with a view to ascertain the practicability of carrying out this object. 

 This was negatived by the Council, much to the regret of all lovers of 

 historic art. 



The general operations during the year call for no special remarks. 

 The statistics will show the extent of the usefulness of the institution. 

 It may be remarked that this usefulness is fully recognised by all those 

 who are familar with the work carried on, and particularly by those who 

 benefit from the educational facilities presented. 



It will be seen from the pubHc journals that all over the kingdom the 

 people seem to have awakened to a sense of the necessity for promoting 

 education, and encouraging it by the establishment of Public Libraries, 

 Museums, and Lectures. In many towns the Jubilee of our Queen is 

 thus to be celebrated as the noblest monument which could be raised to 

 her honour. Liverpool stands alone in taking the opposite course, our 

 Jubilee Year will be marked in our annals hy a retrograde movement and 

 a refusal to take advantage of an emergency which can never occur again. 



Signed on behalf of the Committee, 



J. A. PICTON, Kt., 



Chairman. 

 KEFERENCE LIBRARY. 



Table I. — Showing the Books issued during the year : — 



Daily 

 Classification. " ' 



Theology, Morals, &c. 



Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, «&c. ... 



Natural History ... ... ... ... 



Science and the Arts 



History and Biography 



Topography and Antiquities 



Voyages and Travels ... 



Miscellaneous Literature (principally collected Works, 



Magazines in Volumes, &c.) 



Jurisprudence, Law, and Politics 



Commerce, Political Economy, and Statistics 



Education and Language 



Poetry and Dramatic Literature 



Prose Fiction 



Latin and Greek Classics and Translations 

 Encyclopasdias, and Works of General Reference ... 

 Patents for Inventions ... 



Total 675,335 2,507 



The various Quarterly, Monthly, and Weekly Magazines and Reviews are 

 placed at the discretionary use of the readers. No exact statistics are taken of 

 their issue, but they are computed at not less than 300,000. 



