Mr. Ewart's Bill.

books being sold by the churchwardens . . . at waste paper price."

301

Finally,

Dr. Maitland, who had taken unusual pains to make himself acquainted with the contents and condition of church libraries, said in 1849: "There are (or were) books up and down the country. . . . thousands of books which . have been lying rotting, and have been destroyed and made away with, in a great many instances, by those who did not know their value."

With modified terms of reference to existing public libraries, Mr. Ewart's committee was appointed. The evidence was voluminous and interesting, and in their abstract of the principal points of the evidence the committee reported that

'We have, it is stated, only one library in Great Britain equally accessible_with these numerous libraries abroad. . . Nor is this contrast displayed by the European continent alone. Our younger brethren, the people of the United States of America, have already anticipated us in the formation of libraries. . . . Entirely open to the public. ... Every witness examined on the subject has given an opinion favourable to the grant of assistance on certain strict conditions, by the government, for the formation of public libraries. This is one of those cases in which a comparatively small aid may accomplish a large portion of public good. The principle is recognized in our votes for school-houses and for schools of design. Your committee further recommend that a power be given by parliament, enabling town councils to levy a small rate for the creation and support of town libraries. . . . Your committee feel convinced that the people of a country like our own, abounding in capital, in energy, and in an honest desire, not only to imitate, but to imitate whatsoever is good and useful, will not long linger behind the people of other countries, in the acquisition of such valuable institutions as freely accessible public libraries. Our present inferior position is unworthy of the power, the liberality, and the literature of the country.'t

In 1850, on the 14th of February, Mr. Ewart moved the House for leave to bring in a Bill for enabling town councils to establish public libraries and museums, by a rate not exceeding one halfpenny in the pound. The Bill reached its second reading on the 13th of March, when a debate, which afforded no slight amusement to intelligent lookers-on occurred, Colonel Sibthorp beginning the opposition by the expression of his conviction that However excellent food for the mind might be, food for the body was now most wanted for the people. I do not like reading at all,' said the speaker, and hated it when I was at Oxford. After moving the rejection of the Bill, this enlightened member was seconded by Mr. Buck, who informed the House that the additional taxation which the Bill proposes at a time when the nation is so generally impoverished, is considered a great grievance by the manufacturing as well as the landed interest of the country.' Mr. Spooner feared that by the institution of lectures, hereafter these libraries might be converted into normal schools of agitation;' and after other brilliant displays of like eloquence a division being taken, the Ayes were 118, the Noes 101. On the 10th of April, in a further debate, Mr. Buck announced that if the Bill

* Minutes of Evidence taken before the Commissioners on the British Museum, (1849), 502. Q. 7826.

† Report of the Select Committee.

proceeded

6

proceeded, he should certainly demand the exemption of the agricultural interest from the liabilities it created,' and with such opposition at every stage, the Bill did not pass the House of Commons till July. In all respects it was a simple permissive Bill, the initiative being left in the hands of town councils, who, after proper notice, could poll the burgesses on the question whether they would adopt the Libraries Act. In 1854, Mr. Ewart moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend and extend the Act for enabling town councils to establish free libraries and museums; but delays prevented the measure being prosecuted till the next session, when a great change had taken place in the opinions of some who had previously opposed the Bill. In 1855, the new Act received the royal assent. It is called An Act for further promoting the establishment of Free Public Libraries and Museums in municipal towns, and for extending it to towns governed under Local Improvement Acts, and to Parishes.' While this Act repeals the Act of 1850, it enacts that all libraries founded under that Act shall be maintained under the provisions of the present Act. The former Act had been restricted in its operation to such corporate towns as contained 10,000 inhabitants. A great improvement in the Act of 1855 made it apply to municipal boroughs of more than 5,000 inhabitants, to all districts of like population, possessing a Board of Improvement Commissioners, to any parish having such a population, or any two or more neighbouring parishes having such an aggregate number of inhabitants, who may unite to establish a public library.

After suitable notice, a meeting having been convened by the mayor, commissioners, or overseers of the poor, the proposition for the adoption of the Act must be voted for, by at least twothirds of the persons present. The Act comes into operation immediately after such a vote. If negatived, a year must elapse before the question be again brought before a meeting. When the Act is adopted in a borough or district, the expenses may be defrayed either by the borough or improvement rate, or a separate rate may be levied, called the library rate, not to exceed one penny in the pound on the rateable value of the property assessed. The library accounts are to be kept separately, and to be accessible to the public. When adopted in a parish, the vestry must appoint not less than three, or more than nine ratepayers as commissioners; one-third of such commissioners to go out of office yearly by ballot; but to be re-eligible.

We will now say a few words on the reception of the Act in English towns.

Even while the Bill was still pending, Sir John Potter had set on foot a subscription in Manchester for the foundation of a free library; and this city has the honour of being the first in which a

library

Working of the Act.

303

library under the new Act was established in 1850. At Warrington and Salford small collections of books had previously been formed in connection with museums maintained under the Museum Act of 1845. In Liverpool, the example of Manchester was quickly followed, and a subscription raised to open a library under the Act of 1850; but the bequest, meantime, by the Earl of Derby, of a museum, rendered larger powers desirable, and in 1852 a local Act, known as the Liverpool Library and Museum Act,' was obtained, and the library was formally opened in October of the same year. The city of Norwich was the first out of Lancashire in which the Act was adopted, the votes for its adoption being 150, and 7 against it. In Exeter, where a similar attempt was made a few months afterwards, out of 971 votes, 853 were against the adoption of the Act, but 118 in its favour. Up to the present time the Act has been adopted in 17 towns, and negatived in 8.

Our two ancient universities, our largest inland city, and our greatest seaport, have been foremost to avail themselves of the advantages it bestows; and the libraries established under it in Manchester, Salford, and Liverpool are considerable enough to warrant some special details. How the infant libraries of other towns have worked thus far may be briefly indicated in a few sentences, chiefly from returns recently laid before the House of Commons. At Cambridge, the Committee of the Town Council have every reason to be satisfied with the general results which have been obtained. They contemplate the formation of a lending library in addition to the present library of reference.' At Oxford, the chairman of the Committee, Mr. Ålderman Sadler, says :-'I have pleasure in declaring that the establishment of the free public library has, in my judgment, proved of more real benefit, and has rendered more solid advantages, than any other measure which has been adopted during the forty years of my public life.' 'We need in Oxford,' writes also a distinguished member of the university, Dr. Acland (Radcliffe Librarian), nothing more at present, in this respect, except increased space for the city library, and the further development of its resources.' 'The general results of the establishment of the library,' says the Corporation of Bolton, have been most satisfactory, and the increased provision lately made by the legislature will be of great advantage. And that of Sheffield: The results hitherto have been most cheering and satisfactory.' And again, that of Hertford: "The results have been favourable, the attendance in the reading-room large, and the demand for books very general. It is proposed, as soon as possible, to construct a suite of rooms for the purposes of the library.'

In Manchester, the public subscription for the foundation of the Free

Free City Library amounted to 12,8237., of which sum nearly 5,000l. was raised by Sir John Potter's personal exertions. On the subscription list were found the names of persons of all classes, while the amount of their subscriptions varied from 500l. to one shilling. The building purchased for the library was one raised also by a large subscription by the adherents of Robert Owen. The latter had himself laid the foundation stone; but his scheme of social regeneration had but a short existence, and the building having fallen into bad hands, and being applied to improper purposes, had become a public nuisance. The expense of purchase and adaptation of this edifice to the purposes of a public library was 7,0134, while the cost of volumes purchased as the nucleus of the future collection was 4,1567. The number of books presented to the library was 3,200; five hundred of these were valuable gifts from public boards, or learned societies, while the remainder were of very small value. The whole experience,' remarks Mr. Edwards, of this library, in that respect, as of so many more, tends to confirm the opinion elsewhere expressed, that casual donations is a totally untrustworthy source for the formation of public libraries, under any circumstances.'

6

The Manchester library was the first institution in Great Britain, under Ewart's Act, which combined a free library of reference and a free library of circulation. It is most gratifying to know that a large number of those who borrow books from this institution are youths and boys, and even at this early stage of their existence the lending libraries have done much good. From the day on which this library was opened, September 6th, 1852, to 31st December, 1857, the aggregate of books issued to readers and borrowers was 864,104, or an average of 523 volumes for each day the library is open to the public.

The free library of Salford now possesses 20,503 volumes, and in their last report, the Committee mention the increased appreciation of the institution evinced by the public. The total issues in the reference and reading department up to 31st October, 1857, amounted to 579,788 volumes.

In 1852, the free library of Liverpool was opened with about 12,000 volumes; and one year later two branch lending libraries were established in other parts of the town. The aggregate issues from 18th October, 1852, to 31st August, 1857, have amounted to 1,382,609 volumes. The rapid increase of the library having rendered a new building necessary, William Brown, Esq., late M.P. for South Lancashire, is munificently erecting a building at a cost of 25,000l. as a free library and museum, the site being provided by the corporation.

With one important observation by Mr. Edwards, which is, we consider, eminently suggestive to our public men, and those in

terested

Liverpool Free Library.

305

terested in the intellectual progress of their country, we conclude a subject to which we may have occasion to return :—

'Amongst the means of improving existing libraries which have been indicated, is that of thorough inquiry into their history, condition, and capability. This one measure more or less underlies all the others, enwraps within itself an indefinite latent force, and is immediately available. Inquiry involves publicity. If every library in this country, on which the public has any fair claim, could be brought distinctly under public view by a precise and periodical statement, comprising three particulars:-1. What is it-2. What it has, and 3. What it does-a long train of improvements would inevitably follow. But the systematic inspection of public libraries to be effective must be national.'

But were free libraries provided for all the cities, towns, and parishes of our country, there would still be a large amount of existing ignorance which can only be combated by aggressive agencies, such as are found in a well-organized system of colportage, or book-hawking societies. Even in towns there will be many who are too indifferent to the advantages offered by the public library to make use of them, and in country districts and isolated dwellings an intellectual famine must prevail unless a different machinery be employed to that we have just sketched. The different circumstances in which our urban and rural populations are placed require certain adaptations to accomplish a given purpose for each, and while we view the free public library as an appliance of the highest value for aiding the mental progress of the people, we cannot help earnestly desiring to see coincident with this movement a wide extension of colportage in Great Britain. In a future article we propose to introduce this subject to our readers.

ART. II.-1. Woman and Work. By Barbara Leigh Smith. London: Bosworth and Harrison.

2. Ragged Homes and How to Mend them. By Mrs. Bayly.

London: Nisbett.

3. Social and Industrial Position of Women.

Chapman.

We

London: John

TE have no intention of adding to the countless volumes which have been written on woman's mission,' and the grandeur of her vocation.' We dislike counterfeits of sacred things, and cannot bear to see domestic virtues hawked about the world like bad pictures. In an age when books are so multiplied that people will hardly take the trouble to understand what they read, let us entreat the literary spoilers to leave some sentiment untouched, and not to drag all that is good and beautiful from its natural hiding-place. Most pernicious are perpetual arguments concerning undefinable boundaries of duty, or attempts to meddle with that mysterious