The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-04-05 00:00:00

BOOK POST RATES.

In the House of Commons, on Monday evening, Dr.
Playiair asked the Postmaster-General whether it was
the case that for five years circulars printed by the
papyrograph, the electric pen, and other mechanical
devices for taking numerous impressions, had passed
through the post as printed matter, at book post rates,
under the Treasury warrant of the 2tith of September,
1870; whether a Post Office circular of February 11,
1879, had intimated that this privilege was to be with
; and whether he would state to the House
what compensating advantages to the public revenne
were expected from this restriction, which was calcu-
lated to have a repressive influence on scientific inven-
tion. _ _

Lord J. Manners :—For somewhat less than four
years past circulars copied by papyrograph, and for
somewhat less than three years past circulars copied
by the fac simile process, have been permitted to pass
through the post as printed circulars. The same
privilege, however, having from time to time been
claimed for other copying processes, more or less like
these on the one hand, and on the other more or less
like ordinary writing, it was found unsafe to persevere
in this course; and the law officers of the Crown, hav-
ingbeen consulted upon the subject, advised that the
Treasury warrant of the 26th of September, 1870, did
not admit of any of these processes being regarded as
printing, engraving, or lithographing. A notice was
accordingly issued to the public on the 25th of
Febtuary, 1879, to the effect that only such cir-
culars as may be printed with ordinary type, as in a
book, or engraved, or lithographed, will hereafter be
regarded as printed circulars. If circulars copied by
the new processes were allowed to pass at the book
rate, it would not be possible for the officers of the de.
partment to distinguish these from written cirCulars,
nor, consequently, from ordinary written circulars; so
that eventually, all letters placed in open wrappers
would pass unchallenged at the book rate, to the
serious (detriment of the revenue. (Hear, hear.)

A LION AT LABGE.—While a travelling menagerie
was holding its exhibitions for a few days at Le Mans
(Sarthe) a lion escaped from its cage through the
negligence of an attendant. The aniaaal paced up and
down the tent quietly, but naturally excited great
alarm. The proprietor of the collection, to prevent him
from doing any mischief, threw to his majesty an
abundant supply of raw meat. The plan succeeded
admirably, for the lion, after gorging himself with an
unusually ample meal, walked quietly baok into his
cage and went to ales.. As soon as the occurrence
became known the in. authorities ordered the
menagerie to re d fedm the ton witWt
delay.

THE SUNDAY SOCIETY AT THE
GROSVENOR GALLERY.

In London, on Sunday evening, the Grosvenor Gallery was
crowded to overflowing from six to nine p.m. Two thousand
five hundred tickets, each admitting two persons, had been
issued.—The Daily News, in noticing the above, says :
"Whatever opinion may be held by the great
majority of English people as to the propriety of open-
ing museums and picture galleries on Sunday, few will
deny that the society formed to promote that object
conducts its operations with excellent discretion.
Proper regard for the feelings of others inspires such
moderation in its efforts that even those most opposed
to its principles can find little to cavil at in the
manner in which they find expression. Previous
success at the Grosvenor Gallery induced the Sun-
day Society to ask Sir Coutts Lindsay for
the loan of his handsome museum of art,
just now occupied by a priceless collection of
drawings in water-colour and other media by the old
masters of the Italian and Dutch. and the more
recent lights of the English school. Permission was at
once granted, and a method which has invariably
been attended with success was employed in inviting
the public-. Tickets have been given to all who have
taken the trouble to write for them and enclose a
stamped envelope—a pretty certain device for keeping
out the crowd of mere idlers, who would otherwise
have occupied the gallery. It is thought, and justly,
that only those who care for an exhibition will
spend twopence and the trouble of writing a letter
upon it.
"As it was, the Grosvenor Gallery was filled last
evening to its utmost capacity. Two thousand five
hundred tickets each admitting two persons, had been
issued, and the holders of them were evidently in-
spired by a laudable desire to take time by the fore-
lock. At seven o'clock the rooms were almost
crowded, and some judgment became necessary in ad-
mitting new arrivals, as those who had already viewed
the collection marched off. The result was some little
crowding in and outside the gates, all taken in excellent
good part and without the exhibition of any of that
impatience frequently remarked at large gatherings.
In one respect there was a marked difference between
the Sunday visitors at the Grosvenor Gallery
and those who frequent that and other strong-
holds of art during the week. The Sunday folk evi-
dently came to see the drawings, and only expended a
very small percentage of their time in looking at each
other. They were, in fact, serious people, who had
come from a distance probably to enjoy their fill of the
drawings at the Grosvenor. Beneath the disgnise of
Sunday costume it was not always easy to recognise the
exact industrial class or rank of industry represented
by the visitors of yesterday evening. There were
billy-cock hats enough, but sufficient of the old-
fashioned "stovepipe" pattern to show that the
wearers, if of the artisan class at all, were
of that high grade which can command far
better wages than a clerk. Here and there stood
out the soft hat and little silver decoration
showing that the wearer belonged to a trade organize
Von. It needed but short space to become aware that
it wps a highly appreciative assembly, although as
the crowd thickened and the difficulty of seeing the
drawings to advantage increased, conversation fell off.
To judge from the large number of persons always
congregated in front of it Sir John Gilbert's drawing
of " War " was the favourite composition of the
majority, although the bistro-drawings in the East
Gallery were by no means heedlessly passed by.
It would seem indeed from the attention bestowed
upon the ' drawings of the early Italian school
that a taste for ideal art is becoming widely
spread among the industrial doss. That men em-
ployed in the higher handicrafts such as diamond
setters, jewellers, engravers, watchmakers, and
joiners, were always ready to avail themselves of any
opportunity of studying art-work was proved several
years ago by the extraordinary success of the Bethnal-
green branches of the South Kensington Museum
and the art schools in connection with it; and the
experience of last night goes far to show that the
teaching of the Science and Art Department of
the Committee of Council upon Education has
already effected a great change in the taste of the
English people. Thirty years ago hardly any one
beyond a few artists and a collector or two would
have thought it worth while to inspect drawings by
Andrea Mantegna, Sandro Botticelli, Masaccio,
Cimabue, De Vinci, Bellini, and other celebrated
'1 he taste for these drawings indicates an in-
creased knowledge of art, for they possess none of the
adjuncts of colour and subject. Nearly always alle-
gorical or Scriptural, drawn on brown or other coarse
paper, there is nothing in these fine compositions to
attract the unskilled eye, yet they commanded the at-
tention of the majority of the spectators of last night.
It is of course less noteworthy that the drawings by'
Dutch artists should appeal to a popular audience.
Amusing in subject, and perfect in technical execution,
these remarkable works please skilled and unskilled
alike. A similar remark will apply to the English
water-colours, although even in this respect the crowd
displayed considerable power of judicious selection.
That the permission to see the gallery was greatly
appreciated by those well qualified to judge of the
character of the works of art displayed was proved by
the serious manner in which the entire business was
gone about. If the inspection of secular pictures be
not a Sunday diversion consecrated by usage, it was at
least enjoyed in a spirit of grave- decorum calculated
to moderate the opposition of those arrayed against
the Sunday Society and all its works.

The annual meeting of the members of the Sunday Society
—the object of which is to obtain the opening of museums,
art galleries, libraries, and gardens on Sunday—was held in
London, on Monday evening, at 1, Adam-street, Adelphi,
Lord Dorchester presiding. Mr. Mark H. Judge, the
honorary secretary, read the report, which stated that
great progress had been made erin the
objeus cue society had in view, and the distinguished
names added to it had made it more representative
than hitherto. Thanks were tendered to the clergy for the
valuable service they had rendered during the year in keep-
ing the object of the society before their congregations and
the public. Reference was also made to the opportunities
afforded by Sir Coutts Lindsay to the members and
the public to visit the summer and winter exhibitions
at tile Grosvenor Gallery, to the exhibition of water-
colour drawings on the first Sunday in October,
at the late offices of the London School Board,
to the kindness of the Duke of Westminster in con-
tinning to open Grosvenor House to a large section of the
public, and in sending the society a number of tickets of
admission, and to the increased success last year of the
organ recitals at the Albert HalL The movement, too, had
made great progress in the provinces. The receipts for the
year amounted to £659, and on the Ist of January last
there was a balance of 04. The report was adopted.