192 [Proc. B. N. F. C. 



in a deputation to the Town Council on May 1st, 1 881, praying 

 that legal steps be taken to ascertain the wishes of the rate- 

 payers as to the adoption of the Public Libraries' Act. The 

 prayer of this memorial, ably supported by the several members 

 of the deputation, was rejected by a resolution of the Council, 

 adopted on July ]st, 1881, and signed by the late Sir John 

 Savage. We renewed our action in April, 1882, again appearing 

 before the Council on June 1st, and on July 1st the Town 

 Council yielded to the influential deputation that supported the 

 memorial, and agreed to take the ratepayers' opinion by vote. 

 This was done in October of the same year, and on December 

 1st, 1882, the successful result was formally declared at 

 the monthly meeting of the Council. Prompt and efficient 

 action was taken on this decision of the Council, and the 

 following letter was sent me : — 



" TOWN HALL, BELFAST, 



6th December, 1882. 

 " Public Library. 

 " Dear Sir, 



"I am instructed by the Library Committee to inform you that 

 they have had the subject of the building of a Library under consideration, and 

 that they will be glad to receive any suggestions from the Deputation who waited 

 on the Council some time ago respecting same. — Yours faithfully, 



"Samuel Black, Town Clerk. 

 "Wm. Gray.Esq,., M.R.I.A., Mount Charles." 



Just at this juncture I had promised the Club a paper on 

 " The Public Libraries' Acts, and the possible consequences of 

 their adoption in Belfast;" and therefore I considered it advisable 

 to hold over our reply to Mr. Black's letter until after my 

 lecture. My paper was read on December 19th, 1882, and on 

 December 21st our Promoters' Committee met at the Chamber 

 of Commerce, and formulated a set of suggestions to be sub- 

 mitted to the Library Committee, which was done on January 

 nth, 1883. Our suggestions were received by the Council 

 with the polite intimation that they would be " considered," 

 and at the May meeting of Council they were published in the 

 form of an appendix to the report of the Library Committee, 



