Morning journal and courier., 1883-12-04
The Public Library.

library, appointed to take into consloeranon the advisabillty of establishing free public library in this city, respectfully report that they have attended to the business assigned and submit the following report
 Your committee have held seven meetings, six of which have been open to the public and attended by many prominent citizens. It is pleasure to your committee to be able to report that not single individual of the many appearing before us offered the slight est objection to the project under considera- ton. All seemed to realize the necessity of the re-establfshment of such an institution in our city and regretted the fact that New Haven, in the past, has been less enterprising in this respect than her sister cities of this and other States. In this opinion your com nittee unanimously concur, and earnestly hope that your honorable body will take im- mediate steps for the establishment of free public library in our city.
 In this connection your committee respect. fully report that they have had one or more consultations with the officers of the Young Mems Institute regarding the adVisability of the Institute uniting with the city in the establishment of free public library. AS result of these interviews the Young Mems Institute have presented for your considera tion a series of propositions, which are here- with submitted and made part of this re- port.
 To the Honorable Court of Common Council
 of the City of New Haven
 In response to the initiation of your com mittee with reference to establishing and maintaining public library in our city, the directors of the New Haven Young Mems In- stitute beg leave to present the following propositions and suggestions;
 l. It has been for many years the hope of the Institute that it would be able to extend to the citizens of New Haven the privileges of library and reading room free of cost. That it has accomplished something in this direction is shown by the fact that during the last fGe years the income received from sources other than memberships has been more than fifty per cent. of it's entire ceipts, thus afording library privileges to our citizens and to all who chose to avail them- selves of the same at about one-half of the actual cost. It has been the constant aim to reduce this charge as fast as the funds of the Institute would allow, and soon as it's income, from whatever sources, shall allow, the privileges of the Institute will be made free to all.
 ?. The directors also design to call atten- tion to the fact that the legal title to con- siderable part of their property is placed in the hands of trustees; this fact, as well as other considerations, requiring the continu- euce of the legal organization of the Insti, tute. Actuated by the foregoing motives we make the folio wing proposition to the city of New Haven:
 8. (A) Whenever by the city of New Ha- ven, or under it's authority or sanction, a building or buildings shall have been erect ed within reasonable time and a room or rooms duly set aside therein, all suitable for ekl. .Sz it may exist from time to time, in connection with other suitable rooms corresponding to the present reading room of ths Institute, for the free use of the public, and the city shall also have provided by proper legislation for the establishmentisand maintenance of 8 free public library and reading rooms therein, the Institute will cause it's library to be placed in such rooms and to be open to the free use of the public; subject only to such reason able rules for the preservation and proper use of the same as may be established with the consent of both parties.
 (B) Said Institute will also cause all it's net income, including that from future endow- ments, to be applied to the repair and in- crease of said Institute library, subject to the same use and rules.
 (C) Said Institute library shall continue to be subject to free public use as aforesaid, so long as such suitable public library and read ing rooms shall be duly maintained under authority of said city free of charge to the Institute and other persons using the same.
 (D) It is to be understood however, that said building is to be centrally located and constructed in the first instance with caHaci- ty sufficient for public library of at least fifty thousand volumes, and upon lot ad- hitting of additions at least equal in capacity to that of the original structure.
 (E) The details of the foregoing arrange ment shall be fixed by a proper committee of each party.
 (4) Various plans to accomplish this might be suggested. Some Of our citizens have thought that the recent appropriation for monument to soldiers might be combined with voluntary offerings on the part of pub lie spirited citizens favoriDg public library in such way as to furnish ample gratifca- ton to the sentiments prompting each. AS one mode of reaching the above results, they suggest the following:
 (A) Let the Mayor by authority of the Court of Common Council appoint com. mittee of nine or more reliable citizens to re- ceiVe, manage and apply all subscriptions and donations of materials and money for the purchasing of suitable lot and erecting thereon a suitable building for such library and incidental purposes, the committee to have power to appoint auxiliary and sub committees in various localities.
 (B) Let said committee invite and receive subscriptions of materials and money for said object, payable on their call, provided that certain sum in cash, say $75 900, shall have been duly subscribed by reliable parties on or before the 4th day of July, 1884
 co When said sum shall have been so subscribed, let the appropriation of $50, GOO for soldiers monument be placed under their control if that application of the money shall have been determined on; if not the $50, GOO to be obtained in some other man. ner.
 (D) With these funds let them buy a FoEl Ia lot and ht1iId able to commemorate the soldiers, including form of the building, inscriptions, tablets and rooms for preserving flags and other memo rials, provided said monument fund is used, and at the same time suitable for all the pur- poses of free public library.
 (E) Let the building and the general con- trol and management of the same and of the library and reading room be subject to off cers and bylaws provided by the Court of Common Council
 (F) Let ell public and public spirited or ganizations unite as far as necessary to pro- cure proper legislation to carry out the plan and preserve the property.
 Respectfully submitted in behalf of the New Haven Young Mems Institute, by order of the board of directors.
 T. ATTwATER BARNES,
 c. c. BLATCHLEY, s. T. DUTToN, }Committee. - F. B. HARRISON, .
 B. P. ARvINE,
 After careful consideration of the fore going propositions, your committee unani- mousIy recommend the adoption of the same and the passage of the following order.
 All of which is respectfully submitted.
 JAMES P BARKER, Chairman.
 Ordered, that committee of nine be ap- pointed by the Mayor to receive. manage and apply all subscriptions and donations of ma terials and money to the amount of $75, 1000 for the purchasing of suitable lot, and the erection thereon of a building suitable for library and incidental purposes, said commit tee to have power to appoint auxiliary and sub committees in various localities; pro- vided that the S50,O0O appropriated by the town of New Haven for soldiers monument can be secured for this purpose. If this sum cannot be secured, and your committee earn estIy hope that it can, we would recommend that it be raised in some other manner.
 S15,OOO Fire tn WestpOrt. One of Thomas R. Lees cotton mills at Westport was burned Sunday night with 15o bales of cotton. Loss on stock. building and $15, 900; partially insured Origin 1 of fire unknown.