, 1873-06-10

books or tho Library into circulation. Tho
n9fra deom to
THEIR onInor1os 70 THIS onAnaz. j..
In doing SO, they doairo to in,1uto no blame T. TO
Sss raspso ef s to ' IL or msnnor sSns IL aY
has nrison. Tho whole onterprige Of
tho library from itn first inception hna received
tho most oordinl support Of Ill branches Of tho
tho Doard Of Public Works, and tho CITY Comp
trollor for tllor pro1nptltulo Of npirlt and for
tility Of RESOURCE In promoting this work to tho
utmost e1tont Of thoir ability, 9as Board s now
found sonao Of tho obligations under which ti,oy
have boon placed 81 to tho auccoBs that las 40
far attended, their efforts.
The question IL one arising cut OF tho pocu-
larity of circumstances in which tho city found
itsolf placed ..-
| TIE HONOR AND CREDIT
Of tho municipal government was necessarily
by o foreign people and government to establish
. free library In Chicago after our great fire,
Tho organization Of this Board after tho move
ment abroad Ind boon set on foot, md ite In
| portauce unlorstood, was way out OF tho diffl
GUILTY, and the Froo Library Law was enacted as
| tho work Of tho people.
BY reforonco to tho ordinance Of April /, 1879,
establishing FREQ Library untlor tho State law,
provided mud get apart, under tho direction Of
the Board Of Public Works, room for tho re-
oeptlon Of any books that may ,bo donated or
procured tor r. euoh library, until permanent
It will DO found that this Board iB vested By
tho law Of their organization (Soo. 81 "with OK
clusiyo control OF tho expenditure Of nll moneys
collected to tho credit OF tho library fund, md
tho same section declares that :" oil moneys ro-
colvod for such library slall bo kept separate
and apart from other moneys Of 'Buch city, and
drawn for by the proper ofllcorB OF said city
thG Souoh0r' of tho
In q simply technical and legal point OF view,
| tho Board cannot recognize charge or expense
| which was never incurred by them as Board
Or tho accomplishment Of any othor ono Of tho
| several objects within tho 1ottor or puryiow Of
the statute. This Board do not fool authorized
70 assume charge aganat their trust, In viola
| tOn OF law, nor my charge, uploaa the ctearoBt
| authority extats to authorize 1t.
| Tho Committee Of Finance through tho Hon.
8. 3. Hayes, to whom was committed tho special
| examination OF tho subject rs Chairman, has ro-
ported agninst it, and VIC trust that, Under all
the CIRCUMSTANCES, tho wholo charge may be
paid out Of tho gonora1 troasury.
Your honorable body, in Wow Of what has Gt-
ready boon said in this report taa toa Now Libra
ryBui1ding," theprobability of IN curly abandon.
That tho city corporation vii tako tie buildings
the ground upon whiah thoy stand belonging to
the city. and mako tho property and roonaa avall-
ablo tor other purpoaeB. This Doard are with
out either the authority to act or tho moans OF
making either land or improvement usoful to
tho library. Upon tho latter fund tho whole
$14, GOO capital oxpouded falls as a dead loss
| without the return OF q cont on the Investment.
And 1t is undor such circumstances as those that
this Board submit 1t as question Of law Is vol
| as Of equity, whether tho whole expenHe Of tho
temporary quarters, fitted up by tho Board Of
Public Works according to the o1prcsa Language
| OF the city ordinance, " aa room for, tlG re-
| Nnnff0n n hnnls lsA hnt I'm ofn5 pr
procured for such library" allnll now fall upon
''tho Froo Library Fund" or romain as It has
hitherto rcmninod-tho gift Of tho corporation
| In behalf OF tho general objoct2
Aud, oven If this bo not froe gift,
| It ia at most question of ront that should DO
charged FOR temporary occupation OF city prop
erty, and with this expression Of the yiows on
tortained by tile Board, the wholo question Is
respectfully submitted for your consideration as
ono yitally affecting tho constituency you re-
| present.
| IN CoycrUsIoN,
1t may not .bo considered improper to Hay that
whilo this is tho first Official report over made by
this Board to the City Council, 1t may bo the
last in respect to tho official existence OF some
OF its mo1nbers. According to tho constitution
Of tho Board, tho torlna Of Office Of throe Of Ito
| membore aro about to oxpiro on tho Int day Of
July next. We cannot closa tho connection that
has existed without d tendor OF our congrutula-
tiona TINT such un institution as tho Public
Library has boon founded by your efforts. The
mcnt coming In Immediately after tho great hro
Of 1871 1,-had it 10 other claim upon tho
gratitude or rcmoulbranco Of poaterlty 2--will
always romain aBsocIated with Tho origin
and establishment Of tho most imporishablc
memorial Of cur present civilization, as well aa
tho Bpirit and energy OF our sorely -chastoned
and ever-to-be-loyed city.
Lntnartine, twonty-flvo years ago writing in
uttor deBpair Of the condition OF the working
mon OF Franco, on account Of thoir low tnsteH
and imperfect Intelligence, crios out: "I,ibra-
ries for tho people nre wanted!-Books in the
hands Of tho women. the girls, and tho children
tors, the hosts, the guests, and tho friends OF
tho workmau's home! Books in evory house in
the evening hours, lin rain. md in wintor,--
making home tho centre Of affection and yirtrol
great minds who, in all ages, have best Under.
stood, folt, written, or sung tho human heart
Io do this, books must bo nude cheap, aud cost
little" otc.
proposed to accomplish BY choaponing tue cosi
| OF publication of books, in Franco will soon be
accomplished in this city by tho FREQ Library
Law, without any cost wlatevor to the people.
books will bo dispensed in FREQ and equal abnnd-
ance to all,--tho same aa the sun disponaes ita
light and tho infinite mpgniace1.ce Of Heayon
IL within tho roach of all ages, and every human
intelligence blessed undcr that Of Gods.
| ELLIOTT ANTHONY,
| JULIUS RosENrIIAI,
JAS. ". BuEAuAN,
| 8. s. HAYES,
| RoDEnT r. QUEAL,
| DANIEL L. SHonEY,
| WILLARD WOODLAND,
| HERMAN RASTER,
Board Of TFnstooe Chicago Public Library.
CHICAGO, juno 4, 1875.
| THE TWENTY.FiRsT JUDICIAL CIRCUIT.
| DECATUR, ILL.,, Juno Q, 1878.
To the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
SIN: As tho smoke passos away, we may be-
gin to look over the battlefield, and count up
tho slain, and bury them.
happened to DO in Springfield when they
wore forming tue new judicial circuits, and I
WAS then amazed ut the unanimous conacnt of
both political parties in fixing up tho Twenty
first Circuit. That was tho ono strong Demo-
Jk.1.-t i 4.-l