The Express.
London, England, 1855-10-02 00:00:00

THE SALFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY AND

MUSEUM.

At a meeting of the Salford town council yesterday
the following report was presented by the Public Park
Committee. in reference to the library and museum esta-
blished in Peel park :
The committee beg to call the attention of the council
to the following particulars, showing the progress of the
library and 1111164111:11 for the last four months. The additions
to both departments at the library, by purchase and dies.
floe, are 656 volumes, sidewise of the specifications of
patents which bays been presented by the commimionen to
the library, and amount to 720 in number. The average
daily issues of honks from the reference library has been
240, and in the total issues it will be seen that there has
beta a steady increase, as well as an improvement in the
character of the works given out. The monthly issues hays
been as follow, for the lour weeks ending on the days named :
—June 30, 6,406; July 28, 6,168; August 26, 6,680; flap-
teethe! 30, 7,319; total 24,572 In the corresponding p. riods
of previous years the numbers were, in 1854,22,704 ; in 1853,1
6,303 ; in 113.52, 11,177 ; in 1861, 9,178 ; io 1860, 7,671. Thel
saws of literature into which the volumes issued as above
are divided are: Theology, 676; jurisprudence, 124; his-
tory, 3,829; science, 4,042; novel,, 7,261; and general lite.l
raters, 8,637. The committee can assure the council that
the borrowers of books take every possible cargo( them, and
that none have been lost since the last report. In conse-
quence of an application by the privates of the 25th Reg'.
meet, stationed at the Salford Barracks, to be permitted
to
have books from the lending library, your committee have
made the necessary alteration is the rule, to eatable them to
eon ply with their request. and the Me is now in full
operation. (All the military stationed at Manchester art
future will, therefore, have fall access to this excellent
institution.) The total issues, from the commencement of
the library, in the leading department, have been: Books,
49,295; cards, 1,525 ; Towbars, 2,569. The ages of the
applicants have been as tallow : 995 slider 20, 614 under 30,
287 under 40,126 under 60, and 76 above 60. The female
applicants have numbered 491; youths, 371; workmen,
1,117; clerks, dtc., 536; others, 74; residents in Salford,
2.340 ; in Manchester, 249. In the 17 weeks ending Sep-
timber 29, there were issued 461 books on theology, 2,249 on
history, 1,066 on seises*, 11,419 on general literature;
making a total of 15,186. The total issues from both
departments of the library, during the four racetha, is
39,767, giving an average of 397 daily. The attendesce in
the reading room has averaged 366 daily. The intsaisam
continues to be very attractive, not only to the inhabitants
of the borough, but to these of the adjoining towns; sad it
is very gratifying to the oonanittes to find the estimation In
which It is held by the public g lly. The committee
have to notice the presentation to the museum, by Joseph
Brothertoe, Bsq., M.P., on behalf of the subscribers, of
valuable portrait of William Lockett, Bsq., the first mayor
of the borough, which cannot fail to he highly interesting to
the inhabitants generally, on account of the sstisfactori
manner In which he dischiuged the duties of his office .4,s
mayor, and the good opinion entertained of him by 'nix
fellow-townsmen. The total number of visitors to the
museum for thdail e last four months
430." fa estimated at 2t16,000
visitors, being a y average 2,

WPM EIIRRET.—Archer Ryland, Ew4., the re-
vista( barrister, hell his int court at the Spr.ed Eagle Inn,
yesterday, to revise the lists of the perish". of Ashatead,
Handsel', Great Bookhara, Little Bookhas, Chessington,
Coddlogton, Thanes Dittos, Efliogbarn, Epsom, EvieU,
Esteban', Headley, Leatherteed, Riede D'Abernos, sad
Walton.on-thellill. Mr. G. Edgar Denote, eolleltor, of
Loudon, sad Mr. J. Wells, solicivir, of Loaders, Madded
the refo4lll4ls • and 11r. Redwine for the tortes. The
refornsere took 67 .objeetioas—sastained 46, and failed in 12.
The tortes took 2 objeodonl--snstaised 1, and felled in 1.
Reform nuijority on the day's revision. 47. No particular
ease of interest occurred. Amos, the soma strookimeolfri
tie reismers into 6111. legisa Wm Lod et.
mad ILL Illnhea, Ow beaker.