The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-19 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 19, '1856•]

A FREE LIBRARY FOR BIRKENHEAD.

A PUBLIC meeting of the ratepayers of Birkenhead and the
terrounding district was held in the Town-hall, Birkenhead,
on Saturday, having been convened by Mr. John Laird, chair-
tlan of the commissioners, in answer to a numerously signed
requisition, for the purpose of adopting measures for the es-
tablishment of a Free Public Library and Museum in the
town, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Libra-
'lea Act of 1855. Mr. Laird occupied the chair; besides whom
Were Messrs. P. M. Dove, R. Lamont, A. Wen (clerk to the
'oramissioners), Keightley, R. Bryans, &c. The hall was
tolerably well filled, the trading classes predominating over
that of the lower order on the social scale.
The CIIIIIIMAN having explained the object of the meeting,
azd.Mr. WALB having read the requisition,
Mr. PeueY M. DOVE then rose and moved the first resolution
That, in the opinion of this meeting, the establishment of
a free public library and museum is highly desirable, and
Would greatly conduce to the instructionz recreation, and
„korai welfare of the inhabitants of this district ; and that the
rublic Libraries Act, 1855, ought to be,'and that the same be,
adopted for the district aforesaid."—The speaker said he had
much pleasure in acceding to the request made to him to take
tome part in the proceedings of the meeting, from a deep sense
.2f the importance of literature and learning generally, and
from the advantages which the culture of the intellect would
have upon the whole of the community. Comparing the
Present time with the past, it would be found that the
exigencies had never been greater than at the present day
Taring the whole history of this country. That thought had
occurred to him some three or four weeks ago, when preparing
..esotne manuscript leters for the purpose of reading them to the
ttistoric Society of Liverpool. Amongst them were some
letters of Benjamin Franklin, addressed to a friend of his, and
dated Dec., 1788. In one of them was a request that an ency-
clopaedia might be sent out for the use of a young student of
Philadelphia, having heard that books under that title had
rlcently been published in England. The book was to be sent
but by one of the spring ships ; showing bow different the
'elations between man and man in different regions of the
earth were at that time compared with the present. At that
_Period it was evident there were do fast-sailing vessels at all
times of the year. There were no builders of steam vessels—
he might say there were no John Lairds—(applause)—conse-
quently the young student alluded to had to wait from Decem-
ber, 1788, till the spring ships had arrived, 'before he could
Study his (tycloptedia. He thought, therefore, he had made
Pod his position, that the difference between the days of
Franklin and our own was such as to show the importance of
generarknowledge now compared with what it was then. The
destinies and prospects of this nation are now vast and magni-
tent ;Commercial and political events are raising the Anglo-
Saxon race to a pre-eminence in the intellectual struggle that
is likely to take place in the world. No class of men can
lonffer afford to be ignorant. If the field be not occupied by
Us, it will assuredly be taken possession of by a race similar to
%tree own—by our active and energetic transatlantic brethren.
'le wished, therefore, to impress upon them the necessity of
'a9ing in this town what must be done in every town in Eng-
land. Benevolent men wereleiking forward to this improved
'state of things. Mauy of them might be too Old to live to see
`their anticipations realised, bat no doubt they would
'adopt the language of Franklin in one of the letters to
Which he alluded. He said —" It is an important thing
*to see the world getting better and happier, though we are about
to leave it." But what is the-object, he (Mr. Dove) asked, in
'establishing a free library here ? It is surely primarily
to develope and to make 'useful to others a power which
18 all but universal in n-an. The vast majority even of the
'working classes have that within them which, if brought out
by early culture, and then matured in after years by further
veading, wonld makelhem different beings, and give life and
action to faculties of the very possession of which they would
otherwise be wholly 'unconscious. It was not merely or oz.
elusively wealth which:they desired for them, nor that which
Produced wealth; it was rather that they should produce
amongst ill claseesin 'this country a more general and genial
humanity, which should act between mind and mind, and re-
sult ultimately in a better state of soeiety ; because, 'if they
improved in' real knowledge,'so would they in their relations
to one another. It was therefore necessary, and he wiehed to
impress it upon them particularly, that they should' look to
the character of • the books to be selected for such aperpose,
so as to'have them suitable. He did not stand there en that
occasion as the advocate of any section'of the religionists of
this country, but he would venture to assert that NO knowledge
Which impiously dethrones the Creator from the homage which
is due to Him, or which did not increase the feeling of reverence
for His laws, wotild•ever benefit a nation. We havoonly, lie said,
to glance at the history of ancient nations most distinguished
for learning, to -find an illustration of the appallingfact that
the exercise of the accutest intellect may be joined tOthe
Practice of the grossest sensuality. From tis he drew the
inference that 'they must be careful what sorht of ',knowledge
they imparted, believing that the knowledge 'which only
reached the head, and did not touch the heart, was uot of that
land which would benefit the community. (Hear.) But
'thereewas another object, and it was purely a benevolent and
rPhilanthropic one, to give to our fellow-townsmen 'a solace
'which, if once appreciated, will seldom fail in its effects.
*When all around in their worldly concerns wasTervaded with
'doom and darkness, there would be found in bookethat which
Calmed the tronbled spirit • and often, at his fireside, a man,
by reading an intellectual book, found a short respite from the
troubles which surrounded him, and obtained lessons of phi-
losophy which' enabled him the better to bear the ills that
-flesh is heir to. He advocated the reading of the Bible as
the only book' that would produce these results under all cir-
cumstances. However, the present object was to refer to,
and to recommend those other means which,.thaagh immea-
surably less,,were yet the gifts of a munificentereator. He
might say that the reading man lived in a new world, com-
Pared with those who had not been in the habit-of cultivating
an acquaintance with the writers of old, and receiving wisdom
from those who had gone before them. The late Sidney
Smith bad said that if it were not for the love'of knowledge
and books he would rather be the merest hedger and ditcher
than the most Powerful man in the world. His love of know-
ledge was such that he considered the :pleasure of it far
greater than wealth and power. But there might be a further
object producei by the establishment of a library. It might
be that some rising genius in Birkenhead -would be enabled,
by the aid of the free library, to furnish his mind, and bring
it to maturity. ; such a one might rise to be an honour to Bir-
kenhead, and add another star in that galaxy of intellectual
luminaries that form the glory of this country. (Applause.)
He referred teethe difficulties which even somedeur eminent
Poets and writers had in obtaining books in former times ;
but by the establishment of the free library he hoped all
would be furnished with knowledge for the•development of
those noble faculties with which they bad been endowed.
In
Lancashire there were already four such institutions, contain-
ing 80,000 volumes devoted to the public -use. :Each of these
books had been• used eleven times, and provision-was made for
replacing them as they became worn out • and one of the best
results which had attended such establisbinentsevas the union
of all classes, not only as regarded the funds: necessary for
their foundation, but by the subsequent participation in their
advantages. They were libraries for the town, and not of
any section ; ar_d he believed that under the amended act
.they would become increasingly popular. For the reasons he
had stated, he gave his hearty concurrence tothe resolution
that had been placed in his hands, which he begged leave to
move. (Applause.)
Mr. LAMONT had great pleasure in seconding the resolu-
tion, and in doing so he must state that he hoped it would
Pass. He coulduot imagine that any ratepayeravoald make
any objection to it on the score of cost. The legislature, in its
wisdom, had passed a very simple act, enabling-such.institu-
tions to be formed in such townships as that. Ho not
wish to make any political remarks, but he must say,he thought
this act was one of the fruits of the freedom of our country ;
and our representatives had given a great boon to their con-
stituents in helping forward this movement. It was one of
the results 'of popular elections, he believed. He was not
going to detain thane with any further remarks, but he hoped
if there happened to be any • gentlemen present who were
greater ratepayers, or who held a higher position than their
Poorer brethren, they would consider that a greater reason
why they should help forward such a movement.as.thet. He
hoped they would show that evening that they appreciated
the establishment of such a provision, and unanimously autlao-
'rise their guardians of the district or the commissioners to
-establish, without delay, an institution such as had been ex-
vplained by his friend Mr. Dove.
Mr. GREEN (au empiey‘under Mr. Laird) moved a nega-
etive to the proposition, on the ground that the education of
'the people had been SO neglected by those who ought earlier
'to have seen to it, that afire library would be no boon to them ;
:and that, tired of waiting for their betters to assist them, the
'working men themselves were about to establish a concert hall,
'with evening lectures, schools, and reading rooms. Other
treasons why he was opposed,to a new tax being laid upon the
,Peeple for a purpose like tide, lay in the coming ten per cent.
ducoroe-tax, and the inability of the authorities to put the
roads in Birkenhead in repair with the means at their .dis-
posal.
Mr. XOWNSEND, in supporting the proposition of Mr. Dove,
stated that the present free library at Liverpool, which now
numbered 55,000 volumes, originated about eighty years ago
with a number of gentlemen who kept the few books with
which they commenced in a box at a coffee-house. He men-
tioned this fact as one of encouragement to the promoters of
this meeting.
Mr. Haenrson, of the Canada works, as one well acquainted
with the habits, wishes, and mental,capacities of the working-
men of Birkenhead, rebutted the slander that they were unable
to read, and asserted that such a library as the one contem-
plated wouldhe a great boon to them, wed that among the good
things it would accomplish, would be the bringing _together,
under the same roof, and for the same improving and elevating
Purposes, both master and man.
In answer to a question from the body of the hall, it was
stated by Mr. WA LN. that the maximum rate authorised by
the act was one penny in the- pound, that the election of a
Committee of management rested with she commissioners, and
that the composition of such commiteee was not confined to
members of their own body.
Mr. Hornblower, Mr. Bailiff, Mr. Walker, surgeon, and Dr.
Baylis, also supported the motion, which, on being put to the
vote, was carried nem. dis.
A vote of thanks to thechairman terminated the proceedings

LIVERPOOL POSTOPPICE.—From the estimates of the
vevenue department for the ensuing financial year the following
local postoffice particulars are gathered. The salary of the
Liverpool postmaster is £l,OOO per annum, being higher than
that of any other provincial postmaster with the exception of
Manchester, where the salary is £1,300. In addition to this,
the poundage on the sale of postage labels and envelopes
amounts to £3BO per annum, in which item the emoluments
of the Liverpool office are intermediate between those of the
Postmasters of Manchester and Bristol. Rent, rates, taxes,
coals, and gas amount to £216 per annum, and the annual
allowance for incidental expenses to £1,614. The establish-
ment comprises a chief clerk, two principal clerks, a comp-
troller and an assistant-comptroller of sorting offices, an in-
'aPector of letter-carriers, two assistant-inspectors, eight first-
class clerks, sixteen second-class clerks, and seventeen supple-
mentary clerks, whose united salaries amount to £6,468 per
annum.: The letter-carriers and sorters are 178 in number,
comprising 20 first-class men, receiving from 31s. to 355. each
Per week ; 23 of . the second class, at
7 froof the fourth m 265. to 30s. • 46
atof
the third class, at from 225. to 255. ; 8 class,
from 18s. to 21s. ; ten temporary sorters, at 18s.; and one extra
letter-carrier, at 17s. 6d. The annual amount payable to the
letter-carriers (92 in number) is £4,902. The wages of 13
rural letter-carriers amount to £203 per annum, and there are
86 messengers, stampers, and porters, whose wages amount, in
the aggregate, to £5,563. 58 sub-postmasters ,and receivers,
la connexion with the principal office in Liverpool, receive
salaries amounting to £522 ; and there are two letter-carriers
at sub-offices receiving 10s. each per week. The total amount
te.quired for the expences of
yearshe postoce establishment in
Liverpool for the ensuing is estimated at R 20,1920.