The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-31 00:00:00

MEMORIAL OP BRITISH SCULPTORS.

Beelptqrs' Institute, 32, &Orville street.
TO TOR 0100? son. SIR BENJAMIN MALL, BART.
We, the undersigned, British sculptor., feel assured
that we shall sot be deemed istresive or officious in addrsos-
, fog the following statement to a minister of tee Cr. we
charged with the supervision of the public atoinments of the
onset?y.
We have Owned with regret that frequent attempts
have be lately made by the most influential organ of the
daily press to disparage the ability of; firdish scalptore, and
to defend aa an inevitable necessity a :ethane to foreign
either. It is, moreover, reported that a large sum of mosey
is about to be devoted to a monument to the Duke of Wei-
limiters, and nether nut to a memorial at &uteri to the
bran sea who have fallen in the late war; and, is the pre-
sent temper of the public mind, end in the dispo Woe of
some who minim the patronage of the enemy, we are not
without spprehnsion that due justice will fail to be done to
the English sculptor.
We desire to guard ourselves against the Imputation of an
illiberal jeaioney of the torah:en. Art is a nal l lan-
guage, and the artist should find himself a native of every
great city of the world. There has never bees a time
when the Eng fah courts and the Eighth people have not
received with ready oedemas the feweige painter, architect,
sod sculptor. May it be thus sleep. Bet we claim for
naive talent that it also should be sought for and appre-
ciated. It is not true that there is a dearth of genius
amongst the sculptors of England. There an works of in-
disputable excellence from the hands of livieg artists that
attest the contrary. What is lamentably true is this—that
stems have rarely been adored for committing public
works to the men of the greatest merit amospt ea. We
would humbly nggest that if the patronage of the natioa
were exercised with wore care and discrimisatien, and with
• genuine desire to discover the worthiest on whom to be-
stow it, the public menumects of Eon's:id would no 1 tore
be appealed to as displaying in so many instnees a pastel
mediocrity.
None can feel more deeply than ourselves the degrada-
tion which the se en of Beglaud has suffered during the
last 60 years, from the erection in our Men p liisn Cathe-
dral, the Abbey, and Guildhall, of the buge ',anilines and
detressieg &Licorice which deface toe walls of these beliti-
flies. Bet let it be borne is mind, that whale largo sums
sere being lavished upon each pmdeetioes as those, Flu.
man and Banks were alive, needy and seeking employment.
Men who were neglected year after year by the government
sad the municipal authorities of that time are now the bent
of ev ry Bahamas, and are seknowledged to have earned
aaltereyean mistake.

To approach somewhat nearer to our own timesore would
point to a fact of no little significanoe. A sculptor of the
name of Watson recently died; Oa was an industrious "via,
and a citopetitor for most of the public monuments meted
in his day. He hulloed a commission ; but the
r•jaeled models which he sob hited on such occes'ons, are
now sought for with avidity, and studied by living
artists.

---
Whether the same anfertuoate method of selection atUl
attends spit us, we must leave others to decide. We must
observe, bowers', that there is an iscreatiog indisposition
snriegst artists of ackn.wleiltred merit, to eater into any
publio competition. It is felt that e proposal for a general
competition is ao security egoista an itseampttent or partial
judge.
To castbat this indisposition, to foster the genius of the
country, to secure fir oar greatest monuments the artists of
the greatest power, we sushi floally submit, 1. That in
es. ry competition, • public eshibition of the models of ell
competitors should precede the selection orally toss of them •
aad, 2 That such selection should be made by a committee
se cousittuted that the body of artists as well al the public
la general may csafide la them.
- -

To a public empatitioe so eondusted ws cheerfully invite
every art it resident in the United Kingdom, sad we rest
elotldest thee., patronage being liberally and wisely ease-
/Md, then will no longer be as imprimis' abroad, in this
country, that the 'Weak sculptor is moquel to the cele-
bration of English heroism.

We have the Itasca', with great rnpeet, to subscribe our-
selves—E. H. Bally, 11. A , P. MatDowell, MA., W. Calder
Marshall, R.A.J J. H. Poky, A RA Were, J Efts
Ti.olass, F. M. Miller, Thomas Tberaperoft, Allred Hoar,
Timothy Bailer, William Baba's, Matthew Nab'', John
Haacorh, Alex. Munro, Edward B. Biephear, J. Borrwood
Westmacatt, Joseph Durham, J. Edwards, Frederick
Thrapp, Edward Davis, Thomas Earle, W.F. Woodiagtort.

(TROY LAST MOST'S 0111171.)
BUCKINGHAM PALACIL, MAT 27.—This day had
midterms of ber !Nasty :—Tbe Coma Appooyi, E..ey Ea-
traordiaary and Malls, Plasipmeatisry from Me Emperor
of Amtria, to d&ieer his credential.; to orbit& be wee M.
trodeeed by the Earl of Cloreadem, 0., bee MOitty's
Secretary of Biato for Font's Affairs, and eaudemed by
Mai.Jr-Ganeral the Hateurable Elir Edward Cam, X.O 8.,
her Mejerty's Master of the Ceremonies.

DOWIfING4TLEZT, MAT 30.—The Queen bu been
pleased to appoint Thomas' Chisholm Amstar, Esq , her
bilejeety's Attorney-Oeneral for Hoag Kong, to be a mem-
ber of the Legislative Council of that to any.
WHITEHALL, MAT 28.—The Queen his been
pleased to appoint Francis Almisader. Karl of Hinters, to
be Lieutenant and Sheriff Principal of the shin of Kincar-
dine, In the room of Jaws Seri of Soothed', resigned.

A society has bees formed at St. Petersburg soder
the title of the Sires*. haviog for Its object the salvage of
vowelised property of all kieds soak la t►e seas. Possibly
the aim oompany will commence its saterpries at Sebes-
ter&

THE OFFICS or COSOT46II.—At the annual gamma
seetteg et the Comma' Society of Zviload sod Welts.
bold to the City of Lead's, as Thursday last, ou the
satin of It. areseridy, Esq., causer for Devoe-
obits, It was saulatoesly resolved, that the viaduct of
Mr Ward, the eurroor for Staffordshire, as the occasion of
boldiog 'be inquiet as the body of Jobs Panne Cesk, as
by the report of the trial of Palau, woo
:liseroditaMe sad If left answered by this. safety will
have the 'fast of lowerlai the ease of sorrow la public
opiates, sad that ragudug this seelsat Indication se one
of the sweet eaiepstde for the security of life sad the de-
Wens of ells% we moot but lamest that Mr. Word
should have meted es be to have dose ea the Isle
Inquiry, sad that be a have laid kisseelf opts to the
aeon seamen he nadirs& at the heads of the Lord Chief
Jubilee