The important gifts received at the Library during the month of December were: From S. P. Avery, 10 volumes, 14 pamphlets, and 138 prints, the collection including works on bookbinding, "The work of John S. Sargent, R.A., with introductory note by Mrs. Meynell" (London, 1903), an etching, "The engraver," by Whistler, a drawing by Daubigny, etc.; from Henry J. Brown, a copy of G. Manville Fenn's "Memoir of Benjamin Franklin Stevens," 1903, privately printed; from the National Library of Argentina, 13 volumes of the National Register of the Republic; from Messrs. Burnz & Co., 20 volumes and 140 pamphlets, their own publications relating to phonography and spelling reform; from Dr. James R. Chadwick, two early New York art catalogues, "the Franklin Museum of Fine Arts" (22 April, 1824), and a catalogue of paintings for sale at auction by Robert M'Menomy at No. 18 Wall Street (25 October, 1821); from the publishers, Dodd, Mead & Co., a copy of their facsimile reprint of the Bay Psalm Book, printed at Cambridge by Stephen Daye in 1640, with an introduction by Wilberforce Eames (New York, 1903); from Mrs. Henry Draper, 73 volumes, including the Almanach des Muses, 1765-1833, Paris, 16 pamphlets and I print; from W. Butler Duncan, a copy of Adolphe Brisson's "Deux ministres de la guerre, Général Gallifet, Général André," lithographed in script, with autograph interlineations and comment by General Gallifet; from the Department of Public Works, Ecuador, 8 volumes and I pamphlet, statutes of Ecuador; from the Mayor of Madrid, I volume and I pamphlet, documents of the city; from Little, Brown & Co., 4 volumes, their recently published "Writings and speeches of Daniel Webster hitherto uncollected"; from the Post and Telegraph Department of New Zealand, 11 annual reports (1891/2-1902/3); from Henry W. Poor, "American bookbindings in the library of Henry W. Poor, described by Henry Pène du Bois," 1903 (no. 150 of 238 copies printed); from Plato Reussner, Warsaw, 5 volumes and 13 pamphlets, chiefly Polish books; from Charles Howland Russell, a copy of his "Memoir of Charles H. Russell, 1756-1884," New York, 1903; from Hon. John Boyd Thacher, a copy of "Awards at the World's Columbian Exposition, together with an appendix, in which will be found several papers relating to the same subject, Albany, Nov. 1, 1898," one of 7 copies privately printed, bound in Niger leather by Douglas Cockerell, of London; from the Victoria Legislative Assembly, 152 volumes of Votes and Proceedings from 1853 to 1897 (lacking only one session); and from the Western Union Telegraph Company, a file of the annual reports of the President from 1873/4, no. 2, to date. The exhibition of Arundel color prints, the Pissaro etchings and also most of the Japanese prints were removed from exhibition at the Lenox Branch, and replaced by a collection of mezzotints loaned by J. P. Morgan, John L. Cadwalader, E. G. Kennedy, J. Harson Purdy, Richard M. Hoe, and some from the S. P. Avery collection belonging to the library, etc. A special catalogue of the exhibition has been prepared and put on sale at ten cents. At the Astor Branch the plates in the stands were changed to those from "Rembrandt: 17 of his masterpieces. . . in the Cassel Gallery" and "Handzeichnungen alter Meister aus der Albertina." At the circulation branches the picture bulletins and reading lists were as follows: CHATHAM SQUARE, Christmas day, Niagara and the Gorge, Our Presidents; EAST BROADWAY, Famous men and women born in December, History of New York, Panama canal, Alaska boundary, Christmas in ye olden times, John G. Whittier, Alfred Tennyson; BOND STREET, Christmas day, New books; AVENUE C, New books, Christmas day, Famous men and women born in December, erbert Spencer, New East river bridge, Parsifal, John G. Whittier; OTTENDORChristmas day, Authors new and old, Herbert Spencer; JACKSON SQUARE, Christmas day, New books; MUHLENBERG, Christmas day, Peter the Great, John Ruskin, Rocky mountains, New Year's day; THIRTY-FOURTH STREET, Christmas day; BRUCE, Parsifal, 2 Christmas day bulletins; FIFTY-NINTH STREET, Christmastide in art, "For such as these is Christmas Day," Famous men and women born in December, Wagner; RIVERSIDE, New books; YORKVILLE, Herbert Spencer, Parsifal, Christmas day, California, Irish literary revival: 1, The language movement, 2, Irish literature in English, Land and water in the U. S., Recital of folk songs, New York aquarium, Great types of the best music, An evening in the American museum of natural history, Some modern song writers, Jean d'Arc, Songs of Burns; ST. AGNES, Euripides, Pictures as educators, Aristophanes, National Gallery of London, Painters and paintings, Christmas day; BLOOMINGDALE, Herbert Spencer, Christmas day; AGUILAR, Famous men and women born in December, Niagara in winter, William Gladstone, Christmas in ye olden times, John G. Whittier, New books, Books pertaining to Christmas, Shelley, Music, Flowers; HARLEM, Christmas day, New Year's day, Herbert Spencer. The print room exhibited at the Yorkville branch in November a selection of plates from Audsley's "Ornamental arts of Japan" and at Chatham Square, in November and December, New York city local views. On the evening of Monday, December 7th, took place at the Lenox Branch the unveiling and formal ceremony of presentation to the Library of the bronze bust of George William Curtis by J. Q. A. Ward. The bust was presented by Mayor Low, on behalf of the George William Curtis Memorial Association; it was received on behalf of the Library by the Director; and Hon. Carl Schurz delivered an address on Mr. Curtis and his political, literary and other activities. The collection of menus, formed largely by Miss Frank E. Buttolph, amounted on 31 December to 11,125 pieces. Of the two main divisions into which it is formed, there are 4,010 in the division of special issues for special occasions, and 7,115 in the division of daily issues; those issued for anniversaries, such as New Year's Day, Washington's Birthday, and Thanksgiving Day, number 794 pieces; those issued on the occasion of meetings of political, fraternal, religious and other organizations, social gatherings, etc., number 3,034; special menus issued by railroad companies amount to 182; of the 7,115 dailies, there are 1,116 belonging to New York City. The present condition of Carnegie library sites acquired before 1903 and branch library buildings erected thereon is as follows: I. 222 East 79th Street. Site furnished by the New York Public Library. Building erected; opened to the public December 13, 1902. James Brown Lord, architect. 2. 31 East Broadway. Site furnished by the city. Building erected; opened to the public November 2, 1903. McKim, Mead & White, architects. 3. 224 East 125th Street. Site furnished by the city. Building completed; will be opened within a few weeks. McKim, Mead & White, architects. 4. 67th Street, near 1st Avenue. Site furnished by the city. Building erected; interior work nearing completion; opened to the public probably in June, 1904. Babb, Cook & Willard, architects. 5. N. W. corner 140th Street and Alexander Avenue, Bronx. Building under cover; at work on interior; opened to public probably in June, 1904. Babb, Cook & Willard, architects. 6. Corner of Bennett Street and Heberton Avenue, Port Richmond, Staten Island. Building nearly finished; opened probably in June, 1904. Carrère & Hastings, architects. 7. Amboy Road, near Prospect Avenue, Tottenville, Staten Island. Building erecting. Carrère & Hastings, architects. The condition of sites acquired during the year 1903 and their buildings is as follows: 8. 190-192 Amsterdam Avenue. architects. MANHATTAN. Building well under way. Carrère & Hastings, 9. 96th Street, 153 feet west of Lexington Avenue. Plans approved and contracts let. Babb, Cook & Willard, architects. 10. 135th Street, 100 feet west of Lenox Avenue. Plans approved and contracts let. McKim, Mead & White, architects. 11. 61-63 Rivington Street. 12. 331-333 East 10th Street. Mead & White, architects. Plans drawn. McKim, Mead & White, architects. BRONX. Excavation completed; 13. N. E. corner Washington Avenue and 176th Street. building about to begin. Carrère & Hastings, architects. 14. Kingsbridge. Plans drawn. McKim, Mead & White, architects. RICHARD COBDEN TO SIR JOSHUA WALMSLEY, 1848-1863. Printed from the original manuscripts in the New York Public Library. MY DEAR WALMSLEY PENCARROW NR BODMIN CORNWALL I have come here with my wife & children to pass a month at the seat of Sir Wm. Molesworth, & to escape public meetings & dinner parties. I am too far off from a railroad to be found out by deputations here. My object in troubling you is to ask whether you have yet got into your new house & how you like it? Did you have the house examined by a surveyor, to be sure that it will not tumble about your ears? I do not know when my wife will be able to come to see the house next to you; but we are still in the same mind about it. What is the number of the house we were looking at next to yours? Give my compliments to Lady Walmsley & believe me faithfully Yours RICH COBDEN MY DEAR WALMSLEY LONDON 31 Oct 1848 I saw Mowatt & spoke to him about the D. N.* yesterday. He has just returned from the Continent. He does not seem to have changed in the least as to his disposition to sustain the paper, but he says his property is locked up a good deal in railways, & that he should have to make a great sacrifice now to lay his hands upon a thousand pounds. I am satisfied that this plea is bona fide, & not made with a view to evade the case. He promised to call call upon Smith in Golden Square today in order to have a precise statement of the matter from him. I hope you have thrown aside your fastidiousness, & that you are disposed to canvass for allies. Can you find any body in Liverpool to cooperate? Would the Biggs of Leicester take a share or two?-The more I think of it the less do I like the prospect of losing the only paper that gives us a chance-& yet I do not see my way for being able to do much to support it. I shall expect to see you this week. Believe me truly yours RIC COBDEN LONDON 19 Dec 1848 MY DEAR WALMSLEY Don't think me negligent. I really felt a reflection that any advice from me about your address, whilst you are at the elbow of two such judicious men as the |