126 On PuUic Libraries. 



be found an important auxiliary in the examination of some 

 compound gases. 



Simple as this instrument may appear, it is calculated to 

 extend our knowledge of the different kinds of air, by the 

 precision and accuracy which it enables us to obtain, and 

 ■which solely constitutes the value of every experiment. A 

 degree of confidence is inspired from knowing that we can 

 di'pend upon our results j and hence nmch valuable time, 

 which would have been wasted in uncertain, if not useless, 

 investigations, mav be directly applied to the advancement 

 of science. 



XX f. On Public Libraries. 

 To Air. Tilloch. 

 A sir., 



■As you have, in some former Magazines, paid an atten- 

 tion to the establishment of public subscription libraries ; 

 that is, such libraries as are supported by the subscription 

 of its members, the property whereof remains with them, 

 in contradistinction to the connnon circulating libraries, I 

 beg leave to forward you a small communication on that 

 eubject. I shall give you a plain relation of facts, which 

 took place about four years ago, at North Shields, in the 

 county of Northumberland, by which the laudable object in 

 view was completely attained. And I shall subjoin a plan 

 pursued by the members of the same library, by which they 

 have now built a very excellent house, and are not only 

 rent free, with most comfortable accommodations, but I 

 believe their receipts, in part, pay also their worthy librarian. 

 About the time mentioned above, three or four gentlemen 

 living in North Shields, and who subscribed to an extensive 

 library of that kind about seven miles off them, met, and 

 were conversing about the expense of threepence per volume 

 to them for carriage in addition to their annual subscription 

 of 2 1 s. One of the gentlenien proposed to print off as many 

 hand-bills as would circulate very freely through the town, 

 recommending to the inhabitants the establishment of a 

 public library, and at the same time proposing a meeting of 

 3 thf 



