The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-05 00:00:00

SHAKSPEARE MEMORIAL.

A letter, of which the following is a copy, has
born addroWd to various eminent pampas •
" March 2,186 i.
. .

" The Natioesl Shekspeare 'Committer's, having resolved
that Ore three hundredth anniversary of Shakspeare's birth
shall be commemorated by the erection of a amine of the
poet in the Green-park, close to Piecadilly, en the
assumption that that site can be obtained, have appointed
the undersigned an executive committee to take the neces-
sary measures ; and believing that you are favourable to the
object which the committee dears to pat before you, we
beg leave to request your co-operation and contnbutioo.
As soon as a sufficient sum of money has been promised,
the committee propose to call for designs by public
compstitioe' prescribing that the statue shall be of
breeze, and that it shall be placed under an arrhitectural
and decorated canopy, in the style of the period at which
Shakspeare lived, and affording scope for artistic illustra-
tion of the post's works. These designs will be submittal
to public inspection, and will be decided upon by competent
))edges,
of acknowledged authority and reputation. Any
whisk may remain after providing for the ma:turnout
will be devoted to the erection and endowment of a Shake-
pears school, in connexion with the Dramatic College, foe
the education of poor actors' children. It is for the public,
mast of all for the London public, to give substance
to these proposals for adorning the capital of our empire
with a work commemorative of popular teaching sad
intellectual fame. England has never been ungrateful
to her poet; but the very depth end fervour of
the reverence in which he is held have hitherto made
it difficult for his scholars to agree upon any common
proceeding in his name. While Paris as boot of
ite public monument to Molire, Madrid to Cervantes,
Frankfort to Goer*, Berlin to Schiller, Lisbon to
CUOMO/. Edinburgh to Scott and Barns, and Dublin to
Moore, London, the tersest capital in the world, has
no public memorial of the greatest of all poets.
The committee earnestly appeal to those who own
Shaksprere as their teacher, and both earnestly and
confidently to those who can call ttinkspeare their
countryman, to aid in giving visible form to the commis
desire. Subscriptions to the Memorial Fund may be paid
to the treasurer., Sir It. C. Kirby, CB , W. Tite, Esq.,
M.P., and F. W. Cosens, Esq., 120, Pall-mall • or to the
bankers, Messrs. Con oate and Co.. Strand ; Mn. Drum.
mood, Charlatanism ; Messrs. Glyn sod Co.. Lombard-
street ; Mari. Berries, Farquhar, sad Co., St. James's-
street ; Marrs. Smith, Parse. sad Co., Losbard-street ;
the London and County, the London Joint-Stock, and the
London and Wsetznimter Banks.

" hi/scaring, Chairmaa.
.. WILLIAM Cowers, Deputy-Chairman.
" JOraPli Pixrox.
" W. INTL
" THOS. L. DONALDSON.
" A. J. B. Baseronu Horn.
" DANTEL MAULS&
" Mr. Hirwoars DoLos, t Hon. Rim?,
" J. 0. RAI.IIWNLL.

Professor Ramsay has retired from the presidency
of the Geological Society, in which he has been sooreeded
by Mr. J. W. Hamilton.
The Winter Exhibition of Pictures at the French
Gallery, Pall-mall, cloned to-day (Saturday).
The Winter Exhibition of Sketches and Studies
by Members of the Society of Painters is Water Colours,
at the Gallery of the Society; 5. East, will close
on the 26th inst.

The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council
cm Kduoetiou, Solemn and Art Department, us about to
make a selection of the most important objects is the
national ooUeelioa at the South Kensington Masemn, and
to canoe them to be chromo-lithographed in the most com-
plete manner. with a view of furnishing the local schools of
art with the means of studying the same, sod for wale to
the public.

We (litheieruns) hear that the government has
made a proposal to the Royal Academy to hand over to that
body, on certain conditions, the whole of the magnificent
rooms now occupied by the National Gallery. The bases of
the government proposal are understood to be th►t the
academe should shed its anomalous—some say its
character of a private benefit society, and become a public
body, responsible to the public for its acts—that it should
accept a royal charter, that it should enlarge its ranks,
and that it should satisfy the artists and the public by
sharing its powers with a popular constituency. The question
of introducing a lay element into the body is laid before the
academy, but on this point we should hope the government
will not insist.. The subject is under consideration in Tra-
fa'rar-square.

Mr. Klinore proposes to send to the Royal
Academy Exhibition this year a picture illustrating Yr.
Lome*llow's poem " Brosisior" by a single figure, life-elm
reormeating the hero of that work amending the moustaio
and clasping the beerier to his breast while he looks up-
ward&

--
Miss L. Pyoe's farewell benefit is fired to take
**sae the 14th.
ItLwast or Ha. SAM Cow ELL—This gentleman
Lista! lviug helplessly sod hopelessly ill in the little village
of Blatiaford, Dorsetshire. Mr. Quirk, the rector of the
pleas, is unremitting in his spiritual disnerwatioa to him, sod
poor Sam seems mainly ramped to the great chaste that
most opine, sooner or later, to all .—Nre.
LAILOSCATtIi or MULLZT.—About 1} too weight
of mallet was caught is the river Yet, is the of Wight,
owe day this week.