Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-21 00:00:00

BRoNA:F4I44IPBYJI.A.(I

The folloviiiiiiiia7COp- the Eierton memo-
einifithis; it 'Will be peiieiircli smite very
good • Soinething of,:the sort is wanted,
and the public -will-never be satisfied to make
that splendid edifice a inere'74:hnamentalYaOde,"
or a, common' reading' room.

TO THE WORSHIPFUL THE ➢IAYOR,. ALDERMEN AND
+COUNCILLORS OF THE BOROUGH OF LIVERPOOL.
Respectfully shoWeth,,
That, while the working classes' of this borough have
been provided with "Lending Libraries” commensurate
_with the wants of the class, which is a move in the right
direction, and productive of great benefit. Tour memo-
rialists (being burgesses on the municipal roll of Ever-

ton-ward) are persuaded that no person, either in or, out
of the Council-chamber, would deem the present " Free
Libraries" 'sufficient in character •or extent with the
requirements of the town ; that they, most-respectfully
-call your attention, under such circumstances, 'to the
inadequate and limited use of the splendid edifice nearly
completed, in 'Shaw's-brow (about to be provided), a
monument of the munificence of our townsman, Wm.
Brown, Esq. The mere removal of the books frOm the
old premises in Bike-street to the new building in
Shaw's-brow, dwarfs such library to a mere reading-
room,—in a popular sense a reading-room is not deemed
a library. •At•the present moment, when public expec-
tation is being raised to the highest, pitch by the com-
pletion of so imposing a structure, the great majority of
the inhabitants cannot believe it possible that'' Brown's
'Library ,' signifies a " Reading-Room " and nothing
more. The books are not to be . circulated or read of
the premises ; this restriction cuts off the greatest fea-
ture of its usefulness as a library—it becomes a dead
letter,,andits imposing exterior assumes a position dif-
fering:little_frem an architectural facade.
Your memorialists, while they complain of the: narrow
policy .42Estich a restriction, think that it may serve
some purpose thus plainly to publish this singular fact,
viz., that " Brown's Library" is to be carried out like

the play of "Hamlet" with the chid characte7atuitied,
r,and this, too-, under the extraordinarily'fortuitous cit-
cumstances with, which it is Surrounded. .
Your memorialists well know that our liberal-Minded
towns m an, Brown, Esq., is desiro us that the
. utmost possible: usefulness should flow throughout. all
time, humanly Speaking, from his gift of the new build-
ing. He has also isuhlicly stated, that the library itself'
is :the paramount object, ,while: the museum departmaut
is.but secondary one:. In these views, also, the present-.
Library Committee are said to concur ; the: restrictions
above stated are at variance With the professions of such
committee.

Your memorialists respectfully-suggest that "Brown's
:Library ", ought to be maddrediy and truly the Town's
Library in the highest.sense, that it need not be aCCOili.
plishett at once, but-a foundation should be laid' for it
giadually:to grow up to .that: proud position. The gift
of William Brown,- Esq. • calls .for some corresponding
response at, the,,hands of..the Corporation, to-raise it
from-its present aspect, of an' unmeaning thing, to-that
of. an institution: of real dignity and Worth—a worthy
heirloom to future 'Liverpool, -carrying. down our liberal'
townSmariname and 'fame as 'a merchant-prince, to
emulate futuregenerations:
:Your memorialists have to remind you that some of
the. Continental- cities have valuable libraries,' which.
circulate among the residents at little or no 'cog, It is
desirable that:examples of this. sort should not -be lost'
sight of; shouldthe Council think-proper to re-consider
the subject of the 'present memorial, viz.,. The. enlarge-.
ment of the uses of. Broitia's Library.,, The -more so, ,as
some of -the leading' members -of the Council have a
great desire to emulate such cities in their "approaches,
perks and boulevards! " and to' make parks 'for the
people of Liverpoolfour miles from its centre, -and bou-
levards of an almost fabulous extent; and doubtless Of; a
corresponding cost. It-Will be fotind that such acquisi-
iions are neither desirable nor --useful to the masses,
who, it is well known, are.like .the true sons of Nei),
tune, and prefer the sea, the river and the. ferry. .
- Your memorialists'-could scarcely avoid touching upon,
the lest topic, as their matter being somewhat associated
with it, with which -It also presents -a strong-contrast in
'cost
'Your memorialists, in order to define the very limited
'extent!of their views,- -respectfully suggest that- £2,000,
lie granted out of the income:of-the Corporation; and
to be,spread-cover two years, -as the sum total
.required
fo bel expended in books, as-the' nucleus of a suggested
circulating library in connection' with Cie new edifice--
to be called the "Liverpool. Burgesses' Library," and
-t) be conducted by the ordinary- Staff; as-the operations
Of the first fciv years would necessarily limited, so
that the business-of thisnewdDranch Might be confined
'to three' -days per Week and -to 'three -hours per diein.
The- foundation once laid, • the,iieW branch could not
'fail, -in -a shed' tithe,:to attain its trite 'position. It would
OlSo be self-Supporting. -Its privileges' fo' be Open to all
btirg.esses.and ethers, with proper eeetirities -by a yearly
allmissioii ticket or ten shillings. •It would not 'require
extensive apartthents' nor is the ground-floor indispen-
sable. 2,030- members might be reasonably calculated
upon, in a short time, as being connected with thiS new
;branch which- Would thus yield an' income of 11,000 •
per 'annum. The surplus, above the expenses Of con-
• tributions to the_ staff,- until a 'new staff' niight be
appointed.; to 'be *entirely, 'devoted to the pin-Chase 'of
books. This fiend to be specially sawed to it 1 'and it'
would enable the new branch to possess all new works:
of Merit; and confinually'to augMent its stock of every'
kind-of riteriaure,- and thus acquire nposition.Stiperior.,
to any",library in the provinees.
.memOiialiks • are inclined to believe that there
are gentlemen even in the Council Chamber Who are
opposed to this desirable acquisition to the town, on the
ground of creating a rivalry to the "LTCEUTII Library,''
'which is also called the " Liverpool Library:" That
institution haS certainly little _claim to the latter title
upon its own merits,, When in a spirit of wltisivene.;s,
its manageinent cuts off from its preprictors the privi-
lege of "'nominations"—thus restricting the use of
such library too-the smallest pOssiblk'Section -that is, to _
individual proprietor:7, and their families. 'This is 'll
further proof; if any be needed, of the necessity Which
eists £O-a'bon:2-"..f1(1e Tovin Library, . accessible to the
entire community at a low Subscription as sugge'sted.
Your memorialists have full knowledge that the
present library committee stand ill affected towards their'
project; and labour' under the Thregene conclusion, on
that ground; that the present memorial is not worth the
paper upon which it is written. UndersUch "circum,':
stances, they consider the recorded simple views and
honest opinions of ten burgesses quite as effective as
those of ten thousend—lience the paucity 'of the signa-
tures -attached. to it.' • They, however, live in hope of.
seeing the tune arrive Whcn Other men, forming,o new
'corporate
committee. of
.".Brewn's Library," shall be
Able
.to view thiS: project with the same, eyes as year-
memorialists view it ; -and then all ditficultie.a respecting
,
its establishment at once .vanish.
' And tour memorialists Will Over pray.
December 24th, 1859.

.ROUSE OF COMMONS.—EXAMINATION OF BILLS.—
Two of the Examiners of private bills sat on Thursday,
and" received proofs that the standing orders of the
House of Commons had been
_complied with in the
following bills: --- Unopposed York improvement
Mendel Bridge -and apprOaches);;,Mialand Railway;
(Burton upon • Trent- DeviatiOn) ;1 Midland Railway
(Use of Railways in- and near London); Doncaster and
Wakefield Railway; Toroylsden Gas"; Cheshire 'Midland
Railway. Opposed—Midland Railway (Hinckley Ex-
tension); Midland. Railway (Station in St. Pancras,•&c.)
MYSTBRIOPS Mrunzu PARlS.—Great exciteinent.
was caused last Tuesday, in the Rue Ste. Anne and its
neighbourhood, by the' discovery of a murder com-
mitted at No. 39 in that street, under very mysterious..
.circumstancesi• on the person of a young woman .
'named Marie. Tourtoulon, who occupied a small apart-
ment on the fourth floor. This young person, aged 23,
appeared to lead a regular life, and received no visitors.
ome of the neighbours having remarked that they had
not seen her go about to purchase provisions for two of
three days, suspected that something wrong had oc-
enrred, and the commissary of police -was
_informed
of the fact. --That functionary accordingly forced open
the door of the apartment. In the, first 'room nothing
unnatural.was observed, but on entering the bedroom a
horrid sx...;.ectaele'presented itself. Extended oa the floor
lay the dead body of the poor girl, who had been killed
by several, stabs in the breast\vith a poniard. . From.
her dress it appeared she had either just come in or was.
ready to go out. The instrument with which the clime
had.been committed was found -on. the, bed, and on the
floor was a hand-basin full of water stained with blood,
in which the murderer had evidently, washed his hands'
,after, killing his victim. As no robbery had been com-
mitted, it is supposed' that jealousy or vengeance must
have been the cause of the crime. The pollee are mak-
ing active investigations into the,mattcr.—Galignaiii.