The Congressional Library

In the congreswonal Ubrary at Washington there are 000, 009 books and 300,JtO pamphlet-B. Man y of them aro packed ia vaults and boxes, where they are praoücally inaccessible to the public. One bflrcuooh of tl ie Ubrary is tbe duplícate deparbnent The librarían ia permitted to eicbango books of which lio has duplicaba f or others of which he has no copj. Tet the duplícate space has been so outgroww that the books hare had to be carriecl down staire and packed awaf in a basement room. Tomes on tomes hare beee pued upoa thém, tül it is no longer poaábln to reach man y of them. PersoiM wiahing to exchango books can oaly dpoait their volumes, get the librariaa's cheok for ralue receired, aad keep it tffl thenew library is flaiahed. That will hare accommodatioas for the duplicato depftrtment. At present there is no news reading roosn in the establiehment. There are ■ projKJr convenieBoes for etudents er writers. With the best efforte of Mr. Spoff ord and his assürtanta there are not enengh attendants to promptty aocom■jodate Tisitors. The supply of f oreigm booka is very inadequate, that of many of the large Ubraries in the country beiag Mqjuior. Copies of American books are requtred by law to be sent by publishers to tbe CongresBional library. Appropriatéona of monoy must be made by oomgras for the purchaee of f oreign book, aod oongross does not in this case err in the direction of extravagance. Uut Axaericain books aad pamphleta are coming ia by the dozen daüy, adding to the airead y ruinously crowded burelen of the aloves. Meantime congress has been for two years serenety discussing whether it wfll adopt the f our million plan or the air mittian plan for the m w library building.