Hi again, Anton!  Here's an update on my earlier reply to you:

 AS>  I have read recently that "I have the honor to report
 AS>  that..." is incorrect and that one should say "I have
 AS>  the honor of reporting that...":

 >  Official committee reports in English of the Canadian
 >  House of Commons all contain the phrase "Your Committee
 >  has the honour to present its Xth Report".  That should
 >  of course be "the honour of presenting."


           In the light of further input I would say your reluctance & mine to
accept the author's claim is justified.  I noticed a very similar construction
in NINETY-NINE GLIMPSES OF PRINCESS MARGARET, by Craig Brown:

             [During the 1970's BBC comedian John Fortune] introduced
             her to his producer, Denis Main Wilson.  'She asked him
             what he did.  He stood up very straight and said:  "Ma'am,
             I have the honour to produce a little show called _Till
             Death Us Do Part_."'


           When I googled "I have the honour to" I found a dozen examples from
the UK & the US in which "I have the hono(u)r to inform you" is used.  There's
one from New South Wales... i.e. in Australia... as well.  And while they span
roughly four centuries, various 21st-century policy documents are listed.


           For those who prefer "shoulds" DEBRETT'S is a wonderful source.  It
includes conventional formulas such as "I have the honour to remain [...] your
[...] most humble and obedient servant."  IIRC, much the same wording was used
in 19th-century business letters... and I've found a US example saying "I have
the honor to transmit herewith my report"... so there's no doubt in my mind as
to whether this usage is correct.  Unless you are writing letters to the Royal
Family, however, you probably won't see it used very often these days....  ;-)



 AS>  But why?  It is the more difficult for me to understand
 AS>  because in my naytive Russian the infinitive version is
 AS>  only natural.


           Some folks may see it as dated &/or unnecessarily formal, but AFAIC
you can get away with doing whatever feels right to you in many cases....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)