THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 76, 28 September 1881, Page 2

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY.

The Joint Library Committee of the General Assembly, it is stated, have passed a resolution that the issue of books be restricted during the reces3 to " members of Parliament, tho officei'3 of both Houses, viz., the clerks, clerk assistants, clerka of committees, and the interpreters, the permanent under- secretaries, and those officers of the Government to whom the privileges of the library are allowed during the session." Hitherti, in addition to tho classes named, clergymen, journalists, and various others to whom the privilege was likely to be of U3ein their several professions have been allowed to use the library during the recess, and we have not heard of any instance in which tho privilege has been abused, or anything detrimental either to the library or its officials has resulted. It is difficult to understand, therefore, why the concession has been withdrawn. Certainly if there has been any abuseof the liberty allowed it has not been on the part of the persons whom it is now songht to exclude. While not only members of Parliament and civil servants, but their wives and daughters, sisters, cousins, and aunta, were allowed to roam over the library at will and take out whatever books they chose, persons outside the charmed circle, to whom the entrie was grudgingly accorded, were only permitted to take out certain books, and then only after filling up forms and complying with other rigid restrictions If any books have been lost or destroyed it is clear, therefore, that these cannot be the culprits, and it seem 9 a little hard to punish them in the way proposed. We sincerely hope that Sir William Fitzherbert and Sir Maurioe O'Rorke, in whom the control of the library now vests, will at any rate restore to the public the limited amount of liberty it formerly enjoyed in regard to using the fine collection of books provided out of the funds of the colony.