The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-09-12 00:00:00

BLANDFORD„

LITICR&RY INSTITUTION.—On Thursday last the
committee pf this institution, invited the attend-
ance of former members, to • meeting at the Town
Hall, fO.I the purpose of considering the present
state of the arrant of the institution, anil to devise •
plan for rendering the library available for pdtilic
use. The following gentlemen were present i—The
Right Hon. Lord Portman, the Mayor (A. S.
Hodges, Esq.), Rev. J. R. Quirk, Messrs. hi. Fisher,
T. H. Bennett, W. C. Finobam, H. Gill, W. H.
' Abbott, Spence Abbott, F. Davis, J. Lindsay, S.
Groves, Den., W. E. Groves, C. Denville, F. Gill,
, and R B. Smith. At the request of Lord Portman,
' the Mayor took the chair, and opened the meeting
by stating the object the Oommittee had in view.
He then called on Mr. W. K Groves, who gave a
abed outline of the negociation between the corn-
.nsiptee of the Institute and that of the Working
Plen's Club, with a view to an amalgamation of the
-two societies. Several meetings were held, and all
appeared to go on favourably, until they came to
oonsider the question of accommodation. Subse-
quently, they bad received an application from the
winnulittee of the Working Men's Cliib, offering to
parents° their library, but the committee of the
Ilaptitute, considering that they held it in trust
for the town, did not feel themselves justified in
handing it over to the custody of others,
yet they were most anxious that the benefits of the
library should be enjoyed by all. —Lord Portman
said as he had had a great deal to do with getting
thet meeting together, he wished to make a few
remarks on the subject before them. Some time agd
Ie received a letter from a gentleman hauled Broil;
Etbe,soliciting hie assistance on behalf of the library
' the Working Men's Club. He did not feel he
could oomply with thet reqnee.t Re be Well hnew that
..
suey nad AB etnellent library in oonnection with the
Institute. He was, therefore, very desirous that
something should be dene to meke that library
ptailable for publie nee it of:mitred to burn that to
fair as the libraries wets concerned the two soCieties
could be amalgamated, by the members of both being
allowed to have the use of the books for a limited
period free, and then by each psying its fair share
of the expenses and towards the purchase of new
books. He could well understand the di(lionitY pt
an amalgamation of the Wm idol/dia. He siotild
suggest that three of their members should be ap-
pointed ass committee t, confer with the Working
Men's Club committee, end if they could agree to
elect the wine Verson as librarian for both societies,
then ae regarded thii librafy they *mild bil Atrial.
gainatel. -.4. aloft illemilisioh heft dished, idter
which the Mayor read the following propositions :
ist, By and with the oonsent of the Mayor to place
the library of the institution in one of the roormi at
the Townhall. 4nd, —To appoint fin efficient
librarian Who shall have the sole custody thereof,
and who will be held responsible by the committee
for the decent as well as safe keeping of the books.
Also that the librarian attend one evening every
week at the room to receive and exchange books for
the silbseribers. Jed: That a committee be
appointed to iturfieet the library every sit nionthe
and makil a report of its etate and progress to the
genefal ComMittee. ,4th.—That an annual vibe:dip-
tion of--- *ill MARI, the selbelcriber to the
privilege of the library, and oonstitdes Mel a
member of the inStititiou.—The Chairman said as
regarded the first of the propositions he Wai leare be
expressed the feelings of the Town Council when he
said that anything they could do to forward the
interests of the institution they would be most
hippy to do.—Mr. C. Renville expressed his con.
*awn that without an amalgamation of the two
fiesietiea the Institution must fail as it had hitherto.
, 7 uniting the two libraries leery excellent one
lionld be formed. In their library they had 80111113.
- excellent works of reference, and the Working
's Club had a ooneiderable number of Woke of
entertaining kind. By uniting the two they
d have • public; library worthy of the
%Wm. They had tried this plan before, and
,yditnally faded; and he believed would again.
1 Mr. Fineitana ingested that the library should be
: open more than one evening a week.—Lord Portman
suggested that the following propositions should be
added to those •revionsly read ;—"That the mem-
ber, of the . , Men', Club be admitted l•--
same privi
mem hors,
certain stllll

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