HART explained the manner in which the movement for such a dictionary originated, the progress thus far made, and the scope of the movement as a whole.

Governor LONG, Senior Member-at-Large of the Council, read the following

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.

Since the last Annual Meeting the following changes have taken place in the membership of the Society:

Terminated by transfer to Honorary Membership:

1879, Andrew Dickson White

March 9, 1911.

It has been said, and with some apparent truth, that the Society prints too much, and in erring in this direction tends to lessen the utility of its publications. Compared with the output in print of other like societies, the charge of excess holds true, for a quarterly magazine or an annual volume is the usual product of our sister societies. We issue a magazine in nine numbers a year containing the proceedings of the meetings and original documents, and at least one volume of collections. The volume of Collections is defensible, and the sixty-six volumes thus far printed contain a mine of information on New England history, the value of which may be tested by the frequency of reference to them in any history, whether of New England or of the United States. The Proceedings are composed of papers read or presented at the meetings of the Society, and original documents of an historical character. These documents are of such a nature as have historical interest, yet are not such as could be logically formed into volumes of collections. The "papers" are voluntary contributions, the result of personal investigation and upon subjects of interest to the writer. It is sometimes a question whether the results are of such general interest as to warrant publication, and the question is of some delicacy. That the essay may be of service at some time to some investigator in history or genealogy, is a very broad measure for testing its quality, and in this direction some reduction in quantity of publication may be made. This is a matter requiring consideration, as it involves many nice points, personal and general.

It is also suggested that to many members it would be more convenient if the pamphlet editions of our Proceedings had the leaves cut.

As to the publications of the Society, a volume of Proceedings (the 43d in regular sequence) was issued in the fall, cover

ing the meetings of the Society from October, 1909, to June, 1910. It contained original papers of some moment historically, and many documents relating to the history of Massachusetts and New England. Perhaps the most notable paper was the "Description of the City of Washington in the Secession Winter of 1860-61," by Mr. Henry Adams, and the recovery of an address on the "Opium War," made at the instance of the Society in 1841, by John Quincy Adams. The issue of Collections will be resumed by printing the Diaries of Cotton Mather. The first volume is now in type, and will be distributed to the members shortly. The contract for printing Bradford's History is nearly complete, and in the fall the volume will be in the hands of the members. The Proceedings of the meetings since last October have been printed, with some delays; but all, through the meeting of March, are in type. For the coming year, in addition to the Bradford and the annual volume of Proceedings, there will be issued a second volume of Cotton Mather's Diaries, and, it is hoped, another volume of Collections.

In August the Society entered upon a new departure that of employing a skilled repairer of manuscripts to treat its immensely valuable store of original papers that have accumulated since its institution. The intention was to secure thoroughly experienced skill, and to apply it, through the most modern methods, for preserving material of this nature. The policy has justified itself. Three collections have already been treated. Each document that required repair has received attention, and then has been mounted and bound in series in a form that will be permanent. Finding that the earliest volumes of the first newspaper printed in an English Colony in America, the Boston News-Letter, had suffered much by the deterioration of the paper, making it unsafe to handle the leaves, particular attention was given to bettering their condition. It was decided to resize each leaf, and then mount and bind in the same manner as manuscripts are treated. Particularly decrepit copies were covered with silk. Thus the file is in an even better condition than when it was issued from the press. These methods are not experimental, and therefore cannot result in any damage to the texture of the paper; the benefit is permanent. Considering the risk of loss and the want of proper at

tention involved in sending manuscripts and papers of this description out of the building, the arguments for continuing this process or repair are many and convincing. It is also economical, and furnishes every opportunity for consultation and intelligent decision of every question as it may arise.

The Society is still a publishing society, but it has grown immensely in another direction, and that is in its collections. The Council cannot urge too strongly the deposit of manuscripts in the Society, as best fulfilling what should be the aim of all who possess historical material, and performing the highest functions indicated by the founders of the Society. Mention need only be made of two serious losses recently incurred by the fires in the state houses of Kansas and of New York. Papers in private hands are always subject to many chances of loss, distribution and forgetfulness. The Society offers the best depository and at the same time a certainty of scientific care and proper usage of the material, with an expectation of publication in the future. Preservation, control of material, and printing so as to make it accessible to all who are interested, these constitute what are and must be the properest functions of a society such as this is. The collections are already rich, but there is no limit to what may be had, from the outside, of papers of the highest historical value.

While primarily a society for publishing, collecting and preserving historical material, printed and in manuscript, it fulfils another function of no mean proportion. As the oldest society of the kind in the United States it has served in its organization and publications as a model for others, something to be studied and, so far as merited, imitated. In its general spirit of endeavor, in its maintenance of a high standard of historical and antiquarian research and in its sustained enthusiasm and performance, it has done well, and as an active and social element holds a rank second to none. The sentiment that pertains to such a society is something of an asset in itself, like the good-will of a merchant, and upon its members rests the duty of cherishing and keeping it at its highest productive capacity.

A society is always in want of money, and this Society offers. no exception to the general rule. It has its responsibilities as well as its ambitions to uphold, and they are expensive. The cost of printing has followed the course of other "necessities of

life," and the maintenance and improvement of the building is another item to be met. The Society can use additional funds both for printing and for extending its convenience and necessities. Among needed or desirable changes may be named an elevator, that our members may more easily reach the room of meeting, a remodelling of the cabinet, that the objects may be better displayed, and the proper labelling of the portraits, that the legends may more readily be read by old as well as by young eyes. Gifts or deposits of books and manuscripts are ever welcome, but it should ever be borne in mind that with the growth of its collections the need for money also becomes greater.

The TREASURER submitted the following statement for the financial year:

REPORT OF THE TREASURER.

In compliance with the requirements of the By-Laws, Chapter VII., Article 2, the Treasurer respectfully submits his Annual Report, made up to March 31, 1911.

The special funds now held by the Treasurer are thirty in number. Of these special funds twenty-nine are described in the recent reports of the Treasurer. The remaining fund was received on June 9, 1910, from our former associate the late James Frothingham Hunnewell, being a gift of five thousand dollars. In accordance with the vote of the Council the Treasurer has set apart this gift under the name of

THE HUNNEWELL FUND,

the purpose of the Fund as stated in his letter of gift being as follows:

the income to be used in purchase of the rarer books needed for the Society's library. If at a future date some of my books come to the Society, the income of this Fund can be used for binding or repair of the same or obtaining books to supply deficiencies.

The securities held by the Treasurer as investments on account of the above mentioned funds are as follows: