The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-18 00:00:00

TKE COUNCIL ANlkallE GAS COMPANY.

The .IWayor's communications included a letter from Mr..
George. Hall Lawrence, enclosing the reply of the Gas Com-
pany to the report of the special committee of the Town,
Council, and expressing a hope that if that report were to bej
taken into consideration by the' Council, the company's reply.i
would be considered at the same time.

After some discussion, it—u;s- agreed, on the suggestion. of
Mr. S. HOLME, to appoint a special day (the 9th January) on
which the whole subject might be considered.
A memorial from the men: employed at the North Landing-
stage, for an increase of wages, was referred to the Finance.
Committee.

A letter from Mr. Sydney Herbert to the Mayor, asking his
cooperation in reference to the " Nightingale Fund,'? was
read; but it was stated that, the Council had no power tomake
a' grant of public money in aid of such an object, and that it
must be left to individual subscriptions.
One or two other matters of no. public interest havimg_been
disposed of, the Council adjourned.

DESTRUCTION. OP WORKS OF ART.

- _ _-
TO THE EDITOR OE THE

plates
uader .whose
dess the
oiyepdr,ompriedrimov.inf.. tglie i,eceenletbhrealt3eedrseonngraved
recSelnßtryA
order this act, which. has-so.unexpeetedly called forth so much
public notice, has been:,,, done,, I feel confident that you will
kindly permit me a space in your potential columns, in answer
to some of the observations made, and to justify that which I
have done—first, as Abe exercise of a private right.; and,
secondly, as having for, its caul a public good. The first point
may, I think, he disposed of in a very few words : the plates
were mine, they were ethripriaed in a very larg*purchase from
Sir. F. G. Moon on his_ retirement, and they ware bought for
; and if I considered: that in their destraction I could in
a desirable manner realise a profit, I had a right to do so. I,
mean an abstract right:: but, if in exercising this right, as--
knowledging the public duty of every member of society not to,
mar by any aetof his. the social good, I perceived that that
good would be,benefitted, I say then that that act would be.
doubly warranted.. This then I have, secondly, to prove ;'out,.
before I proceed.to this, it would be well. to state one or two
facts bearing,upon the case in question..
The plates, when destroyed, were, undoubtedly, all of them,
in fine condition;. they were all steel,. and capable, if I had
pleased„ of-taking el' 3,000 impressions each, which have-been
attributed.to them, arising from the. superior excellence-and.
talent of those-who engraved them. lint they were nottaken
in such numbers; a very limited number of impressions-were
taken.for thopurpose of being sold at a very moderate price,
suffoient toaccomplish the end of remunerating the market-
ablevalne of the plate to be destroyed. In a trading; point of
view this was the object, all ulterior benefit was to tho public
good. At, this moment most of them may be obtained by the
public at about half their oriOnal publication price, but the
number being so limited as it is, they will, doubtless, from the
nature of the case, rise in value as each impression leaves the
market. This is not to be. denied; of some of them I have
myself now not one impression left. Of the positive certainty
of the. destruction of the- plates, under the circumstances of
this private transaction having been so prominently brought
forward as a public principle, there cannot be entertained a
doubt. As to the motives which induced the destruction of
these famous plates which have cost such an enormous sum, it
is not, and has not been pretended that they were sacrificed for
the pure object of public good irrespective of private interest;
but I do claim the credit of having public• good in view, though
associated with a hope of private interest. I beg also to state
that no impressions from the plates were destroyed, as has
been asserted.laysome writers.

In a public point of view, I maintain that the fame of the
country as regards the fine arts—l now refer especially to that
of engraving—is involved in the non-depreciation of the finest
works of our best English engravers : and that if those works
are, after the first few years of their production, so far thrown
open to purchasers at a very moderate price, that they may be
had in a perfect and reputable state at the reduced price of
half their original Publication, or, in some cases, less, it is the
.lowest minimum to which, for the benefit to art, and, therefore,
for public benefit, they ought to be permitted to fall. This is
historically correct with regard to the plates in question. For
nearly three years they have been open to the public so to be
obtained ; if carried further than this, and what is called made
cheap, the plates more generally fall into a worthless state, the
printing and materials are done at a cheaper rate, and conse-
quently very inferior, and so art is damaged ; the destruction
of the plates at the right point of time, before their original
good qualities are gone—l speak of the finest plates —is in fact
not the act of Vandalism it has been called, not the destruction
of fine art, but in truth its preservation in comparative purity ;
and this is what has now been done.
But there are other considerations : the productions of the
graver are now twentyfold what they were about that number
of years shim, and therefore the destruction of a certain number
of plates of an important character, and which have had their
meed of admiration which they will always uphold—tends to
make room for present and future aspirants to fame. There is ,
still a much more important point, which I feel assured must

'[DECEMBER 18, 1855.

carry its weight of argument with all those who are ca 14,11
of forming a right judgment on the subject. It is this
;glasses of engravings are not adapted by their very nature to
WI classes of society ; the crass suited for the mansion is veji.'e
often not suited to the cottage, nor is the class suited to „
cottage adapted for the mansion. But more than this, there,ve
a principle that high class art lowered too much destroys °ay.
production of high class again. If the high class of engrso
ings referred to were customarily to be made chmp Plates' to.
before mentioned, it would go far wholly to prevent thel),A,
ductions of our best artists being engraved in that way of utsl;
t4py are, ect worthy, by the eminent engravers who .1,
furnished to the country such splendid specimens of the
talents, and for these reasons : —The cost of some of "our Oft,
plates has often involved in the prodution of each plate an oth
lay of fora, five, or more thousands of pounds ; the cost,
considerable
price fair profit, can only be obtained back by a conslu
price for the impressions from the plates : this price can elf
be paid by the wealthy—they are the patrons of the work.
the same work is to be made hereafter common, inferior,
cheap—a few shillings instead of pounds—because, OM;
the same subject, it possesses none of the fine qualities of. tt,
original, these patrons, that would be, cease to purchase o'7,
at the high prices. „If the high price demand ceases the 6'4
cannot be obtained back ; if the cost cannot be reimbursed
undertaking cannot be entered into ; and thus high art, be,
ever high it may be, so far as engraving is concerned,
smothered in its birth, and such noble and beautiful sYb`ewi;
mens of the graver as we have now for some years Pot to
accustomed to gaze upon with so much pleasure will cease
be produced.
are
It was upon a due consideration of the points which - hthe
endeavoured to set forth in this letter, that I destroyelov,
twelve beautiful plates which have caused so much seas%l tg,
The plan seemed to me to combine three leading good P°lol
—first, justice to the patrons of art who had bought st„..its
prices ; secondly, an opportunity for nearly three yearsiiiiie
and still existing, for purchasing good impressions o,' pf
works at very moderate prices; and thirdly, the sustaining
fine art in its essential reputation and character. nies'
With my best apologies for the length of this ocumn3„".
tion, I can only say that I shall feel greatly obliged by th
sertion of it in your mighty record.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
467, Oxford-street, Nov. 13. THOMAS Bo
Norm—The Twelve Plates which were destroyed, and ~, '
referred to in the above letter, and in the numerous let'der•
the same subject inserted in the public
.press, were as ter;
mentioned : The Waterloo Banquet, painted by W the
engraved in Line by W. Greatbach. The Christening
Princess Royal, painted by C. R. Leslie ; engraved 11, ss..,
C.
Ryall. The Queen Receiving the Sacrament, painted 3
R. Leslie; engraved by S. Cousins. "Shoeing"—The 0,
Forge, painted by, Sir Edwin Landseer; engraved by of
Lewis. The Smithy, painted by Sir E. Landseer; engraved
C. G. Lewis. The Sanetuary—Large Plate—irpainted by '
S
Landseer;
engraved by C. G. Lewis. The Sanctuary-- te.
painted by SirE. Landseer ; engraved by
Return from Hawking, painted by Sir E. Landseer eneLeer: 4
by S.Cousins. Crossing the Bridge, painted by Sir E.Lsner'S
engraved in Line by J. T. Wilmore. The Deer Staff
C.G.Lewis. The red
Return, painted by Sir E. Landseer; en,graved in Line. 4 C.
G. Lewis. Christ Weeping over Jerusalem, painted by:detl,
Eastlake; engraved by S. Cousins. The Three IT
painted by Sir E. Landseer ;. engraved by C. G. Lewis.