Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-11-20

| text books In the common schools; third reading
| ordered tomorrow morning.
From judiciary committee, In favor OF S. g6 an
act 10 preserve testimony in certain cases; third
| reading ordered tomorrow morning
From committee on highways and bridges, upon
| S. 1877, an act relating to highways and bridges.
with proposal of amendment; amendment agreed
TO, and on motion Of Senator Belden ordered to lie.
From committee on judiciary, In favor Of II.
1871, au act 10 enable school district No. In Cav
endish TO issue its bonds; third reading ordered
tomorrow morning
Petitions-Two petitions were presented, one
by Senator Mead and one by Senator Arnold,
both in the support of the present location Of the
| Boston, IIoosac Tunnel and Western Railway
Company in the town Of Powna Referred to
com on railroads.
Adjourned.
| House-Forenoon.
Reading of Scriptures and prayer by the chaplain.
On motion of Mr.. CURTIS of Lowell, the read
ing of the journal OF yesterday was dispensed with.
The Speaker laid before the House n COM
municatOn from the Governor, covering the re-
port Of the commissioners to consider the need
| for additional room in the Capitol Building for
the increasing wants Of the state library, the
state historical society and the state cabinet,
which was ordered to lie and be printed. The
| report Is as follows:
To His ErcelIency Redfeld Proctor, Governor Of
| Tcimont
The undersigned, commissioners to devise n
| plan for the better accommodation and utility OF
| the State Library, the State Cabinet and the col
| lections Of the Vermont Historical Society and
to prepare designs and make estimates of the
| same and report TO the next legislature" APP
pointed by His Exceency Horace Fairbanks
| Governor, under Il joint resolution, adopted by
| the General Assembly of the state at the biennial
session Of 1876, would respectfully report to your
Excellency that they have attended to the duties
| of their commission, and make the following re-
| port and submit the following estimates and the
| accompanying designs.
The limited size of the present library room
and the extentoi the library demand that some
thing should be done not only for the future
wants OF the library with reference TO its natural
increase, but also for its present needs This neces
sity was recognized by the Legislature of two
years ago when they passed the resolution under
which these commissioners were appointed
The present library room has shelf space for
| about twelve thousand volumes, which is about
two-thirds OF the books belonging to the state Ii
brary, making no account OF the duplicates, which
would add very much to the number.
The books not now in the library room proper
are portion of them shelyed in committee room
No II, on the lower floor of the State House, and
the remainder stored in temporary room over
the vestibule to the Representatives Hall.
In the two rooms above named, but mainly in
the latter, stored the duplicate volumes
numbering in all about fifteen thousand volumes
and the storage room in these two apartments is
used up.
Owing to some defect in the method Of build
ing the walls Of the State House originally, or to
some difficulty inherent in stone and brick walls
rising from the earth, the walls of committee
gather moisture and the books in that room suffer
damage from that cause The room over the YES
tibule il dry, but 1t is nconvenient of access not
at all adapted for a library room, and in case of
fire Its contents would most certainly be de-
stroyed
In 1858, when Hon. Charles Reed became State
Librarian the library contained three thousand
five hundred Volumes exclusive OF duplicates.
The accessions have averaged between six hun
dred and seven hundred books year since and
there are now something over seventeen thousand
volumes belonging to the library, to say nothing of
pamphlets or duplicates of the books. So that
there are about five thousand volumes OF books
not duplicates that cannot be placed on the
shelves of the library. The present librarian,
Hiram A. Huse Esq, who furnishes the above
facts and statistics, tells that there was found
to be need of more room as early as 1870
The State Cabinet of Natural History il also
crowded into narrow space and needs double the
of interest already belonging to it, Dr. eating the
Curator estimates that for the full exhibition OF the
natural history OF Vermont in its proper order az
10 classification, etc, and as the natural history
OF other states Is shown, for the benefit of the
student, the casual observer or the naturalist at
least Tour times the space now used would be re-
CURED
The Vermont Historical Society is child of the
state, and should the legal guardians OF its val
liable collections fail in their duty, and the So
ciety lose its existence, the historical and other
treasures would revert to the state.
The value of many of the original documents
relics and rare and valuable volumes In the culec-
ton OF this society cannot be estimated In dollars
and cents. Should they be lost, most of them
could never be replaced. The natural process Of
decay is largely hastened and their value deteri-
crates rapidly forwant of proper room and facli-
ties Tor their preservation
The Librarian of the Historical Society NJ d. |
Gilman, ESQ, informs us that the immediate
now given them for the suitable keeping OF the |
library and collections now on hand and that /
probably during the next three years three times
the present space ought to be provided. He re
minds us that libraries and historical collections
are constantly increasing and will accumulate rap.
IDLY IN new and growing country like ours.
There is, therefore, immediate call for at least |
double the space now occupied in all the depart
ments referred to in the resolution.
The rooms Of the Historical Society and of the |
state Cabinet cannot be enlarged nor arranged so |
~ to properly and conveniently accommodate |
they now do.
1t has been suggested to the Commissioners
that the alcoves and shelving in the State Library
might be fearranged III snch manner rs to give |
more space than at present, and this Is undoubt-
eddy true; but the Commissioners are satisfied
that the space thus gained would not be sufficient
To accommodate the present wants of the library
aud after such change had been made there
would be immediate need for further space, which |
would grow more and more pressing from wear
10 year, so that it seemed TO the Commissioners
that there were but two plans for them to con-
slider, viz: whether they should recommend an /
extension OF the present building Of the State
House In some manner, or separate Library
building.
In arriving at their final decision they called to
their consultations an architect of experience and
reputation, j. J. r. Randall Esq, OF Rutland and
employed him to make designs, plans and esti-
mates, both OF separate Library building and of
an extension of the State House.
After full consideration OF the advantages and
disadvantages Of the various plans, the commis-
sioners are unanimously of the opinion that the
true course to be taken is to extend the present
State House In some manner
II II separate building were to be erected IL
would of course compel members of the legisla-
ture who wish To consult the Library during the
session of their respective bodies, to pass out of
doors TO reach the Library building unless the
two buildings were connected by gallery or by
some similar continuance. This could not be
done without marring the symmetry of the present
structure, and would almost necessarily compel