The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-08-21
REPORTED FOR THE PLEoTr
PLAN OFr INTERNA
TIONAL EXCHANGES.
(Concluded.l

Mr.. Chairman-It gives me great pleasure to-
second the resolutions offered by my excellent
friend, who has Just sat down, and to concur in
the views that he has taken Of the subject Butt,
MIR. Chairman, although, as he has shown, the
system of Mr.. Vattemare will cause the Ameri-
can character to be better appreciated abroad,
it derives its greatest interest with me, from the
fact, that it viii enhance the American characte
AT home. It has a freside interest which espe :
cially commends il to all of us; and there is no
little child here tonight, and see many such !,
who is not interested in it, and who might nj 1
be greatly benefited by it. II lisa system whIc h
makes the acquisition of knowledge an amus' ;
ment. 1t coaxes us to be wise. At present on +
museums can be seen only by the payment of a
fee The books of our public libraries can 'e
read only by annual subscribers sand artists wi 10
wish to copy pictures in our "Galleries of tlae
Fine Arts,o as they termed, or public cole a.
tons of paintings, must pay as much ut tht r
different visits for admission, they may be al lie
to obtain for their work, when they have co IN
pleted it. In Continental Europe, and, lattcr'y,
in many parts of Great Britain, this is not the
case; the Libraries, Museums, and Galleries OF
the Fine Arts, are open ia the public, under pro-
per regulations, without charge. The painter
places his easel before picture and remains tn ere
until he has finished it. The student visits at
will, and reads at leisure, in the public libra
ries.-and the public museums and collections
of curiosities are the resort of persons OF all
ages, where lessons of history, geography, and
natural science, are imperceptibly, but most per-
manently, imbibed, the productions OF all
ages and all countries are exhibited and become
familiar. In Europe, free access to the public
collections of science, literature and the arts, is
the right of the citizen In this-country it mus'G
be paid for. The cause of this difference is evil
dent. The museums and libraries of the old
world are the property OF the nation, collected
and maintained and kept opere for the benefit ri
the people. In the new world, our museums a1Nd
libraries the property OF Individuals, and the
only way of supporting them is by imposing
tax ON those who use thenn While we nave
adopted many, very many Cd the institutions o.
Europe, we have omitted heretofore to adopt
one, which, of all others, seems best adapted to
the spirit of our Government and the feelings OF
our people: and when we reflect tor moment,
we cannot help being struck with the strange
ness of the fact, that in Europe, monarchlcal
Europe, this peculiar species OF instruction. is
given by the Government without charge to the
people; while in free, republican America, claim
iny its government as the most liberal and en-
lightened under which nan can live, it can only
be obtained by those whose previous education
enables them to appreciate it, and who are will
ing to pay for it
One of the objects of Mr.. Vattemare's system.
is to do away with this tFpay system" as it may,
not inaptly, be termed, and to transplant to Anne
RIGA the institutions that we have overlooked ~
our selections from the treasures OF the old world
He desires that we should establish in this coun=
try public collections of all objects that are lnte-
resting in science, literature, and the arts, for
the free use of the people; and he has come
among us for the purpose of showing how this
can be effected by his system OF exchanges, al
most without cost To bring the matter home
to ourselves, let US see what would be the eftet
of the success of the system of Mr.. Vattemare's
plan in Baltimore
We have in this city museum originally coll
Iected by the elder Peale, and established under
the auspices of joint stock company. 1t con-
tains objects of interest in the arts OF painting,
in sculpture, in the natural sciences in all their
branches, and an immense number OF curiesities
brought from every quarter of the globe. Since
its first establishment it has had most preca-
rious existence, dependent entirely upon the fees
received from visitors. II has been injured by
fire, and by removal from, building to building
1t has languishsd for the means to pay its keep
ers 1t has had to invoke the aid of the drama,
of jugglery, of rope-dancing, to enable it to- pre-
serve its integrity and it is now, unless other
arrangements should be made to preserve it,
about to be brought to the hammer, piece-sneal,
to pay the mortgages upon it. And yet, during
all this time it has been increasing in value. 1t
has been the only place where articles of public
interest belonging to individuals could be de-
posited to he seen; and it has been the recipient
of many treasure from far beyond the sea-
But as a museum it has been comparatively use
less to the public, because of the sfpay system"
that is necessarily connected with it.
We have in this city Library Of eleven thou
sand volumes, as well chosen, will venture to
say, as any collection of the size in the Uni
ted Statess--a Library which is every day be-
coming more and more valuable as Library of
reference This is also the property of joint
Stock Company, and to enjoy its privileges,
one must not only own share of the capital
stock, but must, in addition, pay annual fee
to support the Librarian, and pay the rent of the
building, as well as to provide a fund for the
purchase of new publications. Such purchases
cannot now be made to any extent, however, for
want OF means; and it must be fresh in the recol-
lection Of most of those present, that during the
last two years, numerous attempts have been
made to keep 1t upon proper footing, by en-
larging its means and extending its usefulness,-
attempts yet but partially, if atall successful
We have also in Baltimore, the Maryland
Academy OF Science and Literature, an institu-
tion organized upon an excellent plan, and such
an one as should be adopted for that which it is
proposed to establish. The Academy consists
Of an association OF gentlemen, who pay an an
nual fee, which is appropriated to defrav the cur
rent expenses 1t has very excellent collec-
ton of fossils and minerals and various articles
of interest connected with natural History. 1t
has also an useful scientific Library, and it has
profted already by exchanging its duplicates
with other learned associations. At time,
its rooms were thrown open once week to the
public; but their location and the want of objects
of more popular interest, in the collection, pre-
vented the public from frequenting them, and,
the custom falling into desuetude, the Academy
resumed its place among those institutions, from
which the ''pay SYSTEM necessary, as it was,
to their existence, nevertheless operated to ex-
clude the free access of the people.
These three institutions united, would form
an admirable nucleus of the State institution,
which it is the hope of Mr.. Vattemare may be
established under the auspices of the public au-
thority The same building would contain
them all; and nothing is ventured in predicting
that it would become in very short time, the
resort of the citizens and the object of their gen.
erous pride. Nor would it be long before the
treasures now existing in the community, but
hidden and untxnoxvn would he contributed