The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-27 00:00:00

ILLNESS OP THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE.

(THIS DAY.)

7e regret to state that Lord Chief Justice Cock-
burn was seized with sudden illness last night, of so serious
a nature as to render it necessary to have his medical ad-
viser immediately in attendance. His lonlship, in his usual
good health, had presided in the Court of Queen's Bench
at Guildhall, yesterday, and had part heard a cue
of the alleged infringement of a patent, in which
South and another were the plaintiffs, and the
New River Company were the defendants. The case was
adjourned until ten o'clock this morning for the hearing
of the can for the defence, but at that hour Mr. Justice
Wightman appeared upon the bench, and informed the
court and jury that, owing to the Lord Chief Justice being
attacked during the night with an Musa which, though not
alarming, was nevertheless serious, it was impossible for
his lordship to preside that day. It was pos-
sible, he observed, that be might be sufficiently conva-
lament to resume the hearing of the adjourned case on
Saturday, but that was doubtful, and, as it was necessary
that it should be concluded before the same judge who had
heard it cz parse, the question was whether, under the
circumstances, it would not be desirable to poet-
pone its further hearing until the sittings be-
tween the Easter and Trinity terms. The jury
expressed themselves anxious that it should be concluded
on Saturday ; but Mr. Smith, Q.C., and Mr. Hindmarsh,
Q.C., the counsel for the plaintiffs in the patent case, said
it was quite impossible they could be in London oa Satur-
day, as they must be in attendance in their respective cir-
cuits. Mr. Justice Wightmao then adjourned the use
until the sitting after Easter, and said the jury would have
to be re-summoned. His lordship observed that the illness
of the Lord Chief Justice had happened at an exceedingly
unfortunate time, inasmuch as this was the last day of the
sittings after Hilary term, and the judges ought all to be
on circuit to-morrow (Friday).

EARL GRANVILLE ON ART EDUCATION.

Earl Granville last night presided at a public
meeting held in the Memorial-hall, Church-street, Isling-
ton, for the furtherance of a movement for the establish.
went of a gallery, museum, and school of art in Finsbury.
The NOBLE &um. in addressing the meeting, said—
It is a great matiefaction to me to attend in furtherance of
the cultivation of art in this metropolis, for I happen to
be a Londoner horn, and stn what some persons in the pro-
vinces might call a cockney. (Rear, hear.) I have felt
strongly that some reproach, not without foundation, at-
taches to us on amount of the comparatively little encour-
agement which we in this metropolis have afforded to the
progress of art education. Whether it be owing to the
peculiar character of our municipal histiations, or to the
fact that a large portion of the richer inhabitants of our
metropolis maids in it only during some months in the year.
and consider their homes to be more in the country than in
Loudon, or that those persons who are constantly resident
are more like the population of a nation than of • single
city, certain it is there is not to be been here that amount
of active civic patriotism which is to be found developed in
our large provincial towns. (Hear, hear.) It is, there•
fore, highly satisfactory to me to see such an assembly as
this met for so noble an object, and to be
• sharer in that which, so far as this district
is concerned, may be regarded as a great metropolitan work.
(Hear, hear.) There is another feeling, which I cannot
doubt is shared by many present, which makes me very
anxious to contribute my mite to any work which is to
mote the the progress of art among the manses of this country.
I allude to that sad calamity which overwhelmed the nation
all the close of the last year—(bear, hear)—when we lost
OAS who by his character, his great ability, and high rank.
WAS placed is a position where his influence was exerted
with Weenie'e to the promotion of good taste in the pro-
ductive industry tithe country. (Hear, hear.) I need only
mention to you the name of the late illustrious Prince Coo
sort to evoke from you • ready await to the assertion
that be devoted the eminent qualities with which
be was endowed to the benefit of the country.
It is not for me, on this occasion, to pass any
eulogium upon his late Royal Highness, or to
allude to those pre-eminent virtue, or those states-
manlike qualities, which made him a help and a support to
society, so as to make the institutions of the nation strike
deeper into the heart of the country. (Hear, hear.) I will
not now asT what he did for science, but this is, 1 con-
sider, • fitting occasion to speak of what he did for the pro-
motion of art and the diffusion of good taste among all
classes of her Majesty's subjects. That illustrious and
widowed lady hes associated with her her subjects in her
affliction, and has declared that it is her desire to promote
to the utmost of bee power those objects which her hus-
band had so much at heart when alive. There is, therefore,
no one person in this room or in the nation who does not
feel that in his own sphere and within the limits
of his own capacity it is his duty to co-operate
with his sovereign in this national and most
patriotic work. (Hear, hear.) I have a feeling
of satisfaction in attending this meeting, which is
this—that the department with which I em officially con-
nected will probably, if you carry out your scheme, become
associated with you in this good work. Is. am not going to
give you • history of what it has already ne, but I can-
not help epeakiug with some satisfaction of the great pro-
gress which has been made by the permanent establbh.
went of schools of deign under the eucouragement of go-
vernment in the diffusion of art and art education. I was
this afternoon looking over some reports connected with
those institutions, and I was much struck at the contrast
of some of the figurer and statements connected with
them ten years ago, as compared with those of the
present day. In I'Bsl the expense wee not so very great,
but then all parliamentary grants were abolished,
except in the case of those institutions which were shown
to be directly profitable, but then the amount ti
voluntary subscriptions increased ; and should we no
longer look to them as the ground of action except to assist
in the building of schools 1 a
ssistance ble earl having shows
how the number of schools had ssed from 20 to 86, and
the number of pupils from 2,600 to from 17,000 to 18,000,
while the coat of education per head had fallen from 3/. 2s. to
Bs. 4d., proceeded to say—lf you ask me whet has been
the practical result of all this, 1 will not myself answer the
question, but will refer you to those cities and large towns
where art and a knowledge of beauty and of design enter
into the production of the local manufactures, sure that
there ia not one of them that will not state that
the people have derived great advantages from
the establishment of such schools among them. This is the
realiestiou of the Prince Consort's ides in promotiog the
Great Exhibition of 1851. I recollect that at a preliminary
meeting some of the most eminent statesmen of the day, in
*periwig of what might be the probable results of that
movement, said that in those works which required excel-
lence end the actual application of science to machinery,
and in the production of the useful, we would be sure to
excel the foreigner; but where imagination was brought
into play, where artistic taste and desigo were applied to
the beautiful and ornamental, we should be prepared to
find ourselves excelled by the continental manufacturers.
1 would be sorry to make a prophecy now, but hoping and
believiog as I do hat the coming Exhibition
will be a great success,t and prove the comple-
ment of the work originated in 1851, 1 sniped to see, not
the contrary results, but results of a slightly different cha-
racter. It will I think be found that while we maintain
our preeminence in the production of practical and useful
objects, we shall feel some surprise at the strides which
foreign nations have made in the same objects ; sod foreign-
ets, un the other hand, will be surprised at the gigantic
strides that we, when put opus our metal, have made in the
application of artistic science and taste, not only to the
more costly but also to the more universally used articles.
For this some credit is due to the schools of art One
of the great peculiarities connected with art is
that, whether we look to ancient or to modern
times, to this country or to the other nations of Europe,
at the most a choice few obtained employment io produc-
ing works of art for the enjoyment of a select circle of
persons ; whereas there is now a great change taking place,
and many are employed in producing artistic enjoyment foe
the great muses of the people. (Hear, hear.) The advan-
tages of such a change cannot fail to be appreciated by such
a meeting as the paean% ; but if you are to produce the
greatest possible effect by art instruction, then you must
educate not only the edema, the producer, the designer,
and the workman, but also the great masses of the people,
who are to enjoy their works, must have that amount of
training and education which will enable them to derive that
enjoyment from the contemplation of such works. It would
be here superfluous and insulting were 1 to attempt
to quote Latin, or give you a lecture on the softening and
civilising effects of art upon the human mind, but in that
particular it is as applicable to the workman u to him who
lives in richer circumstances. (Hear, hear.) Nothing has
such an effect on character as a knowledge of excellence.
(Hear, bear.) Nothing so much contributes to ambition
of
the right sort and to the modesty of the individual, when
he mama what mu be done by others better informed
and better qualified than himself. These are the object.
here in view, and I cannot overstate the advantages to be
derived from them in regard to the staple manufactures and
trades of the district of Finsbury—especially watch and
clock making, jewellery, and cabinet making. The noble
SSA concluded .by wishing success to the efforts now being
roads by the committee for the establishment of the North
Loodou Gallery Museum and School of Art, adexpressiog
the gratification it would
support.
leery government for
apply to to its
give him to find them in a position
I

It is some comfort in the midst of the delays and
mistakes that have been made with regard to the Kensing-
ton-mad, to Bed that we are likely to have at least one
improved thoroughfare in London open in time for the
Exhibition. Mr. Page is confident that he will have the
whole roadway of the new bridge at Westminster Koisbed
is May next.