402 The Library. The Public Library of Trinidad is an important institution containing 18,000 volumes, and is under the control of a com- mittee of management consisting of sixteen members, six being nominated by the Governor, eight elected, and two nominated by the Borough Council. It was established in 1851 during the administration of Lord Harris, who endowed it with an annual grant of ^"300, in addition to which there is an annual subscrip- tion of I2S. a year. It has 400 subscribers, and is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Public Library at Nassau in the Bahamas receives an annual Government grant, and contains about 12,000 admirably selected volumes. In Mauritius, Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, British Guiana, and other equally important Colonies, there are various societies possessing in some instances valuable collections of works, but their constitution differs entirely from that of the Libraries of which I have treated, and cannot be classed as Public Libraries, their collections being available to subscribers only, by whom they are wholly supported. In conclusion it only remains for me to say that in this brief paper I have endeavoured to place before you an account of the constitution and present position of the Public Libraries of the British Empire beyond the seas, which in many instances com- pare so favourably with some of the principal Public Libraries of the United Kingdom, and are additional instances of the energy and ability displayed by representatives of the British race in all parts of the world. JAMES R. BOOSE.
