New Orleans Republican., 1868-12-14
THE STATE LIBRARY

| In 1888 an act was assedDythe SSehot~i
Assembly of Louisiana establishing q STATE
library to be located in the capitol on the
square now occupied, in part, by the
Mechanics Institute. A meagre appro-
priation Of one thousand dollars per an
mum was made for the purchase Of books,
and librarian at salary Of six hundred
dollars was elected by joint ballot for the
term of four years. We believe the selec-
ton to that position fell to the lot of Peter
l.. Jore, somewhat erratic citizen, well
remembered by our ancient Inhabitants as
a standing candidate for the mayoralty OF
this city. i'--
The Commercial Library had been in
existence some years prior to the establish
ment of the State Library, and was located
in the Arcade buildings, on the corner oil
Magazine and Gravier streets. Itwas sup
ported by the subscription Of merchants,
clerks and mechanics, many Of whom we're
not very punctual in their payments.
At the session OF 1888 the Legislature made
an appropriation Of one thousand dollars
per annum for five years to- this library,
and subsequently granted the use Of the
old arsenal building, situated en- the Ba-
rome street side of the State House square,
conjointly to the Commercial and State
Libraries. The two libraries thus brought
together in the same building, formed the
nucleus Of very respectable collection Of
choice standard works in the French and
English languages, and for some time con-
tinued to be a place of popular resort.
The numerical increase of the State Ii
brary up to the year 1S4s, when Governor
Romans second term of Office expired, had
been gradual; but under the judicious man
agement OF his two able Secretaries Of
State, Messrs. Eustis and Levi Pierce, the Sc
lections were of solid, rare and valuable
character. In 1s43 the Office of State Ii
brarian was abolished and the library
placed in charge of the Secretary of State,
"without additional expense to the State"
At the subsequent session of the Legisla-
ture in 1874, the act of 1888, to establish q
State Library, was revived, and compe-
tent person was to be appointed
annually by the Secretary of State,
at q salary of six hundred dol
lars per annum, under whose charge
and responsibility were placed call books,
statutes, manuscripts, plans, maps, papers
and documents of every description, be-
longing to the State.' By the same act
provision was made "to exchange any
books of the State not needed for the use
of the public offices for such works as may
be useful to the State library" This was
an important proviso, but was not carried
out to any great extent until after the re-
moval of the State House to Baton Rouge,
where, at the outbreak Of the war in 1861,
mi ght be seen library of which any State
in the Union would be proud; consisting
in works Of every description, and number
ing not less than one hundred thousand
volumes. During the war two-thirds of
the books were either destroyed by fire, or
promiscuously appropriated. By order of
General Butler, in August, 1862, some
twenty-five thousand volumes were re-
moved from Baton Rouge to the City Hall,
in this city, where they remained in heaps,
without any especial care or attention
until 1864, when they were rearranged in
as tSlerable order as the cramped space
allotted to the Librarian would admit. In
April, 1866, an order was given for their
removal to the Mechanics Institute, where
they were placed in the third story, and
were removed to the most
remote corner Of that building In the fourth
story, as if to screen them from the eyes
and knowledge of the public, for whose use
and benefit they were always intended
and by whose money they were
purchased. The present condition and
location of the State Library is matter Of
over which none but the Legis-
lature could have control. The Librarian,
Mr.. Boyee, father of the Secretary Of State,
can only act under the direction of his son.
His salary is but twelve hundred dollars
per annum. Now, as we understand there
is soon to be another removal, would 1t not
be we'll, and most desirable, that the L.
brary should be placed in some locality
easy Of access, where theiawyer could con-
salt the acts Of Congress and Of the differ
ent States, the decisions of the United States
Supreme Court, and Of the various
State courts, and where the merchant
and student could peruse and consult the
valuable W Orks yet remaining Of that once
magnificent collection