Royal Colonial Institute. 215 it possessed the best and most complete Colonial library to be found in the Empire, always of course excepting our great National Library at the British Museum. My earnest wishes that this should be the case have been always admirably seconded by Mr. Boose, who with great ability and indefatigable perseverance, has exerted himself ever since to endeavour to fulfil, as far as possible, the hopes I long ago entertained. Of course no library can ever be said to be complete ; but this I do say that I think to-day we possess a library to which we are constantly making additions of such extent and value that we have the greatest reason to be proud of it. It is to give you some account of its history and progress that we are assembled here to-night. He then called upon the Hon. Secretary to submit any official business that it was necessary to transact. The HON. SECRETARY stated that he had received a letter from Mr. Borrajo giving notice that he would move a resolution of congratulation to Sir William H. Bailey on the honour conferred upon him by the Queen. Mr. Borrajo not being present, Mr. MacAlister asked to be allowed to move the resolution in his stead and to include in it the name of Sir Richard Tangye, of Birmingham, another member of the Association who had received a similar honour. The following resolution was then carried by acclamation : "That the very cordial congratulations of the Library Association be offered to Sir William Henry Bailey and to Sir Richard Tangye upon the honours recently conferred upon them by Her Majesty the Queen." The CHAIRMAN then called upon Mr. James R. Boos to read a paper " ON THE LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL COLONIAL INSTITUTE" (see p. 191). Upon the conclusion of the paper the Chairman invited discussion and the following fellows and members spoke : Mr. JAMES BONWICK : I am very glad to be present this evening, if only to do honour to one who has done honour to our Institute. Mr. Boose has proved a most industrious and devoted librarian. He has been well sustained by the officers and Council of the Institute appreciating the worth of his services. Some had pre- dicted our early extinction as an independent society, but judging from the marvellous growth and excellence of the library we are convinced there is a deal of vitality left in our Institute. We, Fellows, may urge upon the Council and committee the necessity of aiding as far as possible the worthy efforts of Mr. Boose to add to the convenience of Fellows and others in the use of our noble library. Mr. E. A. PETHERICK, F.R.G.S. : I have much pleasure in adding my testimony to that of Mr. Bonwick as to the manner in which the Library of the Royal Colonial Institute is conducted. I have visited the Institute for sixteen or eighteen years and remember when two small rooms served as offices and library rooms scarcely large enough to allow of half-a-dozen people turning round in them ; and a few shelves held all the books. More than half of them were blue books, gazettes and parliamentary papers. Anyone in search of information in 'hat collection would probably have gone away unsatisfied, for the most important books upon any of the colonies were conspicuous by their absence. From the two rooms the Institute has steadily grown and now occupies this palatial building. From the few shelves the books have been constantly added to until they more than fill the extensive shelving in this large room, and the parliamentary papers, blue books and newspapers are relegated to another. Among the twenty thousand around us Mr. Boose points out seventy-five on one small island colony. When I first visited the library, not half that number could have been shown on the largest of our colonies. The Institute has been very fortunate ; fortunate in possessing funds available for such a library, fortunate in having an energetic committee, not sitting once a year, or once a quarter, but (assisted and advised by an intelligent librarian) always on the look out for suitable books, and I might add still more fortunate in receiving so many presents of valuable books. In its early days funds were limited and I know that of the
