6GS Selecl Covimunications from various Book-Societies. 



fomc iT[)utnhlc perfon, wlio would uiirlcr- 

 tuko tiic (lulies oJ' a libniriiin, :iiid to rc- 

 novo llic books thitlior; and to carry 

 tliii iiicalliro into elYect, tlie fiibfci-iptioii 

 was rhcMi railed to ti\e llii]lint;s and ifcrcc- 

 pt'iicc a quarter, iijvl t'roiri this period the 

 •Society liiis iLcarlily pcrfv-vcrtd in cndcn- 

 VDUriiig to cltiihlini a permanent liorary. 

 In the >car 1!!01, the rubibripfion was 

 iiiereaffd to ft\en ftulliiiu:^ and li\pence 

 a 'jiiarter, and a daily j.ondoti and a 

 weekly pruviiieial p.iper taken in he the 

 nUi ol' the iriciribtrs tre()iientinji the read- 

 ing-room. In ihc month ot' October laft, 

 the vahie of the books, and the furniture 

 of the library liavinn inereafed to a eonfi- 

 cJcraUe a:ii.)\Mit, it \vab judged advifablo 

 to eieet a proprietorlhip, and apian pre- 

 viously prepared by a comuiitte<' for that 

 purpofe, beinj^ fubmitted to the inein- 

 brr.s, was adopted. By thi.s regulation, 

 tlie ]iropcrty ivas veftcd in thofe nienib<:rs 

 wlio have been adniitli d fcven years and 

 iipsvanb, with a condition that thofe 

 Tuenibers who have not been admitted 

 fvvcn years, and all who iliall hereafter 

 be admitted, Ihilll become proprietors at 

 the e\[)iratiou of feven y<'ars from their 

 lelpecfive udiniflions. Each proprietor 

 is furnitlied with :i ticket by the liewards, 

 vkijich ticket is transferable by the pro- 

 jjrietor durinj; his life; and if not I'o 

 ti'an>ferred, defeends after his deceafe to 

 liis leual reprefentative, by whom, and 

 alfo by the perfon to whom any fueh 

 ticket is transferred, it is in like manner 

 trail sferrable and tranhniflible, and iu to 

 •'ontiinie to bo liy the lep,al reprefenta- 

 tive of each fueccilivc ])roiiriet(jr, I'o Xnu^ 

 as tiic Society iliall continue. V\ e now 

 roulider the Society to he eltiiblillicd on a 

 )K'iMiunent balls; and when \Ne review its 

 <(rii;in and pros^refs, tiie linall fcale n))on 

 which it was commenced, and the eafy 

 rate of fubli.ripfioii by which it has been 

 liipp(srted,and,in th.e conrfe ofcompara- 

 Ji\elv a tew _\eait!, raited to it> pivient 

 repulable rank: we arc warranted in en- 

 tertainiivj; the plcaliiii hope, that it may 

 ri( f'oine future time become an in/iitiiiiou 

 r)f conlirierabh- public importance and i;e- 

 neral utility. The prefeiit luimbci uf mem- 

 bers is thirty-lix ; and the Sociclv ha- lel- 

 lioni miii'he\ceeded,ni>rofteu fnilen mncji 

 <1* ort of that number. I'he membirs meet 

 fanr times a year at a laverii : at the flrlt 

 nuetiii'i: thev dine to^cthrr, and fup sit 

 the other three meetinfj;s : at thcfe Kieet- 

 iiii;s fulMcriptions and fines arc paid, 

 book^ admitted, and the general <-on- 

 rcrns of the Society difcutVcd. The mode 

 jiurl'ued for the adiDiflion of book.^, is, 



for every member, if lie chnofes, to pr»- 

 ])f)!'e a work, the merits of which miderco 

 a difculTion, and then it is either ad- 

 mitted or rejected by a niiijoril y of tiie 

 members prefeiit. For tome time after 

 the eiinbliihment of this library, the 

 meetings of the .Society were held there ; 

 but it being found by experience that 

 the concerns of the Society did not iiilVcr 

 by the nieiTibcrs fpending a focial Jiour 

 tOi;ether once in a quarter of a year, tlie 

 old pla.'^. was as;ain reibrted to, anti has 

 coniinued ever lincc. 



1 indole you a copy of the Rules and 

 Rcfolutions of the Society, and remain. 



Sir, your's, &c. 

 Poolt, Jiilj/ 21, 18U6. J. BitisTOwii. 



KtT.r.S OF THt. i'OOI.E SOCIETY. 



1, Each member fliall fubfcribe fcvcn /liil- 

 linijs and iixpence per quarter, cxceptijj,:^ 

 ladies, wliofe admillion and fabfciiption arc 

 provided for in the 8th rule. 



2. A general meeting of the members ftiall 

 be held tour times in the year, viz. on the 

 firft Tucl'Iay in January, April, July, and 

 Oftober, refpeftively, to tranlact the bufi- 

 iiefs of the Society, of which notice /hall be 

 given by the ftewards ; and every member 

 not attending fueh meetings, /hail nay a fine 

 of five ihillings towards the expcnces of the 

 meeting when the members dine together, 

 and of two /hillings and fixpence «hcn they 

 do not dine : but every member who attends 

 a meeting, and retires before dinner or (upper 

 refpcftively, /liall pay his proportion of the 

 exp-nces ot the day. 



J. No new member /lull be admitted but . 

 at the eeneral meetings. Any gcnMefnan 

 intending to propofe a new member, ihall give 

 timely intimation theieof to ttie ftcwards, to 

 enable them to give notice of the fame to the 

 members, prior to the meeting. Perfons pro- 

 pof'ed to be admitted members ofthe Society, 

 ihall conftantly be cbuftn by ballot, fuch bal- 

 lot not to commence till one hour after the 

 time of meeting, nor unlefiat leall one-third 

 of the total number of members is prcfent. 

 Three dilTenting votes /lull be deemed a nc- 

 gative, when not more than tv^elve memlic; s 

 arc prtlcnt; four, m hen n.ore than twelve, 

 and not more tiian riltecn members are pre- 

 feiit i .'.nd live, when any number exceeding 

 fiheen members aie prefeiit : and each men-- 

 bcr (ladies excepted) /hall p.>y, when ai'- 

 mitted, one guinea, and one ijuarler'i fub- 

 fi'.iption. 



4. Two tlewards (liall be annuslly chofen 

 by a mijority ot" tJie member? prcfent, to eii- 

 f'lrcc I be laws, and to lee that the. value of 

 the books ordered does not exceed the funds 

 of the Socicrv; thi; I'aiJ (lewards /ball keep a 

 book, in winch fhall be entered minutes of 

 of the proceeding'; ot' the Society, and an ac-> 

 count ef th*,' i;cciftt and cxp.uJiturcs ; ami 

 • - '*S 



