, 1859-03-30

|
Of our columus:]
Editors ptees and Tribune: r. -. !
1recret to see that so trivial and personal 4
matter as the employment Of this or that aha'-
] {idual ps Ibryrjan Of tke Association has been
1 nndc.kn isz,cdl tic .caaing election. But'as
the present board Of managers seem to be pub"
l;cly called to account by letter III thF,4Ntae y
crat Of yesterday from the former librarian for
their action IN disc}sarslng him, it seems pro"
! per to nuke brief statement Of reasons torEo
doing.
Eh During fSe,, lasf xlt,ana the 1qasa instructed
| tie Finance Committee to call upon the Libra
rian for full statement Of disbursement. to-
getler with III account If all monies OF the As'
sociation received from any and I'LL Sources:
This wus done with view to ascertaininss e*ps-
cially. whether 1he n ,Asss2ciatiop had any rcTc'
nues from collection oi lines. ta'c OF Ma opoKs
qEReNF{la1'etes, l,asHttsaants from nonnlcinbeIs
for temporary use Of rouns, DC. 1n ansRrer to
this the Librarian rendered account i'll which
no.crcdit was made to the Association for any
If the above items, and in reply to direct and
| distinct inquiry by the Chasrnan Of tt!eSqpE
mittcc, whether tile account was final and cnl-
braccd eyer3tba,s belonging to ta.A ssoc5asfo'f,
the unswer that it final and that no mo-
neE hid bexs, reeviysa vxssaar from collectipns
fuf dues, and cash received from thu sale Of !!
table diEec1cJ, ,by 1le yrcyions board. Abont
this time HE boa1d we're n,adc aware thal small
sums had been paid Ut the library for ech Of t9f
I tnfk1at1hs ha1neH ab6vI =
A further inquiry, somewhat Inter, drew frnna
II We kibEnrivt1 kecDln account, III defMA, eh4t.
| iting tie Association with some ten dollars col
rcted-Ero -tl9e .lbnvc sources, before tl!e re!
derihg Of tile first bill, and orerbaaneef ~ our
acconnt for expenditures in small SUMS 1t ut the
rooms, with the explanation that II WAS thr IN
teutiun Of tile Librarian to re>crvc this until tl'e
end Of the year, and then present II Da1aEcea by
| the small expenses Of the raous.
The explanation MAS, If course, accepted but
the impression of want Of want ot care and ~.
tcm il, accounts WIS left u|"lu the minds Of the
committee, with feeling that. If it taok Two
t .nionflls to tiuJ ten duDars Worth of1tc*e small
credits, possibly n,hns email items had wholly
escaped tlIe books and the memory of tug ID
brarian. No cl1urse VI dishonesty was made or
| cntertaiur,}, but the appartn carele:sncss 1sad
its effect in the LASER DECISION of tl'o Board Ite
| prominent Reason in my own 1nind Tor the
charge nns the conviction tlult il.a large mid
| growing library, the Librarian should be, by
education and the habits Of )ifetinnp, Il hbt.irv
man ~ man uf bopks, if 4,uE1l d MIN J., within
the reach Of t|le means Of the Association. :;
.. Tic. lue librarian, Mr. French, had certainly
remarkably quick and accurate memory TOR
] t!lte VI DbDks 0I llt *HGl]Gs. s4nA ~
readiness in serving the rral.cner- of the rnulS
with books u wanted. And it is nu inlntas'on
upon lis character. as a business man, tn say
that his acknowledged abilities III many other
respects did not mark him the best pcrson:to
aid in ,llc SELECTION ii new books, for conduct
ing litcEary ami other correspondence, and fur
| other duties in the performance Of which d
| highly educated librarian might reflect credit
uin,n the Institution. Ti'ese wyfe the reaso!lS
ID uly own mind. II sttmed Il, b. the general
opinion Of thu board THAT four Years occupation
Ut an office did nu1 give pre-cnthion claim
upon If 1otle Incumbent, and that il j lnan with
better specific qualifications Us librarian could
le got. il VA. their lnty to make the charge.
Mr. Fecncl was aware of the prnpu:cd change
t"btfureit it was Finally voted, md talked with tite
about il n, my olllcr and IN is statement thu,
the ls,Ss nt lis salary i'll winter would be very IN
convenient to to him, tile hoard voted IL employ
linn far ,wo 1nauths ttnSer tn xid: :thuhcw lhra-
riau in lis duties: y P"rtlon ot this time for
which 1he Association paid him was spent in
s,ersvuAl snhcituue,kul, signatures 10 FctltiDn
t'rc1rtaati1y that tic f'odrd3>~.s'up}afnlhi his re-
n,oral, aud asking that sucll action b. STAYED.
Tlis petition, wis ten feet "f nanlc* was
presented to the 1Iuarl about two months after
the acfion tu which j, referred lad taken Lace.
4 ntw manuscript catalogue las just been
cumpleted under thJ direction nf The lid Buar4
Il, Il ycry moderate cost, showing the position Of
| eaC! bpuk M the shelves. that louf years
e&1,cripueI j, lhe Elrary: @sJo lQAar 'ndl>pc''-
saIlc ii tin,lu. any required huok. 80;
The present librarian, Mr, Mathews, is :.,>','
,l.hMhn txffnisf7 well Qualified l's c'|ncnti''
and 1nethoiical business habits for 1]lc pface hs
ills. and il is believed HAT ,h"sc visiting tc L.
btary and:1ralfiig- -rqnn, viii find III rc:sun tt
regret tl4r change which i'as been .n4'|c. J..
Respectfully, SAHrELS. GEEkLEY. !
| ~: Eliairn.:tn lsinaict: ctum'',cs,
Tie undersigned rAr,nlnrs Of the Executive
Committee Of the 1uun. Mru's -A>spria1o
a.rrc with tho views ahuye expressed. w
alsu think tla1 the i;1 that u1e latc 1.'l'r.r1ai
considered a rAH of each fnreanon a., his nwn
while the 's-}aws required hin I" devote l'''
whale tine tu ttc 4ssrnciati"n. il being i'll "nl
power to secure ct1nrrttnt man fur t.e p1'ct
I upon the s.l,ne *al;lrt who wHn:a ;,isr ITS
Whole day; aud the further fart that when w.'
il, u,,r desire to rcur.azr. ad ordered Inn Il
dcjst tr"n making anv. purchases inr thy i.'{!'
r., he still ca1tliuit,N To i'in 'ns in drbt fo
l'nnss, fully Justified lis i'll hiS relu"ynl
w have ,Il:tsl' I'm c:lar.' against Mr. French
for we laye had ~ desire, ~ any rt:psrt, !" III
tire hin, hid t!iis statement would nut hay'
leun n.:ule l,ul tue. uYs called it t"fth. If :"
l,ttl ever entertained :: doubt Of tile c"rrctncs
III our aotiup iu this plptte!, lug s5seslu codsc
1T Mr. French III retaining: iii his LANDS ~.
cl4;n,i{,e, u.s. lis 4!ut mrn,y> received by lin
t,pni1 collections ina,lt nr r$ while he VILE III Ut
rnpploy, would have fully .rsf1tyc4l.-! ::
..';':''':'fs' '*:A.s. GRANT WILSON,
Wy, L., cucEGu. :,
WV SrrrT DESSisroy,
FgEn, L. FlsNts, 80
.1ouS s k1SG,
tMAs C. ConhES.
.IouS Y. F.RwrlI.
J.. t. ELLSWORTH,