AN HISTORICAL NOTICE OF THE LIBRARY. THIS Society has been established for nearly a century, and is the oldest existing institution of the kind in the city of New-York.* In 1729, the Rev. Dr. Millington, Rector of Newington, England, by his will, bequeathed his library to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. By this society the library of Dr. Millington was presented to the corporation of the city, for the use of the clergy and gentlemen of New-York and the neighbouring provinces. From the records of the Common Council it appears that the gift was gratefully received, and provision was made for the reception and use of the books, in compliance with the intention of the donors. The New-York Society Library was founded in the year 1754, having for its objects, as expressed in the original articles of association, "the use and ornament of the city, and the advantage of an intended college."+ Smith's History of New-York‡ thus adverts to the subject: 66 "In 1754, a set of gentlemen undertook to carry about a subscription towards raising a public library, and in a few days collected near 600 pounds, which were laid out in purchasing about 700 volumes of new, well-chosen books. Every subscriber, upon payment of five pounds principal, and the annual sum of ten shillings, is entitled to the use of these books,-his right, by the articles, is assignable, and for non-compliance with them may be forfeited. The care of this library is committed to twelve trustees, annually elected by the subscribers, on the last Tuesday of April, who are restricted from making any rules repugnant to the fundamental subscription. This is the beginning of a library which, in process of time, will probably become vastly rich and voluminous, and it would be very proper for the company to have a charter for its security and encouragement." The library of the corporation above alluded to, appearing to have been mismanaged, and at length entirely disused, the trustees of the New-York Society Library offered to take charge of it, and to deposit their own collection with it, in the City-Hall. This proposal having been acceded to by the corporation, the Institution thenceforward received the appellation of "The City Library," a name by which it was commonly known for a long time. A good foundation having been thus obtained, the library prospered and increased, and a judicious management and care being superadded, the institution began to assume a character of permanence, and to bid fair to extend its usefulness and to add to the reputation of the city. To effect these desirable results more certainly, it was at length found expe * A volume of Clarendon's History of the Rebellion, now in the library, indeed bears the mark of the "Publick Library of New-York, 1711" but this collection is no longer in existence. † Columbia College, formerly called King's College, chartered about this time, is here referred to. 4to. Ed., London, 1757, p. 195. dient to apply for an act of incorporation. Accordingly, in 1772, a charter was granted to it by the colonial government. The war of the revolution, however, which soon after occurred, interfered with these pleasing prospects; the city fell into the possession of the enemy; the effect on all our public institutions was more or less disastrous, and to the library nearly fatal. An interval of no less than fourteen years, (of which it possesses no record whatever,) here occurs in the history of the society. At length it appears from the minutes, that "the accidents of the late war having nearly destroyed the former library, no meeting of the proprietors for the choice of trustees was held from the last Tuesday in April, 1774, until Saturday, the 21st December, 1788, when a meeting was summoned.” In 1789, the original charter, with all its privileges, was revived by the legislature of this state; the surviving members resumed the payment of their annual dues, an accession of new subscribers was obtained, and the society, undeterred by the loss of its books, commenced almost a new collection. In 1793, a plot of ground was purchased in Nassau-street, upon which a building was erected of considerable size, and possessing some architectural pretensions, to which, upon its completion, in 1793, the library was removed. In 1802, the trustees finding the annual payment on the shares inadequate to the expenses of the library, obtained the authority of the legislature to raise them from ten to twenty shillings. In 1813, the first catalogue of any consequence was published. By this it appears that the collection then comprised about thirteen thousand volumes. At the same time the price of shares, which had been gradually increased from the original subscription of five pounds, was fixed at forty dollars. In 1819, the annual payments were again advanced and fixed at four dollars. In 1825, a supplement to the catalogue of 1813, was published, showing a still further increase in the number of volumes, which then amounted to about sixteen thousand. It was now considered expedient, in order to extend the benefits of the library as far as possible consistently with its safety, to reduce the price of shares to twenty-five dollars. In 1828, a rigid economy was introduced into the expenditures of the library, the salary of the librarian was reduced, and great vigilance was used in the collection of the annual dues. By these means the trustees were soon enabled to increase the collection by a more liberal purchase of domestic publications, and by valuable importations from abroad. The sale of shares has been gradually increasing for several years; the present number is four hundred and eighty. The number of volumes now in the library is about twenty-five thousand. In 1836, the trustees sold the property in Nassau-street, on very advantageous terms, and purchased a lot in Broadway, where they contemplate the erection of an edifice for the library. The present location in Chambers-street, which has been hired from the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, is used as a temporary accommodation for the library. ARTICLES OF THE SUBSCRIPTION ROLL OF THE NEW. YORK LIBRARY, 1754.* WHEREAS a public library would be very useful, as well as ornamental to this city, and may be also advantageous to our intended college, we, whose names are hereunto subscribed, in order to promote the design of erecting one in this city, do promise to pay five pounds, New-York currency, each, on the first day of May next ensuing the date hereof; and ten shillings yearly, each, on every first day of May, for ever hereafter, to twelve trustees, to be chosen by the majority of us, or our assigns, annually out of the number of subscribers hereto, or their assigns; for which purpose we agree to meet constantly on the last Tuesday in April, in every year ensuing the date hereof, at the Exchange, in Broad-street, in this city, between the hours of eleven and twelve; which trustees, or the majority of them, are hereby empowered to dispose of the said money in purchasing such books as they shall think proper from time to time, and in procuring a house or room to deposit them in; to appoint a library keeper, and allow him a proper salary for his care and attendance of the said library; to regulate the terms on which the books belonging to the said library shall be lent, (those who are not subscribers being to pay such rates for the loan of books as the trustees shall appoint,) and to do every thing they shall judge necessary to erect, preserve, ornament and improve the said library, which they are to keep under the following regulations. Ist. Every subscriber, or his assigns, shall have a right to take out one book at a time, depositing in cash, at least one third more than the value of it, with the library keeper, and to keep it for so long a time as the trustees, for the time being, shall appoint, to be proportioned as nearly as possible to the bulk of the volume; and in case he shall keep it longer, to pay for the use of the said book, after the expiration of the said time, according to the rates (to be settled by the trustees) to be paid by those who shall not be subscribers thereto. For this purpose, the books shall be valued by the trustees, and a catalogue of them, with the price of each book, be made and left in the hands of the library keeper. IIdly. Every subscriber may alienate or bequeath his right, as of any other chattel. IIIdly. No person shall have above one vote, though he should subscribe more than is above mentioned, or purchase several rights. IVthly. Part of a subscription right shall not be regarded, nor entitle its owner to any privileges whatsoever. Vthly. Every subscriber who refuses to pay the ten shillings yearly, shall forfeit his right and privileges in the said library; but if he, or any other in his name, pay the arrears with lawful interest from the several times of their becoming due, he or they shall be as fully restored to them upon such payment, as if such forfeiture had not been incurred. *A copy of this document, in the form of a printed handbill, is preserved in the library, having been found among the papers of James De Peyster, Esq. of Jamaica, L. I., and presented by the late Dr. Win. Hamersley, in 1804. B VIthly. The trustees shall serve gratis. VIIthly. They may appoint a treasurer if they shall think proper, and make him a proper allowance for his trouble, not exceeding five per cent. on all the money he shall receive into his hands from time to time, for the use of the said library. VIIIthly. No trustee shall be appointed treasurer. IXthly. The election of trustees shall be by balloting, each putting the whole number he votes for upon one ballot. Xthly. The trustees shall, if they think proper, admit any person to become a subscriber after the date hereof, upon payment of the like sum of five pounds, which is the original subscription money, and ten shillings per annum, from the first day of May next, till the time of his subscrip tion. XIthly. That the rights and privileges in the said library, in consequence of such subscription, and the loan of books to such as shall not subscribe hereto, shall not be confined to this city; but that every person residing in this province may become a subscriber, or have the loan of books in the manner and on the terms herein mentioned, or hereafter to be prescribed. XIIthly. That regular accounts of the several sums received, either as subscriptions, or for the loan of books, and of the disbursements arising from the purchase of books, for erecting, enlarging, and repairing the said library, shall be exhibited to the subscribers hereto, or their assigns, at every annual meeting, on the last Tuesday in April, upon pain of the forfeiture of the rights and privileges of every trustee that shall be delinquent in this particular. XIIIthly. That the trustees, for the time being, shall make such further rules and orders, for the better support of the said library, as to them, or the majority of them, shall seem meet; which rules and orders to be made by them, shall be subject to the confirmation or repeal of the subscribers hereto, or their assigns, at each annual meeting aforesaid. XIVthly. That the majority of the subscribers hereto, or their assigns, at every annual meeting forever hereafter, shall, if they think proper, alter, correct, or repeal, all or any of the above rules and orders, or any other rules and orders hereafter to be made; and make such further and other rules and orders, as to them shall seem meet, and most conducive to the support and increase of the said library. City of New-York, April 2d, 1754. FIRST TRUSTEES OF THE NEW-YORK SOCIETY LIBRARY, The Hon. JAMES DE LANCEY, Lieutenant Governor of the Province. The Hon. JOSEPH MURRAY, one of the Legislative Council. The Hon. JOHN CHAMBERS, do. and one of the Judges of the Supreme Court. The Reverend HENRY BARCLAY, Rector of Trinity Church. The Hon. WILLIAM WALTON, one of the Council. Mr. JOHN WATTS, Merchant. BENJAMIN NICOLL, Esq., Attorney at Law. WILLIAM LIVINGSTON, Esq., afterwards Governor of New-Jersey. The Rt. Hon. WILLIAM ALEXANDER, one of the Council. Mr. WM. PEARTREE SMITH. ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON, Esq. The Hon. JAMES ALEXANDER, one of the Council. THE CHARTER. GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of GoD, of Great Britain, and others in 1754 for WHEREAS our loving subjects, John Watts, William Smith, Preamble. Robert R. Livingston, Whitehead Hicks, William Livingston, Goldsbrow Banyar, and Samuel Jones, of our city of NewYork, Esquires; Peter Van Brugh Livingston, and Peter Ketteltas, of our said city of New-York, merchants; Walter Rutherford, and David Clarkson, of our said city of New-York, gentlemen; and Samuel Bard, of our said city of New-York, physician-by their humble petition presented unto our trusty Petition of and well-beloved William Tryon, Esq., our captain-general and John Watts governor-in-chief, in and over our province of New-York, and the for a charter. territories depending thereon in America, chancellor and viceadmiral of the same, and read in our council for our said province, on the eighth day of September last past: did set forth, That sundry persons conceiving a public library would be useful Association as well as ornamental to our said city of New-York, did, in the erecting a year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty-four, set Library. on foot a subscription, in order to promote the design of erecting one in our said city, and did thereby promise to pay five pounds, Each person New-York currency, each, on the first day of May, in the said to pay five year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty-four; and ten shillings yearly, each, on every first day of May for ever Ten shillings. thereafter, to twelve trustees, to be chosen by the majority of yearly. the subscribers, or their assigns, annually, out of the number of tees. subscribers thereto, or their assigns: For which purpose the To meet on said subscribers did thereby agree to meet constantly, on the the last last Tuesday in April, in every year, at the Exchange, in Broad- April in each street, in our said city of New-York, between the hours of eleven Exchange in and twelve; which trustees, or the majority of them, were thereby empowered to dispose of the said money in purchasing such books as they should think proper, from time to time, and in procuring a house or room to deposit them in; to appoint a librarian, and allow him a proper salary for his care and attendance of the said library; to regulate the terms on which the books belonging to the said library should be lent, and to pounds. Twelve trus Tuesday of year, at the Broad-street, |