TORONTO ATHENAEUM.
About the year 1843, the first effort to establish a free public library
in Toronto, was made by myself. Having been a member of the Birkbeck
Institute of London, I exerted myself to get up a similar society here,
and succeeded in enlisting the sympathies of several of the masters of
Upper Canada College, of whom Mr. Henry Scadding (now the Rev. Dr.
Scadding) was the chief. He became president of the Athenaeum, a literary
association, of which I was secretary and librarian. In that capacity I
corresponded with the learned societies of England and Scotland, and in
two or three years got together several hundred volumes of standard
works, all in good order and well bound. Meetings for literary
discussion were held weekly, the principal speakers being Philip M.
Vankoughnet (since chancellor), Alex. Vidal (now senator), David B. Read
(now Q.C.), J. Crickmore,-- Martin, Macdonald the younger (of
Greenfield), and many others whose names I cannot recall. I recollect
being infinitely amused by a naive observation of one of these young
men-- "Remember, gentlemen, that we are the future legislators of
Canada!" which proved to be prophetic, as most of them have since made
their mark in some conspicuous public capacity.
We met in the west wing of the old City Hall. The eastern wing was
occupied by the Commercial News room, and in course of time the two
associations were united. As an interesting memento of many honoured
citizens, I copy the deed of transfer in full:
"We, the undersigned shareholders of the Commercial News Room,
do hereby make over, assign, and transfer unto the members, for
the time being, of the Toronto Athenaeum, all our right, title,
and interest in and to each our share in the said Commercial
News Room, for the purposes and on the terms and conditions
mentioned in the copy of a Resolution of the Committee of the
said Commercial News Room, hereunto annexed.
"In witness whereof we have hereunto placed our hands and seals this 3rd
day of September, 1847."
Thos. D. Harris.
Jos. D. Ridout.
W. C. Ross.
A. T. McCord.
D. Paterson.
Wm. Proudfoot.
F. W. Birchall.
Geo. Perc. Ridout.
Alexander Murray.
W. Allan.
J. Mitchell.
James F. Smith.
W. Gamble.
Richard Kneeshaw.
John Ewart.
George Munro.
Thos. Mercer Jones.
Joseph Dixon.
Signed, sealed and delivered }
in the presence of }
Samuel Thompson. }
After the destruction by fire of the old City Hall, the Athenaeum
occupied handsome rooms in the St. Lawrence Hall, until 1855, when a
proposition was received to unite with the Canadian Institute, then
under the presidency of Chief Justice Sir J. B. Robinson. Dr. Wilson
(now President Toronto University) was its leading spirit. It was
thereupon decided to transfer the library and some minerals, with the
government grant of $400, to the Canadian Institute. In order to
legalize the transfer, application was made to Parliament, and on the
19th May, 1855, the Act 18 Vic., c. 236, received the royal assent. The
first clause reads as follows:-- "The members of the Toronto Athenaeum
shall have power to transfer and convey to the Canadian Institute, such
and so much of the books, minerals, and other property of the said
Toronto Athenaeum, whether held absolutely or in trust, as they may
decide upon so conveying, and upon such conditions as they may think
advisable, which conditions, if accepted by the said Canadian Institute,
shall be binding."
Accordingly a deed of transfer was prepared and executed by the two
contracting parties, by which it was provided:
"That the library formed by the books of the two institutions,
with such additions as may be made from the common funds, should
constitute a library to which the public should have access for
reference, free of charge, under such regulations as may be
adopted by the said Canadian Institute in view of the proper
care and management of the same."
The books and minerals were handed over in due time, and acknowledged in
the _Canadian Journal_, vol. 3, p. 394, old series. On the 9th February,
1856, Professor Chapman presented his report as curator, "on the
minerals handed over by the Toronto Athenaeum," which does not appear to
have been published in the _Journal_. The reading room was subsequently
handed over to the Mechanics' Institute, which was then in full vigour.
It will be seen, therefore, that the library of the Canadian Institute
is, to all intents and purposes, a public library by statute, and free
to all citizens for ever. I am sorry to add, that for many years back
the conditions of the trust have been very indifferently carried
out--few citizens know their rights respecting it, and still fewer avail
themselves thereof. The Institute now has a substantial building, very
comfortably fitted up, on Richmond Street east; has a good reading room
in excellent order, and very obliging officials; gives weekly readings
or lectures on Saturday evenings, and has accumulated a valuable library
of some eight thousand volumes.
I have thus been identified with almost every movement made in Toronto,
for affording literary recreation to her citizens, and rejoice to see
the good work progressing in younger and abler hands.