whom I have been now so long associated, and to meet with whom, at this table, it has often given me so much pleasure. The duties which have devolved upon me, while holding the office to which your kindness called me, have been very light and pleasing. It is easy to rule when subjects are all obedient and orderly ; and the cour- tesy and kindliness of feeling, which have characterized aM our proceedings, have been so invariable, that the awful powers with which your President is invested, having had no room for exercise, have lain completely dormant. I cannot express a better wish for my successors in office, than- that they may find their labours as light, and their duties as pleasant as mine have been. I am gratified to observe what I think ai> improvemeivt during the past year, in point of the attendance of members. By the Constitution of our Society, the number necessary to form a quorum for the transaction of business was fixed, as I think judiciously, somewhat high. It was felt that it would be unjust to ask a member who had devoted no small portion of time and labour to the preparation of a j)aper, to read it in the presence of but a few individuals. On some occasions, how- ever, in former years, in consequence of the number requisite to form a quorum demanding so large a portion of the members, considerable inconvenience has been experienced; inasmuch aa so many of us, after having struggled through the storm» and tutin«r one of j'.t me/ d will V to say it least, I." liness of ;unity of ou have and that tng proof V 80 long has often devolved ess called y to rule the cour- terized aM ful powers room foe express a they may nt as mine iprovement members. Bcessary to I fixed, as I it would be I portion of jad it in the isions, how- )er requisite le members, 1; inasmuch le s*orm» and reached the place of meeting, have somctimus found that others, not so eager in " the pursuit of knowledge under difli' cnlties," had preferred the comfort of their own firesides to what I acknowledge to be, not unfrcquentty, a rather fatiguing walk in a wintry night : and so it happened that, for want of, perhaps), a single individual to constitute a meeting, ull the rest, who had endured the toil of coming up, were obliged to return home, unrefreshed by that mental repast, which, otherwise, they might have enjoyed. 1 am pleased to think, however, that, during the past year, we have never, in a single instance, when a nraeting was called, come short of the number neces- sary for the transaction of business. I trust this is an indication of a deeper interest being felt in our Society by the members generally ; and of a higher appreciation of the benefits to be derived from those literary and scientific papers that are here brought under our notice. The subjects that have engaged nnr attention, during the past year, if not so varied, have certainly been not less impor- tant than on any former occasion. A most appropriate com- mencement was made by Dr. Robb in the month of March, by a paper on the Progress of Agriculture ; and the same was continued, at our subsequent meeting, in April. A portion, if not the whole, of this most important Dissertation, (as it may well be called,) to which we had the privilege of first listening in this place, has, in a printed form, been, for a considerable time, in the hands of all the members uf this Society, as well as of many others throughout the Province ; and it has been appreciated by all who have seen it, as a very valuable contri- bution to the practical farmer ; and, being prepared with u view to the circumstances of this country, it is especially useful to the Agriculturist of New Brunswick. In this Essay, (for I shall consider the two parts as consti- tuting one whole,) our able Secretary, following his usual practice of going to the foundation of every thing that he ex- amines, has literally carried out the French maxim, which bids us *' commencer au commencement." In pursuance of this plan, Dr. Robb gave us a rapid sketch of the primitive state of ""Hwip.^ !> I man, his \mgctahU;s, down to the present time, when it has been elevated to the dignity of a science, employs in its service so many of our fellow men, and produces food for (he daily increasing millions who inhabit our earth. It would greatly exceed the limits of this Address, were I to follow the learned Doctor through all the parts of his very interesting enquiry : I must bo contented, therefore, with briefly touching on some of the most important points, only re- gretting that I cannot bring them more fully before you. Much has been said and sung respecting what was the original condition of man, and no very satisfactory conclusion has been arrived at. I believe that the difficulty of the enquiry has been greatly increased by the eflbrts that have been put forth to discover some one conditiun from which all tribes and kindreds at first commenced their career. Now, no condition common to all can ever possibly be found. The early states of society, like every other, would, no doubt, be greatly modified by the circumstances of soil, climate and situation. Still, there will, in most cases, be a general sameness ; and, so fur us observa- tion goes, I am disposed to tliiidi that we have ground to con- clude that mankind, in their least advanced condition, depended for their subsistence on the chase. Poets have revelled in de- picting to us the roving life of the Huntsman, whose home is the wilderness, whoseshelter is the forest boughs, and whoso food is the beast of the desert, the captive of his bow and his spear, liut though the Huntsman, armed with the weapons of sylvan warfare, may be a more picturesque being than the Farmer in his quiet and settled habitation, " driving his team a-field,'* or bearing his hay-fork over his shoulder ; yet, I think, no one can doubt which is the more useful in his generation, or the more elevated in the social scale. Enthusiasts may declaim as they choose on those glorious old times, " When wild in woods the noble savage ran :" Plain truth compels us to acknowledge that this, so called, Lonures ing ttd- npts to It time, am ploy* food for vere I to hia very TO, with , only rc- ou. was the usion has quiry has It forth to 1 kindreds 1 common of society, icd by the there will, s observa- nd to con- , depended iUed in de- so home is whoso food i his spear. IS of sylvan Farmer in tin a-field," link, no one tion, or the nay declaim IS, so called, ^' noblo lavage'* wai any thing but a pleasing specimen of humanity, and thai the condition of society in which he flourished was very fur from being a happy one. Oesidei, in the very nature of things, no country could ever iupport a largo population, so long as its inhabitants depended for their lubiistence, solely on their success in hunting. For, as a country becomes more thickly peopled, the beasts of the chase become necessarily diminished in number, if they do not altogether disappear. And this is just equivalent to saying that, as the demand increases, the supply will bo found to diminish. As this state of things cannot go on long, some change is neces- sary ; and the next resource, in most cases, will be the Pastoral Life. To this, the transition from the state of the Huntsman if natural and easy. So long as men depended on the casual supplies of food ob- tained by the chnse, times would occur when they would be forced to endure the utmost extremities of hunger. When this happened, it would suggest to them the expediency of collecting together, and confining within certain limits, such animals as were at once in most request for food, and most easily subjected to the power of man. This being accomplished, the supply of food would no longer be so precarious. The animaU that furnished it could always be found, and that with comparatively little toil. A much larger population could be thus sustained ; men could live more closely united ; and considerable advances might be made in those arts that are so conducive to the com- fort of human beings. There is something, to my mind, exceedingly fascinating in the Pastoral Life. It seems a happy medium between the savage state, and the evils that are incident to a high state of relinoment. I cannot tell whether or not the pictures that have been drawn by the old Poets have produced this impression on mo. To some extent, it is probable, they may. There is, no doubt, much in them that is very attractive. They are associated with all our conceptions of peace, and purity, and rural happiness. A life spent amid the most lovely scenes (i I '■ -m 1^*1^. of nature, on the green hill side, or in tlie sheltered valley, " Where peaceful river*, soft and slow, Amid the verdant landscape flow," i;nA' seems so enticing to one who has been " long in populous city pent," that it is no wonder he should desire to escape from the din, and the dust, and the bustle of the crowded thorough- fare, and seek for refreshment and repose among the invigo- rating breezes and peaceful solitudes of the country. But while there is no doubt, that the Greek and Latin Poets have helped to throw a charm over the Pastoral Life, still, if I am not mistaken, my own mind has been more affected by the beautiful pictures of that state contained in the Sacred volume> I could wish to have lived with Abraham in his tent, to have worshipped with him at the Altar which he built on the Plains of Hebron, or roamed with him who was "the friend of God," and listened to his prophetic words, in the fertile and well watered valley of the Jordan. But however delightful in contemplation these scenes of rural felicity and Pastoral innocence may be, they are only pictures of Society in a state of transition. No country ever rose to a high state of civilization, while the Pastoral Life con- tinued to be the universal condition of its inhabitants. Flocks and herds would furnish a more abundant, as well as a much less precarious, supply of food than the beasts of the chase ; but still, even they would be far from meeting the increasing wants cf a rapidly multiplying population. I suppose that the increase of food furnished by domesticated animals, over those in a wild state, may not be estimated too high, when I call it a thousand to one. But what is to be done when the demand is increased not one thousand, but ten thousand fold ? JVature has set limits to the productiveness of animals, and these are soon reached ; and it is obvious they cannot long keep pace with the rate at which the human race are multiplied, especially when a constantly increasing number of them are required for food. The only remaining resource, then, is in the cultivation of the soil : and thus we are introduced to the third and most advanced stage of society — the Agricultural state. The two former that we reviewed are but transitory ; this must continue as long as the world endures. ei n( tri Pi A| life isti J plai fooc grate the state anim Thoi every ticula the g these,! that It ceriaii Hunts the int perty nian w tory, a Jng, m to the that rii might is certal ture, till and prfi bestow had sor 9 Uey, 'vV- . I city from )Ugh- ivigo- Poets U.ifl by the olume* o have Plains r God," nd well enes of ire only itry ever ^ife con- Flocks J a much e chase ; icreasing that the i^er those I call it demand Nature these are »eep pac® especially quired for lultivation and most The two continue We are not to understand that there was an immediate and entire abandonment of the Huntsman's state for the Pastoral, nor of the Pastoral for the Agricultural. In both cases the transition would be partial, as well as gradual. As in tho Pastoral state, there would still be some Huntsmen, so in the Agricultural state, there are still some who follow the Pastoral life ; and all three may, almost in every country, be found ex* isting simultaneously. Agriculture would probably originate in this wise : Certain plants and trees, being found to yield a considerable sup|)ly of food both for man and beast, efforts would be made to propa- gate them more abundantly than they could be produced by the spontaneous effort of nature. These all grew in a wild state, before they were cultivated by the hand of man, just na all animals existed in a wild state, before they were domesticated. Though the cereal plants are now, by culture, naturalized in every quarter of the globe, yet there was originally some par- ticular part where each of them was indigenous. These are the great resources of the Agriculturist ; and, by means of these, he is enabled to increase the supply of food, in a ratio that is far beyond my calculation. It is probable, that with Agriculture originated the claim of certain persons to a right of property in the soil. The Indian Huntsman, indeed, has his hunting grounds, and he resents the intrusion upon them of another tribe. But his idea of pro- perty is far from being clearly defined. In like manner, the man who had collected a number of animals in a certain terri- tory, and taken some measures to prevent them from wander- ing, might consider that he had established some kind of right to the piece of land he had thus appropriated. The nature of that right, however, he could not very well explain, and there might be no law to protect him in the enjoyment of it. But it is certain, that no great advances would bo made in Agricul- ture, till the right of property was established on a secure basis, and protected by distinct legal enactments. No man would bestow much labour in cultivating and sowing a field, unless he had some assurance that his neighbour would not step in and 111 1 II -jttt'm ""'^^"^ II I i i 10 claim it as his, before he had gathered in his harvest. There is no original and inherent right enjoyed by one more than another, to any particular portion of the soil ; and hence, per- haps, timt celebrated apophthegm, which, some years ago, was the popular cry of a certain party in France, ** La propriete c'est vol.^* But though the right of property is not inherent, like some others enjoyed by man, it is easy to see how, in various ways, it may be acquired. It probably arose at first, as, in some cases, it arises still, from undisturbed possession for a time; and was strengthened and established by labour ex- pended, and improvements wrought. As the child, who, by tnueh exertion of his feeble arms, has dragged a seat to a snug <;orner near the fire, thinks he is entitled to claim that seat as his own, because of the labour he has put forth lo improve its position ; and his claim being for some time allowed, is at length, by tacit consent, left in undisturbed possession of it; so the man, who has prepared a field for cultivation, removed the rocks tliut impeded the operations of the husbandman, smoothed its inequalities, hedged it in, and cut a channel for its superfluous waters, would be acknowledged, by all around him, to have a better right to that field than any other person ; and, after he has possessed it for a length of time, to deprive him of it would be felt to be an obvious act of injustice. As Society advanced, and a regular government was established, land hitherto unappropriated might be conveyed and held by various tenures, and the right transferred from one to another, by the well understood process of buying and selling. I consider the origin of property a very curious speculation. I atn neither lawyer nor political economist enough to follow it out in all its details. Permit me to express a hope, that some member of this Society, who has made it the subject of his study, will take it uj) and fully investigate the philosophy of it in all its bearings. Some of our friends of the long robe, I trust, will act upon this suggestion ; and 1 hope I shall not be thougliL to have overstepped the proper limits of my duty in throwing out this hint for their consideration. I have occupied so much time with the preliminary parts of EV. n lere than per- was t.Uke irious as, in for a *r ex- ho, by a snug seat as rove its a, is at n of it > removed andnian, innel for \ around : person ; prive hi«» ,9 Society bed, land )y various er, by tbe peculation. X to follow hope, that ; subject of philosophy 3 long robe, shall not be iny duty in lary parts of Dr. Robb's Dissertation, that I I ve left myself but brief space for what is the essential part o . I must not, however, dis- miss it thus abruptly ; and I have, therefore, to entreat your patience for a few minutes more, while I shortly review the remarks of the learned Doctor on " Agriculture considered as an Art." Agriculture, or the best method of rendering land produc- tive, is unquestionably of the highest importance to the happiness, and even the very existence, of the human race- You have heard it said, that •' the man who makes two blades of grass or two stalks of corn to grow whore only one grew before, is a public benefactor." And the saying is well founded. He adds to the comfort and diminishes the sufl'urings of millions of his fellow men. There is no doubt that the first attempts to cultivate the soil would be of a very rude and inartificial kind. A very slight stirring up of the surface, by the help of implements clumsy in form and inconvenient in use, was all that would bo attempted. And where the soil was of average [)roductivenc3&, nnd the population scanty, this, for a time, would be all that wa? required. But even the richest virgin soils would, in the course of time, and by continual cropping, become exhausted. One of two things, therefore, became indispensable j — cither to break up new lands, or to restore the productive powers of the old. Tlie former would, for some time, be adopted ; but as this would not always be practicable, the latter would be forced upon men as a matter of necessity. It would soon be observed that certain substances increased the fertility of land, and thus nature's own voice would direct them to employ these and similar substances, when needful. Chemistry, by showing the constituent parts of j)lants, and the food by which they were nourished, greatly increased the number, and improved the quality, of manures. To that of the farm yard, accord- ingly, have been added lime, mai I, crushed bones ; and, more recently, oceans have been traversed to convey the fertilizing guano, to nourish the grain and roots that are required to feed the swarming millions, in the more northern regions of our globe. d i m ' u 1^ i J i li ! Ml ~^^^^;^;p^..»- mmtmmmm m II Mi r i 1 .! On this subject, as on almost every other, wild theories have been advanced. It has been imagined, for instance, that, by the application of Chemistry, manure might be so reduced in bulk, and applied in so concentrated a form, as, in effect, to save the whole expense of transport, and nearly the whole labour of spreading it on the land. The well known Lord Kames, (whose beautiful residence at Blairdrummond, in the neighbourhood of Stirling, I am sure Dr. Robb has often visited,) is said to have believed in the possibility of such a consummation ; and to have said to a farmer upon his estate, that " the day might come, when he would be able f o carry out in his snuffbox, all that would be required to manure a field." The practical good sense of the farmer prompted the reply — " I am afraid, my lord, if you were to carry out the manure of n field in your snuffbox, you might bring home the produce in your waistcoat pocket." There is scarcely any country in which the study of Agri- culture is not of the highest importance. It is peculiarly so in our father-land, and scarcely less so in the land in which we dwell. Hitherto, I am afraid we must acknowledge, that, in this Province, it has been sadly neglected. The very first prin- ciples of the science have, in the great majority of cases, been cither unknown or disregarded. Little care has been taken to increase the quantity or improve the quality of manures ; little attention has been paid to the rotation of crops, to drain- ing, or to allowing land tliode periods of rest, which nature shows to be needful for every thing, after long-continued action. Experience, which is said to be the only teacher to which a certain class of persons will listen, does not seem as yet to have made much impression on the minds of our New Bruns- wick farmers. Though they have been driven to the conviction that there is something wrong, because they often behold their fairest hopes blasted ; in too many cases they seek not to know what is amiss, and still hold on their former course. They lay the blame on any thing rather than themselves. They talk of the shortness of the season for farm-work, the expense of labour, and the unproductiveness of the land ; e >y in to ale jrd the :ten ;h a ate, r out sld." >\y- inure jduce Agri- irly so ich we hat, in 3t prin- been aken to nures ; drain- nature I action, which a g yet to , Bruns- )nviction iold their not to J course, mseives. ,vork, the be land; 13 when, all the while, the remedy of most of the hardships they complain of is in their own hands, if they would only oprn their eyes to perceive it, and put forth the energy that is necessary to apply it. I trust that a better day is now beginning. Some individuals have shown how much may be accomplished by skill and activity. Others, I hope, will follow their example ; and, ere long, New Brunswick will be independent of other countries for the supply of her bread-stuffs, for which such sums are now annually drawn from her not very abundant capital. I would say to the inhabitants of this land, of every class, in the words of Thomson — " Venerate the plough ! " In ancient times, the sacred plough employed The kings and awful fathers of mankind : And some, coinpared with whom your insect-tribe* Are bat the beings of a summer's day, Have held the scale of empire, ruled the storm Of mighty war; then, with unwearied hand, Disdaininff little delicacies, seized The plough, and greatly independent lived," In the month of May, Dr. Jack read a very able paper on the Plurality of Worlds. At the time when you were listen- ing to it, I was tossing upon the waves of the Bay of Fundy, being then on my way to Canada. I had not, therefore, the pleasure of bearing the Paper read by its learned author; nor did I enjoy the benefits of the remarks that were made upon it by the members, on the occasion of its delivery. It haa since, however, been put into my hands, and I have perused it with great attention and unmingled delight. The question must, I think, have suggested itself to the reflecting mind from the beginning — What purpose were those brilliant bodies that bedeck the heavens designed to serve? Were they merely intended to shed a lustre over the globe we inhabit ; or to furnish a richer treat to the eye of the contem- plative admirer of the Almighty's handiwork ? Before the invention of the Telescope, little was known of the number, and still less of the individual size, of these bodies ; and up to- that time, so far as I am aware, the question was never raised, whether or not they were inhabited by beings like ourselves. Modern discoveries, however, having enlarged our conceptions of the boundless extent of the visible creation, and shown th« ■*«*;.. ■ii^g^^i-f'-'r. 14 'fe! apparent suitableness of at least some of the heavenly bodies, for being the habitation of creatures constituted in some mea- sure as we are, it has very naturally been asked, "Are we to conclude that so much skill has been employed in their con- struction and adornment, and after all, are they left an unpeo- pled waste ?" The question has been beautifully and forcibly stated by Dr. Chalmers, in one of his well-known Astronomical Discourses; and though, probably, you are all familiar with the pacsage, you will thank me for quoting a few sentences. *' The world in which we live, is a round ball of a determined " magnitude, and occupies its owji place in the firmament. •' But when we explore the unlimited tracts of that space, " which is everywhere around us, we meet with other balls of "equal or superior magnitude, and from which our earth " would either be invisible or appear as small as any of those " twinkling stars which are seen on the canopy of heaven. " Why then suppose that this little spot, little, at least, in the " immensity which surrounds it, should be the exclusive abode " of life and intelligence ? What reason to think that those " mightier globes which roll in other parts of creation, and " which we have discovered to be worlds in magnitude, are not " also worlds in use and in dignity ? Why should we think " that the great Architect of Nature, supreme in wisdom, as " He is in power, would call these stately mansions into exis- " tence and leave ihem unoccupied ? * * • Are we to " say that they are so many vast and unpeopled solitudes ; that " desolation reigns in every part of the universe but ours ; "that the whole energy of the Divine attributes is expended " on one insignificant corner of these mighty works ; and that " to this earth alone belongs the bloom of vegetation, or the " blessedness of life, or the dignity of rational and immortal " existence ?" To show that there is no good ground for believing that the globe we inhabit is the only one, of all that roll in the immen- sity of space, containing animated and intellectual beings, is the object of Dr. Jack in the Paper now under consideration. He has first brought before us, in a very striking manner, the (( <( ■- '.r-H. -"■•S^^^SSPTB*, ; f m 16 ' It- confounding things that diflfer. Man is soon overborne by a multiplicity of cares ; his finite faculties are only capable of a certain limited exercise. But if we reason from the finite to the infinite, we violate the first principle of all sound philosophy. The mind of the Deity is not only, in some degree more com- prehensive than that of man, but infinitely so. Multiply worlds, and systems, and moral agents, as you please, I have no diffi- culty whatever in conceiving that He whose existence is eternal, and whose abode is all space, can superintend and govern them all. So that, in the language of Dr. Chalmers, *' there *' is not one single world in that expanse which teems with " them, that His eye does not discern as constantly, and His <' hand does not guide as unerringly, and His Spirit does not " watch and care for as vigilantly, as if it formed the one and " exclusive object of his attention." But we are not entitled to conclude, a priori^ that the planets and other heavenly bodies are inhabited, unless it can be shown, on reasonable grounds, that they are habitable. Now the negative of this has, at least in regard to some of them, been very strenuously maintained. Some have been asserted to be nothing but a mass of vapor ; some to be globes of water, either in a solid or fluid state ; some to have no traces of an atmosphere ; and some of the planets in our own system, we know, are placed so far remote from the sun, that the light they enjoy would be but a feeble glimmer, and the heat, it is con- ceived, would be so limited, or in other words, the cold so intense, that no organized beings could exist in those "regions of thick-ribbed ice." Now, first, in answer to this objection, I would say that, while we assert the probability of other worlds being inhabited, we admit that it would be rash to maintain that all are inha- bited, or, at least, that they are inhabited by beings of such a type as man. But there is no inconsistency in supposing that creatures might be formed, with an organization adapted to every variety of circumstances. And, secondly, we are not warranted in assuming it as a fact, that other worlds, supposed to be unfit for human habitation. are plai that scan now heat, thetj ofP, "is( " soh "em« " ing *' cool " of Ji " the *' rays *' causi " prodi " propc *' currt " The t " but e " heaiit " by a And, I to be uj hibit evj creature! words o( " to the " instrur " betwec " system] " have t\ " vicissit| " moons " we can I a a to ™y. m- ids, iffi- Dal, rem lere with His B not ) and lanets hown, w the , been to be water, of an m, we it they lis con- [cold 80 •egvons ly that, jabited, re inha- guch a Ing that ^pted to IS a fact, jitation, 17 are so in reality. Even supposing that the inhabitants of the planet Neptune are such creatures as we, is it quite certain that the light and heat they receive from the sun would be no scanty as to make life to them impossible?' We believe it is now an admitted fact, that possibly the light, and certainly the heat, received from the sun, are not diminished in the ratio of the distance through which they have to pass. In the language of Professor Powell, quoted by Dr. Jack — *' On this point there *' is one consideration often not sufficiently attended to. The "solar heat is entirely of a peculiar nature, unlike that which *' emanates from a terrestrial hot body, simply cooling or radiat- " ing its heat. The solar heat is not derived from the mere *' cooling of the sun ; but is conveyed, as it were, in the rays; " of light, as a vehicle^ and never becomes sensible as heat till *' the light is absorbed. It is, therefore, probable that the " rays may owe their extrication from the sun to some other " cause than elevation of temperature. It is an effect elicited or " produced by the action of certain rays, which are no more " properly rays of heat than a galvanic current can be called a *< current of heat, because, when stopped, it excites heat. " The solar rays pass freely, not only through empty space, *' but even through air and all transparent media, without " heating them ; they never excite heat till they are impeded *' by a solid, or, at least, an opaque body." And, lastly, if there be some of our planets that appear to be unfit for human habitation, there are others that ex- hibit evidence of obvious fitness for being the abode of such creatures as man. On this point, suffer me again to use the ' words of Dr. Chalmers — *' It lends a delightful confirmation ♦' to the argument, when, from the growing perfection of our " instruments, we can discover a new point of resemblance "between our earth and the other bodies of the planetary " system. It is now ascertained, not merely that all of them " have their day and night, and that all of them have their " vicissitudes of seasons, and that some of them have their " moons to rule their night and alleviate the darkness of it ; " we can see of one, that its surface rises into inequalities, that 2 ^11 I!* h [fl Sfi. I' -^'m:m^w «■ iMtt 13 r:i I? ^ - 1 3? ;-i II II "it swells into mountains and stretches into valleys; of " another, that it is surrounded by an atmosphere which may " support the respiration of animals ; of a third, that clouds are " formed and suspended over it, which may minister to it all '< the bloom and luxuriance of vegetation ; and of a fourth, that a white colour spreads over its northern regions, as its winter advances ; and that, on the approach of summer, this white- *< ness is dissipated — giving room to suppose that the element " of water abounds in it, that it rises by evaporation into its '* atmosphere, that it freezes upon the application of cold, that '* it is precipitated in the form of snow, that it covers the ground ** with a fleecy mantle, which melts away from the heat of a " more vertical sun ; and that other worlds bear a resemblance " to our own, in the same yearly round of beneficent and inter- *' esting changes." 1 could have wished to have entered more fully into the arguments of the learned Professor, but your time will not allow farther discussion. In my opinion, they fully bear him out in the conclusion to which he has come, not indeed in these words, but to this effect — That it is, at least, probable that other worlds beside our own, are inhabited by rational crea- tures ; and that the Great Author of nature, when he looks abroad over the works of his hands, beholds throughout, not merely dead, unconscious matter, but animated, intellectual, and immortal beings. Dr. Jack's paper is composed in a style of most transparent clearness. It is impossible to misapprehend his meaning. While he reasons with the closeness of one whose mind has been accustomed to the severest mathematical analj^ais, every step in the series rising above, and based upon, the preceding one, his argument is, at the same time, so luminous, that it is a positive pleasure to accompany him through all its stages. If I might venture to hint what I would not call a fault but a defect, I would say that it struck me that the learned Doctor has not completed his original plan. What he has done he has done admirably. Something, I apprehend, yet remains to be added. I would fain hope that he will finish the work ; and >9 ihat, when so completed, the know]edi|;e of its value will not bo confined to the members of this Society ; but that it will be given to the world, either as a separate publication, or in the pages of some scientific Journal. In the month of June, Mr. Wilkinson read a very able and interesting Paper, which, with characteristic modesty, he entitled ** Thoughts on Colonization." In reviewing this Paper, I am glad to feel that my task is a very easy one. The Society, with one voice, have already pronounced their opinion upon its merits, by the expression of a very earnest wish that it should appear in a form such as to render it more accessible to the public at large. In this wish I fully concurred at the time; nor shall I yet, without much reluctance, abandon the hope that our expectations may be realized, calculated, as I think it is, to be most beneficial, not only to the inhabitants of our own Province, but to those of our father-land, and especially to such as are proposing to seek a home on this side of the Atlantic. We have been so long accustomed to hear our Province run down as " a barren wilderness ;" " a very Siberia ;" " a country whose climate was execrable in the extreme ;" " whose year was made up of eight months of winter, and four of bad weather;" that some of its inhabitants, if they have not actu- ally agreed in all the evil that has been said respecting this land of their adoption, have, at least, silently acquiesced in it, and, by making no defence, have allowed judgment to go by default. A stream of immigration has been, year after year, pouring into Canada and the adjoining States, and scarcely an attempt has been made, — by making known the capabilities of this Pro- vince, as a place where vast multitudes might settle down in comfort, and by diligent perseverance, in due time attain to independence, — to divert even a driblet of that stream into those extensive districts, within a short distance of where we now sit, that but wait the hand of the cultivator, to convert them into plains of abundant fertility. Mr. Wilkinson's paper is calculated completely to silence the taunt that we have often heard respecting our Province, A "'^'^^/::- -'■W0«m^vfF. _ m 20 that, while other countries nro ndvancing rapidly in the march of improvement, she is standing still, if not retrograding. He has shown, by an array of facts, — which ure stubborn things, and cannot be disputed, — that as regards the increase of popu- lation, the extension of commerce, the growth of our cities, and all the elements that go to make up the prosperity of a country, New Brunswick has advanced, at a rate fully equal to the United States, in the first ages of their history. She pos- sesses, as he has well shown, all the resources that are neces- sary to enable her to pursue a career of rapid improvement : a climate, which a medical gentleman, who had resided in aH quarters of the world, has repeatedly declared, in my hearing, to be (I use his own words) <* the healthiest in the round globe ;" a soil, at least not inferior in fertility to that of the adjoining States or of Eastern Canada ; immense tracts of forest land, covered with the most valuable timber ; a sea-coast extending not less than 6U0 miles, every creek and bay of which is swarming with fish ; harbours where all the ships of the world might be moored in safety ; rivers of ample breadth, some of them navigable hundreds of miles from their mouth ; minerals, too, as we have lately had occasion not only to hear but to see, of every variety and of the most valuable description. Sho has also " ample room and verge enough," for the settlement of many thousands of iinmigrants, land for them all to cultivate, plenty of work for them all to do, and for which they would receive liberal re- muneration. Surely a country that possesses such capabilities within herself for the support of a large population, ought not to be stigmatized as a poor country, to which nobody would go who could avoid it, and where nobody would stay who could get out of it. Mr. Wilkinson has thrown out a warnin<]f, which I wish covU! be rung in the ears of every inhabitant of this Province, f''.ira the Bay of Fundy to the Restigouche, against a too excli. iv^it dependence on lumbering, to the neglect of agriculture. The former may affo! a readier return for capital expended ; but the frequent fl'ictu ioris of the price of timber in the home market, render tho %t%^.^ therein a very precarious business. if~ •mitf^l^^':-^- ■s'gimj>r"-imini<^ WJlifillM mmmfm ii If fr, ;j. There is more of the ease of practised authorship manifested than I was at all prepared to expect. He has brought the whole subject of Colonization, (and particularly as affecting this Province,) before us, in such a pleasing manner, that I feel our best thanks are due to him, for a paper that would do honor to the transactions of any Society, even of much higher pre- tensions than our own. After the usual Summer recess, the business of the Society was again resumed in the month of October, by a Paper by the Rev. Mr. Ketchum, on Chronology. I remember, long ago, in studying the Logic of Aristotle, there were certain mysterious things which came in my way, alld which bore the name of Categories. I recollect that two of them were expressed by the words ^'ubi" and "quandu."'^ It is the pro- vince of Geography to decide the ubi, or where, and that of Chronology to determine the quando, or when, of the facts recorded in the historic page. We all know how important it often is to fix the precise point of time at which a particular event occurred. It was the saying of one of the profoundest thinkers that the world has ever produced, that " History is Philosophy teaching by example." Now, much of the value and impressiveness of a lesson often depends upon the time and the circumstances in which it is given. A knowledge of the tchcre is of great importance to the right understanding of past events ; but a knowledge of the when is infinitely more indispensable ; that is, that while Geography is useful, Chro- nology is pre-eminently so. Without an acquaintance with Chronology, history would be merely a confused mass of facts, as uninteresting as they are worthless for any good. It would be as if all the stones, and bricks, and beams, and boards that were needful for the construction of a house, were to be tum- bled together in a heap. The materials of the house are there ; but, not being arranged, they arc merely an unsightly mass, serving neither for ornament nor use. To make history interesting and instructive, then, we must call Chronology to our aid ; and the Reverend gentleman who favoured us with this paper, has shown, in u very able and in- te of H( cai it i int( His thus som fron] Chrc how 1 In striki Ketcl tory u hut, if he wel "It^ " hsi, J *' cord( " most '* proof *• fulfil, "thus, ''plainll "Agf " and J " chroni " the M (< mgs "notki (( <( great very *' know " f^istanl " Euphi 23 ir )r e- 5ty by mg ain the rere pro- sit of facts intit cular ndest ory is value time of ing of more Chro- with facts, would •ds tliat be turn- use are nsiglitly wc must ^iian who and in- 20 teresting manner, the advantages to be derived from the study of that science, whose nature and uses he undertook to unfold. He showed clearly how necessary it is, in judging of the causes and consequences of events in secular history ; but that it is greatly more requisite, when we carry our researches into the Records of the sacred penmen. Secular and Sacred History are like two rivers that run parallel, and that may thus sometimes even meet in the same channel ; or, at least, some portion of the stream may occasionally pass reciprocally from the one to the other. Now, without a knowledge of Chronology, it would be impossible for us to show where and how they meet, harmonize and combine. I must do myself the pleasure of quoting a passage, equally striking in thought and beautiful in expression, in which Mr, Ketchum points out the importance of studying secular his- tory in connexion with sacred. You have heard it before ; but, if I may judge of you by myself, I am persuaded u will be well pleased to hear it again. " It will at once be admitted as of vast importance, to es^ab- " lish a connexion, as exact as possible, between events re- *' corded in the Sacred Scriptures, and those noticed by the *' most authentic Heathen Historians. In this way, additional '• proof is gained to the credibility of Revelation, and to the " fulfilment of prophetic declarations. Heathens themselves " thus, unconsciously, bear witness to the truth, and all may *♦ plainly see the finger of the Almighty. " Again, it is of deep moment to the student of History, *' and adds greatly in interest to the subject, to mark the syn- " chronology of the most important events in the History of " the World. As we read in the Sacred Records of the deal- «' ings of the Almighty with His ancient people, who would *' not know something of events going on at the time, in that " great world around, of which that people seemed to form so *' very insignificant a part ? Who would not, if he could, " know something of what was going on elsewhere, at that " distant age when Abraham was called to pass over the " Euphrates, and live the life of a pilgrim on the land assigned hi; '■^"wm^T'^ .^>iMua«uS>mmmmBBSsiSimmm wmm 24 «' to his descendants? Who is not glad to find out the very " significant fact that while Judges ruled in Israel, Egypt, — the " then mighty Empire of the age, — was overrun by those Shep- " herd Kings, about whom there has been so much conjecture, " and not the least probable that they were the remnant of those " mighty warriors driven out of the land of promise ; and " that these exiles from Egypt were seen landing on distant *' shores to form the several dynasties of Greece ? Who does '• not feel it of great interest to know that, while David and " his successors reigned in splendour and power at Jerusalem, •* in the East, Assyria was growing up to be a mighty and " dreaded Empire, the appointed scourge of an ungrateful '* people ? That about the time when Ahab ruled in Samaria — " on the plains of Troy were gathering those warrior hosts, '• whose deeds of valour have been so well preserved in classic "story? That while Assyrian soldiers were driving Israel " into irredeemable captivity — on the banks of the Tiber, a few " humble dwellings were being built, to form, in a very few years, '* the Mistress of the world ? That about the time the armies '* of Greece became at length wearied into peace, after the " Peloponnesian war, the History of the Old Testament had " ended ? And when that event occurred, which will form a " new sera in Chronology — that event exceeding in importance " all that has ever occurred on the earth, — who would not gladly " enquire what then engaged the attention of Generals and " Statesmen — whether the Temple of Janus was shut, when " the angels came to announce the birth of the King of Kings, " in the Manger of Bethlehem ?" Had time permitted, I should have been glad, by availing myself of the materials so amply provided by Mr. Ketchum, to have said something about the great historical a;ras that are most generally in use, and to which intermediate dates are commonly referred. I must, however, pass over what remains of the paper, with a very few remarks. In all countries that have received the Sacred Records, there are two grand (eras, to which all others are subordinate — the Creation of the World and the Nativity of Christ. There is some 'S! 25 dcgreeof uncertainty with respect to the former; and this uncer- tainty takes its origin from a period, in regardtowhichour know- ledge is very limited. The Sacred Writings alone furnish all the information we possess on the history of our world, for at least half the period it has existed. The evidence of one credible witness, it is true, in the absence of all opposing testimony, may be admitted as satisfactory ; but it so happens that, in the different translations of the Scriptures, their testimony is made to vary, to a very considerable extent. This is chiefly the case in regard to the ages of the Antediluvians ; and by adopting the dates of the Septuagint version, the Deluge is placed at a period not less than 600 years more remote from the Creation, than it would be if we adhered to the Hebrew Text. This discrepancy may, to some extent, be accounted for, by the imperfect method of representing num- bers in those early days, when the first written records were prepared ; by the frequent copies that were made by the hand, in which, without a perpetual miracle, occasional errors were unavoidable ; and perhaps, in some rare instances, by varia- tions introduced to serve a purpose. We have much cause for thankfulness, however, that He who gave us His Word at first, has watched over it, during the long series of ages, which, in the midst of many storms and perils, have brought it down to us, as we have every reason to believe, uncorrupted and entire. No important doctrine, no interesting fact is, in the slightest degree, affected, by all the variations of reading, and all the differences of dates that occur, in all the versions and copies that have ever been made, of that Book which con- tains the revelation of God's will to Man. I feel that we are deeply indebted to the Reverend Author of this Paper, for the patient investigation, and diligent research, which he has brought to bear upon the very impor- tant and deeply interesting subject, which he undertook to bring before us. In pursuing his enquiry, he must have encountered difficulties of no trivial kind ; but he has manfully grappled with them, and satisfactorily disposed of them. I believe that he has felt that such labours were their own reward ; it?.' i r'> I I * I A\ 'J t\ r A '4 ii\ ■V'^SSBSS-^S^:"^' J m 'i 26 tninil. . „ meetings that took place, in the At the three ^""''''""^ "2';"i„a January, our indefat- „„„ths of N""-''^'- f:;^ 'm, aecount of the Mineralogy gable Secretary S-™ "» "J^^, ,>, ,„bject into three parts of this Province. H""'"" , ^ of an address, at one of each of which formed '»e g--''--^ „,„i„g ;„ November, the meetings above T''^ tVafhave carlo" for their basis: he described those ■"•--^;;';";„, .^e minerals that have an i„ December, he b;o"S^>"^f '^^ „,, ^ere, we were made earthy basis: and '"'' ""^^ ; „,„^ ,,o.^ n metalUc b^^>^- accinainted «Uh those •""""';,"';, aescriptlon of our learned On these several occasions, the veiba ,^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ '--""' n; "iC : 1 ndt if n.-ner-als brought under our .election of the ^ffe;__, of the saying of Horace- """°- "!s;^rrrS:Me=.„.,„,^e,sotha.. - addressed hims.f . o----'at ;«.-">« ---•• :fat"t:r:: >"---:.rrrromp.icatcd classification Some have proposed a much •"» 'n^^b, but I am not of minerals than that =j»P ^^.^J; ""tnd intelligible. I can aware of any that is ™°'; jf ;" op^iate than that which Robb-s address, an -^, ^ ; alulblo instruction. BiH learned Gentleman fo. "" ^^"J^.ey „,e, of course, inacces- „s those Lectures were »""'""'• „/„,„pti„„ in me to attempt :;,e to me now ; and 't wo'dd bo P. ^.^P ^^_^^_ ^, .,,^ . ,., a.,y review of them. \Ve liavc__ .^^^^^ ^ .egret to !!•': 27 a mass of facts as were presented to us ; more especially, as so many of them were new to me. And even if I could recall every word, the Lectures were such as not to admit of abridi;- ment. Still farther, if they could be abridged, I have not a sufficient acquaintance with the science in question to under- take it. But though my remarks on these Lectures must, for many good reasons, be very brief, I am sure you will not suppose that I, therefore, think them of little importance. On the contrary, I do not know that any subject has ever been discussed at this board, that was so important to the Province at large. I think it must have surprised you all, (1 know it did me,) to learn that the minerals of this country were so numerous and so valuable. We may have few of what are called the precious ores. Silver and gold, if they exist at all, have not yet been discovered to any great extent. Nor do we abound in gems, which Dr. Robb poetically called " the flowers of minerals." But we have iron, in beds apparently inexhaustible. And in many places, we have most valuable coal, which has been quaintly styled "the black diamond." And our learned Secre- tary is well able to tell the people of this land of the mineral wealth that is to be found within her borders. Possessed of these, we do not need to grudge India her gems, nor California and Australia their gold. When our forests have been cut down, and lumbering shall have ceased, New Brunswick, I venture to say, will find, in the produce of her fertile fields, and her valuable mines, a source of riches far more certain and lasting. When the time comes, (and it seems now to be drawing near,) when the construction of our Railways from one end of the Province to the other, shall be set about in good earnest, and prosecuted with vigour, as the demand for iron will thus be greatly increased, we may expect that more capital will be invested in the business, and ample remuneration obtained by the enterprising manufacturer of that metal which, without a figure, is really more precious than gold. If we can furnish iron for our own railroads, (and I understand it is perfectly practicable,) the saving to the country will be cnor- ill 7- ^1 I.!' ■/■ m it.' f- ! . 'I / ! ■: j . t I ^ 1 ! i " if,' I I ^ ■■^.'T-^aSSLL^ ■mmamkmmtismmmmiiim S8 mous. The money paid for it will be expended within the Province : it will go to pay the wages of the workmen, and the interest of capital invested in the works ; it will cause a largely increased demand for agricultural produce, and thus encourage and extend the operations of our farmers. And why should we not look forward to the time when, instead of timber, we shall export iron, and thus, it may be, in the course of no great number of years, add, in a degree beyond our calcu- lation, to the population, the wealth and the prosperity of this land where our lot is now cast? Before dismissing this subject, I may be allowed to express my regret, (and I believe all now present will join with me,) that our able Secretary's most interesting information respect- ing our minerals should pass away and be forgotten. I am not aware that any account, so full as that which he gave us, is in existence. Surely, there ought to be some means adopted to provide a statement of recognized authority, respecting the mineral wealth of our Province, for the information of our statesmen and men of capital. I trust Dr. Robb may be induced to commit to writing, at least the substance of what he has already delivered to us. And I should think that a portion of the public money would be well and profitably ex- pended, in causing such a Report to be printed for general circulation. Nor is this all. I have already alluded to that extensive collection of specimens of the minerals of the Pro- vince, so admirably arranged and labelled for convenient re- ference, which we have repeatedly had before us on the table. No one who has seen these can doubt, for a moment, that no small amount of toil, and money also, must have been expended, in thus collecting and arranging them. In doing this. Dr. Robb has been conferring a public benefit, and ought to be publicly rewarded. I am strongly of opinion that our Society, as a body, ought to make an urgent appeal to the Government, for some remuneration to Dr. Robb. I have a firm conviction that, were this done, our accomplished Secretary would imme- diately be requested to draw up for publication, a Report on our Provincial Mineralogy, explanatory of that beautiful col- iec we wiJ] par thrc Rol me, une£ sensi hisp to ej thed Tb the pa tediou aware of the; Addrei fore, n have s( l^\ he ad J a ind I of irse Icu- this )re83 me,) pect- I am ire us, opted IS the jf our my he 29 lection now in his possession ; and as luch a labour would be well entitled to a reward, I truRt that the learned Gentleman will be liberally compensated for hii trouble, not only in pre- paring the Report, but in collecting the specimens. I have thrown out these suggestions without any authority from Dr. Robb, and even without his knowledge. I hope he will pardon me, if I have said any thing thut iit calculated to give him uneasiness. I have been so very iitrongly impressed with a sense of that debt of gratitude which the country owes him for his public services, that I gladly avail myself of this opportunity to express my sentiments, and to add my earnest hope that the debt will not be long unpaid. There is one thing connected with our proceedings during the past year, on which, though at the riik of being charged with tediousness, I must yet say a few words. We have, as you are aware, nine meetings during the twelve months; and, at one of these meetings, it is provided that the President's Annual Address shall be delivered. Eight papers annually are, there- fore, required from the rest of the members. Now it must have struck you, that, of the eight papers or addresses which I have had to review this evening, ai making up the fansactions of the year that has now closed, Dr. Robb has given not fewer than five. I am well aware of our able Secretary's ample stores of information, and of his willingness at all times to pro- duce them, for the entertainment of the Society ; but, I must say, I think it is loo bad, that he, in his own single person, should be called upon to do more than all the other members put together. But a very little more, and instead of being, as was intended, a Society for mutual Improvement, we shonld more properly be styled a class, with Dr. Robb for our Professor, and that too without a salary. I would take the liberty to suggoit, then, that, before we part this evening, at least eight gentlemen should pledge themselves to produce each a paper, during the current year ; and to make a beginning, I am willing that my name should stand as one of them. It is, no doubt, far easier to go on, from year to year, as listeners; but, by refusing to toko nn active part in the ;> Mi I *f ■ I: 11 I'. % ,1 'V 'V i I A ' I sfmmmm^ 30 biJtiness of the Society, wo do juitice neither to ourselves nor to others. I speak from experience when I say that it does a per- son much good, to bo compelled to such a vigorous forth-putting of intellectual exertion, as is required to prepare such a paper as is usually produced in this place. So long as we put off with the indolent apology " I can't," we shal} make little pro- gress in any thing. It will not be till we have experienced the satisfaction of giving, as well as receiving, knowledge, that we shall derive from tjiis Society, all the benefits which it yfa.9 Re- signed to confer. I have now finished the duties which devolved upon me when, at this time last year, in obedience to your call, I took posses- sion of this chair. If, during the time that I have occupied it, or now when I am about to leave it, I have, in any measure, gained your approbation, the knowledge that such is the case will be very gratifying to my feelings. I have always taken a deep interest in the prosperity of the Fredericton Athenaeum, and, while I have it in my power, I shall always continue to do so. I have derived much pleasure and instruction from our meetings together, for these ten years past ; and I hope still to enjoy the same privilege, for many years to come. What may be in the womb of time we, short-sighted mortals, cannot tell. Change is stamped on all things here below ; but I hope that our Society will flourish and extend its influence, even when we, who first composed it, shall have passed away from the stage of time. |}<{ ■ ',3