The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1883-01-21
congress and the National Library.

Observe, my SOM" said the minister of
monarch, with how little wisdom the people arc
governed. v u Is not much bettet when the people
govern themselves. Five or SIN years ago, when our
national debt was larger and the iurnme small, the
Joint COMMITTEES on the Library Of Congress pro.
posed most magnificent plans for new building,
Ia cost ten or twelve millions. Now when IN,
Treasury is oternOwng, the committee feel Obliged
by the Congressional apprehension of popular blame
Tor extravaganza to ask for building costing only
halt as much, and Congress rejects even this de.
inand. III the objection made TO the plans had been
that they were bad-as they were-one would not
have found fault: but no one but the committee
knew, or could he expected to know, ything about
the plans. The questions brought up were whether
IT is worth while TO have National Library at ALL
where " is best to put ts house, and how much 1t
Is worth while to pay for the building To the first
question II was answered that by the operation OF
the copyrghtlaw we already have National library
an evil state OF things which Mr. McLane OF Mary
land proposed TO do away with by destroying half Of
the books as being useless. His drastic remedy
found no advocate IN words, though the House has
always been doing what Indifference could to carry
1t INTO elect, letting $50, 600 volumes lie crowded
Into space designed for $50. 900. As TO the place.
the project OF buying land for the site which has
ways been supposed to cover Job, with some
show of reason, since the price usually talked OF
Is about three times the assessed value sum
| marily disposed Of The enlargement OF the
Capitol which could only be temporary make
SHIFT, has also dropped out OF sight judiciary
SQUARE, by far tile hest site In tile city HAS bean
appropriated by commission Tor tile constitute
ton OF building for the Pension Office IN the plan
ningo which observe agai my SOM 1t Is said that no
member of the office has been consulted. The Bo-
tahcal Garden, on Pennsylvania avenue, which IL
now most In favor, Is not inconvenientIy stu lied
and perhaps after the channel of the river Is i'm
proved, II may not be exposed to the Potomac Hoods
The third question was the cost. AS we said, II
started ut ten twelve millions for the building
elusive of the land AT that time the idea was to
construct magnificent palace, with ant galleries and
vast halls FOR the public to promenade In aud some
small storage for books put In, as were
ically. Tho exterior To he Gothic: and a. often
happens with orr public buildings, there were per-
who did not think II beautiful, AT the present
session N mr. MT nv
travagant plan. aud substituted one with exactly
the same INTERIOR but In the Renaissance style, 10
cost three or four millions, showing that they had
proposed To spend Ave six purely for an outside
casing and not an attractive one at that. Until we
have.a design OF undoubted and extraordinary excel
ence 1t Is well to reserve millions. OF the Re
naissance design we can only say that " II In tho
one exhibited two or three years ago IL Is litle i'm
proyenent on the Gothic. But the House will have
neither. The House limits the expense to 81, 900, :
OO0 Congress Is willing TO store Its books but does not
care In doing so 10 attempt to beautfy the city OF
Washagton IL there had been any chance OF its sue
ceeding one might regret Its parsmony
II has been confidently asserted that by adopting
Of three for dollar library is always ~ '' ec ,%,
venently full before 1t Is closely packed hat the two
million dollars win certainly provide for Ave million
volumes, twice as many are In the largest library
In the world, three times many as are in the next
largest library double the number provided for in the
ten million dollar plan. II Congress should double
Its rate of growth and acquire 80, 900 additional
volumes every year the building would be good for
ninety years. tHeH IL COnIu De No pan Tor
library building is good that does not provide for
enlargement. One OF the most sensible suggestions
shows curiously how little knowledge Congress has of
libraries. II was proposed that the matter DO referred
to u commission OF experts, composed among other
persons OF the librarians OF the public libraries OF
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Gin
clnnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, and st. Louis. Now,
III by IBIS was meant, AZ 1t probably was, the FREQ
public libraries owned by these cities and supported
public expense, the cities of New York and Phladel-
phia have none; st. Louis has only public school
library; and the public library of Baltimore has not
yet any librarian. II by public libraries was meant,
rs In the tariff. all that are not private In those
ctlcs--mercaniile society, proprietary, university
then the body would be somewhat unwieldy. How
ever II makes little difference which interprea
Is the true one, as the amendment not adopted,
and the whole matter remains In the hands OF the
Joint Library Committee, who do not consult libra
rians, and whose favore plan disapproved of by
the librarians In convention at Washington and
mally condemned by the librarians In convention nj
Cincinnati The result far though not creditable
TO Congress- is not greatly to he amented. with the
original plans should have had an ugly, unsuitable
and costly building. with the new plans we sla
probably have an ugly, unsuitable, but cheaper build.
Ing. The saving of six or seven millions Is some
thing, and there Is the further advantage that the
Library of Congress. plainly housed viii not he the
chief show place Of the city, aud VIII escape that
army of sghtseers who, In the COstler ediace would
have made any proper nsc Of the books impossible.
EUsnin0 Post,