At All The Canadian
Cities To Be Visited Local Committees Will Be Organized To Receive The
Excursionists And To Care For Them During Their Stay.
The circular
prepared for the members gives every information as to routes,
distances, fares, &c., so that they may make all their arrangements
before leaving England.
The telegraph companies, not to be behindhand,
undertake to transmit messages during the meeting for members from
Montreal to all parts of Canada and the United States free of charge.
Of course, it is not to be expected that all those advantages will be
given indiscriminately to all who may apply, and doubtless the great
accession of members at the Southport meeting was partly due to the
prospective visit to Canada. But only those members elected at or before
the Southampton meeting will share in the benefit of the $14,000
allotted for reduction of passage money, and until further notice no new
members or associates can be elected except by special vote of the
Council. This is as it should be, otherwise the meeting would be largely
one of mere "trippers," instead of genuine representatives of British
science. The Council have taken every precaution to render the Montreal
Meeting one of real work, and no mere holiday; from respect to itself as
well as to its hosts, the Association is bound to show itself at its
best. At the same time, the Council have extended all the privileges of
associates to the near relatives of members to the number of three for
each, so that members will have no excuse for doing Canada _en
garcon_. Of course those applying for the privileges mentioned must
produce satisfactory evidence of their identity, and in return will
receive vouchers which will serve as passports on the other side. Those
desirous of obtaining information as to hotels and other local matters,
must apply to the local secretary, care of Mr. S. C. Stevenson, 181, St.
James's Street, Montreal.
Already somewhere about six hundred applications nave been received, and
it is quite probable that at least one thousand members and associates
may be crowding across next August. Those members who wish to share in
the subsidy of $14,000 must apply before March 25, and no voucher will
be issued after July 20. We may say that the reduced railway fares
mainly extend from August 1 to the end of September. The active and
courteous secretary, Professor Bonney, on whom so much depends, will
arrive in Montreal three weeks before the opening of the meeting, August
27, for the purpose of securing that everything is in train. It is
expected that all the addresses will be printed here in time for
transmission to Montreal. So far at least as the officials are
concerned, the Canada Meeting will be a representative one. The
President elect, Lord Rayleigh, one of the most solid exponents of
British science, will certainly prove equal to the occasion. The
vice-presidents show a large Transatlantic contingent; they are, his
Excellency the Governor-General, Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir Lyon
Playfair, Sir Alexander Gait, Sir Charles Tupper, Sir Narcisse Dorion,
Hon. Dr. Chauveau, Principal Dawson, Professor Frankland, Dr. L. H.
Hingston, and Professor Sterry Hunt. Sir Joseph Hooker, we may say, has
also been nominated by the Council a vice-president, in place of the
late Sir C. W. Siemens. Perhaps it is scarcely necessary to state that
the general treasurer, Professor A W. Williamson, and the general
secretaries, Captain Douglas Galton and Mr. A. G. Vernon Harcourt, will
be present. There are five local secretaries and a local treasurer. The
presidents of the sections are all men of the highest standing in their
particular departments; it would be difficult, indeed, to suggest a
better selection. In Section A, Mathematical and Physical Science, it is
a great thing that Professor Sir William Thomson has been persuaded to
preside. No more representative chemist than Professor Roscoe could have
been obtained for Section B; in C, Geology; Mr. W. T. Blanford, the head
of the Indian Geological Survey, is sure to do honour to his subject; in
Section D, Biology, Professor Moseley, a man of thoroughly Darwinian
type of mind, will preside; in F, Economic Science, Sir Richard Temple
will be a host in himself; while in G, Mechanical Science, Sir F J.
Bramwell is sure to be vigorous and original; finally, in the new
section H, Anthropology, Dr. E. B. Tylor is the very man that ought to
have been selected. Lord Aberdare, we regret to say, has been compelled
to retire from the presidency of the Geographical Section; but for a
Canadian meeting no more suitable president could be obtained than the
veteran Arctic explorer, Sir Leopold McClintock, who, we trust, will be
persuaded to take the place of Lord Aberdare. All the vice-presidents
and secretaries of sections have been chosen with equal care; and thus
the Association has taken the very best means of proving to the
Canadians how highly they, appreciate the honour of the invitation, and
in what respect they hold their prospective audiences. For the public
lectures, the popular feature of the meetings, it is hoped to secure the
services of Professor W. G. Adams, the able Professor of Physics in
King's College, London, who it is hoped will be able to go; Dr.
Dallinger, the well-known-biologist, and Professor Ball, the witty and
eloquent Astronomer Royal for Ireland, who will deliver the popular
lecture _par excellence_.
Thus it will be seen that every possible arrangement has been made that
could be made beforehand to insure complete success, and there can be
little doubt that neither the Association nor the Canadians will be
disappointed. Section A is following the example set last year in
Section D by Professor Ray Lankester. The Committee, as we have already
announced, are sending out a circular inviting mathematicians and
physicists to co-operate with them in sustaining discussions and
contributing papers; one of the special subjects for discussion in this
section on September 1st will be the vexed one of the connection between
sun spots and terrestrial phenomena.
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