The Sun. — London, England, 1850-06-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, The question was by whose authority was that large additional expenditure incurred ? He thought the Committee moved for by his Hon. Friend the Member tie‘Montrose ought to have papers, plans - , and-estimates laid before it, and a statement of the expense incurred by the alterations and modifications that had taken place. It was also most desirable to know what the amount required to complete the new House would be. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hoped the House would consent to wait until the report, which he had promised, should be laid before it. Although the estimate was originally 700,000/,, yet it should be recollected that there was much extra accommodation subsequently ordered which of course involved consider. able additional expense. Sir H. PEEL said that after the practical experience which they had had of four or five days' sitting in the new House they should appoint such a Committee as would consider whether any improvement could be made both in respect to the increased accommodation of Mem bers in the body of the House and to the hearing proper ties of the building; and if so, what the cost of such improvements was likely to be. It was idle to appoint a Committee to inquire into the architectural character of the edifice.—(Hear, hear.) The House then divided, when there appeared— For Mr. Hume's amendment ... 55 Against it ... 85 Majority against the amendment —3O The report was then agreed to. LORD-LIEUTENANCY ABOLITION (IRELAND) BILL. Upon the motion for the second reading of this Bill, Mr. HENRY GRATTAN moved that it be reesd a second time that day six months. He argued that this office was the appointment of the people of Ireland, and not of that House, and therefore that House had no right to abolish it. The people of Ireland had a right to the office by treaty. They had a right to their own officers just as much as this country had to its officers. National faith he considered was at stake in this question. This Bill was founded upon no other principle than this, that might made right. The Noble Lord (Russell) had actu ally no supporters of this measure in Ireland. There was no approval manifested. They were downcast and maddened. He had been told in reference to this Bill, that it would make the people rebels. The next thing would be, that the Government would remove the courts of law. The duties of the Lord-Lieutenant were now so onerous, that he could not discharge them, and could it be expected that these duties would be properly discharged in Downing-street. The most objectionable part of this measure was the tendency it would have to tempt Irish gentlemen to leave their country. Lord Wellesley's opinion was that if they went on with measures having that tendency, that Ireland would be reduced to be governed either by the military or the mob. He then referred to the opinion of Lord Clarendon relative to the character of the Irish people, which went to show that during the late insur rection the general feeling of the Irish people was ad verse to such 'revolutions; and, moreover, he believed that the system of agitation would be decried by the people of the country, as they thought that such tended to waste their energies, and to re-create discontent and disagreement between the gentry and the peasantry.— (Hear, hear.) And he should add, that he feared that the abolition of the Lord-Lieutenancy would tend to make more rebels than loyal subjects is that country, as it had been well expressed on his own part by an Hon. Member of the House, who voted against him (Mr. Grat tan) a few nights ago, and in that opinion he fully con curred. Again, by one of the clauses of the Bill the power of proclamation was to be transferred to her Most Gracious Majesty, which act he believed would bring her into contempt in the eyes of the people of Ireland, and this he should very much deplore. Have not that people been eternally ground down by proclamations, and was not this strongly exemplified in the proclama tions against the Catholic Association and against many of the meetings that were convened by the late Mr. O'Connell for the repeal of the union? He thought that the visit of her Majesty to the coasts of Ireland would have more power and effect on the minds of that people than all the proclamations that had been or could be issued, as her Majesty during such visits would sympa thise with the ragged distress of her Irish subjects, and use every exertion to relieve and remedy their wants. He would next refer to the parsimony and stringency exercised against the apostle of temperance (Father Mathew) now in America, who would not be al lowed 50/. to carry out his ameliorating plan of peace and comfort, until the people, as lovers of virtue, supported his cause. Next, he wished to know, would there be a possibility of reprieving an innocent man when condemned to death (as happened in the case of what is designated the Doneraile conspiracy, the injustice of which sentence was discovered by Mr. O'Connell, much to his glory for saying an in nocent man), if the Lord-Lieutenant be removed; for the day appointed by the judge for the criminal's exe cution might arrive before a return of his reprieve could arrive from her Majesty in London, or Osborne House; whereas, the Lord-Lieutenant, residing in Dublin, could anticipate his execution. He considered that the policy of the Government towards the Irish people would ulti mately tend to the injury of this country, and also to the government of this country, for, on the one hand, go vernment educated that people which must at a future day prove that that people understood the wrongs they were labouring under, while on the other hand the flower and strength of Ireland were daily emigrating from every coast in that country to America—there to strengthen and augment a power that might prove at some future period a most dangerous foe. He adverted to the determination of the Americans to send 70,000 men in support of the Irish people on a very recent occasion, which serves as a strong proof that the feeling and sym pathy of the Americans is much in favour of the Irish and against the English Government.—(Hear, hear.) He should next refer to the sufferings of the poor curates of the Catholic Church, who were so distressed that he saw a placard on the walls of Dublin, purporting that a charity sermon was to be preached in their behalf. This he contended was another feature of the system of bad government towards Ireland, and hoped that the House would not allow the baneful measure to be aided to the thousands that have been already passed. He be lieved that the refusal of restoring Lords and Commons to Ireland tended not only to a separation, but to fatal war between the two countries. His breast was pained to see in Ireland Catholic clergymen frequently in a con dition of starvation, while the Protestant clergy were rioting in ease and luxury. He implored tho Govern ment not to take away that office until they resolved in restoring something else. H e appea l e d to the i r spirit of humanity and justice, and, in conclusion, begged leave to move, as an amendineet, that the Bill be read a second tune that day six months. Mr. G. A. HAMILTON was sure there must be an identification of legislation and government with this country or Ireland would be ruined; for it was quite im possible that, with a different system of laws, .English Member s , h av i ng a l rea d y so much to d o f or their ow n constituents, could bestow any atttention on the affairs of Ireland, or bring to bear upon that country the great good sense for which Englishmen were so distinguished. —(Hear, hear.) The principle of administering the law, and conducting the Government, must bo the same in both countries, before Ireland would cease to be the English difficulty. But the principle of centralizition seemed to be the policy now adopted, and that principle ran through the number of Irish Bills now before the House. In ono of them, the Petty Sessions Court Bill, power was first given to the Lord-Lieutenant to declare where sessions should be held; then a similar power was given to the magistrates; and next, the petty sessions clerks were to keep books containing the proceedings of the court, with the approval of the Lord-Lieutenant also.—(A laugh.) The New Medical Charities Bill created a board, by the members of which the duties of medical officers were to be defined, and that board had the moat unconstitutional powers given to tax the people to any extent they pleased. He also objected to the preference always given to English men over Irishmen in every public department, and the House would no doubt be surprised to learn that of 22 Protestant bishops in their colonies at that moment, not one of them was an I r i s h man . A n d t h at was not a fair distribution of the patronage which the Government had at their disposal; and that given the entire subject his most careful and serious consideration, he felt it to be his duty to record his vote against the second read ing of the Bill. Mr. MAURICE O'CONNELL observed that the only justification for bringing in this Bill was, that the office of Lord-Lieutenant bad been abused in former times, and continued to be an abuse to the present time. He contended, however, that that argument, if carried to its full extent, would go to abolish the Crown itself, for there had been many and serious abuses committed by Sovereigns who sat on the English Throne. For his own part, he never knew an instance that they were not told, on the opening of every Parliament, that all former legislation was carried on on a bad principle. The only free gift Ireland ever received was the corn law, a mea sure for which he thanked heaven ho never gave a vote, but on the contrary offered it every resistance in his power. They were going in England to separate the judicial from the ministerial functions of the Lord Chancellor ; but what did they propose to do with the Lord Chancellor in Ireland? Under the present Bill, that functionary was to preside over the Privy Council, and to carry its decisions into effect, and how could he do that, when his time was daily engaged in the Court of Chancery? There was this difference be tween Scotland and Ireland, they had a larger revenue in Ireland, derived from the land and the industry of the country, applied to the support of a church which was alien to the people. That was not the case in Scotland. There was no parallel between the two countries, therefore, in this important respect, and no reasons for doing away with the Lord-Lieutenant. But, besides this, since the union with Scotland it had been governed by Scotahmen. They never sent a spend thrift, an adventurer, or a prodigal there. Scotsmen governed themselves. But it was different with Ire land; the people of that country had no power in ap pointing their Lord-Lieutenant. The abuse of a thing formed, however, no ground against its use. Give the Irish the power of having a voice in that appointment with due reference to the knowledge possessed by them of Ireland, and the result would be not only beneficial to Ireland, but to this country. The office of Lord-Lieutenant had been most powerful in keeping the empire intact. Take the case of Lord Chesterfield, for instance. It was by his tact, courtesy, and kindness, that the Roman Catholics of Ireland were prevented from joining the Roman Ca tholics of Scotland at the time of the rising in favour of Charles Edward. Ho had not himself come much in contact with those who had held that office, but ho must impress on them that they were dealing not with an office, but with a policy.—(Hear, hear.) They were dealing a blow which must be followed by others, lead ing to th e u l t i mate separat i on of the two countries.—. (Hear, hear.) The circumstances of Ireland required peculiarly a resident, power representing sovereignty. But the Irish Members, were told there was now quick communication between Downing -street and Ireland, so that speedy communication could be held between the new Irish seoretvy Arid the home Government, Rttt representation was acted upon, and the answer was, " I his opinion of Conway; said, " I think he is a very tali consented with very great reluctance—(Hear, and man." So of theme Honaet, all that could be said, he be laugh•e,)—and I get the consent of the Treasury, but lieved, was, that it was a very large building, for he de they object-d very much." Here, then, were these two nied that it had anything either of beauty or utility reluctant departments driven into increased expenditure about it; 200,0001. were voted for ventilation, and yet in consequence r f the suggestions of the Hon. Member, .they lately heard an Honourable Member declaring who now was desirous to cut down the vote. It would that the air was so mephitic that it was quite pm have been better if the Woods and Forests and the possible to breathe in the division lobbies. Treasury had been able to resist the fascinations or in- —(Hear, hear.) Mr. Barry and Dr. Reid were to go • flueuce of the Hon. Member. There was, however, hand in hand with regard to ventilation, and !some excuse for them, because when Lord Besborough what had been the result? Why, they had not spoken to was asked whether Hr. Hume stated that as his own each other for the last six years —(Heer, and laughter.) opinion, or the general ()Pinion of the Committee, he Three different systems were now in progress. They said it was the general opinion of the Committee, parboiled the House of Lords, and in the. House of Cora 1, Mr. HUME—Where was the Chairman? mons they were going to keep the whole of the Country Sir R. PEEL —Teen went on to say—" Mr. Hume party in these lobbies.—(Hear, hear.) He believed it • was not the chairman, was he?" which showed how ica- was a design on the part of the Chancellor of the Ex proper the conduct of the Hon. Member was.—(Hear, chequer.—(Great laughter, in which the Chancellor of and laughter.) He was really sorry to make these dis- the Exchequer himself joined.) The other day Mr. closures, and would have willingly avoided it if the lion. Barry seas asked whether those enormous boilers were Member would have allowed him. The answer to the to be kept in the court-yard, but he refused to give an question was, " Mr. flume was not the chairman of the answer. He believed the fact to be that they were going Committee, but I think he said he was stating the to boil the Committee-rooms.—(Laughter.) They had • opinion of the majority of the Committee."—( Mr. Hume three different plans of ventilation, and only one had made a gesture of dissent.) At all events he was now succeeded—namely, the system adopted in the present quoting from a Parliamentary document, for the purpose House. It was said to be totally impossible to ventilate of showing that Mr. Barry must not be charged with all the new House, in consequence of the side doors leading these alterations. Complaint had been made of the into the lobbies. The question, he repeated,was not as to mode in which the divisions were taken in the new passing a vote of censure on the Fine Arts Commission, but House, and he certainly thought that adopted in the of suspending it, and if the suspension were sine die he present House preferable; but for this Mr. Barry was himself would be quite as well pleased. They were paying not responsible, for a Committee was appointed in 1836 2,000/ because the Sergeant-at-Arms' house had not been to consider the principle on which the new House of built. The question lay in a nutshell; finish the House Lords and the new House of Commons should be con- first, and ornament it afterwards. With respect to a strutted, and they expressed an opinion that the new Committee, after what had been said by the Chancellor House should not tie so long as the present one. In his of the Excbequer and the Right Hon. Baronet the opinion they made a mistake—(Hear, bear)—but, at Member fur Tamworth, he did not think they had any qu it e f ree fromo bl ame i n the great encouragement t o pl ace con fid ence i n C omm i ttees. all events, Mr. Barry was matter. The Committee also expressly recommended The result was that they were building an execrably bad that there should be an apartment on each side of the House, and unless their legislation were better than House of Commons in which the divisions might he their House, the longer they continued where they were taken; and therefore the House of Commons mu s t tak e the better. He hoped the House would express a de• its share of the blame, or rather it ought to take th e wh o l e cided opinion in favour of remaining in the present blame. At the same time he thought the Chancellor of House until the other was in such a state that they the Exchequer had acted very prudently in appointin g could hear and sit at ease. He could not help wishing ; some of the most experienced Members to superintend that the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Tarn '', any alterations. So much with regard to the House of worth, when he was enlarging upon the merits of the Commons. He now came to the particular vote under Commission, had told them the artists whom they called consideration. He feared the House was troubled with before them. He wished he bad told them how Mr. a very short memory.—(Hear, hear.) If they thought Stanfield and Mr. Roberts both refused to paint in the ' that a more fit tribunal could be selected to superintend room proposed for them, and how, they were going to the decoration of the Houses than the Commission, he, put some of Landseer's pictures in a chamber not so good as one of its members, acknowledged their perfect as a billiard-room. right to supersede it. If they chose to say that in Sir R. PEEL, in explanation, said the three artists consequence of the disapprobation which they felt referred to by the Hon. Member for Middlesex were at the delay which had taken place, or on certainly called before the Commissioners, whom they account of the poverty of the country, the 3,0001, accompanied to the apartment destined to receive their must be withheld, they had a perfect right to do so, and works. On viewing the room it was found that a number he, as a member of the Commission, would be heartily of the panels destined to receive pictures were opposite glad to be relieved from the duty of attending it, par- the light, but there were three compartments on which ticularly if it were intimated that the' Commission the light was excellent—namely, those at the end of the did not enjoy the confidence of the House. But no room. Pictures painted by the three artists were plac e d step whatever had been taken either by the executive on the different panels, by way of experiment, and the Government or the Committee which was not in con- Commission being of opinion that the panels oppositeithe fortuity with the wishes and intentions of the House of light were not suitable ler paintings, did not give a corn. Commons —(" Hear, hear," from Lord John Russell.) mission to Mr. Stanfield or Mr. Roberts, thinking that a lie (Sir R. Peel) in 1841 recommended the appointment more suitable place might be found for the works, o f of the Committee, but he gave that advice in cense those distinguished artists. Mr. Landseer thought th e 4aenceof a recommendation from the House of Commons, apartment not unsuited to the exhibition of that depart who appointed a Committee to consider whether it were ment of art in which he was himself, he ventured to say, not fitting that the opportunity should be taken in the without a rival. He approved of the light, and in no, construction of this magnificent building to promote the respect objected to the apartment. Of the liberality o f fine arts of this country. In 1841, during the Govern- Mr. Landseer he could not speak too highly, and what ment of L o rd Melbourne, a Committee was appointed on ever sum was awarded to him for his services he was the 6th of May for this Prime , and that Committee confident it would not be one-third of their real value. carne to a unanimous report, and strange enough to say, All the Hon. Gentleman could say of the genius of Mr. one of its Members, who came to this unanimous report Landseer he entirely agreed in—all he could say of his With the view of compelling the Government, even liberality was entirely deserved; he believed there never though it had been disinclined, to undertake the con- lived an arti s t of greater liberality than Mr. Landseer, sideration of the subject, was the Honourable and he could assure the House that the selection of the . . Member for Montrose.—(Hear, bear.) What did that panels was not made without his full and entire appro- Committee recommend? They said they had ex- batten. amined.several distinguished professors and admirers of Lord J. RUSSELL said the Hon. Member for Mid arts, wha were unanimous upon one point, that so im- dlesex had begun his speech by saying that the Right portant a national work as the re-building of the two Hon. Gentleman opposite had not spoken to the ques. Rouses of Parliament afforded an opportunity which tion, and that he had misled the House by spe a ki ng ought not to be neglected of encouraging not only high upon a totally different question. But the fact was the art, but every subordinate branch of art in this country, Right Honourable Gentleman (Sir Robert Peel) did Inch- as the art of moulding and design in its most ex- address himself to the question, which, in fact, was, tensive signification. The manufacture of ornament a l whether the sum of money voted in Committee of Supply brass work; and;an short, every art was interested in the should be assented to by that House for the purpose of recommendation of the Committee. It was the House serving for the decoration of the now Houses, according •Of Cemmons:that recommended that a Commission should to the suggestion of the Fine Arts C omm i ss i on. Now ne appointed to assist with information and advise some the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Middlesex did not • department of the Government, which, after mature address himself to the question, because it was entirely a consideration, should be solely responsible for the speech directed against Mr. Barry, and with regard to execution of the plan best calculated to realise the the construction of the two Housei of Parliament. objects of the Committee. The intention of Parliament According to his logic, and reasoning from his speech, Was inferred to be, that a connected view should b e there should be a vote of the House very much diminish taken of the decoration of these buildings, and corn- ing the sum to be given to Mr. Barry to carry on the Missions given to artists in the same manner a s i n works, but not:interfering with the Fine Arts Commission, former timee i the most magnificent palaces had be e n because he said he did not wish to throw any censure decorated, - atrd - the finest - works of art produced. I t on it. Strange to say, having occupied his speech with Might be said, perhaps, that doubts might exist a s to th e Mr. Barry and the Houses, he concluded by saying that employment of fresco painting, and some might think, every farthing asked by Mr. Barry should be that though suitable to foreign tastes, it was not ono voted, and that the sum on account of the Fine to which this country was habituated. But even h e r e Arts Commission should not be voted. The the Commission . did not act without understanding that it Hon. Gentleman said this was not a censure on the was the wish of the House to give encouragement to that Commission, bat that every sum we could spare should branch of art ; for the House observed that fresco paint. be devoted to the completion of the buildings in the first ing h a d been revived on the Continent, and employed in instance. If that was so they should vote at once the the decoration of public buildings, particularly at Munich whole 154,0001. asked for by the Treasury, only declaring - ---and that a vast national building was its peculiar that no part of it should be applied to the prosecution of spher e . A.r e n ee tion had• been cast on the selection made the decorations. The Hon. Gentleman, so far from af of .historical subjects ; but the Commission, up to that terwards maintaining that course, took away the whole bight, had certainly been under the impression that in of the sum so voted for these paintings, and left the . , this also they were adopting the recommendation, and of amount proposed neither increased nor diminished. The acting in conformity with the expressed wishes of the Houses of Parliament would, therefore, not have one goose, which the Crown was bound to respect, be cause farthing more allotted to them. They could not be pro it referred to the decoration of an edifice appropriated t., ceeded with a day sooner, nor could there be a day's the House of Commons and the House of Peers ; and more work done in consequence of the Hon. Gentleman's the Committee recommended the evidence taken before it vote.—(Hear, hear.) Then, after all that the H o e, to the favourable consideration of the Government, in the Gentleman said, it was when they had completed these , b ops that the new Houses of Parliament might hand buildings they ought to commen c e t h e d ecorat i ons an d goWn to posterity a memorial as well of the genius of our works of art. Was not that completely departing from artists, as of the importance attached by this country to the vote of the' House, which had unanimously clo the nobler productions of art, whether in painting cided that advantage should be taken of the build °r sculpture, which might serve to perpetuate the ing of the New Houses to promote the fine arts events of our past history and the persons of our public in that country, and the Right Honourable Gentle benefactors in the grateful remembrance of the people.— man opposite advised her Majesty to appoint a Com (Hear, hear.) Suppose the Crown bad neglected to act mission to carry out that suggestion of the Hous e of On that recommendation, would not the House of Com- Commons. If they suspended the proceedings of that mons have taken credit with artists and lovers of art for Commission—if they told the Commission that they their good dispositions and intentions? But the Crown wished the money to be devoted to the building of the h ad acted on their advice, and had appointed the Corn- House of Commons, the only consequence would be, that ,tivaion. He had heard nothing implying censure on the Commission could not, with any regard to their cha `go Fine Arts Commission. Everything was opened to ratters, undertake again to proceed with works which ~.i N npetition, and prizes were given for the best w or k s , the House wo uld sa y by it s vo t e th e y were not fit to go W ithout any restriction. Three prizes of 500/. were on with.—(Hear, hear.) It would be tantamount to a three of 3001., and three of 2001.; and the result vote that the Commission should be put an end to, and 4 8 4 been to bring to light the latent genius of this coup- it would be a departure from the original intention of of whose existence they had been scarcely aware usin quest the New Houses for the promotion of the fine arts. tefore; and amongst these were Pickersgill (not the Theion was not now as to the merits of Mr. Barry ROYa Academician), Watts, and Armitage, to whom —the question was not whether a different or a less ex fet() awarded the three prizes of 5001. each ; F ros t, P oo l, pensiv e pl an s h ou ld have b een a d opted, b ut w h et h er the e ' l eY, and others. Again, by whom were the historical unanimous recommendation of th e H ouse i tse lf s h ou ld Vlsjects chosen? By a Committee consisting ofthePrince, not he carried out, and that a f ter procee di ng f or s i x or ho Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord J. Russell, Lord Mor- seven years they should now put an end to the decora rth, Lord Mahon, Mr. Macaulay, Sir R. Inglis, tions.—(Hear, hear.) iN"IA Mr. Wyse. If they thought this a badly-selected Mr. HUME wished to say that, if the House would nroittee, he did not complain of their withdrawing allow him, he would prefer withdrawing his amend them thepower with which they had been entrusted; ment, and substituting that for th e appo i ntment of a „alit in d o i ng s o let them remember that they were Committee. seinding the act, not of the Crown, but of the House The SPEAKER inquired whether it was the wish of aCommons. He ought to inform the House of that the Hon. Gentleman to withd raw hi s amendment? w ithdra w the power from the hands of the Commission, Mr. OSBORNE would not consent to th e amen d ment f uture In the confidence that, not only in the present, but in being withdrawn. years, the vote would bo maintained, they had Sir 14. PEEL—Am Ito understand that the H oe . ' ej ected art i sts o f t h e hi g h es t em i nence , an d h a d g i ven G e ntleman is s o conv i nce d o f t h e injustice and impro -1"en1 commissions—contingent, of course, on the votes propriety of his motion that he wishes it t o b e w i t h - O ng granted.—(Hear, hear.) With the view of se- drawn?ba a t ing uniformity of design, the decoration of one Mr. AGLIONBY protested against such an interpre -1 enent had been entrusted to Mr. Herbert, an arti s t tation being put upon his Hon. F r i en d' s wor d s . N ot a t t_ 4. no greeted eminence—of course, on the express un- word had fallen from the Hon. Member for Montrose to ~,vritanding that the discretion of Parliament was in no justify such an inference. a aY fettered.—(Hear.) He was to commence a series of Lord J. RUSSELL had no objection to the Hon aaintinga for one particular apartment. Gentleman putting his motion in the terms he thought kr. 13. OSBORNE—What apartment ? best, but when he was about to rise and say so the Hon. H. PEEL believed it was the Peers' robing•room, Member for Middlesex interposed, and said he would t h uich had six or eight panels. If any one doubted not consent to it. ee ' genius of Mr. Herbert, he advised him to take an The House then divided, when there appeared— irPortunity of seeing his magnificent picture of Lear. For the amendment (reducing the vote)... 62 t), .hoped the House of Commons would think with Against it ... a. 144 toa l 'r Committee that this country was interested in pro- Majority against it ... ...--82 oting the fine arts, aud that it would not be creditable Mr. HUME regretted he had been compelled to give to the nation to permit this opportunity to pass without the House the trouble of dividing. He now moved that t to 'ng advantage of it. If they thought that the Corn- the motion of which he had given notice, for the appoint teel4ion had abused its trust, and that the functions en- meet of a Committee, be adopted. "teele to it would be better discharged by a Com- Lord J. RUSSELL said his Right Hon. Friend h a d C a-t o ee of the House of Commons, or by the House of already stated that in a few days a complete return ° amens itself, he for one, without complaint, would would be laid before the House, showing in detail the a: l a t he Commission extinguished, and would only hope whole of the expenditure, the causes of the excess, and ter;" they would appoint a better tribunal for carrying the probable amount required to complete the buildings. n a a, t hapurpose of the House of Commons, if such were Under these circumstances, he thought the Hon. Gen eiearpose, namely, to make the erection of this mag- tleman had better wait. k r , Le o_ ceet structure conducive to the promotion of the fine Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said the House s h ou ld b e a, (Cheers.) put in possession of the whole . state' of affairs with re 114 7 B. OSBORNE wished to recall the attention of Bard to the New Houses. Could any Hone Member at ia rr ouse to the real question, and hoped it would not that moment say who was responsible for the enormous' )1. 'r itself to be deluded by the fine .arts of the expenditure incurred? The Committee appointed by 'tlet tk e Honourable Baronet—(A laugh)—for of all the that House had no real and effectual control over the eic,he s he had ever heard, not excepting those made expenditure. Ile should support the motion of the 4,„ th e Right 'Honourable Baronet while leading a Hon. Member for Montrose; and the main ground on tar. party i n that House, he never listened to which he should do so was, that it would afford them a fta,_!nore carefully designed to draw away attention chance of fi n di ng some means of consti tut i ng some la.'d „ the real point. They had heard how his Hon. effectual control over the great expenditure that had 4, a t ', 1 : 1 the Member for Montrose, in a moment of weak- been going on for so long a period. 44, (Laughter)—had suggested that the Sergeant-at- Sir D. NORREYS said the great question for the ta s should have a house, but let the House recollect House to consider was, whether, after all that vast ex itiktilbta) this very day no Part of the expense attending penditure, they had not made a most magnificent failure? IN:at been ineurred. -- (Hear, hear.) They bad also Was it not a fact that with regard to hearing, and with a to o 3 f the commission given to Mr. Herbert for years regard to the accommo d at i on o f t h e M em b ers of that 4 co ‘' l ne to decorate a room, but what room the Right House, the new c h am b er was a great f a il ure? He tips' Baronet did not seem to recollect. The real ques- thought the great dciuble archway at the Victoria Tower ta il was, not w h et h er th e y s h ou ld destroy the Fine Arts was an ey esore , an d a disgrace to the country; and that tie t ,: z tissiou, but whether they should suspend its opera- the old historic recollections connected with the adjoin .' -Nr an a nd lay out the money which the Right Hon. ing Westminster Hall should have inspired the architect Pleti 'lt Proposed to spend on monstrous frescoes in corn. with something more worthy the character of the great Vo t "g the building. It was all very well to meet and English people. i llg i llw aY other people's money, to pass agreeable morn- Mr. ROEBUCK understood that there was a state lie t tild give orders to Mr. Herbert. The Right lion. ment to be laid before the House before the present . eta Nt had accused the lion. Member for Montrose of money was expended. As to that House pretending to opinion upon architectural designs it was per % 111,4gviatolerant of other people's criticisms, and accused give ael.a intolerance of Earl Do Grey's opinions; but when fectly preposterous. What they should have done was, tog that Noble Lord, one of the Commission, bandy- when the former House was burned down, to tell some ‘aa e h ° , l t n i _plinsents with Mr. Barry at a public institution, one man to build a House for the ac commodation of the l qat a , i alug out an inducement to hi m t o i m i tate th e M em bers of the Legislature, and th ey would have suc e?tepV of Sir Christopher Wren, and s p en d 34 years i n cee d e d f a r better than they had d one . W ith regard /aka, !slang the building, be had some reason to cone- to the new House of Commons, it was impossible to form tphile /iu,iyhat were Mr. Barry's reasons for no t fi n i s hi ng any o pi n i on y e t, as whenever th e y h a d met t h ere all the sivitZs, according to his own account o f th e matter ? M em b ers were a t once talking an d k eep i ng up (louver . f ret tk _ of time experienced by all moder n arc hit ects, eat i ons . H e b e li eve d there was a great deal of pleasur e eti c kt i t„,a Proper f rame o f m i n d t o p ro d uce w i th full ef- in finding fault, b ut i n hi s op i n i on the Home of Corn t t b ie " sthetical d eve l opmen t o f d es i gn w hi ch he was mons was not a proper j u d ge o f t h e accommodation that ta 4 ee k to explain ..._(Laughter.) This was received with was p rov id e d f or t h e m. He would a d v i se hi s H on. lioutlyseEa9 lie Grey and others present, but w ou ld F r i en d t o w i t hd raw hi s mo tion, a n d l eave the responsi r th e (-t Comm ons b e sa ti s fi e d with suc h a reason b i l i ty of the failure, or of t h e j o bbi ng that had taken ad peer completion of a building on which such sums ,place, upon Government itself. • . it o ;_'avisli e d? Th e. Hon. B aronet t h e Member for ' Mi. AGLIONBY said ho believed ~the. Government Nic e u r r . Hamlets was always ready to come down and could not itself tell what sum had been expended,.or what PArrfil wprk. Jelin Kemble, when asked was the mount of the 'Militia at preient ontitendiag. LONDO N, r"' rn ► t 4 TUESDAY the argument told equally well in favour of Dublin, anti there was no ground therefore in that argument for withdrawing the Lord-Lieutenant.—(Hear, hear.) As to economy, on which ground the Honourable Member for Montrose had formerly supported this measure, he did not think the Bill would be at all efficacious; on the contrary, he thought the balance would be on the other side, and at all event & until they could show a clear and decided gain in this respect,. he should support , the con tinued expenditure in Ireland of the small sum now re quired for the support of this office, a sum small in itself, but useful in the present state of that country.—(Hear.) Colonel DUNNE thought that Irish Members had little encouragement from the Government, either in this debate, or in the last debate on an Irish question, to draw tighter the bonds of union between the two countries.— (Hear. ht ar.) On the last occasion they left the -Secre tary for Ireland alone on the Treasury bench, and to night the Noble Lord at the head of the Government merely lifted his hat and proposed the second reading of a measure to remove the last vestige of internal govern ment from Ireland, trusting no doubt to the majority at his back, feeling too much contempt for Irish Members even to argue the question. But he felt it his duty, not withstanding this contumely, to enter his protest against this Bill. During the last 50 years England had in creased in wealth, power, population, and prosperity, much of which was owing to Irish blood and industry, while, during that period, Ireland had retrogressed. Previous to the union there were two Houses of Parlia ment in Dublin. For their removal there bad been no equivalent given. 202 Peers then lived in Dublin, there were at present not two, and the result was seen in a fact the other day, where large and expensive house'', on which there was a mortgage of 20,0001., were sold for 5,0001. This showed how Dublin must suffer by the continued policy of withdrawing all internal govern ment and government establishments from Ireland. The debt and taxes of Ireland had largely increased during the last half century; but though that had been to some extent compensated by the increase of agriculture and population, it had recently been destroyed by the free trade measures, which, however advantageous they might have been to this country, had been ruinous to Ireland —(Hear, hestr_) 7 tand she had no manufactures. In 1824 there was a Cennmisslon is sue d, w hi c h seeme d t o carr y out the spirit enome papers be had recently seen, en titled " How to check the Prosperity of Ireland." That Commission proposed the removal of the revenue depart ment. That had been done. They recommended the removal of the Lord-Lieutenant. That was now pro posed to be done. They further proposed that the ad ministration both of the ecclesiastical and law establish ments should be entrusted to Englishmen. They pro posed the consolidation:of all departments. The Noble Lord said there was no intention to remove the law courts. But, looking at the fact that so many of the recommendations of that Commission had already been carried out, and others were pro posed, he warned his countrymen that whatever Government might be in office, that was the policy steadily- pursued towards Ireland. But it was said that it would prevent corruption in the Administration. Well, he would like to know if Irishmen were not as likely to be corrupted in Downing -street as in Dublin. —(Hear, hear.) Then it was said that the deficiency of information on the part of the Lord-Lietenant was an argument for the abolition of the office. Well, would not the secretary in Downing-street be equally ignorant equally dependent, on the information of Irishmen.— (Hear, hear.) The oily difference was that being at a distance, ho would not have the same chance of compare ing and checking the statements made to him. He really thought these arguments refuted theinselves, and at all events did not justify such a measure as this. He did not think there was anything in respect to the government of Ireland that warranted the executive being removed from that country to this. The Honour able and Gallant Member defended the theyeloyalotuygohft, atthe Irish people, and contended that if they were to do away with the " mock royalty " of Ireland, least, to give the Irish an assurance that either the Sovereign should appear there occasionally, or that the Parliament should assemble periodically in that country. —(Hear, hear.) He contended that the appointment of a fourth secretary would be more expensive than the continuance of the Lord-Lieutenant in Ireland, while the withdrawal of that officer of the Go vernment would destroy Dublin, and, as a conse quence, many portions of the country near to Dublin would also suffer materially. Absenteeism had done much to injure Ireland, and this Bill would increase that absenteeism. He would give the Bill every opposition in his power. Mr. ROEBUCK wished to ask what was the question before the House ? It was proposed by the Bill now before the House to remove the Lord-Lieutenant. Was that course a desirable one to follow ? He would sup pose Ireland to be a county side by Ode with another county in this country. In that case you would have that county regulating its affairs as its adjoining county. But what did a Lord-Lieutenant do for Ireland ? He asked this question, of that not with country,reg a b rd to u the withregard he former policy of the Governmentto the feelings of the people of this country ; and he con tended that there was no hostile feelings on the part of the people of England towards Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) He admitted that the Parliament of England did destroy the manufactures of Ireland, but was the Parliament of this country now like that of William ? or even like that of George the Third, or even of George the Fourth ?—(Hear.) He asked any Member to point out his finger to any one Act of Parliament—except one— that was hostile to the people of Ireland. He denied that the alteration of the corn-laws was intended to injure Ireland. It became necessary under the circumstances of the case, and the old system was not beneficial to the people of Ireland. The argument used by Hon. Gentlemen was, the Lord-Lieu tenants wore needy men, and that Ireland, under this system of " mock royalty," had retrograded. Why, he should have thought that these were the strongest pos sible rt asons against the continuance of the Lord-Lieu tenant in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) Why, had not the office of the Lord-Lieutenant been the very focus of in trigue? Was not the Lord-Lieutenant playing one game and the Secretary fur Ireland another?—(Hear, hear, and Oh, oh.) This would not be the case it' a fourth secretary were appointed, who would be acting under the responsibility of his office, and under the eye of the people. It was said that the Dublin shopkeepers would suffer by the removal of the Lord-Lieutenant in Ireland. Admitting the fact, was that a reason why we should not make the people of Ireland and England one, and the union of the two countries what it ought to be, but what it really had not been up to the present time, a union of the interests of the two countries.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. CONOLLY contended that the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland was not necessary for the welfare of Ireland. On the contrary, the abolition of that office would cement the union between the two countries. Mr. GROGAN said that thii debate-was unequalled in the annals of Parliament. When it was considered that the object of the Bill was to abolish an office which bad continued for several centuries, the Government had not condescended to advance a single argument in support of it on the present occasion. He could not conceive, notwitstanding anything that bad been said to the con trary, what inconvenience could arise from the re-esta blishment of a practice which had been resorted to in pressing emergencies, of continuing the office of Lord- Lieutenant, with a chief secretary, to be a responsible member of the Cabinet, having a seat in Parliament. Since the connexion of Ireland with England she had been strictly an agricultural country, she had her mar kets in foreign countries and in the colonies, and for one interest that had been benefited, there were several that had been injured. Now, the Noble Lord proposed to withdraw the Lord-Lieutenant, and he used a falla cious argument to recommend it to Parliament, viz., that the people of Ireland would not be drawn away from their usual avocation to attend a mock court. The effect of his motion, however, was to draw the landed gentry from - Ireland to London, to in crease the amount of absenteeism which had been the bane of Ireland, and to give further effect to the system of centralization, which the Government put in force on all occasions. It aimed directly at the withdrawal from the home trick, of Ireland of the patronage which was on the spot to suppert it, and that without returning to it the smallest compensation, direct or indirect. Having heard, therefore, no new argument from any member of the Government in support of this measure, and Ireland having been much injured in her agricultural interest by 'their recent legislation, he thought there was not the slightest inducement hold out to them to accede to the proposition of the Noble Lord. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that when the principle and chief . details of a measure had been explained, in moving for leave to bring it before the House iu the form of a Bill, t he practice was, at the second reading, to wait to hear any objections which might be urged against' it. He had listened, but in vain, to hear any valid objection to the Bill which was now under discussion. Those which had been stated in t he debate were not in effect directed against t h e measure, bat, wheth er goo d or b ad, thealm themopstaarllilaomfent of the t we e re Un di i r t ec ed tedagainat legislation by Kingdom, and went not to maintain the office of Lord-Lieutenant, but to repeal it altogether. As to the repeal of the corn-laws, it was a subject independent altogether of that of the Lord- Lieutenant; and,.upon the whole, the arguments against the measure put those who used them not in the position of opposers of, or objectors to the Bill, but of repealers of the legislative union. The mischie vous character attributed to their legislation and to the policy of William 111. were matters which he should be willing to investigate in their proper places. The ques tion now was, however, as to the maintenance or aboli tion of the office of Lord-Lieutenant. The objection' that the local governments were maintained in India and in Canada would not apply in the case of Ireland, for obvious reasons. He could conceive that it would be useful to keep a local government in Ireland when the means of communication with it were less perfect than at present; but now that our advances in engineering bad almost ann i hil a t e d t i m e and space, there could b e no ob stacle in the wa y of uniting Ireland with the same sys tem of administration as England itself was subjected to. For local purposes he conceived the change a vast im provement, beCause landed proprietors would now spend their money on their estates, instead of going to spend it at Dublin. It had been proposed that there should be a general Secretary of State for the United Kingdom, but he should be able to show in Committee that there were so many statutes relating exclusively to Ireland, as to render a Secretary for Ireland indispensable. In con clusion, he had only to state that this subject had been under consideration ever since Lord Clarendon went to Ireland, and in August last be (Lord J. Russell) wrote to him, stating that as the famine of 1847 and the peril of 1848 h a d passed away, they mi g ht th en be able to introduce this measure. Lord Clarendon arrived at the same conclusion, and this me a s u re was brought in with his full sanction and concurrence. Mr. C. ANSTEY rose amidst loud calls for a division, and moved that the debate be adjourned. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he could not agree tcean adhurnment,)• as there were various opportunities of discussing the measure upon its different stages. Mr. SCULLY supported an adjournment. hies r FRENCH - said that there Were persons whew t t 1 t' 1850. Or, roui'd with mutt'ring anguish from thy caves, Winnow, sad Afrieus, adown the waves. The last line italicised in the above extract, by the mere force of the be't chosen words, gives a shudder ing sense of cold, which must chill the sensitive reader even by the blaze of a club-roam fire : how aptly the melody changes, where the spirits ar e summoned to Come fr t om e lntohee owlet coolrefltrietsatast ve of matted grey;edpine, Where and invited to extend their influence O'er fertile valleys, where the rivers bend And drowse the meadows with their liquid voice, a line, hat last, as deliciously dulcet as any in the range of our idyllic poetry. The poem is so completely what we have described it, a series of visions of ever-varying power and beauty, that we shall do more justice, both to the writer and to the reader, by taking at random from this rich gallery some of the pictures which have most attracted ourselves. Here is a glorious sunset pic ture : When Phoebus, with supernal hues around His regal forehead, drops adown the West, When braying conch-shells of the Triton sound O'er blood-red billows heaving into rest, On dolphins fair Nereides, reclin'd, Are trailing varied garlands to the wind. And here, as a complete contrast, is the description of the desert dawn upon the head of Memnon : Grey breaks the morning, till with mellow'd light The orange merges into crimson hues; . The darkness o'er the distance wings its flight Where'er the bean rays of dawn diffuse; And, clanging gurgling, with metallic tone, The choral daybearns touch the vital stoat. The following is a grand delineation of . THE SPHINX. The Sphinx is 4here, the lone, eternal Sphinx, That solemn image of a darksome reign! Scanning in dreadful beauty, like the lynx, With glaring eye-ball, all the level plain: Ages and nations pass, yet calm distress Glooms from her brow across the wilderness. The description of the valley of Tempe is worthy of the floral paradise ef Poet., and here, in an appro priate spot, we find this delicious stanza dedicated to THE NIGHTINGALE. There in the cedar warbles Philomel" Her juggling cad e nc e o f ecst atic-grief; There from her throat her bosom. throbs impel The notes that come like gushes of relief; Her soul dissolving in melodious moan, She chaunts the dirge of love —unseen—alone. Similarly felicitous is . THE FALL OF AUTUMN LEAVES. Less anguish, but more joy, have still snffus'd Thy pleasant hills, Collins! where the plum; Thro' breathleas silence drops, its ripeness bruis'd By purple boughs that yield there yolk of gum, Where :ridged leaves, yet crisp with Autumn-gold, In showers are tinkling on the frozen mould. The following, one of the most original passages in the work, is a happy specimen of the writer's mar vellous command of language, and of his power of painting with words—literally in colours in this in stance ; the ultimate grouping of the enumerated colours into one picture is most artistically contrived, but with the greatest apparent ease—the art most visible being certainly the art celare artcm. COLOITR - PAINTEKG. White gleams the ring -dove on the cedar:bough, White glides the cygnet on the rimpled lake, White the faint clouds that fleck the sky like snow, And white the doe that threads the dusky brake; But whiter than them all, his tender breast The youngling Orus screens with tinted vest. Red glows the garnet on the ocean strand, Red foams the wine in cups of carvi 1 jet, Red runs the patriot blood on hero-land, Red blooms the horizon when the sun is set; But ruddier than the vine, the gem, the air, The coral Doris twines among her hair. Blue beams the vast, di►ine, ethereal vault, Blue grow the bells that grace the meadow-green, Blue flash the altar-flames with sacred salt, Blue smile the sapphires on the Indian Queen, Bat the blue that lives in Cupid's eyes I Exceeds the beauty of all paler dyes. Gold floods the sheen the brilliant topaz wears, _ Gold are the motes that fill the Day-God's ray, Gold buds the blossom that the crowfoot bears, Gold tips the tiny sceptre of the fay, But far more golden in auriferous flow The scales that clothe the frolic.Derceto. So white the cheek lorn Hero gave to view, When near Abydos drown'd Leander lay; So red the gore that gush'd his wan lips thro' To mingle with the froth of silver spray; So blue the anguish of her weeping eyne, So gold his locks all draggled by the brine. Many of the similes employed in this poem are sin gularly forcible and felicitous ; one of the boldest and most striking is contained in the following mag nificent passage : Like batter'd hulls upon a boundless deep, That, age on age, for ever onwards drift, Those false religions in disorder sweep The main of mystery and currents swift: While waves of Time their spars aroun.d me cast Methinks 1 stand, THE WRECKER 05 THE PAST. The Wrecker of the Past, that on the strand 01 bygone centuries awaits the tide, Fraught with the spoil whose fragments still are grand As when first floating in primeval pride; Once the stern arbiters of weal or woe, Now sport of Fortun e ' s fi t f u l e bb and flow. The remainder of this picture is in keeping with the commencement ; as we read on we see before us the heaving ocean with its costly burden : And farnish'd vestments of antique device In gorgeous tissues powder'd o'er with pearl, Above the surge in crumpling folds arise, And all their blurr'd embroideries unfurl. Goodly indeed are the spoils which the Poet-wrecker has gleaned from the ruins of the Past. Here is another equally happy and even more beautiful meta phor : Mythology then perished as a creed With all its beatific beauty mared, Its magic sceptre dwindled to GI reed, Yielding soft music to the breath of bard. And rarely, if ever, has that reed discoursed a sweeter music than in the poem in which this felicitous compa rison occurs. We must not allow the luxury of quotation to carry us too far, and yet cannot forbear giving some stanzas embodying the forms of the greater deities of the classical Pantheon, in the delineation of which Mr. Kent has to contend, and contends not un successfully with the' poets, sculptors, and painters of all times. Here is a grand sketch of IMPITER. His brows o'ershadowed with their load of thought, Like storm surcharged with cataract and flame; • His dusky locks in aspen tangles wrought; His beard dishevelled o'er his massive frame; Power in the tension of his nervy hand, Pride in his eyee, and on his mouth command. Thron'd on a throne of ivory seamed with gold And purpled o'er with rubies, reigns supreme The Sovereign Lord, in whom mankind behold Th' embodied semblance of earth's holiest dream. By struggling bait of lightning torn asunder Between his clerich'd fingers sprouts the thunder. The whole delineation of the King of Olympus is characterized by its powerful ease, while the glimpse of Minerva, by which it is immediately fol lowed, is remarkable for its serene beauty. The Goddess of Wisdom, whose visage, Solemn, yet composed, reveals ' The passive grandeur knowledge lends to might, is apostrophised as the noblest benefactress of MID, and some of her gifts are thus beautifully enume rated : Thy fancy fashioned fromx the pith-lorn recd The dulcet hollows of the doling flute, By thee from solitude of forests freed, Borne from the branch and riven from the root; The green-wood banished from its old abode O'er ocea n's tide with swelling canvas glode. Protective shade of merchandise end art The loom, the chisel, and the brush thy care; Tby symbols still are worshipped in the mart, Thine impulse prompts where genius fails to dare ; In gems of thought thy subtle influence wells Lae green sap boiling into gaudy bolls. It blushes in the picture's motley hue, It threads the broidery'a labyrinthine woof, FrA I C h t :nrTToo b i dpmu i uhh d ahrf,e s oreoeAusowi t ogatm h rorsi e btna ethhiii cy s t: elscreevulebhar virgin ouuri p sgfars t sottiokpneafrodrt'oflßise precepts i m ehntesmaaasp a stsratf l uoem os l rr e rneol t eimnfont c rt oyreh l oti e yeao: nh a h:h v os e ti rhci tedet anewbhn loC e nt a ur'sc h as t e,o uc. rock hoof; i n w taste— That oral code of truthful beauty whence Come all the raptures of intelligence. • The pure and tasteful beauty of this melodious pas sage is to o o b v i ous to requ i re commen d at i on . Th e d ibtiuguishing characteristics of the various divinities, the majesty of Juno, the grace of Venus, the vigour of Diana, are so forcefully and delicately discrimi nated, that Mr. Kent seems to have unconsciously illustrated some remarks in the current number of the Edinburgh Review. In an , admirable criti cism on Landor's Poetry in that periodical it is lamented that ancient mythology has not fared well in the hands of most of our recent poets. " Their love," says the reviewer, " has been undiscriminating. They have not always appreciated the character of the divinities, even when exhibited in sculpture before their eyes." The "elaborate blunders" of some of these poetical mythologists are contrasted with the forceful interpretations of the Greek artist whose work needed "no allusive attri bute" in order to render its meaning intelligible.- "We require' neither Quivered ehoulder 31or Ares.' berited—biak td - fecogni;fl Ma iii ihos6 f e etti m and alert, in that slender but sinewy form," &o. In turning from this criticism to the following sketch of EVENING, JUNE , 11, both Irish and English Members were most desirous to hear. There was reason to believe that the greatest man in England, the Duke of Wellington, had not changed his opinion as to the inexpediency of abolishing this high office, and the Right Hon. Member for Tamworth was not in the House. There were other Honourable Members whose opinions the people of Ireland were most desirous of knowing. Under these circumstances he should support the motion for an adjournment. The gallery was then cleared for a division, and the House divided, when there appeared— For the adjournment ... 63 Against it ... ... 188 Majority Mr. ROCHE again moved the adjournme4t of the debate. The O'GORMAN MAHON seconded the m i 6tion. Sir R. PEEL said he gave his vote for the adjourn ment, because he thought it was not unreasonable, as many Irish gentlemen wished to deliver their opinions. —(Hear, hear.) He thought the question was one of such vital importance that an adjournment was not un reasonable. Lord J. RUSSELL consented to the adjournment of the debate until Monday next. An HON. MEMBER moved the adjournment of the House. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the adjournment ... 63 Against it ... ... 11 Majority The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter-past One o'clock. LITERATURE. ALETH.EIA; or, The Doom of Mythology; with other Poems. By William Charles Kent. Longman and Co. There is considerable vagueness in the modern use of the terms " poetry" and " poetical," which, on many accounts, we think it is desirable to avoid. It is the common phraseology of the day to speak of the poetry of A beautiful face or an exquisite landscape, of the poetry embodied in sculpture, painting, or music. If by the word poetry thus employed we understand, what alone can be truly meant, that common element of the ideal which it is the true province of genius in its different manifesta tions intuitively to perceive, and through the medium of the fine arts in their various modes of development to embody, no absolute misconception is indeed pro duced ; but it still remains true that such an employ ment of the word tends to introduce, more or less, con fusion of thought into /esthetic criticism, and to pro duce a forgetfulness of the true and peculiar pro vince of poetry as one of the fine arts, and of the poet as its cultivator. The truth we take to be this, that he creative and inventive genius of man, as mani ested in art, works on the same material by different modes. The ideal, or, in other words, the truth of nature as it presents itself to the shaping imagination of the artist, is the common element alike of the poet, properly so called, of the sculptor, of the painter, and of the musician. The sole difference consists in the mode of presenting this common element to the gene ral mind, in the selection of the forms or the symbols by which the thought of the man of creative genius is to be reproduced in the souls of his less-gifted fellow men. This it is the mission of the painter to effect by combined colour and form, of the sculptor by form alone, of the musician by sound, of the poet by metrical language. The relative greatness of painter, sculptor, musician, and poet, as men of crea tive genius, is to be judged of by the comprehensive. ness, grandeur, and beauty with which the ideal or truth of nature has shaped itself in their imaginations, by the intensity and extent of their intuition into the Divine workings of the universe—the opus quod operatur a principio usque ad fincm—" the living gar ment," as Goethe expresses it, " which the Godhead is eternally weaving for Himself." But as cultivators of fine art, their excellence is to be judged of by the degree of certainty and facility with which, by means of the appropriate symbols of their respective arts, they can succeed in communicating to their fellow men the beauty and the truth which their imagina tions have thus won from the universe of things. Thus the painter, as artist, is justly..estimated by the degree of his command over colour and form; the sculptor, as artist, by his knowledge of form ; the poet, as artist, by his resources of metrical language. He who is such a master of me trical language as to be able, by the em ployment of the best words in the best places, to call up in the souls of his readers with the most vivid and vigorous life the conceptions he wishes to convey, is, in the artistic sense of the word, a poet ; and none other than he can be a poet in this sense, however great his range of thought or power of ima gination. Therefore it is that in all ages and times the name of poet has been, by common consent, given to him who possessed this gift of nature, improved by study, of giving life and body to his own imagination in the minds of others by the apt use of metrical words ; and it is only in later times that, owing to a careless abuse of language, the name of poet has been conceded to any other. Tried by this test, Mi. Kent is unmis takeably a poet. His verse has a noble, flowing, and sustained harmony, as exquisite as in the present day it is rare. His words have a pictorial and suggestive power, presenting, not only the very embodiment of what he wishes to convey, but frequently opening up long vistas of associated thought, and making a landscape or a history start to life out of a line. This is the result, as it appears to us, not only of an intuitive happiness of nature, but of ripe and manly study of our choicest models of English style. Mr. Kent's poetry, be it understood, is in its form what, for want of a better term, we must call idyllic. It belongs to that class in which Theocritus and Virgil among the ancients, Spenser, Two, Fletcher, Milton, and Keats among the mo derns have been the most eminent masters. As in the " Pastor F ido," the "Sad Shepherdess," the " Lycidas," and the " Endymion," the beauties which strike us in Mr. Kent's poetry are those of picturesque felicity of language—exuberant fertility of fancy—and a keen observance of all the phases and aspects of nature. But it is time to let Mr. Kent speak for himself. His main poem, " Aletheia ; or, The Doom of Mythology," is a vision, or series of visions, "In many a winding bout, Of linked sweetness long drawn out," of those godlike forms with which the poetic imagi nation of the old Greeks peopled the hills and groves and fountains of their beautiful land. The poet calls up before him in long array, "like morning mists enkindled by the sun," all the powers of earth and air who " fled from the folding Star of Bethlehem :" now with the sensuous sympa thy of the poetic nature mourning over the "glory of the dream" that has vanished ; anon moralising over the debasing and polluting influences of a false worship—finally satiating his soul with the resplen dent vision of Aletheia (Truth), who sings to him in lofty strains the blessings of love and the rule of hap. piness. The very opening stanza touches the key note of that idyllic beauty of style of which we have spoken : the line given in italics illustrates the power of suggestive picture painting:— Deep in the mellow shadows of a copse, Where the ripe filbert sheds its ample nut, Where, from the burgeon'd bough, the fir-cone drops, And red leaves moulder in the wheel worn rut, Ceucti'd on the verdant sod, alone I lay, While fraught with glory died the glimmering day. Lulled into dreamy reveries, the poet laments the de parture of the age of old, s When myths of marvel strew'd the earth like balm, And gods were in the grove and in the wold. How completely does the Bacchanalian spirit of Nicolas Poussin revel in the following lines : The reign of youthful Bacchus now no more Peoples the glade with sprites of antique grace; 7he sedgy reed no longer, to the core, Thrills with the pipings lipp'd with quaint grimace. • • • • • • Pan with the riot of his rabble troy, Narcissus brooding o'er the fatal pool, Diana girded by a virgin group, Silenus reeling like the wine-king's fool, - No more may wander through' the Lesbian woods, Or break the stillness of their solitudes. Time was, alas! that time is now no morel When the blue bunches of the melting vine, Pierc'd by the point of thynus, dripp'd with ,ore, The blood of Nature turn'd to bubbling wine, When deep libations stain'd th' empurpled award, And hymns of rapture hail'd the Forest Lord. When silver cymbals clash'd, and ebon flutes Shrill'd to the throbbing sound of nimble feet; When the sweet murmur of voluptuous lutes Made the glad riots of the night complete; When virgin sighs with ecstasy were blent , Ere the day glimmer'd in the Orient. Here is a vision of Psyche which would have tasked all the combined gorgeousness and delicacy of our great English Titian : Then Psyche in mid ether pois'd serene, Her rainbow-pinions fluttering in the sun, Would glance the darkness of the boughs between, Her white robes gleaming thro' the foliage dun, And.o'er the scene celestial smile above, The spouse and gladness of enamour'd Love. What a spell is this to call spirits from the vasty deep ! Down from the violet arch of eastern skies Descend, refulgent shadows of delight! Up from the glad Agean depths arise, From ruby caverns bath'd in sea-green light! Flash, like the sunbeams, from the boiling surf Bud, like the bluebells, from th' enamett'd turf 'What vigour of imitative melody in the following invocation ! Drive o'er the billows in the raging Winds, • Let Bolus give impulse to the storms, When the huge breakers, on the beach that binds The foaming surges, hide their beetling forma; Let Boreas boom along his boist'rous path Till heav'n re-echo with his giant wrath. Rise, phrenried Aquilo, when morn tath - past, And trample forest oaks with flying feet, Come, frigid Corns, on the autumn blast, And bkw thro brittle kayos the drifting skit) 1, 11 ;?, Mutato ?tontine de to fakula narrates. But suddenly my gaze from liquid plains Turns to the verdant coverts of the glade. "Where thro' crisp foliage tinkle summer rains, Where panting fawns_laie to the leafy shade; Depths of old forests, where in pencils stream Thro' twinkling boughs the shreds of solar beam. There tall in stature, nimble, healthful, strong, Ver features chiselled to a manly grace, Fair Delia stirs the dewy fern among; Nerve in kir tread and rapture on her face, Printing soft rage of moss from gnarlii root, While blithely tripping-o 4 her buskin'd foot. Her perfect limbs, iu naked smoothness seen, Glairce - jiot siith—ointbie 4 - licit& Maly hue, Thro' the pale'tunie dYel an apple gum, And . citictured with a belt like sparkling dew. We have left ourselves only space for a hasty notice of the conclusion of the poem ; the grandeur and the beauty of the mythologic vision fades from before the eye of the poet, and his heart seems fainting with a chill of despondency; in his own words, A grief like death-pains trembling with dismay Droop'd o'er my spirit in the twilight gray, when amid the gathering darkness a celestial harmony rings around him, soft as The breeze that like a dulcimer Ripples the green leaves with its sweet control The fitful zephyr that in lonely hours Rustles the umbrage with the sound of showers; and with the harmony comes a great light, and in the midst of the harmony and the light stands revealed the beauteous vision of Aletheia,— Naked, in perfect chastity she stands, No veil but glory robing' all her limbs, Her velvet tresses shading *ith gold bands Sweet orbs wherein benignant beauty swims. Richer in myst'ries thOse cerulean eyes Than the blue problem of crystalline skies. • A i * , C • Truth in the aspect of a maiden fair, Truth all unveiled in' every visual grace, Truth with celestial glory in her hair, Truth with eyes clear and calm, translucent face, Truth in unutterable beauty view'd Stands the sole witness of my solitude. This lovely vision discourses to him in high Platonic strain— ' With flute-like cadence, sad yet comforting . As when the vernal breezes, low, discuss Through sedges green the promise of the spring, So from her mouth the liquid concord flows Thoughts' fragrance issuing from a vermeil rose. She tells him that in worshipping the beauteous forms of the olden mythology, " he has bowed in the con tentment of his downward course to the pale ghost of Evil in its shroud," and has rendered " sin beatified his law." She teaches him how these different god heads were but the incarnations of mere human qualities, more often evil than good—she tells him their empire ended when "`God's panic shuddered o'er the land and main," and then magnificently shadows out that new moral world of Faith, Hope, and Love, which is destined to be the home of a more emalted humanity than could ever have beea realised in the sensuous dream-land of the poets. The heart and intellect of the poet renew themselves in the eloquence of her wisdom as with the freshness of the morning, and the poem thus concludes : O'er the still copse, cool breathing dawns the morn As o'er my soul another dawn dispreads It's inner radiance, while from every thorn Its tears of dew the matin twilight sheds: Earth with diurnal pomp renews her youth, And all my heart is Love, and all my being Truth. It will be seen by the length of our notice, and the number of our extract s , th a t we thi n k highly of this poem. Personally we are grateful to Mr. Kent, end we feel confident that many of his readers will be so likewise, for having so completely carried us aloft out of the smoke and stir of this dim, ever-toiling nine teenth century, into the calm and serene air of those happy climes that lie " Where day never shuts his eye, Up in the broad fields of the sky." I It is one of the pet cants of the day to demand of the poet, in an age of railroads and ragged schools, that be should make ragged schools and railroads poetical. This is no creed of ours; on the contrary, the more the spirit of competition and the curse of over crowded misery presses upon our actual life, the more, as it seems to us, does it become the mission of the poet to find us an escape from the evils of our world of fact, by opening up to us fresh and beautiful worlds of wonder, and enchantment, and joy. This, we confess it, is one great source of our delight in this poetry of Mr. Kent's ; it is more fresh, more unhacknied, more full of hope and faith, youth and love ; with more of the dew of the moun tain side, and less of the dust of the thoroughfare upon it, than any cotemporary verse with which we are acquainted. It is a book of all books for a river side or woodland holiday : a book uncursed by the strained tension of thought, or convulsive spasms of passion, which combine to make so much of what now passes far poetry either a metaphysical puzzle, or a maniac rant. With Mr. Kent, thank God, we can still " fleet the time merrily, as they did in the golden world ;" still charm our ears with the sustained harmony of most musical num bers, and delight our minds with an ever-varying succession of the most beautiful imagery. That this poem of " Aletheia " is in some respects defective, we are not disposed to deny ' • the writer, intoxicat e d w i t h the delightful exercise of his own creative fancy, has forgotten that his readers may not feel the same inte rest that he does in the beings of his mind; he has, perhaps, in some instances, given too great promi nence to the minor names of the classical mythology, and by an over sedulous anxiety for completeness of enumeration, has thrown en air of pedantry and learned trifling over some of his stanzas; then his mythological glossary is questionably advantageous. The length of our notice prevents our at present ex tending our remarks to the minor poems comprised in the volume, and which, if we mistake not, will at least equal in popularity the more immediate subject of our present criticism. These we must reserve for a future occasion. BRITANNIA BRIDGE. MENAI STRAITS, MONDAY AFTERNOON.—The float ing of the first tube of this stupendous structure for the down line of rail from London to Holyhead came off this morning, at half past seven o'clock. To facilitate tke success of this critical operation a preliminary one had been gone through for the purpose of bringing the tube to a particular bearing point, whence it would here to start fur its ultimate destination a distance of some 200 yards over the waters to the base of the piers in tended to support it. This latter movement. it will be remembered, involving a vast amount of cautious work, was accomplished a week or two ago by swinging the tube on its flotilla of pontoons round, so as to describe a semicircular sweep over the water of about 1,400 feet, and thereby bringing it to the spot whence it started this morning. At seven o'clock all engaged in the operation were at their posts. The Liverpool pilots were parcelled out by fifties at each of the tour great asp stens, the watchword was sent round from point to point along the straits by Captain Claxton through his speaking trumpet to ascertain that the tackle was right and tight, and by Mr. Stephenson by means of flags and an alphabetical telegraph. At about a quarter to eight o'clock the fluid attachments were cut by a phalanx of seafaring men with axes, and the tube on its pontoons took the tide of the Mensi, thoenfeeat_t faabrohuitghl2erfethettn was o 9 to inches in the ascendant, gradually increasing to 111 feet 6 inches, and ultimately, by the time that it h a d reached t th o e n p se i xh e r ap s , net expected. anax imlstgugniirie unnecessaryogfatemaximum nearly 2 necessarily hazardous at every repetition. floatingTehiapoonns o power P r tj of 3 t o,otohoe tons,t owers t the in immensee safety. speconveyed th u e P° t n ub th e e il its transit, Mr. Stephenson, me Mr. Edwin Clarke, M r . Brunel, Mr." la Bidd r. er L , and Captain Claxt on . Starting at a quarter to eight o'clock, the tube, amid the cheers of the multitude on either shore, " came home to the foot" of the p iers at It minutes past eight o ' c l oc k , and at 36 minutes past eight it was placed successfully in the recesses of the tower on the Anglesey aide. Owing to the rapidity and preci sion with which the grand movement was aocomplished, the whole only occupying about 50 minutes, the tide was " taken" about 30 minutes at least too early. Owing to this the pontoons had to remain for nearly one hour under the tube until they could be removed, in effecting which one of them, with its 10. inch cable, from the rapid course of the tide, bore down a gigantic , frame work of some 60 feet high from one of the tube., a n d were near it, but as regards everything else there vie w an hi4i' d the h e ild osa n t o c t l t e h a e re c d o , n m tin ig g h e rh y a f v ertufanllaetnelyontafn°7ll" wh: perfect freedom from accident. _ ingenious -method, dteovlse by bridge,Mr cLo.utCleclertek: to aseertai n contraction of the tube. With this the expansion and th one A e .o v f er th y e view an index is attached engineers, has been a do p t e d with a strong iron arm, and again with a spirit l eve l to ~a:graduated scale of inches, and by whi c h means every variation in the mass of metal as a f. I- egge d -by either motion or atmospheric influence is re gistered. The bridge in this it: a y g e by of p e en ve c r il y zn trin a a rks , , tually records its own con dition every day. B es id es reg i ster ing the effect of the p assag e sad the result of every load over its own aurtace, this ad mirable contrivance, or tell-tale, places on its tablet, for the use of the engineers, the effect of every wind that sweeps by, and of every atmospheric influence that affects it. The hydraulic apparatus is in its place, so that the raising of the tube will take place almost immediately atter the necessary stone work at the side is built Le, which will occupy about ten days. The fourth' tube, which is to complete the stupendous structure, will be floated about the 20th of July next, should the tido& b. sufficiently favourable. The entire undertaking it is expected, be complete by October. The weather, as may be imagined , was unexception ably fine and favourable. Every hotel in B angor was crowded with visitors. Ma n y came by the st eam - ves s e l s frora Carnarvon and Liverpool, and by train from :Cl*kr, and the s'nt The ventriloquist, .I‘.lr. Love, wa s l as t n ight sl gaged to present one of his ce l ebrated vocal entertainments b/tore a large min at the residence of L or d C a rrington / at Whitehall' the Sylvan Geddes!, we are almost templed to et. claim— LI C" 5 .. 7 t _