The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-20


library, nun ii me- SIX taouiaut volumes, wsrc
transferred fgo iAslr III . Chiars Office snd 70
other psblic placer. H,ny v.lunss rsre, doast IN
j1red ind dessT yed ,om hans tpmblsd about 10 the
mud and are bot tho general Of the library
from total l'ts as forth se ~ The New York bar
Tbs htifry was sstaoiihsd in the year 1880, and uo
70 the esspt tme hss s members sum 10. shora
OF ore hundred tn ussnd ecrF Since ts
the Incidental expenses for sslsriss, &c. may be sss
down a. about .h.sy tnousEld dollars leaving seventy
thousand dollars as the purchase money OF Albrary
itself. This nay enormous sum to expsod fog
six oussnd volumes, bnt i DO borne In mind thar
the cost o. Legal publication - much greater than oE
sny other vslks. The money t,at would purchase q
select Law library Of six thou sai volumes would pur
cbse good miscellaneous library CT thirty thousand
The New York Law Library established wholly BY tho
members Of tie New York tar hou any foreign AID
or appropriation. 70 he Boa Chancellor Ke2t, Judge
McCou1 The lac Judge Pai,e, y Hon. osdsn Holman
judge Duer John Author HGsh lslwell, Tha;ohs T.
Pssre srd otLers bons tEs hoEor OF esssbshins ths
library for the bar OF New York and which Is NJ thc
present time, the fourth large library in the United
States.
Il Is possessed OF AL TIE important American legal
pub caoas II the NOT eful English AMI French
works Tbs pIesens iIcoms Of tn, library is between
three and four thousand d3lsrs yesrlS, and II
has about four nuuatsd meG Inc terms OF msna-
until The q $500 paid, .hen certificate Of stock
is issued fesng the member from IL further regular
payments Tie Library Il used wholly for reference By
the 'awytrr in ryog their before the The
volumes are n3wes ~ aksn beyond the limits Of
he City Haii .he Corpora io7 granted the Library the
i occupied in the Cit, Hall, as equivalent
fsee by hesos Of meats OF the city, II
selected with eat care % The part OF i oris nA
founders, ard s loss 20 ~ hs great calamity TO tbs
profession IL insured for % coo which Will
present cor agralion
HISTORY OF THE BUILDING DESTROYED.
One Of The most ,mportsat Iecs of the public build.
ipgs OF this city, erected at lie close Of the eighteenth
century, it will be by tbs above account hs fAsE
before the destructive emen Of drs. The building
cefsively known as the "Ainshouse," the "Nsv York
Institution" and the 'Neu City Hail." in which many
Law courts held, and various publ, Offices wore To-
GATED, has been des royed BY ire.
Tbs building referred to brick edfce, two hun.
dred and sixty feat ia lergh by forty four broad With
two projections in ont III eet by twenty and vac
three stories in height bscss he bssment Ths front
Chambers street, viii entrances FROM
the on TIE Park. Fr m ils elevated aud healthy
situation this spot f1ed in tbs year 1885, when
the population Of the city about forty thousand ana
there were bot few bucirg oose the Psrk-ss proper
place which TO almshouse FOR tho
Increasing poer Of he city, from this period ovsE
twenty years. down TO tie early part 5f 1875 when the
paupers were removed 70 the Aushouse ct Bellevue, IL
was applied to that parposs Shortly After the Common
Council the application OF tie scieI fo institutions
0! this city nunicenty rren cd item the use Of the
building for te-ra Of ten ysars; in consequence OF
which Its name was changed from he Almshcusen tc
that OF New York Instilutisn" The different roons in
the building were then occupied as follows -
l. The Literary and Philoso. hcsf Society.
2. The Historical Society.
.. The Am er!ran Asadsn Of Fine Arts.
=. The Lycerm OF Natural History.
.. scudcer's American Museum.
The Deaf ~ D1mb las.tullon.
7. The Board Of Health.
s. The Society for Improving tho Condition OF Domestic
Servants.
scudders American Museum zss originally located In
Chatham srest Gna bers strsst from which It Was
removed to he building Belonging to the city now de-
ttoyed After remaining IN thai buildiag free for
ten years. II was removed TO the place occupied By
BsTnum's Museum. Scudder's Gussum was united with
Pesles Museum, small concern established by ore OF
the Psaes OF Philadelphia in Fransis' book
store in Broadway After rhs death Of Mr. scudder the
united museums sold 10 Barnum.
In 'front.' Of he building n ruins, when 1t was o.
cupied BY scudder for his museum, there balcony,
on which band o. music ocosionsy performed during
pleasant evenings particularly Ia the summer SEASON. II
vas In references to this rus, which attracted ray and
fashiOnASis sverrg promenSde that Hlsck wrote the
following lines in his poem Of FArny":-
There's music ia the dash of Waves
When the swift bsT cleayes their foam:
There's music heard upon her deck
The mariners sons OF home
When moon and star 5ealas milling meet
At m.dLigat on the
And there Is masic-onse week
In scudd,r's balcony.
The mco-lght music Of the way2s
In storms IL hesri more,
When the living lightning rocks the wreck
Az inidnight the shore,
Ane the Mariners strg OF Rene has ceased,
HIS oorse Is On the
And music ceases waea IL rains
IN scucders oalcony.
After the expiration OF tho i.es lease Of ten years. or
shortly Afterwards the above soclses and institutions
not connected with the city government removed from
the building, ard taken possession Of By the Cor
Ioraoa for public purposes Part OF granted or
leafed to the United States Tor the OF the District and
Circuit Courts tbs District Attorney Clerk Of the District
Court ard United States Marshal and part was occupied
by the Court OF sescns whlsh the renowned Rch
ARD Nker, the Recorder Of the ely, presided for many
years. The Marine Court also located 10 the building
When the Court Of Sessions removed to tn. Halls OF
Justice or Egyptian Tembs las the buildings in Centre
street are generally called tie American Institute OBJ.
tanned from the Common Courcl grant Of the wsst enc
Of the building, at nomrsi rent, and occupied the
room for several years; but The Institute were finally
driven out 10 consequence Of thu city requr-
Ing the use Of the buldrg for pubic purposes few
years since the building vent extensive and
Alterations under the supervision OF Alderm an orolur
ana others, n sommittse OF the Com mon Council.
In consequences, 1t was supposed to be destined
Tor Preservation for many years, - one az the
rev remnants q the publ, buildings Of the
last century, and = memento OF more scoaomiaal
sad imps times than the present But tho destructive
element vhi,h 30 often visits ~ with desolaton spsrax
not the simple sdince o. the past any more than the
palaces erected by the present gs,eraion and tho ONLY
wonder hat buii3hg composed Of oombustiSIe ma
trals like the NsW City Hall, in ruins, should have
stood In tas city OF sgaion the long period OF
nearly sixty years Bsiors he recent repairs and i'm.
provsmsnts were made tho building It was proposed
to take it down. and erec. Hall on the site Ths
wants OF the city for suoh building for public purpo,es
and the spf Of the age iii doubtess cause the imms.
oAe erection OF nss building worthy Of this etropo