TO HIS HONOUR THE LIEUT. GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Memorial of the undersigned respectfully showeth: 
     
    

    
     That it is generally recognized as a matter of sound policy to 
     
     encourage the formation and maintenance of societies devoted to the 
     
     study of the Natural Sciences and to historical research: 
     
    

    
     That in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, as well as in the larger 
     
     provinces of the Dominion, the Local Governments have for many years 
     
     extended assistance to all such societies by providing them with free 
     
     quarters in the provincial buildings and by money grants: 
     
    

    
     That in this Province a "Natural History and Antiquarian Society" 
     
     has been in existence for thirteen years and, though it has had to 
     
     struggle on unaided, the efforts of its members, as notably in the 
     
     case of the late Francis Bain and others, have not been without 
     
     practical results: ' 
     
    

    
     That it is also generally felt that valuable information and 
     
     records, relating to the early history of this Province, are yearly 
     
     being irretrievably lost, that might be secured if adequate encour— 
     
     agement were accorded to those who are desirous of prosecuting research 
     
     in this department and if provision were made for conserving the 
     
     results of their efforts: 
     
    

    
     That by the munificence of the Hon. Thos. Dodd, the sum of five 
     
     thousand ($500099) dollars is now available for the establishment of 
     
     a Public Library, and if the problem of securing a suitable home for 
     
     it could be solved, there is every reason to believe that its main- 
     
     tenance could be satisfactorily provided for: 
     
    

    
     In View of these facts your memorialists are of opinion that it 
     
     would be in the best interests of this Province if a room in the 
     
     Provincial Building were placed at the disposal of those willing to 
     
     undertake the furtherance of the foregoing objects, to be used: 
     
    

    
     (A) as a place of meeting 
     
    

    
     (B) to enable the Natural History and Antiquarian Society to proceed 
     
     with the formation of a Museum for the Province 
     
    

    
     (C) to encourage the donation of information and records relating to 
     
     the early history of this Island by rendering it possible to 
     
     make proper provision for their preservation 
     
    

    
     (D) and to provide for the establishment of a Public Library, the 
     
     need of which is yearly becoming more sensibly felt, 
     
    

    
     and they are of opinion that these advantages would be still further 
     
    

    
     increased if, in accordance with the policy adopted elsewhere, a 
     
    

    
     small money grant were made to enable such societies to print reports 
     
    

    
     of their proceedings, and to place themselves in a position to secure 
     
    

    
     exchanges from kindred societies abroad. 
     
    
   
   
    
     And your memorialists, as in duty bound will ever pray 
     
    
   
   
    
     Signed: 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Petition, l90l