The New Library And Museum For The City.

portion of the corporation , -with a fair sprinkling of personages of eminence in literature , art , and science . Among those present were Dr . William Sedgwick Saunders , the Chairman of the Library and Museum Committee ; Professor Owen , F . R . S ., Eev , Dr . Mansel ( the Dean of St . Paul's ) , Alderman Sir D . Salomons ,

M . P „ Mr . Alderman Dakin ( the Lord-Mayor-elcct ) , Mr . C . Seed , M . P ., Mr . Tliornson-Hankey , M . P ., Mr . Alderman Stone , Sir Ivingsmill Key , Bart ., Sir John Lubbock , Bart , M . P ., Mr . ex-Sheriff Hufcton , R , W . Crawford , Esq ., M . P ., J . Winter Jones , Esq ., F . S . A ., General Johnston , S . Solly , Esq ., F . R . S ., W- PI . Dixon , Esq ., F . S . A ., J . S . Saunders , Esq ., the Rev . J . H . Lupton , Gt . Norton ,

Esq ., Erasmus Wilson , Esq ., Dr . Herbert Davies , C . Leaf , Esq ., F . R . G . S ., Trelawny Saunders , Esq ., A . White , Esq ., F . S . A ., E . W . Brabrook , Esq ., F . S . A .. J . Hilton , Esq ., F . B . S ., T . H . Staples , Esq ., H . Campkin , Esq ., F . S . A ., W . H . Black , Esq ,, F . S . A ., J . 0 . Hall , Esq .. J . Ellis , Esq ., G . Fenton , Esq ., B . Scott , Esq ., F . E . A . S ., Chamberlain , F . Woodthorpe , Esq ., Town Clerk , Mr . Alderman Gibbons , E . Taylor , Esq ., Chairman of the

City Lands Committee , Mr . John Staples , Chairman of the Library Committee , 0 . M . Eoche , Esq ., T . Brewer , Esq ., F . Elderton , Esq ., G . S . Nottage , Esq ., J . T . Saunders , Esq ., J . G . Waller , Esq ., G . Burt , Esq ., the Librarian of the Inner Temple , J . E . Price , Esq ., Mr . H . Overall , F . S . A ., Librarian , besides many members of the Corporation and their ladies , & c , & c .

The honourable task of adjusting the stone in the position assigned ifc was entrusted to Dr . W . Sedgwick Saunders , the chairman of the committee appointed by the Corporation to carry out the work . Precisely at two o ' clock , tbe hour fixed upon , the stone was lowered into its place , and the usual performance of levelling and tapping was quickly completed . In an

orifice in the centre was deposited a glass cylinder , containing one each of tho several coins of the realm , a copy ofthe Times newspaper ofthe same date , the City Press of last week , and the pamphlet by the Chairman , entitled The Origin and Progi-ess of tlie Guildhall Library . The foundation-stone is of white marble , having a life-size female figure wearing a mural crown ( representing the City of London ) , holding a scroll , with the following inscription in incised leaded letters : —

THIS ST 0 XE Was laid on the 27 th of October , A . D . MDCCCLXX , by WILLIAM SEDGWICK SAIWDEES , 31 . D ., D . I ,., Chairman of the Library and Museum Committee of the Corporation of the City of London , During the Mayoralty

ofthe Eight Hon . Eobert Besley . Horace Jones , Architect . The trowel used on the occasion is a fine specimen of the silversmith ' s art , being silver gilt , with a very handsomely chased handle . On the front of the trowel is tho inscription , with the City and Dr . Saunders ' s coats of arms

in an engraved border ; on the back a view of the Library and Museum , tastefully engraved in a scroll ornament , surmounted by tho crest and motto of the chairman . This , with the other implements used in tho ceremony , were supplied by E . Brook and Son , 1 and 2 , Poultry . The following is the inscription ;—On the 27 th day of October , 1870 ,

tbe South-East Corner-stone of the Library and Museum of tho Corporation of London , Was laid with this Trowel by W . SEDGWICK SAUNDERS , K . D ., D . E . , Chairman of the Library and Museum Committee . The Eight Hon . EOBEKT BESLEV , Lord Mayor .

On the completion of the mechanical portion of the ceromony , the Eev . Dr . Mansel , Dean of St . Paul ' s , offered prayer on behalf of the work and all engaged in it , following the appeal to Heaven with the reading of some appropriate passages of Scripture . Dr . Saunders then addressed the meeting . He ten

dered his thanks to all present for the sympathy manifested for this important undertaking . In responding to to tbe expression of a public want , the Corporation felt the necessity of public support , and it was most gratifying to him , iu his official position as Chairman of the Committee appointed to carry these works into effect , to see so many persons present to testify their approbation of

these proceedings ; and he felt bound especially to tender to the many ladies amongst them his heartfelt thanks To one of those assembled to-day they were deeply beholden , and must not be slack to acknowledge their indebtedness . Be , indeed , had supported this good cause for many years , and had thrown a halo of light about the present undertaking . To the moral influence of his name

as the greatest of living savans , and the ready aid he had always rendered to the Library Committee , it might be truly said that much of the success of the new City Library was due , and it would be remembered by many present that his generous hand had contributed to their library several valuable books , the productions of his own prolific pen . He was sure they would cordially join with

him in hearty thanks to Eichard Owen , the great comparative anatomist , the profound scholar , the generous promoter of learning and the liberal arts , not only for all his past labours , but for his encouraging presence amongst them to-day . Bemembering Professor Owen ' s

connection with the British Museum , he would take occasion to remark that the City was the pioneer in the establishment of that noble institution . Ifc was to the good Eichard Whittington , in 1442 , the citizens of old Were indebted for the founding of a library near this very spot . To the institution that resulted from Whittington ' s liberality , John Carpenter and John Bury were

liberal contributors , That it was regarded as a national institution was proved by the fact that the Municipal State papers and other documents of national importance were there deposited for safe keeping , and to its shelves the men of learning and the leaders in public policy repaired for information which ifc was difficult or impossible to obtain elsewhere . The disappearance of the great

collection of State papers which had accumulated in the City on the very spot where they were now assembled was due to a base subterfuge , and could only be referred to as constituting a blot in our national records . In the time of Edward VI ., the Lord Protector Somerset took away from the City , under a mere pretence of State necessity , four cartloads of documents which were never

returned . The fate of the building was the same as that of many other venerable places in tho old City . Tho collection of books so situated was founded at the beginning of the fifteenth century , whereas the British Musuem Library was not commenced until 1753 . Ifc was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666 , and for more than a century the City had no similar institution to fill its place . The

present Library was the result of an effort made in 1824 , when Mr . Lambert Jones proposed , and the Court of Common Council accepted , a project for a library of books of reference . This was housed in the Guildhall , and had enjoyed nearly half a-century of public favour in return for its great public usefulness . It comprised at the present time 30 , 000 volumes , but they might be sure , from

the ceremony in which they were now engaged , that it must soon expand to far larger dimensions . Time had proved its value , but had also proved its inefficiency for the requirements of the present day and of this great city . Last year , in answer to an appeal which had the force of unanimity as expressing the desire for the citizens , tho Court of Common Council granted 5 , 0001 . for the construction of a new Library and Museum , and soon