The annual general meeting of the members of the Newton-Stewart and Minnigaff Mechanics Institute was held in the Town Hall on Thursday evening. There was a small attendance of members. The secretary (Mr McConnachie) read the minutes of last meeting, which were approved. Mr McFarlane, treasurer, submitted the annual statement, from which it appeared: that the total income amounted to £63 14s 11½d, and the expenditure £57 3s 0½d, leaving a balance of £6 11s 11d in. favour of the Institute. Mr Harding, librarian, gave in the following report: -Number of members on the roll, up to 31st March, 130. being an increase of 23 over last year; total amount of members' subscriptions, £16 18s 9d ; number of volumes added 108; number of readers, 87; number of books issued during the year in poetry, 39; biography, 41; history, 76; religious works, 29; science and art, 56; miscellaneous, 82; travels, 66; fiction, 323; magazines, 87; - total, 799. The librarian, at some length, read a subjoined statement : 1st, he reported very favourably and minutely the work of the Institute during the past year. In the second place, he briefly reviewed the past management of the Institute, and the ruinous effect on its present condition by allowing the Reading-room, nine years ago, to be broken up, leaving the Library Committee to provide the papers, the cost of which should be expended in books, and which is hardly in keeping with the Ferguson Bequest. He showed that, according to the present arrangement, the committee were unable to secure the maximum grant of £8 worth of books, and suggested that a shilling per member he charged for the newspapers, which would add £6 to the present income, which, together with donations that amount to £7 and £5 for the sale of the papers, &c., in all £18, would enable the committee to manage without resorting to entertainments in winter as a means of raising money, besides making an annual addition to the Library of between 200 and 300 volumes. He concluded his remarks with four motions, but none of them were seconded. A member was of opinion that the rules should not be altered and boasted, while similar institutions charged 4s and 5s, they were managing for 2s 6d. The chairman and one or two other members were of opinion that the motions should lie on the table for a month, when a special meeting could he called. The election of office-bearers was then proceeded with. The Earl of Gallaway, Capt. Maxwell Heron, M.P., and Mr Stopford Blair were re-elected. patrons; Capt. Hay, president, and Mr John McKeand, vice-president.