The usefulness of the Library is apparent by the increase of the number of visitors as they are made aware of its value as a library of general reference. The Librarian and assistants have endeavored, as in the past, to aid as far as possible those who have sought specific information upon any subject within the scope of the Library.

The aggregate number of additions during the past year is somewhat larger than that of the preceding year, amounting to 5,710. Of these, 2,042 were obtained by purchase, 2,791 by donation, 680 by exchange and 197 from officers of government.

Many valuable acquisitions have been made in the departments of political and social science and political economy, and special effort has been made to secure all the more important publications on the leading questions of the day, more especially those upon the subjects of the tariff, strikes, wages, etc., and all works of value upon questions likely to come under the consideration of the Legislature. Among the important additions of this general character that have been made during the year are a complete bound set of the Nation and the very rare collection of tracts upon Finance, Political Economy and economic subjects which were edited by J. R. McCulloch, and of which only one hundred and fifty copies were printed by Lord Overstone for distribution to his friends.

The Library has also been greatly strengthened in the departments of local history and genealogy. It has been fortunate in securing an entire set of the London "Notes and Queries," seventy-six volumes in all, including the valuable indexes, now becoming quite rare and difficult to obtain. Worthy of mention also is the acquisition by purchase of the Royal Atlas by A. K. Johnston and the London Atlas of Universal Geography published by Edward Stanford. The last named is undoubtedly the most complete atlas of the modern world that has been published.

Most important among the additions to the legal department is that of the collection of Spanish laws from 1808, in 161 volumes, embracing the complete legislation of Spain from the Peninsular War to the present time. A detailed

list of these statutes will be found in the appended catalogue of additions. Statutes and laws have been received during the year by purchase or by gift from the following foreign governments, namely: The Argentine Republic, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Bengal, Bombay, Brazil, British Columbia, Canada, Cape of Good Hope, Chili, Etablissements Français de l'Inde, French Guiana, Germany, Great Britain, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Italy, Madras, Manitoba, Martinique, Mexico, Netherlands, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, North West Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Queensland, Reunion (formerly Bourbon), Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Senegal, South Australia, Spain, Straits Settlements, Venezuela, Western Australia.

"

Since the publication of the excellent Index to Legal Periodicals," compiled by Mr. Leonard A. Jones, many of the Law Journals and Magazines therein indexed have been added to the collection in the Library, and it is intended to make the list as complete as possible. The list of current periodicals and newspapers received by the Library is as follows:

Received by donation.

Northeastern Reporter.

Boston Daily Evening Traveller.

Northwestern Reporter.
Pacific Reporter.

Pennsylvania County Court Re-
ports.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Di-
gest.

Railway and Corporation Law
Journal.
Reporter.

Revue de Droit International et de

Législation Comparée. Revue Légale.

Solicitors' Journal and Reporter.

Southeastern Reporter.
Southern Reporter.
Southwestern Reporter.
Supreme Court Reporter.
Virginia Law Journal.
Weekly Notes (London).
Weekly Reporter (London).
Western Reporter.

Newspapers.

*Andover Townsman.

*Barre Gazette.

Boston Daily Advertiser.

*Boston Daily Globe.

Boston Herald.

*Boston Morning Journal.
Boston Post.

*Cambridge Press.

*Cape Ann Advertiser, Gloucester.
*Feuille Officielle des Iles St. Pierre
et Miquelon.

*Gloucester Daily Times.
*Hingham Journal.
*Lynn City Item.

*Marlboro' Daily Mirror.
*Martha's Vineyard Herald.
*Massachusetts Ploughman.
New York Evening Post.

*Our Paper (Massachusetts Re-
formatory).

*Silver Dollar (Cleveland, Ohio). *Somerville Journal.

Springfield Republican.

*Summary (New York State Re-
formatory).

*Turner's Public Spirit (Ayer).
*Voice, The (Temperance paper,
New York).

*Woburn Journal.

The Library is indebted to the members of both Houses of Congress for aid in keeping its collection of the publications of the United States Government complete to the latest date. A special acknowledgment is due to the Hon. Henry L. Dawes and the Hon. George F. Hoar, both of whom have given the Library the opportunity to make such selections as were desired from the entire list of Public Documents at their command. Both Senators have rendered the Library many other favors, and have the appreciative thanks of those who have the Library in charge, as well as of the large number of persons who have occasion to consult our storehouse of Government publications.

Through the generous consideration of the Legislature, the Library is rapidly becoming one of the most complete and useful of the libraries of its character and class in the

• Received by donation.

country. While it has been necessary to purchase some volumes that were rare and costly to perfect incomplete sets of statutes and law reports, the investment is one which is constantly appreciating in value.

J. W. DICKINSON,

Librarian ex officio.

C. B. TILLINGHAST,

Acting Librarian.