The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-10-15
VIC New Nrunieina1 nam.

This building, in which our citizens NAV well
take pride, is nearly completed, and the Second
Municipality can boast the possession of the finest
Municipal Hall in the Union. Ii is another proof
Of the architectural taste of JAMES CALLER. and
reflects much credit upon The Building Committee-
Messrs. S. J. Peters, John Leeds and James Gold
ing. The former gentleman, especially. has been
most assiduous in the discharge Of this duty. and
freely given his time and attention to the work
He entered into it with much energy. and his
e1ertiOus have not tagged to make il worthy of
the great and growing city Of New Orleans Pla-
ced directly opposite Lafayette Square, the situa-
ton is one that affords fine view of the building
and when the portico shall be erected it will be
striking feature in that part Of our CITY. The Hall
is of-the Grecian Ionic order, modelled after the
Temple of Erectheus at Athens, and strictly fol-
lowed in its proportions. 1t is a pure and chaste
style of architecture. The front upon ST. Charles
street is ninety feet, with depth of two hundred
and fifteen. The portieo will be up by the lst Of
April, and a Colossal group-Liberty supporting
Justice and Commerce-in alto relieve, will grace
the tynpanum. Launitz, of New York, is now
engaged on the work; it is expected to arrive in
few months. The entire front will be of white
marble, and when completed the Hall will rank
among the beautiful buildings Of the country
The basement is composed of nine spacious rooms
for the officers of the Municipality and the u S.
Marshal. The Treasurer, Comptroller, Surveyor,
High Constable and the Collectors, all have their.
different apartments while in the northwest cor
ner large room is intended for the Recorders
Court, well lighted and ventilated, presenting
strong contrast with the present dsagreeabe place
for holding examinations. The principal story
contains the Council Chamber, Secretary's room,
r IL n
coFder, United States Court room, rooms for the
Clerks of the U. s.: District and Circuit Courts
and the Library Hall
The Council Chamber is in the northwest cor
ner, far from the noise and hustle of the srreet-a
beautiful room, showing that the Building Com
mittee had full voice in shaping its ample proper
tions--36 by so feet, and that care was taken to
give the city authorities space enough for enlarged
ideas and liberal polio
The United States Court room and the adoin-
ing Offices are handsomely finished and well suited
for the purposes intended. The Rev case, which
will be tried here, however is not in the usual
order of business, and the crowd cannot be accom-
modated in the space set apart.
The Recorders private room, 40 feet by IS, is
one Of the, handsomest apartments in the building,
and adapted by its size to the numerous meetings
held by the Board of School Directors and the
teachers in the public schools. 1t will be furnished
in manner corresponding with the beauty of the
room, and with the dignity of the office of Recor-
der Of the Second Municipality.
The Governors apartment is intended as a re-
cePtion room and Office for the Executive of the
State. The removal of the seat of Government to
Baton Rouge has left him no public office here, and
this is rendered by the Municipality on his visits to
| our city. With the same enlarged views the
| Building Committee have made this apartment
worthy of the chief officer Of the Commonwealth.
The Hall for the Library next claims particular
attention. 1t is situated in the northeast portion OF
the buildingsize 36 by rs feet and its decorations
are in perfect keeping with the object for which il
Is intended. 1t is indeed the peoples room, and
/ no expense has been spared to adapt it to their
wants. 1t is lined with cedar, divided into acoves
for each department of literature having hanging
gallery to reach the books above on the plan of the
Philadelphia Library, founded by franklin. The
Hall will admit of the systematic arrangement of
10000 volumes This Iih->-y yves iTs origin to
- ss-oiIJ IUunded on an ordinance sub
mitted to that body by Mr. Peters, and adopted on
the Sd of December, 1874. That ordinance pro-
vided that the voluntary contributions of the schol-
ars OF the public schools, not to exceed SO each.
and payable in instalments of Is cents month,
1
and Lyeeum. This amount (S9) constitutes each
scholar life member, leaving to the public the
opportunity of becoming annual subscribers by the
payment of IS yearly. We give the following pro-
visions from the law for better understanding of
the subject:
ART Bet. &C. That when $1,000 shall bean invested
IpP 6 az ss' one S Of the snpaa income thereafter
cal apparatus may be necessary 10 aId in 5DaTtib1 a
kn9wedge ofthe ura sciences and for obtaining during
such branches Of useful EnOwedss as may be determined ON
g me DFsooIs provdea that the lecture Of the Ly
s29s ana that no person shall be allowed lecture therein
Am; Be 10, c. That the Municipality viii Ieoevs
apa ned or the exclusive use Of the Society donations from
ndlydphs disposed to aid the youth of the Municipality in
establishing the proposed Lyceum and Library ali dona.
tons and beques being made to the Municipality No q or
ART g. Be e, &c. That the Mayor of the City the Re-
shall be e6eiO members of said Society the Teacher Of
ne Pq6o Schools shall be honorary mem6eIs the eof and
hvs yeaI shslbe honorary member Society for life
ART TO- Be q DC. That 1t shall not be lawful for ne
Directors Of said Society contract any debit nor shall thew
appropriate any money except for the objects herein men
tanned and shall duty Of he peo BtsS to Fsp on
condition of said Society ~
The Directors of the Public Schools adopted i'm
mediate measures to carry this ordinance into eff
feet, and on the 10Th of March, 1916, the Library
was first opened to the members and subscribers.
1t consisted at that time of 1900 volumes two
years have elapsed, and it now numbers nearly
5000! The catalogue embraces every department
of literature, and the works have been selected
with great discrimination and care. We take the
following from the preface accompanying the list
of books:
The steady growth of the library is secured bv
the permanence of its principal source of revenue
nut the Directors anticipate with confidence, that
an increasing list of annual subscribers will enable
them to accelerate the extension of its benefits and
IN lew years, to render it of the largest and
most valuable collections of books in our country"
Our citizens should respond to this; the advan-
tages offered by the Library cannot be estimated by
dollars and cents; the nominal sum required for a
membership is not bar to general circulation of
the stores of knowledge
Books are part of man preroRatiye:
In formal ink they thought and voicss hold
That we 70 them our solitude may give