. Historical notes : Public Library of New South Wales. olders improvidentlvstaved off the evil day by raising another/^ 1,000 on mortgage, to meet pressing-demands. More than half of this sumwent, at once, to pay arrears due to the London bookseller. These difficulties did not, however, prevent theCommittee from voting £\o to illuminate the Library, in honour of themarriage of the Prince of Whales. In September, 1863, the shareholders appear to have recognised thehopelessness of persevering in the endeavour to conduct the affairs of theLibrary on business lines, and fell in, at once, with a s
. Historical notes : Public Library of New South Wales. olders improvidentlvstaved off the evil day by raising another/^ 1,000 on mortgage, to meet pressing-demands. More than half of this sumwent, at once, to pay arrears due to the London bookseller. These difficulties did not, however, prevent theCommittee from voting £\o to illuminate the Library, in honour of themarriage of the Prince of Whales. In September, 1863, the shareholders appear to have recognised thehopelessness of persevering in the endeavour to conduct the affairs of theLibrary on business lines, and fell in, at once, with a suggestion oi theLibrarian (P. J. Hlliotl), that he should pay them an annual rental and beallowed to conduct the Library as if it were his private business. , - .. The terms of this agreement were, thai Flliott was to pav a rental of;^300 per annum, terminable by six months notice on either side. Theproprietors and shareholders were to pay their annual subscriptions {£2 andj^i respectively) to Elliott, and the Society was to guarantee him an initial. D. K. , i86;-9. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 37 cash credit of ;^5oo, to enable him to purchase books, &c. Minor details inregard to the hours of opening and the preservation of the buildings andproperty were arranged, and the Library was opened under the new systemon I St January, 1S64. Before twelve months had elapsed it became evident that the new schemewas doomed to failure, and in June, 1865, Elliott gave six months notice ofhis intension to terminate the lease. He was succeeded as Librarian byD. R. Hawley on 28th December, 1865. The hopelessness of the situation, financially, can be gathered from thefollowing statement made by the Hon. Treasurer at a General Meeting onist November, 1865. The debts amounted to about ^4,800; the incomefrom subscriptions, rent, &c., was ^450 ; the cost of maintenance (includinginterest) was ;i6900. Several meetings of the shareholders and proprietors were held, inNove
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