the other hand, it is impossible to exercise a proper surveillance over such a mass of readers; a great number of books disappear; others are deteriorated, rendered incomplete; sheets are carried off, to save the trouble of copying them, or take extracts." This indiscriminate admission of the public is rendered comparatively harmless in Paris by the fact, that men of learning and letters are there allowed to take the books which they may want home with them. We may borrow for our own use all that is good in the management of the French libraries, and reject what is doubtful and defective. We might throw the general library open to the public-but at the same time, by forming a subsidiary library out of the duplicates (already 52,000 in number), fitted up in a manner better adapted to promote the comfort of those who simply wish to read, the consulting library would probably remain much in its present state. There are two other points connected with the British Museum on which the Committee express the strongest opinions—the necessity of having it open in the evening-and the desirableness of lending out the books, under strict guarantees of course, to readers. The first of these points chiefly concerns the working classes. To them the mere opening of the institution from ten to four would be only an additional mockery. The great objection to this course has always been the alleged danger to the books from the use of gas. The objection is two-fold-it asserts, that gas spoils the binding, and exposes the books to fire. There is little force in either. Gas is not found to spoil the binding of books in our private houses, and a library properly fitted up-fire-proof—is one of the least likely of all places to be burnt by fire. The National Library in Paris runs far more risk of destruction by fire than the British Museum would if covered with jets of gas; but it has not been burned. Even Chetham's library in Manchester is closed to the public at night-and so is rendered useless to the toiling thousands of that city-through the same absurd fear of gas. The same objections are felt in many parts of the continent; but at Rouen, at Orleans, and at Paris, the experimeut of having the libraries open in the evening has been tried by the authorities, and it is said by M. Guizot with the very best results. Great numbers of workmen repair to them after the labour of the day, instead of going to the wine-shop: no doubt it would be the same in London and Manchester. The proposition to adopt the continental plan of lending out books meets with the same class of objections. Some of them would be lost, it is said. This is conceded by M. Guizot, M. Van de Weyer, and M. Libri, on behalf of France, Belgium, and Italy. But these eminent witnesses contend that the advantages of such a course are so great as to make the possible waste in this way unworthy of a thought. M. Van de Weyer puts the case well. He admits the moral turpitude which would attach to the neglect to return a book borrowed from the nation: but, at the same time, he shows that the book by changing hands is not absolutely lost. With its store of wisdom, it is still in existence-still has its readers most probably. Whether to men of letters or to the large class of readers, this ques tion of home-reading is second only in importance to the establishment of the library itself. Both these principles are strongly urged for adoption by the Committee in their Report. With regard to the more material points. The Committee recommend, in the first place, that a house be at once provided for the reception of books in every locality in which it is possible and desirable and wherever it is possible it is desirable-to form a public collection. The depository being provided, it is believed that a respectable number of volumes would be obtained by donation. It is a certain fact that most of our literary treasures have been collected by private individuals, and then given to the nation. Nor is this wonderful. Of all the forms of bidding for a lasting name, to bequeath a collection of books to posterity is about the least objectionable. It is probable enough that when once an institution is permanently secured to the inhabitants of a localitythe control of it vested in a public and ever-renewable corporation— and the buildings exempted from the burthen of local and general taxation, the books to fill it would soon be found. In the second place, the Committee recommends the managers of the existing public libraries to take such steps as will provide more room for readers in their present premises. There is some scope for improvement in this respect. For example, Dr. Williams's library, in Red Cross Street, City, has, at the present time, accommodation for about 50 or 60 readers: the available space might easily be increased so as to accommodate 100. At Sion College there are not more than six or seven readers generally-there might be space afforded for 200. Neither of these libraries, however, will be usefully employed until they are arranged for being open at night. The same suggestions apply to all the provincial collections of note. In the third place, the Committee recommends the government to make small grants-on clear and strict conditions-for the formation of public libraries. In such cases the conditions imposed should include a provision for the careful maintenance of the books, and for keeping the library open in the evening for the use of the labouring classes. For the grant of money there is precedent both at home and abroad. Each state in the American Union has an annual vote for books; our own government makes a yearly grant in behalf of school-houses and schools of design. Not many modes of expending the resources of the people are so little open to objection. Lastly, the Committee recommends that power be given by the legislature to enable town councils to lay and levy a small rate for the support of local libraries. These are the chief points resulting from the inquiry instituted. But while parliament and public bodies are set to the task of reform, individuals should not forget how much good, in such a work of reform, it lies in their power to accomplish. Employers in America and in many towns in the north of England have begun, at their own cost, to erect libraries in their mills and workshops for the free use of their hands. They find their own profit and moral advantage in it in the improved and improving character of their workpeople. Others have adopted the plan of appropriating all fines levied on the workers for inattention, late hours, or bad work, to the purchase of books for their daily use. There is a double advantage in this course. Formerly these fines went week by week into the pocket of the master; and the man who had a fraction of his scanty earnings thus arrested would seldom admit that the fine was justly inflicted-he would seldom fail to attribute it to his employer's wish to rob him of his hard-earned cash, and to load with curses those who grind the faces of the poor. Under the new system, he sees that his superior has no personal interest in inflicting such fines-that, in fact, they are inflicted only as a means of discipline; and out of his very faults good is made to come both to himself and to others of his class. It would have been wise and useful for the Committee to have examined one of the managers of these mill-libraries, of which there are several in Manchester and the neighbouring towns. Many curious and interesting facts would thus have come to light. But as it is, this Report is so satisfactory, that Mr. Ewart will well deserve the thanks of every friend of education for the inquiry which he has conducted to so successful a result. IV. RAILWAYS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. The Parliamentary proceedings of 1849, in respect to Railways have been marked by the same caution as those of the preceding year a caution which, if exhibited earlier, would have prevented a mass o commercial difficulty. The Railway Acts of 1848, as noticed in the last number of the Companion, amounted in number to 83, of which there were only about 30 that empowered the construction of new branch lines; the rest related to leases, amalgamations, deviations, amendments, and increased capital for finishing lines already commenced. The mileage of new railway sanctioned did not exceed 300 miles. In the session just terminated (1849), the operations have become still more limited. The new Acts are but 35 in number; and only 12 of these contain provisions for new branch lines. The only new companies incorporated have been two for India; viz.: those for the East India Railway, and the Indian Peninsula Railway. There are seven of the Acts which sanction leases, purchases, or amalgamations of different companies. The remaining 14 Acts relate to amendments, deviations, consolidation of Acts, and increase of capital. The new capital, however, and the new portions of railway, are both small in quantity, as compared with those of the five preceding sessions; and much of the capital is required because the companies find almost insuperable difficulties in raising money on loan. Of the 35 new Acts, 21 relate to England, 9 to Scotland, 1 to Ireland, 2 to Wales, and 2 to India. The following is a list of the Railway Acts passed in the session of 1849; with a few words explanatory of the main object or objects of each Act:: 1. Caledonian; purchase of the Wishaw and Coltness Railway. 2. Caledonian; lease of the Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston Railway. 3. Chester and Holyhead; additional capital. 4. Cockermouth and Workington; branch to Bridgefoot; and amend ments. 5. East Anglian; additional time and powers for works. 6. East Indian; incorporating the company. 7. East Lancashire; new branches at Preston; and amendments. 8. East Lothian; dissolution of company. 9. Eastern Union; amendments. 10. Edinburgh and Glasgow; amalgamation with Union Canal Company. 11. Edinburgh and Glasgow; purchase of Wilsontown and Coltness Rail way. 12. Edinburgh and Northern; new pier and works at Granton. 13. Edinburgh and Northern; additional capital. 14. Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ardrossan; additional powers. 15. Great Indian Peninsula; incorporating the company. 16. Great Northern; deviations; enlargement of stations. 17. Irish South Eastern; amendment of Acts. 18. Lancashire and Yorkshire; extensions and amendments. 19. Lancashire and Yorkshire, and London and North Western; joint lease of Preston and Wyre Railway. 20. Lancaster and Carlisle; lease of Lancaster and Preston Railway. 21. Leeds and Thirsk; additional capital. 22. London and Blackwall; extension of time for works. 23. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire; amendment of Acts. 24. Newcastle and Carlisle; new branch and alterations. 25. North Western; alterations and amendments. 26. Reading, Guildford and Reigate; connecting line near Guildford. 34. York, Newcastle, and Berwick; new branches. 35. York and North Midland; deviations in branch lines. The monetary or Stock-Exchange aspect of the railway system has exhibited most lamentable features during 1849. The half-yearly dividends declared by the companies, and the current market prices of the shares, have suffered an amount of declension beyond even the gloomy anticipations entertained in the preceding year. In the last Companion (p. 101), a sketch was given of the progressive decline of dividend in most of the principal lines. The London and North Western is almost the only company which has maintained in 1849 the same rate of dividend, even, as in the preceding year, viz. 7 per cent. The Great Western, the Midland, the Lancashire and Yorkshire, the York and Newcastle, the York and North Midland, the Eastern Counties, the South Eastern, the South Western, Brighton, the Manchester and Lincolnshire-all have suffered a decided diminution of dividend. These ten great companies, whose works up to the present time have cost over One Hundred Millions Sterling, have on an average declared, for the half-year ending in the summer of 1849, a dividend on the regular non-guaranteed shares at the rate of less than 4 per cent. per annum-somewhere between 3 and 4 per cent. The remaining companies, about 60 in number, (omitting the London and North Western) can hardly have reached an average of 2 per cent. per annum in the same half-year. Many of them, including the Caledonian, the Chester and Holyhead, the Great Northern, the Eastern Union, and others, in which the outlay has been very large, have barely realized enough to pay guaranteed interest and preference dividends, leaving nothing whatever for the regular shareholders; and a few, though open for traffic, have been unable to pay even the guarantees. This diminution in the actual commercial value of the undertakings has told unfavourably on the market prices. The disastrous state of matters in 1848 was brought about rather by political and commercial panic, than by deterioration in the real merits of the railway system; but the result of an over supply of lines is now felt significantly in diminished mileage receipts. The number of persons who wish to travel, and have the means of paying for travelling, does not increase so rapidly as the amount of capital laid out upon new railways: hence the sum available for net profits is relatively smaller; hence the dividends are less; and hence the market prices are lower. The London and North Western, the Brighton and South Coast, and one or two other companies, have their shares at a somewhat higher price in October, 1849, than in October, 1848; but with these exceptions a declension has been general. In some of the Companies the market price of shares was seven times as great in 1845 as in October 1849. There have lately been issued many Parliamentary papers, besides the Annual Reports of the Railway Commissioners, which contain a mass of valuable information relating to the present state of the railway system. The object of these papers has been to exhibit both the social and the financial results of the system-the results to the travelling public, and to the railway operatives, as well as to the shareholders. The first of these Returns which we shall notice gives an account of the number and classification of all the persons employed in all the railways, in any capacity, at a particular date. This Return, applicable to May 1, 1848, is divided into three portions. 1st. The Railways which were open for traffic on that day; 2nd. Those which were in course of construction on that day; and, 3rd. Those on which works had not yet commenced. The lengths o these three portions were as follow : Finished and open In Progress Not commenced The number of companies engaged on those works was about 170. The number and description of persons employed on the whole were as follows: |