The Press. — London, England, 1854-09-09 00:00:00

SEPTEMBE 9, 1854. court nub lastion. THE QUEEN remains in the Isle of Wight, where Prince Albert is expected to return this morning (Saturday) from Boulogne. The King of Portugal, accompanied by his brother, the Duke of Oporto, arrived at Osborne house on Thursday morning from Paris. The Court will leave the island for the north on Wednesday next. Her Majesty will come to London and spend the night in Buckingham Palace. Thence on the following morning the royal party will proceed by the Great Northern Railway direct to Edinburgh, resting cn Friday at Holyrood house, and sleeping there that night. On Saturday the Queen will continue her journey to Balmoral. The say of the Court at Balmoral will not exceed three weeks, when on its return her Majesty and the Prince will probably spend a week at Osborne, should the weather prove favourable, and then proceed to Windsor Castle for the winter season. The Earl of Aberdeen arrived at Osborne-house on Saturday on a visit to her Majesty. On Tuesday the receipt of some important despatches caused the , Premier to return to London for two days, but on Thursday he again proceeded to the Isle of Wight. The Chancellor of the Exchequer left his official residence in Downing-street on Saturday afternoon, to join Mrs. Gladstone and family at Broadstairs. Lord Bloomfield left Berlin on the 2nd inst. for England on leave of absence. The Earl and Countess of Malmesbury are receiv ing a succession of visitors at Achnacarry Lodge, near Fort William, Inverness. The Duke of Devonshire is still remaining at his villa at Chiswick. The noble duke, who remains in rather indifferent health, has postponed his depar ture for Chatsworth sine die. Mr. Hume, M.P., received the freedom of the burgh of Wick on Thursday. The John o' Groat Journal denies a rumour current that the veteran member for Montrose intends retiring from Parliament. The Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, M.P., has con sented to preside at the annual meeting of the Wilts Archaeological Society, which commences at Salis bury on Wednesday, the 13th instant. Sir Edwin Landseer is at present visiting the Hon. Mrs. Mackenzie, of Seaforth, at Brahan Castle. Last week, along with several gentlemen, also at Brahan Castle, Sir Edwin enjoyed a day's sport among the favourite subjects of his pencil—the High land red deer, when five fine specimens were brought to the ground. Omer Pacha has lately presented the Countess of Erroll with a very beautiful Arab charger, on which Lady Erroll rode back to the English camp, after paying a visit to his excellency. The tenantry on the Antrim estate of the Mar chioness of Londonderry presented hPr ladyship a few days since with an address of condolence on her recent domestic affliction. Mr. David Urquhart, whose name is so well known in connection with Eastern affairs, was married on Tuesday last to Harriet Fo:tescue, daughter of the late Lientenant-Colonel Fortescne, of Glyde Farm, county Louth, and sister to Lord Claremount. The Town Council of Aberdeen, at a meeting held on Monday last, unanimously resolved to communi cate with his Royal Highness Prince Albert, through the proper channel, requesting the consent of the Prince to have his portrait painted, in order to its being placed in the Town-hall of that city. TEE HOUSE or COMMONS last sat on 127 days, the average length of each sitting being 7 hours 51 minutes 8 seconds. Its labours extended over 997 hours 16 minutes. During the session there were 8,857 entries made in the votes, and the house divided 240 times. 178 divisions were on public business before midnight, 48 on public business after midnight, and 14 on private business. 185 public bills were introduced into the house ; 117 by the Government, and 68 by private members. Of the Government bills 90, and of those introduced by private members 18, received the royal assent—in all 108 ; 24 bills were brought down from the House of Lords, of which 16 passed through the House of Commons and became law. MR. WCHRISTIR will commence the revision of the lists of voters for the city of London on Monday, he 18th inst., at Guildhall. According to the returns nade to him under the act, the claims and objections his year will be:— Claims. Objections. Total Claims Freemen and liverymen 0 .. 93 and Objeetions. 93 inhabitant householders 121 .. 407 . • 528 621 Last year they were : 'freemen and liverymen 1 .. 308 .• 30 9 lhabitant householders 173 .. 1,012 1,185 THE PRESS. THE WINDSOR COURTS-MARTIAL. THE decisions resulting from the three successive courts-martial lately held at Windsor, and the sen tences pronounced upon Lieutenants Perry, Greer, and Waldy, were officially promulgated on Monday last. In the case of the' tirst-mentioned officer the sentence was read to him by Colonel Garrett. The charges were as follow: Ist Charge.—For having in a certain letter, dated Wind sor Barracks, July 24th, 1854, and addressed to Colonel the Hon. Arthur Upton, president of the court-martial then and there assembled for the trial of Lieutenant Thomas Fergns Greer, which letter bore the signature of the pri• Boner, and was then and there delivered to the said Colonel Upton, made the following slanderoue statement respecting hie commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Garrett, viz., •` that after reperted acts of violence against myself (mean ing the prisoner), by the officers of the 4tith, while the regiment was in Dublin, in my bedroom, 1 reported the circumstance to Colonel Garrett, who reproached me, and called me a fool for my pains ;" he (the said prisoner) then well knowing that so ranch of the said statement as related to Lieutenant-Colonel Garrett, ♦iz., the words " who re proached me, and called me a fool for my pains," was false. —Acquitted. 2nd. For having, in the said letter, made the following further statement :—" I then patiently submitted to a series of indignities, when I complained to Major Maxwell, who represented the facts to Colonel Garrett ; upon which he gave the offenders a reprimand. So weak was the effect of the reprimand or caution given by Colonel Garrett, that, though the acts of aggression were discontinued, I was persecuted in other ways, until I threatened to appeal to the general of the district, and sent a letter to that effect to Colonel Garrett. On it being known that I was deter mined upon sach a course, I was earnestly entreated by several of my brother officers to forbear making any com plaint. I did forbear, and from that time I was relieved from any repetition of the annoyances and indignities under which I had formerly laboured;" he (the prisoner) then well knowing that so much of the said statement with reference to Colonel Garrett was false, and that he (the prisoner) had never made any threat to Colonel Garrett, either by word of month or in writing, that be would appeal to the general of the district.—Guilty. 3rd. For having, on the 21st of July, 1854, at Windsor, when examined as a witness before the court-martial which was then and there being held for the trial of Lieutenant Thomas Fergus Greer, in reply to the following question : —" Will you swear positively that Captain Nicholas did not reprimand officers against whom you had made a com plaint to the commanding officer?" made the following answer: —" I have taken an oath already. Captain Nicholas never, to my knowledge, censured anybody, he himself (meaning Captain Nicholas) having ill-treated others in joining ;" he (the prisoner) then well knowing that so much of the said answer as is comprised in the following words, " he himself having ill-treated others in joining," was false.—Guilty. 4th. For having, on the day and year aforesaid, and at the place aforesaid, in a certain letter addressed and de livered by him (the prisoner', to the Deputy Judge•Advo cute officiating at the trial of Lieutenant Thomas Fergus Greer, made the following statement:—" Major Maxwell has stated on oath that Captain Nicholas never ill-treated young officers. I could put questions to prove that he did, and that he (meaning Captain Nicholas) aids and abets nearly everything of the kind that takes place ;" he (the prisoner) then well knowing that so much of the said state• went as imputed to Captain Nicholas, " that he ill-treated young officers or aided and abetted others in so doing," was false."—Guilty. The court thus acquitted the defendant on one charge, but found him guilty on the three last. He was, however, recommended to mercy on account of his youth and inexperience, and his having acted under the ill-advice of his legal adviser. In conse quence of this recommendation, and also on the ground of the long and meritorious services of the father of the prisoner, the Commander-in-Chief, under the sanction of her Majesty, in dismissing Lieutenant Perry from the service, allows him to sell his commission. Lieutenant Greer was tried upon a charge at having been guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, in the following instances : lst. For having, on or about the night of the 2Rth, or morning of 29th June last, wilfully struck and offered other personal violence to Lieutenant Edward James Perry, of the 46th Regiment. 2nd. For having at the same time and place used pro voking, insulting, and disgusting language to the said Lieutenant Perry, calling him swindler, blackguard, and using other language of an offensive and insulting nature. Acquitted, but ordered to sell out. Of Lieutenant Waldy it is remarked by the mili tary secretary in his report that " his letter ad dressed to Lieutenant Perry oil the 2nd June, 1854, is not to be reconciled with his evidence given before the court-martial which tried Lieutenant Perry a few weeks afterwards." The report adds:— Lieutenant Waldy appears to be a weak gossiping young man, insensible of the duty of a rigid adherence to the truth in describing the conduct of others ; and incapable of estimating the mischievous cmsequences of exaggerating a contradiction at the mess-table into the lie direct, by which depnrture from the truth the character of his brother officers might have been seriously affected. As there does not seem, however, to he any reason to believe that Lieutenant Waldy was actuated by 849 malicious motives, or a corrupt intention, the Com mander•in-Chief simply directs, with her Mejesty's sanction, that he be severely reprimanded, and cautioned, for the rest of his life, to adhere strictly to the truth. DECORATION OF THE NEW HOUSES ON PARLIAMENT. THE Commissioners of the Fine Arts have presented their tenth report, in which they record the progress and explain the principles of the attempts making to turn the new Palace of the Legislature to advantage " for the purpose of promoting and encouraging the fine arts in the United Kingdom." They state : " The series of eight fresco paintings in the upper wait ing-hall is now completed. The room was found to be but scantily lighted, but we conceived that, as the paintings would admit of being closely inspected, that objection was in itself leas important; ♦hile, on the other hand, it might not be withont its use experimentally, by suggesting • treatment adapted to such a condition. " We have now to add that, apart from the important objects, more or less attained in the designs referred to, of appropriate conception and expression in reference to the subjects, these experimental works will be of use in show• ing what are the external qualities generally essential in fresco-painting, and especially so under given local circum stances. It will be for artists to consider, in witnessing the effect of these works, to what extent the great requisite of distinctness, as resulting, in its perfection, from intel ligible forms, perspicuous arrangement, and the judicious distribution of light and dark masses, has or has not been kept in view, subject to the local conditions of light, the size of the apartment, and the dimensionsof the paintings ; and subject to the general technical conditions of fresco painting—a method requiring, fron► its comparatively limited resources, an especial attention to simplicity and significance in representation. " In the House of Lords eleven of the eighteen metal statues of barons and prelates are nor placed in the niches intended to receive them. The seven remaining statues are the only works coming under our superintendence now ttibe completed for this chamber. " In St:Stephen's-hall, without as yet contemplating the execution of the frescoes intended for that locality, we propose that the series of twelve marble statues of end. rent statesmen named in our fourth report, bearing date the 25th of April, 1845, should be gradually completed. Ac cordingly, in addition to the three already executed and placed in the hall, we have given commissions to Ave artists to execute each a statue of one of such personages. " With regard to the Prince's Chamber, which we pro pose to decorate with statues, has-reliefs, and other works, as detailed in our seventh report, dated the 13th of July, 1847, we have commissioned John Gibson, 8.A., to exe cute a statue of your Majesty, with figures of Justice and Clemency, and with bas-reliefs on the pedestal, to be pieced in the recess on the north side of the apartment. We have also employed Mr. William Theed to prepare a series of bas-reliefs, to be subsequently cast in metal, for the panels on the walls. " Of the frescoes intended for your Msjetny's Robing• room, undertaken by William Dyce, R.A., and illustrative of the legend of King Arthur, as proposed in our seventh report, four have been completed. As it appears that the artist will now be enabled to devote his whole time to these works, they will, it is hoped, in future proceed more rapidly.. With respect to the four paintings referred to, we consider them altogether satisfactory. whether regarded in their general treatment, or u examples of the method of fresco-painting. " We have commissioned John Rodgers Herbert, R. A., to prepare a series of designs for frescoes to be executed in the Peers' Robing-room, according to a scheme also in dicated in our seventh report. The room itself is not get built, and it is, therefore, expected that the artist's designs will he completed by the time the walls are in a tit state to receive frescoes. " We have also given our attention to the decoration of the principal corridors connecting the central hall wtth the two Houses of Parliament. We have accordingly com missioned Edward Matthew Ward, A.R A., to undertake the Commons' corridor, and Charles West Cope, R.A., to undertake the Peers' corridor. The subjects intended for these localities are enumerated in our seventh report, in which it is also proposed that the pictures should be painted in oil. " We further propose to commission Daniel Mtn!lige R.A., to paint in fresco, in the Painted Chamber, or Con-, ference•hall, the subject of the rnaniuge of Strongbcnv and Eva, the subject bring one of the series selected by us for that apartment. The design for the fresco so proposed to be executed will he adapted, according to the requirements of fresco, from an oil picture of the same subject executed by the artist on his own account, and which he has treated with great ability. " In onr last report, dated the 11th of March, IMO, we humbly mated to your Majesty that the Lords Commislon ers of your Majesty's Treasury had consented to propose to Parliament an annual expenditure amounting to 4,15101. to dt fray the cord of the rations works recommended by us. Since that period we have, with the sanction of their lord ships, continued to submit to Parliament an annual esti mate accordingly. The limitation of the expenditure as stated may, however, be regarded as a cause of delay in the prosecution of some of the works. " ALBERT. CARLISLE. NEW CA STLE. WILLOVOHBY n'EstissE. SUTHERLAND. C. S. LEFETRE. LA NRDOB NE. J. R. G. GRAHAM. A BERDZEN. °WET HAB.BT J. RUSSELL. TAL3SLISTOX, • 111002211." C•xsnro. 1,494