National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-02-21
Library Of Congress.

There is bill before Congress ito consti-
tute a commission to consider and report a
plan for providing enlarged accommodations
for the Library of Congress" 1t proposes
that the chairmen Of the joint Committee
on the Library and the chairmen Of the
House and Senate Committees on Public
Buildings and Grounds and the Librarian of
Congress shall compose the commission for
the purpose, and that $500 shall be appro-
priated for the expense of designs, plans
&c, which this commission may prescribe.
If our recollection serves us Alright, this pre-
liminary 10 new Library building has all
been gone through with once or twice here
tolore, and that plans have been invited
and accepted and appropriation made for
the beginning the work upon the new build
ing; but that some inability of the commits
sion to agree upon a proper site for the
structure prevented the prosecution Of the
plans and designs then approved.
We may be in error rs to this. and it may
be necessary to have new commission and q
new appropriation for plans and designs. If
50, by all means let us have it; only let
| SDlllS l'sll DlbBltHo III INV NC
Do not let this act be passed just as this
| Congress is about to expire, SO that the per-
sons who are made members of the commits
sion will retire from public life or from
membership before they can have time to
accomplish anything in regard TO the object
in view. 1t strikes us that it would be
much better to have the commission COM
posed of the Chief of Engineers, the Archi-
tcct of the Capitol the Superintendent of
Public Buildings and Grounds, the Super
wishing Architect of the Treasury, and the
Librarian of Congress, than of the chairmen
Of those committees named, whose terms OF
office expire with each successive Congress,
The five officers named would form a
board whose official duties assimilate to the
work in hand. and whose education, pur-
suits, and official capacity would all com
bine to insure effective results. One thing
is very certain the Library must speedily
be supplied with enlarged accommodations
or its usefulness will be greatly impaired
1t is increasing so rapidly under the present
copyright law that it will soon become the
most voluminOus library in the world
Many of the valuable volumes now compos
ing it have to be slowed away in a manner
that renders them almost inaccessible to the
ordinary student All will concede that {
wealth of books is but poverty aggravated
when they cannot be consulted. We hop'
that Congress will make some energeti,
effort to solve this vexed problem.
Our national libraries, stocked with result
of scientific research, are already forming
one of the most powerful attractions Il
bring authors and other studious Ieopl
among us to reside. While Congress i
, considering the matter of new building
, for the Library of Congress and for tn
Naval Observatory, the prOpriety Of 10
eating them both in the same vicinity,
not under the same roof may very properl,
enter into their researches and calculation,
The student of astronomy is attracted hith
erward by the superiority of our large tele
scope, and if Congress will but devote sutli
cient attention to providing facilities 70
astronomical observations, the NptiOna
= Capital may, ere long, become reno med a
: a seat of learning in that as well IS mos
other branches Of science. Thcres is n
other city in the country which can aflor,
50 cheapIy all the advantages necessary t
the prosecution of the study of the variou
branches of science as Washington. An,
this fact accounts for the great anxiety no,
50 generally expressed for the endowmen
of National University at this point, W
= have no doubt that things are gpyitatin
toward that end. Nothing will hasten tn
i doroumem so much as proper arrangement
" lor easy access by students to all our printe'
. A LITTLE boy was asked tho other day II h
knew where the wicked finally went to. II,
answered They practice law here u spell
= aud then 20 to the Legislature