The Express.
London, England, 1862-04-15 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

THE FRENCH EXHIBITION.

The exhibition of French and Flemish pictures,
which opened on Monday at the little gallery in Pall-mall,
la by far the best hitherto submitted to the public. This
exhibition has no doubt profited by some of the regulations
of the Imperial Commasios for the International Exhibi-
tion, and especially that one which excludes all works but
those already exhibited, and air allies would naturally
make an unusual effort this year., It is impossible not to
compare this collection with that of the Society of British
Artists, lately opened, much to the disadvantage of the
latter ; and even if compared with the usualexhibitions at the
Royal Academy, where the average is very mush higher than '
' at the seeead-rate display in tuffaikailinet, the cosclu-
aloe is inevitable that, with all their faults, the French
have a higher if not purer conception of the ilauction and
value of art; that they show far more reading and cultiva-
tion in their choice of subject ; that good draughtsman-
ship with them is the rule, while with us it is the env-
Moe ; that if their colouring—in which, by the way, they we
rapidly improving, and which iodinates, both in landscape and
figures, that they have recently benefited by the study of
English saleariste—ip lees frith and brilliant, it is cer
Manly moss while their oraCtition geronlY
41.0011-401111,y; mid unmeaning, but nearly
always liiredul, exact, and highly finished. ThS cause of
all thik la doubtlese that in Franc* artistic education is far
mews thorough sad widely diffused. One great feature of
education in Paris is that no student Woke of trad-
ing himself alone till he has passed yearn in the studio of
some eminent painter. In England, when dp we bear of
such and such a painter being the " pupil " of such sad
such a master?
• In an, estimate of this exhibition we must nevertheless
not forget that these are all carefully selected works. Mr.
Omaha* the enterprising entrepreneur, his so many Ma-
tins. with 'reach and Flemish artiste, that he can .some
the cream of theatudiat.

As in former exhibitions, the size of the gallery bee
oordpelled the restriction in the choice of picture' to, for
the most port, works of " cabinet size," or small " saael
pictures," and on the Continent it is thought almost indis-
pensable that such shOuld be highly finished u inviting close
impection. The mod important works ►re on this occasion
contributed by Yarn. Croons, Meiwonier, Troyon,
Deecaaps, E. Fret% Rosa Basheur, Duverger, Dubufe,
Plasma, Cohens], and Kohler.

THE CORPORATION OP LONDON AND THE
INTERNATIOEAL EXHIBITION.

The adjourned meeting of the Court of Common
Council for the further oonsideration of the invitation sent
by her Majesty's Commissioners to the Corporatioo of the
City, to be meant at the state opening of the National
Exhibition, took place yesterday. The Might Hoe. the
Loan MAYON presided, and there was a very full court. The
members of the upper bench that were present were
Ablermen Wilson, Ilumphery, Challis, Sir IL Oudot,
Allen, Abbies, W. Lawrence,Condor, Phillips, J. 0. Law-
; mac% Mechi, and Realm
It will be remembered that at the lastig=o/ the
court • very mound feeling was that
the members of the City council not been
treated in • becoming manner by the form
in which they were invited to be present at the open-
' ing of the International Exhibition, and that after • warm
disclaims the queetecia was adjourned until yesterday, in
the axpectatiqo which it tweed out wee well mounded,
that there bedtime an oversight on the part of the officials
connected with the Exhibition, and that the mistake that
had been made‘ooki be rectified.
The Logo Mefoiteeid that be had great planar, to as-
?mune° to the court that ea Saturday he went to the
National Exhibition, in the hope, after the debate that took
place in that court on the psevion day, that he should
succeed in obtaining some modification of the form of the
invitation that would be mitielmilary to the members of the
Court of Common Coosa (Hear, hear) Si. was vary
happy to meet, quite by accident, with Yr. Lowman
Taylor and they had an ustervoy with Sh Weatererth
Dilke;emitebe!malt was the islinsudiellft
now be read to the court.
The Town Crag then read • letter from Mr. Sandford,
the Secretory to the Clomminionete for Margins the Exhi-
bition, inviting the Lord Mayer, the Recorder, the alder-
men, and Commoners of the City of London to be pre-
sent at the opening of the Exhibition, or such of them as
might choose to accept the invitation. The communication
also stated that mate would be reserved for any number of
members of the Court of Common Council who might
choose to announce their intention to avail themselves of the
invitation before the 17th inst., subject still, however, to
the reservation that they should be season ticket holders,
and that • seat would also be reserved for every lady accom-
panying those gentlemen who gave notice of their intention
to attend, but subject to the same condition of her being a
11.1•011 ticket holder.
Mr. H. L. TATI.OH then moved that the letter that had
just been received should be acknowledged and entered on
the minutes, and he expressed his satisfaction at the ready
manner in which the difficulty bad been removed. (Hear,
bear.) He happened quite accidentally to go with
Taylor to me the exterior of the building, and was invited
to see the interior ; be there met the Lord Mayor ;
they had an interview with Sir W. Dilke, and the difficulty
wits removed in a moment. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. SMELLING seconded the motion, which was put by
the Common Serjeant, and carried unanimously.
A short discussion then ensued as to the course to be
adopted with • view to carry out the best roods to ueertain
how many members of the Court of Common Connell would
theirs to avail themselves of the invitation, and the other
neoessary arrangements in reference to the subject. Mr.
Taylor eventually moved that a committee of the court be
appointed for these purposes, and the motion was seconded
by Deputy Fuller.
This motion was carried, as ass also another proposed by
the same gentleman, and seconded by Mr. HOUGHTON, that
a notification of the terms of the invitation should be sent
by the Town Clerk to every member of the court.
It was then arranged that • committee of seven gentlemen
should be appointed, of which the following are to be the
members :—Alderman Wilaou and Alderman Challis; and
the members of the Common Council are to be Mesas. IL
L. Taylor, Snelling, John Young (Chairman of the Coal,
Corn, and Finance Committee), Ben. Shaman, and Hugh
Jones.
At the suggestion of Mr. Taylor, ea time was pressing, the
committee arranged to hold a meeting at once, and the
court then adjourned.

CHURCH OE ENGLAND SUNDAY SCHOOL INEITI-
TUTIL—The eighteenth annual meeting of this society was
held last evening, at St. James's-hall ; the Lord Bishop
of London in the chair. Prayers having been offered up by
the Rev. Mr. Auriol, the secretary, Mr. Fleet, read the
report, which commenced by • reference to the increasing
interest taken in the Sunday school .stem both by the
clergy and laity. There had been a slight increase in the
annual and school subscriptions, and the sum received from
the sale of publications, but there had been a large decrease
in the donations and collections. By careful management
the committee are enabled to show a slight increase io
favour of the society as compared with the previous year.
To meet the heavy liabilities alluded to in the last annual
report, the committee made • special appeal in the course
of the past year which has resulted in the receipt of
1,0001., and they trust that this year the amount
will be made sufficient to clear off all she liabilities. During
the past year 401. had been granted to assist Sunday Schools
in poor localities, but the funds would not allow them to do
more. The report concludes with an earnest appeal for in-
creased support, the annual subscription being as low as Is.
The financial statement showed the gross receipts for the
year to be 3,olt<ff. 18s. 3d., and the expenditure 3,5791.
lls. 10d., leaving a balance overdraws of 4891. 13e. 7d. The
assets of the society were 2,3371. 9s. 6d., being 1191. Dia. Bd.
in excess of its liabilities. The Bishop of on said, in
hie opinion the Sunday School work was one of the most
important that any Chri.tien could be engaged in, mid he
exhorted his hearers to persevere in the good cause, which
had resulted in such blessings to the children of the poor.
The more the Sunday School system was extended the
greater would be the benefit to Christianity. On the
motion of the Rev. Daniel Moors, seconded by the Rev.
&edema Robins, the reported was adopted.
ROYAL COMMISSION ON ACCIDENTS IN MINES.—
Yesterday, the commissioners, consisting of Lord Hinneird,
chairman, Hon. F. Egerton, Mr. N. Kesdisll, Yr. H. A.
Bruce, Mr. J. St. Aubyn, Mr. J. F. Davie, Mr. Heedlam,
Mr. P. H. Holland, Dr. Greenbow, and Mr. Temple,
appointed to inquire into the condition of all mines and
collieries in the kingdom, with refereece to the health and
safety of the persons employed therein, commenced their
labours, cud proceeded forthwith to prosecute their inquiry
in the first place to the county of Cornwall. Communi-
cations have been addressed to the various inspectors of
mines throughout the country for information on the sub-
ject of general operations, and more particularly with
reference to "shafts," the failure of which proved so dis-
astrous in the case of the We &coldest at the Hartley
Colliery. Petitions preying the legislature to compel the
We of two shafts have been preeested to parlinmest, and
referred to the commission, which will subsequeatly bold
its mittisp in the north as well as in London, medial,
scientific evidence on the subject.