The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-15 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

YORKSHIRE.
REPRESENTATION OF THE CITY OF YORK.—Tho
intelligence of the melancholy death of Mr. Redhead Yorke
reached York, by electric telegraph, at a late hour on Friday
evening, and it is needless to add that the greatest regret was
evinced sod the members of all ps rr iee in ty Mr. 0.
Leman, acitor, of York ; Mr. Milner, who proposed Lord
Morpeth at the last election for the Weet Riding ; Mr. F.
Dundee, and Mr. Leveson Gower, have been mentioned as
candidates at the next election.
WAKEFIELD CHARTER OP INCORPORATION.—The
first election of councillors under the now municipal charter
fur the borough of Wakefield came off on Friday last. Con-
tests took place in each of the seven wards into which the
borough has been divided, which resulted in the election of
twenty-one whigs, or more tetreme reformers, and three
conservatives.
EXECUTION OP 'MICHAEL STOKER.—Thin wretched
culprit, a private in the 47th Regiment of Foot, who tired
at and killed Mary Oarrad, wife of one of his comrades, and
who has been awaiting death in York Castle since the assizes
in March, underwent his awful sentence on Saturday.
REPRESENTATION OF NORTH CHESIIIRE.--It ap-
pears probable that there will be a contest for the vacant
seat for North Cheshire, the liberal candidate, Mr. Astley,
who waived his claims in favour of Mr. Stanley at the general
election, having found an oppment iu the consTrvative in-
terest, whose address is already before the freeholders. It
will be recollected that at the late gent rose election Mr. George
Cornwall Legh, who had represented the conservatives in
the last parliament, was deserted by his "friends,' who,
fearing the lees of two seats if they tried for both, had a pri.
eate meeting with Mr. Stanley's friends, and agreed to turn
the cold shoulder to Mr. Leith on condition that Mr. Egerton
and Mr. Stanley walked the course together. Mr. Leah felt
that he was snubbed, and made an appeal to the constituency,
in which he set before them the insulting coolness with which
he bad been asked to sign a requisition to Mr. Stanley by
so-called supporters, without having been consulted as to his
willingness to resign. The amende is, however, being
made; and at a meeting of conservatives at Knutaford, on
Friday. Sir Riebard Brooke, But., of Nort.m•priory, in the
chair, " the claims " of Mr. Legh were recognised once
more, and it was agreed to put him in nomination. A depu-
tation was appointed to wait upon Mr. Legh, snd he not
only consented to this arrangement, but issued his address
the same day. The liberal.. bare meantime been active.
The gentlemen who brought Mr. Astir), forward at the last
election have already organised a law and influential com-
mittee on his behalf, of which Mr. John Cheetbam, of
llukinfield, is appointed choir', an.
BE
DETECTION OP A ROBBERY COMMITTED RIGHT
YEARs Aoo.—On Friday, at Reading, a married woman,
named Sophia Perrin, was charged with stealing a ioi. Bank
of England note. It appears that in the year 1840, Mr. J.
Goodman, of Wargrave (since deceased), lost 'Linty sovereigns
and two 101. Bank of England notes train his h, use in that
village. At the time of the robbery the prisoner lived in his
house as servant girl, but afterwards left, and was married.
Suspicion never fell upon her until a few Lays since, when
one of the stolen notes was paid into the Bank of England,
and by inquiry it was traced as having been changed by the
prisoner. A preliminary examination having been taken,
she was remanded to a future day, iu order to glue time to
complete the case against her.

pnt flys.
ROYAL ACADEMY.—Sit,—I herewith inclose you
letter, which 1 trust a sense of justice, and what is due to
the fine arts, will induce you to publish in your influential
columns, and you will much oblige your obedient servant,
O. BEM:CLEW, May 7,1848.
To THE SECRETARY, ItOTAt. ACADEMY, TRATALOAR-
BQUARE.—Sir, —I, beg to acknowledge the receipt of your
note (expres-ing that the rejection of my works had no re-
ference to my being an amateur or an artist) and to request
that a definite and positive answer be given to my inquiry,
why only one out of eight of my work, sent for exhibi-
tion to the Academy, his been accepted ? The negative
assurance in your note maitre me feel doubly the injustice of
the council's decision, and it is my intention not to suffer the
11 matter to drop vithout that satisfaction which I think due
to me from those persons whom I look on as the mere seer ints
of the public, and answerable, like all officials, to every indi-
vidual artist for their partial, invidious, or careless conduct ;
and from their having rejected the Terra Cottu which I sent
(more particularly), I do most distinctly charge them with
gross injustice and a neglect of their duties, for, if I under-
stand rightly the constitution of this Academy, to
whom the public have assigned the privilege of ex-
hibiting works of art, in a building erected at
the nation's expense, it is for the promotion of all the
branch's of the fine arts without showing favour or
affection to any one. Now, sir, here ii a distinct case in
which a newly resuscitated art, practised in olden times by
the first of sculptors and since fallen into disuse, is re-ir tro-
duced, in materials of these realms which were supposed to
coatain none such, and surpassing in beauty of colour and
texture the most perfect terra cones of antiquity ; and
though these works are hut email-sized, and therefore might
have been placed in the upper rooms on the desks where
such small works often are arranged, they have been coolly
and scornfully rejected without even an apology, and I am
ready to prove without the shadow of a fair excuse (to be in-
vented) for their rejection. It is not, as may be seen by any
one, for want of space ; neither can it be for want of neces-
sary conveniences, since the funds of the establishment are
nobly arnp`e to enable additional shelves and lirecitets to he
affixed to the walls of the model roan (where there seems to
have been no sort of effort made to afford additional room
for works of art in the present very limited and unsuital le
gallery), as well as for the purcha• e of such desks or pedestals
in the upper rooms as would facilitate the exhibition of small
works under glass shades, like the terra cottas sent by me.
Awaiting the reply of the council, I leg to remain your
obedient servant, G. BEAUCLEItC. A 23, Grosvenor-street
West, Grosvenor-place, May 5, 1848.—N.D. These rejected
works may be judged of by viewing them at Mr. Eldred's,
priatseller, Bend-street.
SALE OF Mn. WELLS't PICTURES. The well-
known collection of pictures, by old masters, the property of
the late Mr. William Wells, of Itedleaf, was sold on Friday
and Saturday last, by M' sett Christie and Manson. TM
collection consisted of 12.5 pictures, and the total produce of
the sale was 30,7471. 7s. 6d. The Italian school was repro-
tented by a single specimen of Domenichino, " The St.
Cecilia," so ably engraved by Sharpe. Waagcns, who
thinks that it has neither the sentiment nor painting of
Domenichino, attributes it to Cristof'ro Allori, adding that
it is well worthy of being placed es a companion to hie cele.
brated " Judith," in the Pitti Palace. It sold for
500 guineas. The Spanish school was represented by
one of Murillo's very finest works, " St. Thomas of Vil-
lanuova distributing Alms," a picture brought from the
Franciscan Church, at Genoa, by Mr. Irvi e, in 1800, and
sold to its late possessor for 1,0001. On this occasion it
brought 2,850 guineas. Waagens, who says that it belongs
to the second period of the master, expresses; the highest ad-
miration at the dignity of the saint, and the truth and
vigour of the beggars awl the poor around him. A small
picture by the same great favourite with the English public,
' Head of a Spanish Girl, her head crowned with a wreath
of vine and grapes, and holding a glass in her hand," sold
(or 305 guineas. Another, but not a favourable specimen of
the Spanish school, a " Portrait of Prince Balthazar of
Spain, by Vela.ques, was sold to the Marquis of Hertford for
6..50 guineas. Of the Flemish school the finest specimen was
a three quarter portrait by Van Dyck of the wife of De Vos
when about thirty. Though evidently over-cleaned, it
still retains all the elegance of arrangement and much
of the fine execution of Van Dyck, and may be
said to have sold well, when sold, as it was yes-
terday, for 750 guineas. A female portrait by Ruben', a
poor specimen of the master, was knocked down for 205
guineas. The celebrity of the French School was well main-
tained by a noble Claude "The Enchanted Castle," No. 162
of Smith's catalogue, which brought 2,000 guineas—end by
a capital specimen of Gretna, one of the best in this country,
representing a young female, with light auburn hair, seated
with a basket of eggs, which sold for 760 guineas. Nor was
the reputation of the English School unassisted by Wilkie's
celebrated Distraining fur Rent (known by B.aimbsch'e en-
graving), which sold for 1,050 guineas—more than double
the price (5001.1 which Wilkie received torn. The pictures
of Dutch masters were numerous and generally very
good, though far from equal to the Dope. the
Peel, the Ashburton, or the George the Fourth
collections of the same interesting school. The two best
pictures were by the brothers Adrian and Isaac Ostade.
The specimen of Adrian, " A Pump in the back-court of a