Star.
London, England, 1823-04-28 00:00:00

THE ROYAL LIBRARY.

The Report of the-Committee of the House of
Cotnmons, to whom the papers relating to the valua,
ble Library presented by his MAJESTY to the British
Nation were referred, has been printed. It com-
mences-with an account of the nature and extent of

this valuable collection. The plan of its formation
appears to have been determined upon by his late
MAJESTY soon after his accession to the Throne;
and the first extensive purchase which he made was
that of the library of Mr. JOSEPH SMITH, the British
Consul at Venice, in 1762. In 1768, Mr. BA REAM),

the Librarian, was sent to the Continent by his MA-
Jest—r; and in France, Italy, and Germany, lie pur-
chdsed nitmerousbooks, of great-variety and value.
Previous to his departure, he received a letter from
Dr.: Jos:Ns" who frequently visited the library,
pointing out.the best means of completing it. The
rules laid down in that letter; which is given is an
Appindix to the Report, have been follotved with
unreenittiag. attention..
The sum expended in the purchase of Mr. Starnes
library was about £10,090, and the sum applied for
the purchase of books, for a period of sixty years, has
been about 1:2000 annually : in the cour,e of that
time many opportunities occurred, and which were
not -neglected, of making most valuable acquisitions
upon very advantageous terms. Additions have also
been made to the' collection by persons anxious to
thew their respect to his late MAJESTY, and to pro-
mote his views. The following payments have since
been made by his, present &Imam, for periodical
publications and Wosks in progress:
To tem ' - ge7B7 19 3
• RI 1841 . - ,1058 4 3
.In - . 10.51 9 8
The number of books in the Royal library are
65,1350 - exclusively of a numerous assortment' of
pamphlets, filling about eight hundred cases. The
lilitary of the British Museum contains 125,000 vo-
lunsts; and it has been ascertained that when the
Royal library is added to it (as recommended by the
Committee) there will not be more than 21,000 du-
plicates, of which it would not be advisable to dis-
pose of more than 19,000. •

The Committee leaves to the House to determine
whether these 12,000 volumes should be sold, and
the _produce applied in diminution of the annual
grantef Parliament, fur the general purposes of the
Musette.' ; er,whether it would be more advisable to
maftethem the fottudation of:t separate public library.
Iliiseuggesioe ea.:the Committee of making the
duptieetes. the basis of a• new library we trust will be.
aclairpted,,at the most economical, and, at the same
time the best way in which a new library, worthy of
the Metropolis, could be formed. The books, like
all books in public libraries, are no doubt many of
aem not in such a .conJition as to recommend them
to-private libraries; but, above all, they are so im-
printed with the words " British Museum," in large
red letters on almost every sheet, to which would be
added another mark, of " Sale Duplicate," that their
value to a private purchaser would be so mach de-
tet iorated, that at a public sale they would fetch very
little money.
•We therefore hope that this point will not be lost
sight of when the subject comes to be discussed in
Parliament.

A letter -has been received from. New Zealand,
dated November 19, 182'2, which states, that the
Ceres whaler, Captain LaNcAs rEn, of London, was
lust on the desolate island of Tonamia (one of the
Friendly Islands)..en the 28th of August, 1821.—,
'f Ire crew saved the •ship's sails, the greater part of
their clothing, foes casks of bread and flour, and 16
pieces of park. This being a small provision for SI
persons, the Captain sent 12 men, in two boats, tail
neighbouring island, to endeavour to obtain food, until
an opportunity should occur of their being taken off.
The natives behaved very treacherously; their
they
kindness soon changed to tritely : they
inurdered.five of them, stripped off their clothes,
and severekr•cut and bruised: the other seven.—.
The natives after went over to Tonamie, pretending
they came from a different island, and knew nothing
of-their fellow-sufferers. But here they soon killed
the Captain,_ he cooper, and a buy, and forced the
remaining fifteen poor fellows to put off in their boat,
with only unenar. After being two days and nights
at sea; having neither food nor drink, they reached
the volianie ylurd•of Mattao,. where they remained
thirteen 'Wendt!, their food being only cocoa-nuts.
They'were at length taken off the island by the Mis-
sionary Society's ship St. Michael, of Port lickson,
and landed at that place.