The Portland daily press., 1867-07-24

| The efforts to establish Public Library in
Portland, have thus far been very successful.
About 5000 have been subscribed by our citi-
| zsns for Life Membership, and liberal sub
scriptions in books have been received from
friends to the cause Of good letters, and gene
raj improvement, in various parts of the coun-
try, as will be seen in the annexed list of do
nations. 1t is the sole object of the members
| to establish an institution which shall be ele-
waited to the demand for a general diffusion
of knowledge and education, open to all our
people, and honorable to the advancing pros
perity Of our city. While our public schools
furnish admirable opportunity for the instruc-
ton of all classes of youth, we have too
long neglected the establishment of an insti-
tuition, which will furnish to more advanced
minds the. advantage of extending their in
quiries in the pursuit of knowledge, and of
gratifying and cultivating a taste in the fine
arts, and the higher branches of learning. 1t
is the design of the persons interested in the
work ito make the Institute and public Library,
place to which all our citizens may take
pleasure to resort for literary recreation, and
for pleasant or profound study. And if any
defect should be deemed to exist in the Or
ganization of the institution, to obstruct or
impair this fundamental object, 1t is open TO
amendment and enlargement, in such man
ner as may best promote the honor of our
city and the benefit of our people. For this
purpose meeting of the corporation is TO be
held this afternoon, Wednesday, at the Com
| mon Council Chamber, for a free consulta-
| tion at which it is hoped there will be gem
eral attendance, that we may perfect an insti-
tuition, absolutely needed in our city, since
the total privation of all literary resources, by
the destructive fire of last year.
The city government has literally placed
at the disposal of the Institute three eligible
rooms on the first floor Of the City Hall
which will be fitted up in the course of sixty
days, ready to receive the treasures which
have already reached the committee from
our numerous liberal donors. And, when
to these, we add the contributions of our own
citizens, in books and works of art we shall
be able to show upon our shelves, on opening,
from $500 to 5000 volumes of well selected
and valuable books, and upon our walls, works
Of art, of which Portland Is need not be
ashamed. 1el i.'llaf1. nal
Ticknor & Fields and Harper & Brothers
in addition to the very handsome and valuable
donations made by them to the library, have
also offered to the Institute free selection
from their extensive catalogues of any books
at one-haJf of their retail price. The Apple
tons, of New York, have also rendered the
same privilege. For such liberal acts, these
gentlemen and all our other generous donors,
are entitled to the hearty thanks and unquali
fed Communication of the Institute and of our
whole people, and of all lovers of good learn
ing. IttI'kis9 fIy E0HE V}AF
1t will be seen by the following catalogue
that our native citizens, now residing else
where, have hot forgotten their dear old home
stead-their hearts remain untravelled, and,
while by their literary efforts or their business
enterprise, they are adorning and enriching
other spheres, they are not unmindful of the
honor and welfare of the beautiful town which
gave them birth. 1t is hoped that our resident
citizens will be stimulated by such examples
to strengthen and elevate this worthy under
taking. iiit
LIST OF DONATIONS.
American Swedenborg Printing and Pub
fishing Society," 10 vols. .l0 ss 81
Regents N. Y. State Library SO vols. al.
Maine Historical Society, vols. l5u
American Unitarian Association, 90 vols
Ticknor s. Fields, Boston, 100 vols. s
Harper q brothers, New ork, 100 vols.
Robert Carter & Bros, New York, so vols,
Prof Henry w. Longfelow, Cambridge, GA
vols. &
Geo. A. Bailey, Washington, D. c., 100 vols
Charles Eliot Norton, Cambridge, 23O vols.
Jas. Russell Lowell and Charles T. Norton,
Cambridge, 50 vols. 81 "a sHFua
NJ J. Whipple, Boston, IS vols. -.
. Gen. Q. DePeyster, New York, II vols, IS
pamphlets.
Gen. H. K Oliver, Salem, IS vols.
Hor,+G Ii & q
Thomas G. Amory. Boston, 8 vols %
j. G. Haywood, New York, vols.
Samuel May, Boston, ~ vols.
Miss Abby w. May, Boston, "a vols.
Hon. John Lynch, NJ. c., Portland AZ vols
Edward Capen. Boston. vol Ni-
Prot. Henry b. Smith, New York, vols.
Eastern Argns. complete set from 1903,
from the proprietors. f RIE4Q "a
Portland Gazette and Portland Advertiser,
RON 2s WIN: H. Edwards, almost complete.
EDWIN Bartlett, of New York, one hundred
d qI a ana y. W. Hinckley, of indianapolis,