Public Library Systems. 417 



Early Suljscriptiun Libraries there were in Cape Colony Ijesitle 

 thai of Cape Town taken over from the State about 1830. for 

 Swellendani estabhshed her Litjrary in 1838, George hers in 1840, 

 and Graaff-Reinet hers in 1847. There is an anuising passage in a 

 letter of Molteno's which he addressed to his mother in London in 

 1844, which forms a curious commentary on the Library facihties 

 enjoyed b\ the Metropolis of England and that of Cajie ('olony. 

 He writes :- 



" 1 much wish you could obtain a proper account ot the Cape, 

 jterhaps \ou may be able to get the loan of a recent work, there are 

 several. If you were so fortunate as we are at the Cape in having 

 a Public Librar)- of 30,000 volumes to resort to, you would experi- 

 ence no difficulty in this respect." 



To realise the utter dearth of Public Libraries in Great Britain 

 in 1849 one has only to turn to Hansard and read the spee(-hes of Mr. 

 Ewart and Mr. Bretherton in the House of Commoins. Ijotli in moving 

 for the appointment ni the Select Committee and in introducing 

 the first Libran' Bill. The Report of the Select Committee is one 

 of the most remarkable documents in the histon," of pojnilar education, 

 and the following passage deserves quotation. Dealing with 

 libraries on the Continent of Europe it states: " It nia\ generall\ be 

 stated that admission is granted unreservedly to the poor as to the 

 rich, to the foreigner as to the native. We have onl\ one library 

 equallv accessible in Great Britain with these numerous libraries 

 abroad. Nor is this contrast displayed by the Europeaji Continent 

 alone. Our younger brethren — the people of the United States of 

 America — have already anticipated us in the formation of libraries 

 . entirely open to the public. Your Committee feel con- 

 vinced that the }jeople of a countr}- like our own, abounding in 

 capital, in energy, and in an honest desire not only to initiate but 

 to imitate, whatsover is gooil or useful, will not linger long behind 

 the people of other coiuitries in the acquisition of such valuable 

 institutions as freely accessible libraries. Our present inferior posi 

 tion is unworthy of the power, the liberality, and the literaitue of the 

 country'." 



By one year Xew Hampshire had ante-dated this measure, and 

 Massachusetts followed with her Library Law in 1851. but it should 

 be stated that Peterborough, in New Ham}>shire. ha<l established 

 her Library out of public funds in 1833. and Warrington, in England, 

 hers in 1848, though such ex])enditures were perhaps hardlv lawful 

 till the Library Acts were passed. 



In 1862 Cape Colony, as we have seen, again pro\ideil [jublii' 

 funds for her Cape Town Library, and on the :!ist August. 1874. 

 an Ordinance was pul)lished. giving the regulations under which 

 public funds would be granted to liliraries throughout the Colony on 

 the ^ for ^ principle. 



Natal in. 185 1 founded her first Library, and at the present time 

 has a somewhat similar system of grants in aid, a system which has 

 very recently been adopted by the Ciovemments of the Orange River 

 and Transvaal Colonies. 



