152 History of Hingham. 



trift of the sum of Five Thousand Dollars was required to be used and ap- 

 plied by them, and also upon these further requests and considerations. 



The town of Hingham having granted the sum of Five Hundred Dollars 

 for two successive years for the maintenance and support of the Library, 

 and the Inhabitants of said town having, in town meeting assembled, ex- 

 pressed by formal vote their approval of the objects which I had in view 

 in the establishment of a Library for their use, I request as follows : — 



First. That the Trustees in filling any future vacancy or vacancies in 

 the Board of Trustees, shall, at their discretion, select for such vacancy or 

 vacancies whenever they determine to fill the same, according to the pro- 

 visions of the Indentures aforesaid, the person or persons who may at the 

 time of filling the said vacancy or vacancies, be Town Clerk or Town 

 Treasurer of Hingham, if either or both of them are not at the time mem- 

 bers of the Board of Trustees. 



Second. I also request the Trustees to permit as an act of courtesy and 

 good neighborhood, the Inhabitants of the adjoining towns of Hull, Co- 

 hasset, Scituate, South Scituate, Abington, and Weymouth, to visit the 

 Library for the purposes of reference, reading, study, and consultation of 

 the books therein, in conformity to the rules and regulations of the Trus- 

 tees. I make this request with the hope that the value of Public Libra- 

 ries may be better known and appreciated, and especially that their useful 

 influence may be extended to all those towns with which the inhabitants 

 of Hingham have the most friendly associations. 



Third. I request the Trustees by a formal vote to act upon the accept- 

 ance of this additional gift and the trust hereby created. 



Dated at Hingham, this eighth day of May, 1871. 



Albert Fearing. 

 Executed in presence of 



Chas. L. Riddle, 

 Chas. H. Fletcher. 



Upon the reading of the foregoing communication, it was 



Voted, That the Trustees accept with gratitude the munificent gift of 

 the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars by Hon. Albert Fearing, to be added 

 to their funds for the purposes and upon the conditions set forth in his 

 communication ; and that it will be their desire and intention so to admin- 

 ister the affairs of the Library as to conform to his wishes, and to promote 

 the highest interests of the community for whose benefit this noble bene- 

 faction was conferred. 



Voted, That the Secretary be directed to communicate a copy of the 

 foregoing vote to Hon. Mr. Fearing, and to express the grateful acknowl- 

 edgments of the Trustees for his numerous and large donations and ex- 

 penditures to establish and improve the Library, which in the aggregate 

 exceed the sum of Thirty-one Thousand Dollars. 



In addition to his previous gifts, Mr. Fearing made further pro- 

 vision for the uses of the Library, at his death in 1875, by a 

 legacy in his will of $10,000, making the entire amount of his 

 expenditures and donations exceed the sum of $41,000. 



