The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-25 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, JULY 25, 1853

TARY COMMITTEES.

MANAGEMENT OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY.
The parliamentary committee on the picture. in
the National Gallery sat again on Friday. It consist d tit
Colonel Mure (the chairman), Lord Seymour, Lid Etch°,
Lord Graham, Mr. Viroon Harcourt, and Mr. Baring
Wall. The principal witness examined was
Mr. Morris Moore, who meted that he had paid great
attention to the purchases of pictures and to the way in
which the question had been dealt with by the tru eeee
the Nation 0 illery. The gr,tiods of his dissatisfaction
were to the effect that the majority of purchases were of a
very Wirier school of art, and that luau,' of the pictures so
Purchased with the national money were not really what
they professed to be ; they were s, urious. His oblivions
applied to purchases since ISO, Moee which period
'there bed been 18, and ow of that number ouly one,
in his opioion, the " Vision of • Knight," by Ra-
phael, was really unexceptionable. Only six espirid
to be productions of the great period of art, and the re-
maining twelve were all of them Wert. .r. The price tint
had been givin tor the first or superior cleat was objection.
able whin command with the price that had been given
elsewhere for pictures of the same masters, daring the same
interval, of gnat, r value and greater excellence, and
which had bern sld for half the sums, the trustees ying
the same opportunity of purchasing them. The et'e of the ,
" Boar Hunt" of Velasquez was • disreputable tick on the
trustees, wbo purehai d it unit. r the belief that it was *amn
to be exported to the King of Holland, and the manoeuvre
stimulated the trustees to purchase it, so that it might not
be lost t.l the country. It afterwards turned out that the
pi,ture had only just returned from the king, who had '
rejected it and rent it beck. The " Boar Hunt" and Lord
APhburtou's " Volaqutz " were very clever and agreeable,
but he crrtainly would
price paid for them, or have lout himself to the deception ,1
practised upon the trustees.
Mr. Ferrer, who was sitting in the bodyof the committee,'
here roe., and, addressing the metallic, somewhat ex-
citedly, raid it was a falsehood to assert that he or any one
else had practised any imposition on the trustees io the sale
of the " Boar Hunt,' and he had no objection at that mo-
ment to give 2,010 guint as down fur it—the price that be
gave Lord Cowley fur it.
Mr. Moore expressed himself indignant at the use of
Ditch offensive language, when, to avoid the exchange
of mere elevated language, the committee cleared the room,
and on our re-admimion.

Mr. F was szain.ned, and admitted that the picture
had returned from the Palate of the King of Holland, to
whom he had sold pictures presiously, and that Mr. Baring
Well tilled at his establishment, and with the coricurri nee
1 of the late Sir R. Peel, the picture was purchased to the
National Gallery. Ile went to Borland and returned aids
it, and hod no doubt he could place the p.cturu with the
King of Holland now; but when Mr. Moore saw tEc pic-
ture it wit prior to its going away. His Majesty would
have purchased ir' but said hu had then laid out as much
money as he wished.
Mr. Baring Wall, M.P., then left his place at the com-
mittee table, and volunteered evidence. He said he men
tioned the subject matter of the picture to Sir it. Peel,
finding that on visiting Mr. Ferrer, accidentally, it was
'packed up in its cue to go, typarently, to the King of
Holland, to whom it was directed. He (Ur. Wail) thougl.t
it was going, whereas, it wood appear, it bad returned.
Sir it. Peel advised that it should not, even if it were going
out to the King of Ilollaud, be bought up, as there must be
some authority from the House of Cr orrianne, and some
acquiescence on the part of the country first. Ile (Mr.
Wall) referred to Sir Robert's opinion, but three weeks
after Sir Robert said, that "as all London was out of
town, and as there would be no meeting of the trusters till
the following station, he would take upon himself the pur-
chase of the picture, and he (Mr. B. Wall) therefore obtained
it at the price from Mr. F , in Justice to whom he
would state that he varied from his price. He (Mr.
Wall) west to Ferrer, told him that negotiations were
pending shout the picture, and should be obliged if he
would give him (Mr. Wall) the refusal et' it before he sent
it elsewhere ; and on Sir It. Peel stating he was willing to
do it, he (Mr. Wall) went to Ferrer, told him the circum.
1 stances, and the n stilt was that the picture was purchased
' with the most direct concurrence of opinion ho ever recut-
' lected say picture to have been purchased.
Mr. Moire said he had only en this part of his cadence
to add he wait ready to state upon oath that the converse.
tion with I' occurred after the picture had been
returned from. the King of Reiland. The witness
(in continuation of his main evidence) said that had &001.
been given by the trustees fur the " Adoration of the
Magi," by Velasquez, instead of 2,0.101., it would have been
more in character with its value. The trustees had hau
many opportunities of purchasing far better pictures The
cost to the nation of the last nine pictures, decidedly of an
inferior character, had been 13,1431. Some of these were al
together inadmissible at the price, others were literally bad.
Ile would accept as a gift but would not purchase five of
these—the Boar Rust, the portrait of Rembrandt, the
Judgment of Paris, and the &Omni. The trustees at the
' same time might have bought the four 'Upbeats for what
'the " Bur Hunt " of Velitsquts and the alleged Guido
had cost them. The " Tarquin and Lucretia, by "titian,
the property of Joseph Buonsparte, was put up at Uhsistie'a
for 7001., hut the trustees made no " bid." The trustees
might be legally, if not morally, responsible for the
purchases since 1813. Ho had placed confidence
in their keeper, who was supposed to be an artist of &mi.
nence, and had conferred all the authority on him. Ile
regretted to see in the present day how daubs were pre.
1 ferred to masterpieces. The fault was probably in the
taste of this country, which preterred a low style of art.
The trustees had pandered to a vitiated taste, and, had
they purchased better pictures, would have educated the
people better in the principles of art. As regarded the
question of a " proper site" for the National Gallery, he
thought that to remove it elsewhere would destroy its very
object—that of centrality. ll* did not think the pieturis
suffered in the slightest degree from atmospheric ioflut aces
or smoke. The Claades and Titian. wire subject to the
same influences as in Italy, and had not suffared either
here or there. Would rather have the present gallery en-
largrd where it is than removed to a distance elsewhere,
' and a great sacrifice of money should be made to retain it
where it is.
The committee meet today to further consider their
eport.

BILL FOR TEE SUPPRESSION OF BETTING

HO USES.

Lord Palmerston's bill with this object has been
printed. The following are its most important provisions :
No place shall be kept for the purpose of the owner, or
occupier, or any person employed by such owner or occu-
pier, batting with persons rnortieg thereto, or for the put,
pose of any money or valuable thing being received as the
consideration for any promise, express or implied, to pay
thereafter any money anon) event relating to any horse race,
or other race, fight, game, sport, or exercise, or as for the
consideration for securing the paying or giving by some
other person of any money or valaablo thing on any such
event or contingency as aforesaid ; and every howls, office,
room, or other place opened, kept, or used for the pur-
poses aforesaid, is hereby declared to be a nuisance and con-
trary to law.

Any house so illegally opened to he considered and dealt
with as a common gaming house. Penalty for keeping or
&misting to keep such place one hundred pounds, or at the
discretion of justices committal to the common gaol, with or
without hard labour, for six calendar months.
Any person receiving, directly or indirectly, any money
or valuable thing as • deporit on any bet on condition of
paying any sum of money or other valuable thing on the
happening of any event relating to a horse race or any
other race, or any fight, game, sport, or exercise, or as or
for the consideration for any assistance, undertaking, pro-
mise, er agreement, expressed or implied, to pay or give
thereafter any money or valuable thing on any such event
or contingency, and any person giving any acknowledg-
ment, note, security, or draft on the receipt of any money,
or valuable thing so paid or given as aforesaid, purporting
or intended to entitle the bearer or any other person to re-
ceive any money or valuable thing on the happening
of any such event or contingency as aforesaid, shall,upon sum-
mary conviction thereof before two justices of the peace, for-
feit and pay a sum not exeeediog fifty pound., or at the discre-
tion of such justices be imprisoned, with or without hard
labour, in the common gaol or House of Correction for airy
term not exceeding three months, and may be adjudged by
such justices to pay such costs attending such conviction as
to the said justices shall seem reasonable.
Any money or valuable thing received by any person as
a deposit on any bet, or as the consideration for any such
assurance, shall be deemed to have been received for the
use of the person from whom the same was received, cud may
be recovered accordingly, with full costs and suit, in any
court of competent jurisdiction. But nothing in this act shall
extend to any person receiving or holding any money by
way of stakes or deposit to be paid to the owner of any horse
engaged in any race in the event of such horse winning
such race.
Any person causing to be exhibited bill, card, cr adver-
tisement, whereby it shall be made to appear that any house,
^like, room, or place is opened or kept or used for the pur-
pose of making beta or wagers, or for the purpose of exhi-
biting lists for betting, or with intent to induce any person
to resort to such house, for the purpose of making bets or
wagers, or any persons who shall invite other persons to
noon to any such house or place for the purpose of wilting
bets or wagers, shall, upon summary conviction thereof,
before two justices of the peace, forfeit and pay a sum not
exceeding thirty pounds, or, at the discretion of such
justices, be imprisoned, with or without hard labour, in
I the common gaol or house of correction for any term not
i exceeding two months.
The eighth clause enacts that the penalties shall be re-
coverable by distress and sale of the goods and chattels of
the offender.

One-half of every pecuniary penalty which shall be
adjudged to be paid under this act, shall be paid to the in-
former, and the remaining half shall b• applied in aid of the
poor-rate of the parish in which the offence shall have been
committed.

Justice• may issue special warrant to enter places sus-
pected of being used as betting•boos:a, and the police
employ force if necessary. The police may in like manner
enter upon the authority of the ComminiGners of Police.
Appeal to lie to the Quarter Semitone. The act con-
templates the United Kingdom, and in Ireland the term
"Metropolitan Police Force" and the terms " Commis-
sioners of Police of the Metropolo," and the terms" Me-
tropolitan Police District," are to mean and include res-
pectively the Dublin Metropolitan Police Force, the Cow
mirsionera of Police of Dublin Metropolis, and the police
district of Dublin Metropolis.

NAVAL.

COURT MARTIAL.
A court martial assembled on Friday on board
II M.S. hope. gnable, 104, I) leg in Hamosse, Devonport, fur
the trial of Wm OrOrglt Moore Stein. second master of the
Antelope, steam-vessel, for that he, when in active service
awl on full pay as Secant Master of the Antelope, uid on
the 29th of April behave and conduct himself in a disre-
spectful tawnier towards Lieut. Coen. Chants If. Young,
his superior officer ; and in a second charge, he was accent
of he more serious offence of stealing on or about the 14th
May, 13 sovereigns, 3 half•sovereiaos, 4 gold fmr-dollar
and 3 one-dollar Mice., the property of Joseph Henry W.
Bowman, clerk in charge of the said ship.
The court was composed of the following officen:—Com-
mndore Mitchell Seymour, accond ttlicer in commando( her
Majesty's thins at Plymouth, president; Carts. Mitchell,
Qaeen, 116; Henry Kernel!, bt. Jean d'Acre, 101 ; J. king.
combe, S'. Worm 120 ; A. Lowe, Impregnable, 104 ;
Elliott, Sybilla, 40 ; C. 11. M. Bucie, Valorous, 16 ; T.
Fisher, Magicienne, 16; and 'l'. Smith. Sintuom, 18.
Officiating Judge• Advocate, W. J. Eastlake, Esq.
J Bar, E.q„ of Devonport, attended as " friend" to the
prisoner, to conduct his defence.
After the observance of the usual pre:iminaries, the first
witness called was

B. Lee, bowswain's mate of the Antellm, who deposed
that nrisoner was doing duty on board H.M.S. Antelope on
the 29th April last. Remembered Lieutenant Young being
on the bridge of the Antelope hailing the forecastle on that
tiny. Prisoner was en the forecastle to answer to the pro•
et tutor's hail. He made n.) re.pouse, and prosecutor repeat-
ing the hail, said," Let toe know when you are up and
down," the prisoner an.were4, " I him. you." Lieut.
Young said if prisoner did not answer him he 'null find a
way to make Lim. :Mr. Strut then said, " How mak: me 2"
in an inmlent manner.

Some evidence wish regard to the alleged theft closed the
case for the prosecution.
The prisoner then requested that he might be allowed
until Monday to prepare his defence.
The court w acleared, and on its being re-- pened, the
pendent announced that the applinition was acceded to,
and the court then adjourned.