The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-22 00:00:00

FINE ART&

ART UNION SCULPTURE COMPETITION.

The Art Union, proceeding in their determina-
tion to try what esersaragement will do for English scalp.
lens, caned bat year • prize, or rather a pries, of 6001. for
the best statue of life-size in marble, the models in plaster
60p,mkiin by the Ist of March in this year. These models
are now exhibited to the public' is the north mart of the
South Kensington Museum. They are 13 in number, and,
of course, bear at present only the zanies of the subjecte
they represent, the names of the sculptors being kept un-
known, so that the decision of the judges may not be
influenced in any way by reputation. The sum
of 6001. may appear a large and liberal one
especially to those unaequainted with the great amount
of labour required before a rude block of stone can
be fashioned into • statue, But the margin of profit left to
sculptor, is unfortunately very assail in these days, when
those artists do not work IA Michebuigelo did at the block.
The genius is exercised in the modelling—the creation from
the clay—and this, which should be beet rewarded,
is paid chiefly by fame, while the workman necessarily'
claims his wages, and the marble merchant must be paid for
the quarrying and the transport of the block from Carrara
wins the seas. So that unless • sculptor obtain at least
1,0001. fora statue be cannot be said to be paid even for his
pains and outlay. The result then of offering • sum
of 6001.—which is, we proximo, intended to cover the
copyright of the work—is that the circle of competition
is narrowed to those who have a name to make, as the
successful man eould not find it worth his while to
accept it. Statues in marble are to be purchased for
6001., or even lss, SI the Art U sloe showed io the purclime
of the " Dancing Girl," by Mr. Marshall, R.A. ; and the
subscribers will judge for themselves whether it answers 1
their views to speculate in competitions or to purchase
statue, from the exhibit= or the studio. Whether it is
desirable to expend so large a sum upon life-sized statues,
which are certainly not universally popular in the present
feeling of the public, or to popularize art by disseminates(
examples of • lege pretentious sad cheaper kind, are points
which have an intend for the Art Union as well as for
those that do not belong to that body. Enough has been
said to prepare for • display of very moderate ability in this
competition of sculptors. Out of the fifteen works,
perhaps two or three might be considered up to the
popular standard, and suitable to the porpoises of the
Art Union ; but we can say very little for the
originality of these. No. 4, "The Wood Nymph,"
is • group in the picturesque style of sculpture, representing
the nymph seated on • rock nursing • kid in her lap, while
the mother stands it her side. The figure is pretty inioagli,
and almost an exact repetition of a statue in the Exhibition
of 1851, by Mr. John Lawlor. No. 12, "Rebecca," is a
semi-nude figure, holding an amphora as • lady would in a
tableau vivant ; • rather feebly modelled figure, with an
especially weak sod undeveloped face. 3, " innocence
entreating Justice for protection," is • group in the heroic
style, with the usual drapery. Justice has upon her sword,
and Innocenos (of course semi-oude) leas against Justice.
The group is just one of those inoffensive, eornmooplace
productions that escape cabs= only because their author
has observed all the proprieties. 15, "Lorline," ea heroic.
size kure, half draped, showing the water nymph half re-
cumbent and listening, is by co means • well modelled figure,
but exhibiting more originality than any other, though the
pow may suggest, perhaps, some of the pretty Nereids
seated on the sands which Mr. Frost delights to
paiet. L lmogen is a figure the common property
of sculptors any time than fifty yeast. 9, " Eta.
plan:syn. and Cupid ;" 6, " The Queen of the
May ;" 7, " The Lady of the Lake ," 5, " The Spirit of the
Storm;" 10, " Summer ;" 2, "Beauty spellbound by
Love "—all describe themselves, sad present no beauties
fur us to enlarge upon. 8. "Sampson breaking his Bonds"
is one of those ridiculously inflated pieces of muscularity
styled promiscuously Sampson or Hercules as the artist is
classical or scriptural ; in this case, however, the artist bas
so little idealised his figure, that it remains a palpable
guardsman, with • piece of cord round bus wrists and the jaw.
bone of a gigantic ass as the indispensable accessory at hi
feet. An absurd misconception is noticeable in this status
in making the one foot of the figure grasp the edge of the
plinth with his tom ; as though Sampson stood upon a plinth
to exhibit his strength. 11. "Lady 31acbeth" her a face
that reduces her to the level of the witches, and her dra-
peries are worthy of thine haggard dominoes in drab that
attitudisise around the cauldron in Drury-lane. No. 13,
a " Pieta," were it not so direct an imitation of Benin',
and so unsuitable to English taste, might be well spoken of
for its execution.

Thus the exhibition is not Battering to Eogßah sculpture,
neither does it offer a prospect at all esoouragiog as to the
nstioo►l monuments of Shakespeare, and all the heroes
whose statues in the presses temp►r of the British mind
are destined to fill oar public places.

FINSBCRY AND MN. COX, M.P.—A cones-
poedent °la coeteeporary says ' Tie liberal party has •
weighty question to put to Fiesbnry. It has to ask what
that great borough now thinks of its member, Mr. CoL
I simply express the wide spread feeling which I find
clients, when I say that • great public meeting should
be called at the earliest possible moment to declare, in
an unmistakeable manlier worthy of the borough, the
answer of Finsbury to this question. Mr. Cox has taken •
prominent part in the attempt to bunt down Mr. Stansfeld
be was the first and the last to speak in the series of
Stansfeld-Mazzini debates, and be voted in the division
with the ollioe.buogry tones to throw out the government
because it stoutly refused to cast overboarl its most radical
member, the veryimuseoce of whose crime was this—that he
bad not, while in office, forgotten the sympathies and
friendships he had cherished in years when cubes had never
ben dreamt of."

GOVERNM ENT AND THE HACKNEY CARRIAGE
Acy.—A special meeting of the delegates of the proprietors
and drivers in the hackney carriage trade was held last
evening, at the rooms of the Cabmen s Club, Franciastreet,
Newington, to receive the following communication from
the Home Secretary ea to the intention of the goverorneat
is respect to the proposed revision of the present Hackney
Carriage Act :—" Whitehall, March 15, 186 i. Sir,-1 am
directed by Secretary Sir George Grey to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 11th inst., and to inform you
that he his considered the several proposals made by the
proprietors and drivers of hackoey carriages in the metro-
polis for an alteration of the law affecting them, which were
lett with him by the deputation introduced by you last
year. The result of the inquiry which Sir George Grey
made into the subject was, that some of the proposed altera-
tions seemed to be wholly inadmissible, and that other
were unnecessary. A few of them appeared to be unobjec-
tionable ; but they an cot so important or urgent as to
justify a proposal for the immediate revision of the present
Hackney Carriage Act. They may, however, be entitled
to further consideration. I am to add that the great and
progressive increase in the number of applicatious for
licenses since that Act for Regulating Hackney Car ages is
the Metropolis was passed, apposite to show that the busi-
ness is a profitable ow, and that the existing law is not
open to any serious objection.-1 am, Sir, yours, &c., H.
A. Bauch." Consideraide discuesiou followed the reading
of this letter, and much dissatisfaction was expressed with
Ur =Amts.

LOCK-OUT OF THY SOUTH YORK/SHIM COLLITHR.
The Association of South Yorkshire Coal Masters, in con-
sequence of the demand of the miners at the Oaks and High
ltoyd oellierise for an increase of 10 per emit. oe their wages,
hawing agreed to set their collieries down. uotios was gives
to their men. That notice expired on Saturday last, so that
at the present time there are upwards of 3,700 mew walking
about, depending almost entirely for support os the Miners'
Ul6OO. From the attitude of both parties there appears
every prospect of a straggle of so ...dimly severity.

Serious fires have occurred in Fredericia in con-
sequence of the bombardment. Ten prefects of
Jutland have been sent off to Prussia. The
Degblad of to-day violently attacks the ministry on
account of its accession to tie proposed conference.
PRUSSIAN HEAD-QUARTERS, KOLDEiG,
Itasca 21.

The batteries before Fredericia were finished and
armed during the night between the 19th and 20th
inst.

The Danes made a sortie dewing the night which
was repulsed. On that occasion Lieutenant von
Schaper, three Guards, and one soldier of the line
were killed.

The bombardment of the town was commenced
at 5.30 a.m. yesterday. A cannonade was also kept
up against the Danish encampment.
The shots told very well, and the town was set
on fire in several places.
Several of the enemy's guns were dismounted.
Their fire was moderate and ineffectual. One
Austrian was wounded. The bombardment con-
tinues.

The Crown Prince, Prince Albrecht, and the
Prince of Hohenzollern were on the field.
BERLIN, Liam 21.

The official Staatecinzesger of to-day says :—" In
the proclamation of the 15th ult. the Danish
government promised that up to the Ist of April
all vessels under an embargo in Danish ports would
be liberated provided they belonged to States acting
similarly towards Denmark. In consequence of
this, arrangements have been made to releaselPrus-
sian vessels in Danish porta, and rice rersd.

-111WLNEKUNDF., Mews 21.

The British barque Renown which has arrived
here states that between Moen and Rugen she wee
brought to by the Danish man-of-war Skiold. The
Renown received despatches for the Danish consul
at Stettin refeving to the announcement of the
blockade. In the late naval engagement the Skiold
lost twenty men killed, and her captain's cabin was
shattered.

THE ELECTIONS IN PARIS.
SUCCESS OF THE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATES.
PAHL% MAsca 21, Enactsc.

The election of s deputy in the first ciroonscription
of Paris has terminated. M. Carrot, the opposition
candidate, obtained 13,554 ; M. Pinery!, 5,979; and
K Istboulaye, 704 votes ; K Carrot being conse-
quently elected.
In the fifth circonscription M. Gamier Pagh, the
opposition candidate, was elected with 13,185 votes,
IL Levy obtaining 5,381 ; K Bac, 330 ; and M.
Tolain, 380 votes. From this circonscription two
sections have not yet given in their returns.

ITALY.

TURIN, Itasca 24 Evrarma.

In the Senate to-day, the Minister of Finance
brought in the bill for equalising the land tax.
The Senate then passed the bill for the establish-
ment of a Bank of Italy. Advicea from Rome
announce that the Pope's state of health has im-
proved.

THE STATE OF VENETIA.
TURIN, MARCH 21.

Advioesfrom Venetia state that the Emperor of
Austria was expected there. His Majesty intends
holding a grand review at Verona on the 24th inst.,
after which he would proceed to Miramar, to be
present at the departure of the Archduke Maxi-
maim for Mexico. Troops continue to arrive,
especially cavalry. A body of Viennese volunteers
has arrived at Cadore. Armaments continue, parti-
cularly in Borgofor and Palesina. A new military
route is being constructed between Vicenza and
Holten°.

THE POLISH INSURRECTION.
KONIGSBERG, Kuics 21.

The Courrier de Wilna announces that the follow-
ing persons have been hung for participation in the
insurrection :—Songaylo, a nobleman, and Prouay-
lis, a peasant, both of Szawle ; and Leibmann, a
Jew, of Suwalki.

BRESLAU, MARCH 21.

According to news received from Warsaw the
commission to regulate the emancipation of the
peasantry under the presidency of the secretary of
state, M. Milutiu, has arrived at Warsaw from St.
Petersburg. The commission at once commenced
its sittings. An appeal to the European nations
has been issued by the Polish National Government

PARIS, AIARca 21, Echo.

The Pays of to-day says :—" Despatches received
here from the Moldo-Wallachian frontier state that
an insurrectionary movement has been organised
by Polish emissaries in the Principalities, which it
is believed may break out at any moment."

INDIA AND CHINA.
(By islegraph from SUM)
SHANGHAI, Fn. 9.
The new Japanese Embassy wiU leave for Europe
by the next French mail steamer.