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I am indebted to the kindness of promoters of this Bill for the honor of being called upon to second the motion proposed by the senior member for the city of Ottawa. The occasion of asking this House to consider the subject of incorporating a society bearing the name of the Royal Society of Canada is, I trust, an occasion of considerable interest to every member of this House. We have, Sir, been favoured by those who have occupied vice-regal positions in this country with a large degree of attention to literary affairs. Besides performing the ordinary duties of their administration, our Governor Generals have repeatedly called the attention of Canadians to the importance of cultivating a literary taste, and developing a further acquaintance with those scientific pursuits which would not only inform us as to the nature and extent of the natural resources of our own country, but enable us to keep pace with the progress of knowledge on other countries. It remained to His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne to suggest to us formation of a society bearing a close analogy to a kindred society in England, and having for its distinctive purpose the pursuit of those scientific investigations, particularly in connection with Canadian affairs. You will see, by the preamble of this Bill, that its first object is “to encourage studies and investigations in literature and science.” Sir, we appreciate the kindness of His Excellency in thus assisting us in our earliest endeavors to establish the literature of this country upon a purely scientific basis. Brought up as he was, in literary circles in the Old Country, in the air of Oxford and London, we can well understand how anxious he was that we, in Canada, less favored than the old land with such advantages, should at an early period in our history attend scientific pursuits which reflect such honor and credit on his native country. And, sir, allow me to say, as a Canadian, that I believe the field to which he has directed our attention is an exceedingly interesting one. The geology of Canada must of itself, be a source of great interest to every Canadian. Having here the oldest geological formation in the world, formations which are identified with Canadian names, it is certainly of interest to us that we should still further pursue our investigations, and ascertain the true position and nature of these formations. Not only are such investigations interesting to Canadians from a purely scientific point of view, but also from a utilitarian point of view. Those formations indicate to a certain extent the mineral resources which contribute so largely to the wealth and prosperity of the country; and it is well for us that we should patiently and carefully investigate them, in order to ascertain their extent and locality. Not only our geological formations, but everything of a scientific nature will probably come under the purview of this society – the zoology, the history, the archeology of Canada. Everything in connection with those scientific inquiries which reflect so largely the intelligence of a nation must be of interest to us; and it will certainly form no unimportant era in our history, if, as the result of the formation of this society, we receive broader view of these matters, and the people of this country become more intelligent and better informed with regard to them. But, much as we shall value and appreciate the investigations of this society in these fields, to my mind the second purpose of the society, that is, to enquire into the history of Canada, and further illuminate those great events in our history which are of so much importance to us, must chiefly attract public attention. It is generally supposed that the history of Canada is a very uneventful one. Our historians so far have dealt in very meagre details upon the history of our country. I doubt very much whether we have yet a really readable history of Canada. We have no Macaulay, no Collier, no Greene, no Freeman, to tell us, in interesting periods, the story of the leading events in our history.
Mr. Laurier. We have a Garneau.
Mr. Ross. Yes, we have a Garneau, who has dealt in great minuteness of detail with the French period in Canada; but with that exception, no man has written the history of Canada in such a way as to excite the interest and pride of Canada’s sons. This is a great loss to Canada; and if this society did nothing more than secure for us, in an interesting and readable form, the story of the events of Canadian history, it would confer upon us a great boon. The researches of La Verndrye, the discoveries of Champlain, and the explorations of Cartier and others, who endured toil and fatigue in Canada’s early days – these, in themselves, form a very interesting chapter – nay, many interesting chapters – in the history of Canada; and this society will be doing us a great service, if upon these points it adds in any degree to our knowledge. Such historical researchers have also a practical value. We are all aware of how difficult it is for us to learn the true boundaries of the Province of Ontario – and why? Mainly because certain missing links in the past history of the county could not be discovered. Certain proclamations, certain commissions to Governors, and certain maps were missing; and if this society should supply these missing links by its researches in the libraries of the world, where they are perhaps to be found, its existence would be a very great boon to the country. Besides the bare information which we should obtain from these inquiries, there is a heroic effort which I think would be produced by a properly written history of Canada. The great struggle of the taking of Quebec has never described as I think it might be – as the battle of Waterloo was described by Allison, the great writer of the History of Europe, as the battles between England and Scotland were described by Macaulay. The great struggle of 1812, when Canadians defended their hearths and homes against our American neighbours, and the struggles of later years when the invader was vigorously and courageously repulsed – these are yet to be written to show Canadians that their forefathers had courageous hearts and strong arms to defend their homes, and those institutions which were established when Quebec was captured in 1759. But, this society proposes also to enter the domain of literature. One of its primary objects, I believe, will be to cultivate a higher literary taste among Canadians. I think, this is exceedingly desirable. I am pleased, as a member of this House, as a Canadian, as a citizen of a country whose future we need not fear, whose prospects are brightening everyday, to know that an attempt is being made to cultivate a higher literary taste among our people. The literature of a people reflects their characteristics. Every reader of English literature knows that in every period of English literature the prominent author of that period reflects its national characteristics. The readers of “Lalla Rookh” know that Moore, in that beautiful poem, merely represented the voluptuous tastes and habits of Oriental life. The readers of Burns know that every line of his poems reflects the purity and sincerity of Scottish life, and the heroism and chivalry of Scotland’s bravest sons. The reader of Cowper knows that, in his sweet domestic lines, he reads the characteristics, the habits and the happiness of England’s Cottage home; and the readers of Addison know that his works reflect the polish of English courts during the time in which he wrote. In the literature of France we have reflected the characteristics of the national life of each period. Where shall we find reflected the characteristics of Canadian life. Where are our Washington Irvings, our Burns, our Cowpers, our Shakespeares, to reflect the characteristics of Canadians? Where are those with literary taste, and leisure, and disposition, to trace upon the pages of their compositions the characteristics of our humble life, and of our efforts to establish ourselves as a new nationality? If this society will cultivate this taste, if it will foster a deeper love for that “Well of English undefiled,” if it will cultivate a disposition on the part of our young people, either to pursue the literature of other countries, or to establish a standard of literacy taste for Canada, it will do well; and those who may live to see the results, if they such as I hope they may, will rejoice to know that we have had a Governor General, whose anxiety in this respect crystalized itself in the form of the Bill now before you. Yet, there is something more to be done. Although in some respects Canada has produced some few literary, men – we have had a Haliburton and a Dr. Wilson in literature, and such men as Sir William Logan and Dr. Dawson in sience – yet the scientific and literary tastes of our people are, indeed, too poorly cultivated. We have a population of over 4,000, 000 yet how few men distinguished in literary, historical, or scientific pursuits can be named as Canadians. This should not be. It is exceedingly desirable a higher literary taste should be cultivated, and I am pleased to be able to support a Bill which not only aims at cultivating literary taste, but proposes to offer rewards, when rewards are merited, to any individual whose literary or scientific standing entitles him to that distinction. The rewards of literary pursuits in Canada are exceedingly small, and our constituency of readers very limited, much more so than in England or the United States. But, besides being limited in numbers their tastes are cultivated to a limited extent also. Though the constituency of readers be limited, a better cultivation would enable its extent and produce better results. As long as we lack the cultivation, we need not wonder at barren results. I trust in future years to see, as the result of the establishment of this society, greater attention paid to scientific research, and to the history and archaeology of this country. It is the attempt made to cultivate in Canada a literary taste which will give to Canadians a distinct literary individuality. I have, therefore, great pleasure in supporting this motion.