There are in the City proper, East Boston, South Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester, 1,165 fluid lamps.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

The Public Buildings of the city and county comprise the City Hall, the Registry of Deeds, the Court House, Faneuil Hall and Faneuil Hall Market House, the New Stone Jail and Dead House, the Institutions at South Boston and Deer Island, the Old State House, the Public Library, the City Hospital, the City Building (so-called), all the Grammar and Primary Schoolhouses, and all the Engine, Hydrant, and Hook and Ladder Houses in the city, including Roxbury and Dorchester, besides other buildings used for public purposes.

JAMES C. TUCKER, Superintendent of Public Buildings. Salary, $3,500. [Chosen by concurrent vote. Ord. p. 88.] HENRY TAYLOR, Superintendent of Faneuil Hall. Salary, $500. [Appointed by Mayor and Aldermen. Ord. p. 179.]

PUBLIC LANDS.

ROBERT W. HALL, Superintendent of Public Lands. Salary, $1,800. [Chosen by concurrent vote. Ord. p. 424.] The Superintendent has the care and custody of all the Public Lands belonging to the city, "except the Common, the Public Garden, the Public Squares, the lands connected with the Public Institutions at South Boston, or any other lands purchased or held for specific purposes," unless by special vote of the City Council.

Officers: Justin Winsor, Superintendent and Secretary of the Trustees. Salary, $3,000. Edward Capen, Librarian. Salary, $2,200. William A. Wheeler, Ass't Sup't. Salary, $2,000. Joseph Sykes, Office Secretary. Salary, $1,400. William E. Ford, Janitor. Salary, $1,200.

Although the need of a public library had been for a considerable time felt and acknowledged, and a small number of volumes of a miscellaneous character had been sent to the City Hall with a view to the future formation of such an institution, nothing definite in relation thereto was done until the fifth of August, 1850, when Hon. JOHN P. BIGELOW, then Mayor of the City, contributed the sum of one thousand dollars for the purpose of establishing the Public Library. This donation, being

the first money that was given for the object, was received joyfully, and funded by the City Council; and the Committee on the Library were directed to "proceed with as little delay as possible to carry into effect the establishment of a free Public Library."

JOSHUA BATES, Esq., of London, whose early life was passed in Boston, having offered to this city the munificent sum of fifty thousand dollars, towards the purchase of books for the Public Library of the city, if the city would erect a suitable building for that purpose, on the 24th of February, 1853, an order was passed by the city council authorizing the committee on the library, in conference with the board of trustees, to purchase a suitable site for the erection of a building which should be fully adapted for the purpose of the library, including Mr. Bates's donation. Accordingly, said committee purchased 23,380 feet of land on Boylston street, opposite the Common, upon which an elegant and commodious edifice has been erected, at a cost to the city, for land and building, amounting to about $365,000.

This building was finished and delivered into the custody of the city council, and by the city council was transmitted to the care of the trustees of the public library, with appropriate ceremonies, on January 1, 1858.

Besides the above mentioned donations in money, the sum of ten thousand dollars was subsequently given by Hon. JONATHAN PHILLIPS, who, by his will, bequeathed an additional sum of twenty thousand dollars for the maintenance of the library. Another sum of ten thousand dollars was bequeathed by the late Hon. ABBOTT LAWRENCE. All of these sums have been funded by the city council, and the annual proceeds are expended for the purchase of books of permanent value.

The sum of one thousand dollars was given by the late SAMUEL APPLETON, Esq., and the same amount by Mrs. SALLY I. K. SHEPARD, for the purpose of procuring books for the immediate use of the public.

Very valuable donations of books have been made by the late Rev. THEODORE PARKER, the heirs of Hon. NATHANIEL BOWDITCH, GEORGE TICKNOR, and others.

By the munificence of THOMAS G. APPLETON, Esq., of Boston, the very rich and valuable collection of engravings, formerly belonging to Cardinal Tosti of Rome, now deceased, was purchased and presented to the Public Library. The collection contains nearly 10,000 prints, many of which are framed.

The Library opens at 9 o'clock, A. M., every secular day throughout the year, except the five legal holidays, and such other days as the Trustees may direct.

The Reading Room, provided with seats for one hundred readers, is closed at 10 P. M.

The Fine Arts Room, where ladies can use the Lower Hall catalogues, is closed at 8 P. M.

The Lower Hall delivery of books ceases at 8 P. M. This hall now contains over 28,500 volumes.

The Bates Hall delivery of books for home use, as well as for use in the hall, ceases at 6 P. M., from October to March, and at 7 P. M., from April to September. This hall now contains over 124,000 volumes.

Persons admitted to use the Library. — Any person above the age of fourteen years may use the Reading Room (which has now by far the best collection of American and foreign periodicals in the country), and, if above sixteen, may make use of the books within the building.

All inhabitants of Boston above the age of sixteen years; all clergymen and teachers having regular occupation in the city, though not residents; and all, even if under sixteen, who have received certificates of graduation, medals or Lawrence prizes, from the Public Schools, and are still inhabitants of Boston, or who belong to the Girls' High and Normal Schools, are entitled to a full use of the Library. All classes in this paragraph must have signed the application card and given satisfactory refer

ence to two citizens. Arts Room.

The registration takes place in the Fine

All members of such other of the higher educational institutions in the city, as the trustees may have especially permitted, are entitled to a full or a partial use of the Library.

EAST BOSTON BRANCH LIBRARY.

This Branch of the Free Public Library of the city of Boston comprises two distinct collections of books, one begun by the East Boston Library Association in 1852, and merged in the Sumner Library in 1860, and presented to the city of Boston to form a portion of the East Boston Branch Library; and the other of books taken from the Central Library, with additions by purchase, so as to give completeness and harmony to the whole.

This Branch Library, located in the old Lyman School-house, on Meridian street, was opened to the public in November, 1870, and was formally dedicated by appropriate services on March 22, 1871.

Librarian. Clara B. Pond.

LICENSES.

The following officers are appointed by the Mayor and Aldermen annually in February or March:

Rufus C. Marsh, Superintendent of Hacks and Carriages. Salary, $4.00 per day. [Ord. p. 97.]

Harrison O. Read, Superintendent of Intelligence Offices, etc. Salary, $4.00 per day. [Order March 21, 1870.]

Ebenezer Shute, Superintendent of Pawnbrokerage. Salary, $4.00 per day. Benjamin T. Gould, Assistant. Salary, $3.50 per day. [Order March 21, 1870.]

Timothy R. Page, Superintendent of Wagons, etc.

per day. William E. Richardson, Assistant. per day. [Ord. p. 107.]

Salary, $4.00

Salary, $3.50