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276 
an a. count of four reading focieties, éftaz 
blifhed among the labouring people of 
the weft of Scotland, and, from the hap- 
py influence of thofe focieties, evident in 
the conduét of their members,recommend= 
ed fuch inftitrutions to be generally ex- 
tended overthe country. Some time af- 
ter, information I receivedof otherx fimilar 
focieties alfo long eftablifhed, and of new 
focieties then in the aét of eftablithing 
themfelves, induced me, through the 
fame medium, farther to call the public 
attention to the progrefs of inftitutions fo 
bencficial, and alfo, to, make generally 
known the fimple and cheap plan upon 
which they were conduéted.. 1 am hap- 
py to fay, that, during the very fhort pe- 
riod in which thofe letters were publith- 
ing, the increafe of reading focieties in 
Scotland, was great beyond any thing 
that could have been looked for ; and, at 
this time, they continue to mike rapid 
progrefs in every part of the country. 
Your excellent Mifcellany, which at- 
tends to every improvement going for- 
ward, has not over-looked the Scots” 
Reading Societies, and one of your cor- 
re{pondents (Benevolus>, in the view of 
fiili more generally extending a know- 
ledge of them, has, in your publication 
for july, expreffed a with, that through 
ycur means, acolleétion of faéts might be 
made, relating to them, and to any other 
fimilar inflitutions in England *. 
The object of the prefent letter, then, 
is in compliance with the with of Bene-, 
volus, io-lay before your readers what 
informaticn I have been able to procure, 
relative to the reading focieties of this 
part of the ifland. 
I have, at this time, information of 
fitty-one focieties (a particular lift of 
which I have fubjoined to this letter) all 
of them made up of working people. 
Many of thefe focieties of longer ttand- 
ing, have acquired valuable libraries, in 
fome inftances, approaching toa thoufand 
volumes ; and, in fo far as I have feen of 
their catalogues, the feleétion of books 
judicioufly and ufefully made. I have 
found a courte of hittory particularly at- 
tended to in them alls few or.no novels 
in any of them, but a very general col- 
Je€uon of Voyayves and*Travels, marking 
taroughout the whole the prevailing tafle 
o the readers. In fome few of the ca- 
tilogues afpark of literary vanity may 
be perceived, and has led to the fele€tion 

* The Editor will be glad to receive, frorn any 
of his intelligent correfpondents, farther inform- 
ation on this very important fubje@t. 
Utility and Plans of Book Clubs. 
of books, upon fubjects requiring a pre- 
vious education, not generally within the 
reach of the perfois of which thole fo- 
cieties are compofed. : 
The following is the fubftance of the 
leading regulations of the greater part of 
the focieties, but varied occafionally ac- 
cording to local circumftances. 
Rule 1. the fociety is declared perpe- 
tual, and the whole books inalienably the 
property of all the members, colleétively, 
and thetr fucceflors: 
2, At the commencement of a feci- 
ety, fixepence per month for the two firft 
years from each member, be they many 
or few, is {uficient-to lay the foundaticn 
of an uteful courte of reading. And, as 
it wil be anneceflary to add books fatter 
than the Members can read, a fubferip- 
tion, after the two firit years, of two- 
pence per month from each member, if 
carefully and judiciouily laid out, will be 
found equal to every demand. 
3. New members to be admitted upon 
paying an advarce of five fhillings down, 
or fix-pence per month for the arf year 
after admitlion, over and above the re- 
gular annual fubicription. The child- 
ren of members, or of thofe «who have 
died members, and the hutbands of fuck 
children, may claim admiffion, upon pay - 
ing one year’s extra fubfcription. 
4, A librarian, who fhall alfo be cafhier, 
to be eleéted annually ; alfoa committee 
of four members, one fourth to be re- 
newed quarterly, and whofe bufinefs 
will be to infpeét the books previous to 
each quarterly meeting, and, if any of 
them have been injured, to report to the 
fociety by svhom, that reafonable com- 
penfation may be obtained. 
5- Books to be delivered out and re- 
ceived back once a week only, viz. Satur 
day’s afternoon. A reafonable time to 
be allowed for reading each book, and a 
fpecific fine if it fhall be kept beyond that 
time. ' 
6. The whole members of the fociety 
to meet every three months, when the 
cafhier will lay before them a ftate of 
funds then aéfually ix band, beyond the 
amount of which no orders for new books 
fhould ever be given. Any member 
may then propofe a book, fpecifying the 
price ; and the purchating of this book 
fhall depend upon a majority of ballots 
from the members prefent. If- more 
books are propofed to any meeting than 
the funds of the fociety are at the time 
equal to, the titles of all the books pros 
pofed fhali be thrown into a hat, ane 
drawn out one by one, and balloted sd 
. ti 
[Oa 
4 
