The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-01 00:00:00

to tiav 2,

in-4Jfault, to 1

CHARGE OF ROBBING A MASTEI

—Yes terdt4

Bailey, an elderly man named James BroberY, was eon,
mitted to take his trial at the Sessions on a charge of having
stolen some cops and reeds from his employers, Sir Elkonoh
Armitage and lows cotton-spinners and manufacturers,
Pendleton.

RE-OPENING OF THE SALFORD ROYAL
MUSEUM AND LIBRARY THIS DAY.

TO-DAY (Saturday) the institution, bearing the honorable
title of the Salford Borotigh ROyal Museum and Library,
is to be re-opened to the public, after the completion of ex-
tensive alterations, improvements, and additions. It will,
probably be remembered by many of our readers, that the
Museum 'of this popular institution has been closed since the
middle of December last, in order to effect some alterations
in the old building, and that the Reading Room have been
closed about a month, in order io facilitate certain improve-
ments in the Library. The contemplated alterations and
improvements have been effectually completed, and this
noble institution is now again open to the public. It is not
the old institution,—any book-worm who was in the habit,
twelve months ago, of enjoying the intellectual pleasures
afforded by its ample stores, would be at a loss to prove its
identity—it is a new institution upon the old foundation,
and, as if favoured by the auspicious touches of the wand of
a fairy, has, within a very brief period, assumed grand,
gigantic proportions, and is now, without exaggeration, one
of the most interesting establishments of the kind in this
country

The re-opening of the institution has created
great interest, and we think we cannot do better than meet
the public demand for information on the subject, by giving
a few particulars respecting the alterations and improve-
ments winch have transformed the old mansion of Mr. Gar•
nett into a great 'depository of literature, science, art, natural
history, and antiquarian_ lore.

Thcs'institution, after having been in existence about two
years and a half, was found to be quite inadequate, both in
extent of accommodation and in intellectual resourses, to the
increasing requirements and demands of the inhabitants,
who showed themselves worthy of such a boon by availing
themselves to the fullest extent of the great privileges af-
forded to them by the Library, Museum, and Reading
Room. At first, and as soon as the great want that was felt
was discovered, the Parke and Museum Committee of the
Town Council, entertained the idea of enlarging the building.
That idea, however, was soon abandoned by the Committee,
for it was ascertained upon careful enquiry that in con-
sequence of the contracted character of the b.uilding, and the
limited dimensions of the rooms, no greater enlargement of
the old mansion could be satisfactorily effected. The com-
mittee then took another course, and followed the idea of
erecting an additional building at the west end of the original
mansion, in the summer of 1852. In order to render aid
in the way of meeting the expense which must necessarily
be incurred, ,by the erection of the new building, the Town
Council of Salford, with a liberality which reflects upon them
the greatest credit, voted the sum of fifteen hundred pounds.
In aid of the carrying out of the same object, Edward Royle
Langworthy, Esq., an extensive manufacturer in the borough,
made a donation of two thousand pounds, in addition to a
thousand pounds which he gave in support of the
original institution at the time of its establishment,
making a total of £4,500. Notices for plans were
duly advertised, mid the committee approved of,
and adopted those sent in by Messrs. Mangnall and Travis,
architects, Norfolk-street, Manchester, who sent in drawings
and specifications for a building to be three storeys in
height, a basement storey, one for the reading room, and one
for the museum. This scheme was afterwards added to, by
the adoption of additional plans, for a grand stair-case, and
for an alteration of the central portion of the old building,
with the view of effecting an opening into the additional, or
new building. Contracts were speedily entered into, which
included the erection of the building, the furnishing of the
rooms, and the heating apparatus. The estimated cost of
effecting the alterations, improvements and additions was
£5OOO. The new building was commenced in July, 1852,
and has gradually progressed up to the present time, when,
being completed, or nearly so, it will this day be thrown
open to the public. The enlargement thus effected, has en-
abled the committee to add an additional room to the library,
which is now aecommodious and elegant apartment of 68 feet
long, by 24 wide, and capable of conveniently holding 16,000
volumes. At present, the library consists of about 12,000
volumes, but to these, acccsssions are continually being
made, by donors, in various parts of the country. The new
reading room consists, internally, of an apartment 75 feet
long, by 30 feet wide, and 16 feet high. Above the reading
room is the museum, a room of similar dimensions, but havinr,
a lofty vaultedceiling in the centre of the old building, which
has been completely gutted during the recent alterations, an
upper and a lower corridor have been made, each 60 feet
long, by 18 feet wide, leading to the grand air-case, and
about half the length of the new building. The stair-case
consists of two flights of steps, which from their width and
gigantic proportions, give it a noble and commanding
appearance,

-On entering the vestibule of the institution, by a flight of
steps from the Park, the visitor finds on his left, a room
containing specimens in geology. This room was formerly
the Reading Room, and is 24 feet square. The Library and
Reading Room are situated to the right, and comiktely
occupy the north front, extending to 152 feet.. Along the
lower corridor on both sides, are ranged casts of statues from
the antique; including a group of the Laocoon and other
splendid works of art. Proceeding along the corridor the
visitor arrives at the grand staircase hall, on the right of
which he finds the Reading Room, which is entered by
panelled plate glass doors. Opposite to the Readily* Room,
is a door of a similar character, which is intended Co be the
entrance to an additional wing, should circumstances call
for such increased accommodation, in the future. In the
grand staircase hall is a copy of the Nimrod obelisk, from
the British Museum, and a number of busts placed upon
pedestals. On the south side of the staircase hall is a passage
leading to the Lavatory, with every convenience for persons
going to the Reading Room. On the wall, close to the
entrance to the Reading-room, are placed models to scale of
the five orders of architecture. Above each door in this ball
isplaced a slab of theElgin marbles. The monumeiitalplaster
work in this portion of the institution is exceedingly chaste
and elegant, and is highly creditable to the contractor, Mr.
William Ward, of Strangeways.

The Reading-room is a handsome, light, and airy apart-
ment,
having twelve windows, consisting of plate glass, ten
on the north, and two on the west of the room. The win-
dows, each of which areten feet high, are what are technically
styled circular-headed. This splendid room commands not
only an excellent view of the Peel Park, but a magnificent
prospect of the surrounding country to the distance of sixteen
miles, including Prestwich village, with its fine old church,
the woods of Prestwich Clough, the monument erected in
memory of the late Sir Robert Peel, on Holcombe-hill, be-
yond Bury, &c., &c. This elegant room is furnished with
fifteen tables, each 8 feet long by 4 feet wide, and forty-
eight sitting forms, or benches. Three of the tables have
placed upon them elevated stands for newspapers. The
mode in which the woodwork of this room has been finished
is somewhat of a novelty, so far as its adaptation to a public
room is concerned. The table and scats are made of pitch
pine, and French-polished, instead of being painted, as is the
usual practice. This gives the wood a remarkably neat and
clean appearance, and renders it much more suitable for the
purposes of such an institution as that into which the novelty
has been introduced. The walls of the reading-room are hung
with some of the large maps of Mr. James Wyld, of London,
by whom they were presented to the institution. At the
cast end of the room, in the centre, is an arched recess,
with three windows, and under them a counter, which
together form a sort of bar for the delivery of books. Upon
the counter are placed all kinds of conveniences for the
visitors and readers. At the same end of the room, and a
few feet from the bar to which we have referred, is a plate