Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-30
Bill introduced by Senator Mcmillan
in the Senate Today.
MEETING 4 PUBLIC DEMAND
It Was Framed by the District
Board of Trade.
FULL TEXT OF THE MEASURE

A bill providing for circulating library
in the Senate today by Mr.. Mcmillan. who
will be chairman of the Senate committee
on the District of Columbia when the plan
to reorganize the committees is put into eff
feet. This bill was framed by the board of
trade committee.
Mr.. Mcmillan, speaking to Star reporter
today in reference to his bill to establish a
circulating library in this city, said he would
do all in his power to have the measure be-
come law, as he regarded a library as very
necessary to meet the needs of this city.
Mr.. Mcmillan introduced a bill during the
last Congress generally similar to the one
he introduced today, and his friendliness to
the plan has in nowise diminished.
The title of the bill IS "a bill to estab-
lish and provide for the maintenance of q
free public library and reading room in
the District of Columbia" Its text is as
follows
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
America. in Congress assembled, That a
free public library and reading room is
hereby established and shall be maintained
in the District Of Columbia, which shall
be the property of the said District and a
supplement of the public educational sys-
tenn of said District. All actions relating
penalties lawfully established in relation
thereto, shall be brought in the name of
the District of Columbia, and the
Commissioners of said District are au-
cept and take title to all gifts, requests and
devises for tho purpose of aiding in the
maintenance or endowment of said library.
Sec. 2. That all persons who are perma-
nent or temporary residents of the District
of Columbia shall he entitled to the privi-
leges of said library, including the use of
the books contained therein as lending
or circulating library, subject to such rules
and regulations as may be lawfully estab-
lished in relation thereto.
Sec. 3. That the said library shall be in
charge of a board of library trustees, who
shall purchase the books, magazines and
newspapers and procure the necessary ap-
pendages for such library. The said board
of trustees shall be composed of nine MEM
bers, each of whom shall be a taxpayer in
the District Of Columbia, and shall serve
without compensation. They shall be ap-
pointed by the Commissioners of the Dis
trict Of Columbia and shall hold Office for
six years. Provided, That at the first meet
ing of the said board the members shall be
divided by lot into three classes. The first
class, composed of three members, shall
hold Office for two years; the second class,
composed of three members, shall hold Of
flee for four years; the third class, COM
posed Of three members, shall hold office
for SIX ears. Any vacancy occurring in
said board shall be filled by the District
Commissioners. Said board shall have the
power to provide such regulations for its
own organization and government as 1t
may deem necessary.
Sec. 4. That the said board shall have
power to provide for the proper care and
preservation of said library to prescribe
rules for taking and returning books, to
fix, assess and collect fines and penalties
for the loss of or injury to books, and to
establish all other needful rules and regu-
lations for the management of the library
no
said board Of trustees shall appoint a
librarian to have the care and superin-
tendence of said library, who shall be re-
sponSible to the beard of trustees for the
impartial enforcement of all rules and reg,l-
lations lawfully established in relation to
said library. The said librarian shall ap-
point such assistants as the board shall
deem necessary to the proper conduct of
the library. The said board of library trus-
tees shall make an annual report to the
Commissioners of the District Of Columbia
relative to the management of the said
library.
Sec. 5. That said library shall be located
in some convenient place III the city of
Washington to be designated by the Com
missioners Of the District of Columbia up
on the recommendation Of the trustees Of
said library. Provided, That in any NUM-
cipal building to be hereafter erected in
said District, suitable provision shall be
made for said library and reading room
sufficient to accommodate not less than
100000 volumes.
Sec. g. The joint committee on library
of the Congress of the United States, upon
report by the librarian of Congress, shall
turn over to said library such duplicate
copies of books in said librarians charge
as in the judgment of said committee are
not required for the use of the library
of Congress.
Sec. I. That the expenses of the main
te0ance Of said library, including salaries
of employees, shall be treated as among
the current municipal expenses of said
District, an it is hereby made the duty Of
the Commissioners of the District of Co
lumbia, to include these expenses in the
annual estimates of the District of Co
lumbia, transmitted by them to Congress
In accordance with the provisions of the
act of June II, 1878, regulating the trans
mission of said estimates and the appro-
priations by Congress to meet the same.