Mr. WALFORD seconded the motion, which, after some discussion, was rejected.

Mr. THOMAS moved and Mr. WALFORD seconded "That after the next annual meeting the life subscription be raised from £5. 5s. to £7. 7s." This was agreed to.

Mr. MULLINS moved "That Libraries and Institutions may receive the Transactions for the annual subscription." Mr. ÖVERALL seconded the motion, which was carried.

Mr. WRIGHT moved "That 'Monthly Notes' be sent to Associates." Mr. GRANT seconded the motion, but Mr. COCKERELL having moved as an amendment "That the matter be referred to the Council," the amendment was carried.

Mr. HUMPHERY moved "That the publications be no longer sent to members unless the two shillings for postage be paid; two months' notice to be given of the enforcement of this rule." Mr. MACALISTER seconded the motion. Mr. MADELEY moved as an amendment, "That the voluntary contribution of two shillings for 'Monthly Notes' be discontinued." Mr. WAITE seconded the amendment,

which was carried.

The meeting then proceeded to the election of officers, and Messrs. BAILEY and MACALISTER were appointed Scrutineers. Dr. INGRAM, being the only person nominated, was declared to be duly elected President, and Mr. TONKS was unanimously elected a new VicePresident.

Mr. CONYBEARE drew the attention of the meeting to the work being done by the "Social and Political Education League," by the means of the delivery of lectures, which were of great advantage when associated with Libraries.

Sir JAMES PICTON then, on behalf of the subscribers, presented to Mr. THOMAS a testimonial which had been subscribed for by members of the Association, and which took the form of a case of books. Mr. THOMAS having returned thanks, some remarks were added by Messrs. COWELL, YATES and HARRISON.

It was agreed, in consequence of the pressure of business, that Mr. THOMAS'S Paper, "Q: an Experiment in Bibliology," should be taken as read.

Mr. THOMAS announced that the Committee on Size Notation had made but little progress since the Cambridge meeting. He then moved the following resolution of the Committee on the proposed Examination of Library Assistants: "That Messrs. THOMAS and TEDDER be appointed to draw up a syllabus of examination questions, and a list of text books, and to submit the same as early as possible to this Committee, with a view of eliciting further sugges tions. Afterwards that Messrs. THOMAS and TEDDER be asked to formulate a complete scheme." Mr. OVERALL moved that the following rider be added to the motion: "That the examination questions and list of text books upon library management be referred to Messrs. COWELL, MULLINS and SUTTON, to report upon." seconded the amendment. After some discussion, the amendment having been put to the meeting was negatived by a large majority, and the original motion was carried.

Mr. THOMAS then moved the alterations in the Cataloguing Rules proposed by the Committee, which were agreed to. It was also resolved, on the motion of Mr. THOMAS, seconded by Mr. CoWELL, "That the proposed illustrations be circulated, and that additional illustrations, and remarks on those now submitted, be invited."

Mr. BARRETT moved "That the Council be requested to draw up for the consideration of the Annual Meeting of 1884 a scheme for the classification of books in a library." Mr. ARCHER having seconded the motion, it was carried unanimously.

Mr. BAILEY moved, Mr. WALFORD seconded, and it was unanimously agreed, "That the hearty congratulations of the Library Association of the United Kingdom be offered to Dr. POOLE upon the completion of his 'Index to Periodical Literature.'

Mr. ARCHER moved and Mr. HAGGERSTON seconded the motion, "That the Annual Meeting for 1884 be held in Dublin." This was also carried unanimously.

It was agreed upon Mr. THOMAS'S motion, seconded by Mr. WALFORD, "That Mr. AGAR's name be added to the names of the auditors elected."

Mr. BRADSHAW moved and Mr. CHANCELLOR CHRISTIE seconded a vote of thanks to the Library, Museum and Arts Committee of the Corporation of Liverpool, which was enthusiastically carried by acclamation. SIR JAMES PICTON replied.

Mr. WALFORD moved, and Mr. MULLINS seconded, a vote of thanks to the Mayor. The motion was unanimously agreed to. SIR JAMES PICTON undertook to convey the expression of the Association's thanks to the Mayor.

On the motion of Mr. HARRISON, seconded by Mr. OVERALL, a vote of thanks to the Local Executive Committee was carried with acclamation. Mr. STEWART replied.

A vote of thanks to Lords DERBY and CRAWFORD was moved by Mr. BULLEN, seconded by Mr. HAGGERSTON, and carried unanimously. A similar vote to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board and the Local Institutions of Liverpool was passed on the motion of Mr. YATES, seconded by Mr. BARRETT.

Mr. BRADSHAW moved and Mr. THOMAS seconded a vote of thanks to Mr. COWELL, which was enthusiastically accorded by the meeting. Mr. COWELL replied.

SIR JAMES PICTON brought the meeting to a close with a few remarks; and Mr. BRADSHAW having asked for one hearty expression of good-will to their President, the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Association broke up amidst loud cheers.

It was announced that the following members were elected to serve on the Council for the ensuing year:-London members: W. R. DOUTHWAITE, H. A. ELIOT, A. J. FROST, R. GARNETT, W. H. OVERALL, R. F. SKETCHLEY, H. STEVENS, H. R. TEDDER, C. WELCH and H. B. WHEATLEY. Country members: W. ARCHER, F. T. BARRETT, J. P. BRISCOE, W. J. HAGGERSTON, Rev. J. C. HUDSON, T. G. LAW, C. MADELEY, C. E. SCARSE, W. H. K. WRIGHT and J. YATES. Treasurer: R. HARRISON. Secretary: E. C. THOMAS.

As soon as the meeting ended, SIR JAMES PICTON conducted the members over the museum. A second party also visited Haigh Hall during the afternoon, and the same excursions as on the pre vious day were available for those who wished to take part in them

OCTOBER MONTHLY MEETING.

The first Monthly Meeting of the Seventh Year of the Association was held at the London Institution on Friday, October 5th, 1883, at 8 p.m., Dr. RICHARD GARNETT in the chair.

The names of the following gentlemen, being engaged in Library administration, were announced as having joined the Association: Mr. W. GILSTRAP, Fornham Park, Bury St. Edmunds; Mr. J. BASS MULLINGER, Librarian, St. John's College, Cambridge; Mr. ALFRED MILNER, Librarian, Subscription Library, Hull.

The following gentlemen were proposed for election at the next Meeting Mr. T. C. HILTON, proposed by the Treasurer, seconded by the Secretary; Mr. JAMES SAMUELSON, of Birkenhead, proposed by Dr. Garnett, seconded by the Secretary.

The death of Mr. J. F. Nicholls, Chief Librarian, City Free Library, Bristol, was announced.

The resolutions passed at the Liverpool Meeting were formally reported.

There being no other business, the Meeting adjourned.

OBITUARY: JAMES FAWCKNER NICHOLLS.

The citizens of Bristol were suprised lately by the receipt of a telegram from Goodwick, Fishguard, announcing the nearly sudden death of Mr. J. F. Nicholls, F.S.A., the first chief librarian of the City Free Library. Mr. Nicholls had gone to Fishguard to enjor with his family his summer holiday, and was on the eve of returning to his duties when, on Sunday, September 16th, he was seized with an inflammatory attack which ended fatally on the following Wednesday morning.

He was born at Sidmouth, Devon, May 26th, 1818, and was therefore in his 66th year at his decease. His father was a builder; and he himself, after spending a couple of years at sea, became engaged in business pursuits until the time of his succeeding Mr. George Pryce, F.S.A., as custodian of the Bristol City Library, which was founded as far back as 1613, becoming the nucleus of the present central library and its branches under the Acts.

Mr. Nicholls was a zealous labourer in the field of local archæology, and produced several works illustrative of the history of Bristol and its neighbourhood. "How to see Bristol," is the title of a shilling handbook, and "Pleasant Trips Out of Bristol" is that of a second work; both of which have proved successful. He was joint author with Mr. John Taylor, of the Museum Library, of "Bristol, Past and Present," a well illustrated work, published by Arrowsmith, Bristol, two years ago, which was favourably reviewed by the leading

literary and other journals. Mr. Nicholls wrote the first and third volumes of this work, comprising the civil history, and Mr. Taylor the second volume, which treated of the ecclesiology of the grand old town of which it is the subject. His earliest work, however, was "The Remarkable Life, Adventures and Discoveries of Sebastian Cabot" (1869), who was a Bristol native, or, at least, resided in Bristol. A sketch of Mr. Nicholls appeared in the Biograph of November, 1881, to which we may refer our readers for further details.-T.

THE RAISING OF THE LIBRARY RATE.

THERE can be no doubt that of the various matters discussed at our Liverpool Meeting the proposal to raise the Library rate is that which has most interested the public generally. This is sufficiently indicated by the numerous references to the subject in the daily press. That it should greatly interest our own members was a matter of course. It seems unfortunate, however, that there should be so much difficulty in deciding what was the general result of the discussion upon the subject. Mr. H. R. Tedder, in the Academy, held that "the discussion tended to show that at present it would be undesirable to alter the provisions as to the rating." Mr. Axon writes to the Academy to complain that this statement is not accurate, and thinks, on the contrary, that "undoubtedly it is considered desirable by the Committees and Managers of many even of the most important towns where Libraries and Galleries exist." He says further, that "the feeling of Manchester, Salford, Birmingham, St. Helen's and Oldham, so far as they were represented at the Meeting, was shown to be in favour of Mr. Credland's suggestion, while the opposition came from the Recorder of Sudbury [Mr. Cockerell of Cambridge] and the representative of Liverpool, where their exceptional rating powers give them a sufficient income."

To this Mr. Tedder replied, in the next number of the Academy, (Oct. 6) that" as there was no vote taken upon the question, it would be impossible to prove what was really the feeling among individual members," but "that, although he was not himself present at this particular discussion, he sees no reason to alter his opinion.' He goes on to say that "it is quite obvious that the penny rate is frequently insufficient to sustain an adequate Library;" but thinks "an increase of the lawful maximum" as "a matter which is not at all likely to meet with the approval of Parliament." He tells the friends of Libraries, therefore, that they should "resist any proposal to increase the present rating under the Acts. They ought to refuse to accept an alternative between this position and the doing away with the Public Libraries Acts altogether, so as to give power to local authorities to establish their own Libraries without special legislation of any kind." This may be so, but it must be remembered that the doing away with the Acts" means an unlimited rate. We must confess that we are not quite convinced by the logic which holds the increase of the maximum to 2d. be not at all likely to meet with the approval of Parliament, while it seems to think that Parliament will cheerfully agree to an indefinite increase of the maximum.

Meantime our friend Mr. Formby has had less than justice dealt out to him by the daily press. The Pall Mall Gazette of Sept. 17 wrote as follows:

"The multiplication of Free Libraries is a matter of such vast social importance that it is not surprising if its advocates should allow their zeal to outrun their discretion, and that is undoubtedly the case when they propose, as Mr. Formby did before the Library Association, to raise the general maximum of the rate which may be imposed for the maintenance of Public Libraries above its present limit of a penny in the pound. For what is the argument by which the adoption of any rate at all for that purpose is still in many places successfully resisted? Just this, that once begun, it will not stop at a penny. While so many towns still hesitate to sanction even a penny rate, for fear of the thing going further, the friends of Free Libraries would do well to be careful how they frighten them any further by talking about a sixpenny rate.'

To this Mr. Formby replied in a letter which it may also be worth while to reproduce from the Pall Mall of 24th Sept. :

"Is the writer of the paragraph in your Saturday's issue aware that a bill, backed by Mr. C. H. Hopwood, M.P. for Stockport, known as the 'Manchester' bill, proposes a general rate for Free Library purposes of 2d. in the pound? It has now been before Parliament for a considerable time, having been blocked more than once by Mr. Warton, M.P. for Bridport. Is he also aware that at least three Municipalities, one being of first-class importance, have already power under local Acts to levy more than the regulation penny in the pound for the support of their Free Libraries if they think proper to do so? The question of raising the Free Library rate was publicly mooted as far back as 1872, in that not obscure publication, the Westminster Review, by Mr. James Hanson of Bradford. He says: In all towns and parishes where the rate will not raise £200. a year, we suggest that it should be three-halfpence.' I do not think, therefore, I can be fairly charged with precipitancy in this matter, especially as the penny rate has now been levied for more than a quarter of a century. I entirely repudiate any intention to advocate the universal raising of the rate beyond the penny in the pound. I do advocate a larger rate for the small market towns and boroughs than for the larger communities. It is obvious they require it more. A careful perusal of the full text of my Paper would show that I divide the whole of the incorporated towns into three classes. In the first class, with moneys for Free Library purposes of over £500. per annum, I propose no change whatever. In the second, including all between £200. and £500., I suggest a varying rate not exceeding 2d. in the pound. In all towns with less than £200. per annum I recommend permission to levy a varying rate, not exceeding 6d. in the pound, so as to produce that amount, which would really give that power to the full extent to less than a dozen towns, with or without Free Libraries, out of a total of about 250. As the discussion on my Paper was not really finished, owing to the expiration of the time allowed for the sitting, I had then no opportunity for reply or explanation; hence a good deal of the misapprehension which has arisen respecting it.'

EDITOR

LIBRARY CATALOGUES AND REPORTS. London: British Museum. Luther Exhibition, 1883, in the Grenville Library. Arranged by G. Bullen, F.S.A., Keeper of the Department of Printed Books... 1883. Price Twopence. 8vo. pp. 42. We learn from Mr. Bullen's introduction that this Exhibition has its origin in a suggestion made by Dr. Ginsburg, the eminent Hebrew Scholar, to Mr. Bond. Mr. Bond at once cordially adopted it, as did also Mr. Bullen and the other heads of Departments. The collections thus brought together consist of (1) Printed Books and Broadsides; (2) Manuscripts; (3) Portraits; (4) Medals,