Appendix.

New Zealand.

Tricesimo Secundo et Tricesimo Tertio

Victoriæ Reginæ.

No. LXVII.

Analysis.

Title.

Preamble.

An Act to promote the Establishment of Public Libraries.

[3rd September, 1869.]

Whereas it is expedient to promote the establishment of Free Public Libraries for the instruction and recreation of the People

Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows:—

1.	The Short Title of this Act shall be "The Public Libraries Act, 1869."
2.	The expression "Governing Body" where used in this Act with reference to the words "city" "town" "village" or "district" shall as the case may be mean the City or Town Council City or Town Board Highway Board or Road Board or any body of persons by whatever name distinguished having the power of levying rates for the improvement of such city town village or page 44 district under any Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand or of any Act or Ordinance of a Provincial I Legislature thereof.
3.	It shall be lawful for the Mayor or Chairman of any governing body on the request of the governing bodies over whom such Mayor or Chairman respectively presides or on the request in writing of ten ratepayers residing in the city town or district to ascertain whether the provisions of this Act shall be adopted for such city town or district in manner following that is to say by causing a notice to be inserted in some newspaper published in such city town or district or if there be none such in some newspaper published in the Province in which such city town or district is situate specifying on what day not earlier than ten days after the publication of such notice and at what place within the said city town or district the ratepayers are required to signify their votes for or against the adoption of this Act which votes shall be received on such day commencing at nine of the clock in the forenoon and ending at four of the clock in the afternoon of each day and the said notice shall be to the effect of Form No. I. in the Schedule hereto annexed.
4.	The Mayor or Chairman as the case may be shall appoint a person or persons for taking the said votes and they shall be taken by such person in the same manner as at the election of members of the governing body of the city town or district and such questions may be put to each voter and with such liability in case of a false answer as at the elections of the members of the governing body of such city town or district.
5.	Every ratepayer who shall be entitled to vote for the election of the governing body of a city town or district shall be entitled to vote for or against the adoption of this Act and the Mayor or Chairman shall examine the votes and shall by public notice in manner hereinafter mentioned declare whether more than one-half of the votes given have been given in favour of the adoption of the said Act and the adoption or non-adoption of this Act shall be determined by the majority of votes. And notice of the adoption of this Act shall be forthwith given by publication in the newspaper in which was published the notice appointing the day for determining whether this Act should be adopted or not and if it shall be determined in manner aforesaid that the provisions of this Act shall be adopted for such city town or district the same shall page 45 thenceforth take effect and come into operation in such city town or district and shall be carried into execution in accordance with the laws for the time being in force relating to the governing body of such city town or district.
6.	It shall be lawful for the governing body of such city town or district to levy a rate in like manner as the city town or district rate is levied which rate shall be called "The Library Rate" but the amount payable in such city town or district in any one year shall not exceed the sum of one penny in the pound upon the annual value of the property rateable under the Act or Ordinance constituting the governing body of the town.
7.	For carrying this Act into execution it shall be lawful for the governing body of any such city town or district from time to time subject to the borrowing powers conferred on such bodies to borrow at interest such sums of money as may be required on the security of the yearly amount of rate authorized by this Act.
8.	The governing body of any city town or district may from time to time appropriate for the purposes of this Act any lands vested in such governing body and may also purchase or rent any lands or suitable buildings and the said governing body may upon any lands so appropriated purchased or rented respectively erect any buildings suitable for Public Libraries and may repair and improve the same and fit up furnish and supply the same with all requisite furniture fittings and conveniences.
9.	All lands and buildings so appropriated purchased or rented by the governing body of any city town or district for the purpose of a Library and all other real and personal property whatever presented to or purchased for any Library established under this Act shall be vested in the governing body of the city town or district in which such Library is situate.
10.	The general management regulation and control of Libraries established under this Act shall be vested in and exercised by the governing body of the city town or district in which such Libraries are situate or in such committees as such governing bodies may from time to time appoint the members whereof need not be members of the governing body. And such governing body or committee may from time to time purchase and provide the necessary fuel lighting and other similar matters books newspapers and maps for the use of the Library and cause the same to be page 46 bound and repaired when necessary and appoint officers and dismiss the same and make rules and regulations for the safety and use of the Libraries and for the admission of the public.
11.	If any meeting called as provided by this Act for the consideration of the propriety of adopting this Act shall determine against the adoption thereof in any city town or district no meeting for a similar purpose shall be held for the space of one year at least from the time of holding the previous meeting.
12.	The admission to all Libraries established under this Act shall be open to the public free of all charge.