The Express.
London, England, 1858-05-03 00:00:00

BANQUET AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY

OP ABM

The inauguration of the new exhibition of pictures
and sculpture st the Royal Academy was odebrated on Satur-
da by the turd sunivenwry feenval.
TM doors of the Academy were thrown open to the guests
of the botitatlas at 2 o'clock, and soon after that surly hour
• eery didaguitheol company, which received medium!
11001111411110 to it• numbers, arrived to avail themselves el their
envialibprivilmr. As the afternoon wore on the rooms ap-
se ling sad scolpture were comfortably fined,
=2Benleepusts 'roam of eseiseut statesmen, ecclesiastics,
and wanton, could be seen engaged in lively converse on the
Mdse of tho various marks wheel challenged their criticism.
Awing the *tem which appeared to attract most nodes
were Liana's •• Wheat Yield." H. O'listY• " Eastward
Hof Prides" Dliby Dish" " Costribendiata,"
Sir E. Leaders?* " Desr-SWking,' T. 8. CeoWs 00-
*obis Evatispr and 3.l's " Seim beet Thicknuy's

The dinner eseememeed at sight o'clock, Sir Charles liamt-
lake, the president of the Insimation, 'espying the Stair.
Armes the resets were hie Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge, Ws Zneelleney Baron der Ceti*, the Duke of
Newman, the Duke et Redand, the Dohs of Norihumber-
land, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Raft of Derby the
EAR of Weinrich, the Lord Chissellor, Lord Staaley, Lord
J. Masers, the Clieneenor of the Exotteasir Sir J. Piddag-
ton, Mr. WSW*, Lad Chides Jns Ciamiktld.rad, Chief
Baron Polis Lord Cranwceth, Earl of Lard
Palmerston, the Master of the Rolls, the Speaker of the
House of COMIDOODS, the Biabep of Loses the Bishop of
Oxford, the Bishop if Carlisle, Earl °manila Lied St.
ertlil4l Alt 4 tgreitZtrift
t's Attoraey al, die ter-
Wood, Mr. Gladstone, Idr.Cardweli. Mr. lakerridare, Lord
°coed* Mr. Robert Lowe, Sir R. W. Carden, the GOVIEDOT
of tin Bank of England, Sir R. Mareldeon, Mr. Hope, M.P.,
Mr. Bohai &spats" M.P., Sir W. F. Walks, of Xers,
Writ Mils, M.P., Mr. U. Drummond M.P., Professor
Peraday, Kr. Alderman Salomon+, the Pnekleats of the
=of Physicists sad Burg' one, Mr. C. Diets, Mr.
Y.
The rRISIDENT rave in secession, " The Health of her
Mejes the Q 04012:" The Health of his Royal Highness
the meiort, end "The Health of his Royal H
ness the Prince of Wake and the rest of the Royal Penaily,"
"The Army sad Navy," connecting with the army the
manse of his Royal Highness the Commander of the Fors ;
with the navy that of the First Lord cf the Admiralty.
The Duke of CANTRIDO7I, who was received with loud
cheers, said in the course of his speech—My lords, and gen-
tlemen—As regards the duty which the army is now dis-
charging, nobody, I think, will refuse to admit that the able
and admirable manner in which my gallant and distingniehed
friend Sir Cohn Campbell conducted his operations in India
is deserving (tithe highest praise. (Cheers.) 1 do believe that
there never was an Aker—not even excepting some of the
pealed captain" of the age—who has exhibited mere military
talent than the Commander-in-Chief in the Est has (S-
-played in his present arduous and trying campaign. (Chess)
I know that the feeling of my gallant friend towards
his troops is that their behaviour has been most gratifying
to him - and in saying this I am sure it will be understood
that that behaviour moat have been of an order worthy of
this nation. (Cheers.) But, cattlemen, In an anembly
like this, met to do especial honour to the arts of pesos, I
fair that these allusion' to the arts of war may be thought
somewhat out of place. Yet, In order that we may continue
be the uninterrupted enjoyment of the luxuries end refine-
ments with which we are permitted to regale ourselves to-
night, my advice to you, gentlemen, is, Pray don't forget
the army ; bat maintain it in such a state that we may never
find ourselves in lees agreeable society than we do at pre-
sent." (Cheers and laughter.) I ottm hear it stated that
soldiers are not fond of science or of art ; but I am glad to
say that that is a mistake. I believe that among the mem•
hers of my proteins there is a genuine appreciation of your
productions; and I trust that we are not the worse mergers
on that account. (Cheers and a laugh.)
The toast to "The Navy" wane acknowledged by Sir J.
Pakington, end "The Foreign Ministers," be Baton de
Cette, the Bavarian minister. The Lord Chaim:shot then
responded To the Noblemen and Gentlemen who then ho-
noured the Academy with their preeenke," and concluded by
proposing " Prosperity to the It Academy," for which
the President returned thanks on behalf of the members.

The PRESIDENT afterwards proposed The Health of her
Majesty's Ministers."
The toast was greeted with loud applause.
The Bari of DRAM—My low* Mr. President, and gen-
Usesen,—ln the name of my colleagues and myself allow me
to return you my grateful thanks for the honour which you
have done la in drinking our heaths. I thank you, sir, for
the manner in which you hes paid to us the pommel tribute
of your regard and good will. I say this personal tri-
bute, because, on one occasion like the present, surrounded
by men of all opinions and of every politioal denomination,
hero in an assembling in which even for a short time we mil
breaths en air untainted by the breath of political strife, it
would be absurd and ridiculous if I were to attempt to
connect with the toast just given any of the slightest political
significance. (Hear, hear.) We accept it, gentlemen, as I
am sure you mean it, as an expression of that kind
and generous feeling with which every body of Englishmen
regard those, whatever their opinions, who to the beet
.f their ability and judgment are devoting their
time, their attention, and their labour to what they
oceceive to be the public interest. (Cheers.) As
my noble friend the Lord Chancellor has said, it is one of
the privilege of office to be admitted to participate in anni-
versaries like the present ; but, unfortunately, I can say for
myself at lee, and probably for all who have had
shod a period in which to familiarise themselves with tlate.
labours of office, it is also one of its penalties that we have
not at command that leisure which would enable us to avail
ourselves of those advantage.; and unhappily I may say
for myself that both yesterday and to-day my time wee so
entirely engrossed by public engagements that It wee rely
• few moments before we et down to dinner that I was
able to enter these rooms, and that, beyond running he-
tily through them, and having bad pointed out to me by some
of my friends the greatest ornaments in your collection,
and which you will forgive me if I do not venture to
specify—(a laugh)—l have had an opportunity of observ-
ing, admiring, sad appreciating those triumphs of art
by which we are surrounded. (Cheers.) But among
the few to which my attention wee more particularly
celled, I have certainly seen exemplifications of a study
of nature, of imagination of invention, of combination,
of onlontiag, and of design, which have impressed me
very strongly in favour of the present year's exhibition.
(lifer, hear.) So far as I have been able to form I can
hardly say en opinice from the tiermant glimpse which, as
I have said, I have lOW 'hie to obese. it fully coallnned the
report made to me by those more fortunate than myself in
having time at their deposal, that the present ealdbition may
lady vie with any of those which of late years have pre-
ceded it. (Chen.) There wpe, however, one consolation
which I promised myself in attgthis banquet. I thought
that I should bad berm free for two hours at least from the
importunities of those requests which, sometimes in a milder,
sometimes in a more pressing tone, are urged epos the
attention of the members of a government. (Laughter.)
In Downing-street I expect, of courts, three or four times •
day at all events, to receive applications trout oiergyessa
for livings that are not yet vacant, from barristers for
&pregame which nobody dreamt of i:,:dotoiniadon sum-
Wrier individuals for no red of Ps—
(leughter)—but I had fondly hoped, when I nuns to the
tranquil and climb, regime of Tratalgar-square to have bed
no each solicitations made to me. (Laughter.) I have been
diseppointod. (Removed Luebke) You, sir in the most
permesive teem and with wet flattering allusions to what
took plea es former egeastom, have hinted your confidence
that the goverment would not be dead to the claims of art ;
rot Iwo hinted that, great as are the services which the
Royal Academy hes rendered to the country, and which I
cheerfully selmovhdge, they might be greater sail if they
eajoyed greater ecomeinodation.
"0 V Angelus Ills,
Prozimus so:eclat.'
(Laughter.) If there was soother room, or another house,
or • berm house, it would incalculably income the advan-
tages which the public derive from your labour. (Cheers
end laughter.) And, sir, I owe you my thanks for record-
ing that the fire speech from the throne which adverted to
the improvement of the fine arts as an object of public
interest was one which I had the honour of edvidng the
sovereign to deliver in 1862. Sir, that also reminds
me that In throe days, when we were yet green in office—
(langhter)—my right hon. friend who then, as now, was
Chancellor of the Exchequer expressed, at one of these
'adversity festivals, not only his hope and wish, but elso
deluded mortal I—(laughter)—he sanguine expectation that
the sent uld,reeettld see the Royal Academy and the ,
Nodose' del in a mach Improved situation. Un-
kfeant47 that cent met arrived we reseed to be
reejsuesi
_hie foe the shidstradea of Maim (A laugh.)
" Liberal and propesi gerarmesels"
for the last vfx ram m veaw *sir sespissl, it leeid
tor
we es my that of **lmproved she e(t a Aceemy
end National Gallery I have nit seen die hotbed's.
(Chews sod isoirbotr.) with emewbsse I eball tot
meet the errors of ws right boa. bland b I hese this
wasokikia. that is lass yea mill est di*et Me peseue
less attentive them their t al
it mot, it we bays sot the Wm, to be
11104811111di:=1" of FrOicrelio at Perm MO dna
ow of mods& (Cheers me lessitier.)
Bat, to spook seattenly, I hole it to be op of del mob
slielle of • poseramset to promote the hums.' of the ,
Ise arts. I Mid OM to be es abbot of WO sedioeal be-
Vaa; and for es the Channel/or of the heels--heels--sad
llZe wof Cosmoses will allow me, I shell hese the
great Osman la wsulbother to their sdnineseeest to the
Wasted rey_power. (Clime.) The noble owl coseloled
b 7 seletowledpmeet far the toast.
The of the isombere having beta drunk
red erbowlislied by the B of °trona, and that at
Lad et. Loused's by this noble tied leaned tot hiressif,
The PRESIDINT TOSS and said—Anson the mote who
who honour us with their memo, out this works ere some
of those iletiagsiehei s of Mims to whom the problems