The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-21 00:00:00

(Stamped, ld. Additional) [TWOPENCE

ports. Linen yarns and fabrics have been produced by
11 well paid and well supplied labour, but this industry alone
could not provide payment for the large imports poured into
this country. Flax may be regarded as a foreign production
as now consumed by British manufactures, and no doubt
the extent of the industry employed upon it his been
limited by the deficient, irregular, and costly supply of this
raw material, great inconvenience having been sustained by
capitalist. and labourers from its insufficient production.
Other foreign products, silks, skins, and woods, have afforded
profitable labour to our constantly increasing work-people,
but have only contributed a minor share of the ppasyments
required for imports. After exhausting the • • • of
native product. to manufacturing employment, it* obvious
that materials,whereon to engage the drill and labour of our
people, must be obtained from foreign sources. Beyond
the materials referred to, cotton has contributed more im-
portantly than any other to sustain the social fabric, to
promote the industrial prosperity of the British empire, to
afford employment to the increasing population, to diffuse
support at home and abroad, to recompense capital and
labour, to replenish an ever-craving national exchequer, and
to rale, the manufacturing (moral and intellectual) stan-
dard of the working-classes of this country toe higher end-
nonce than has been attained in any other country. Mr.
Baxley contended that with cotton there would be employ-
meet and food, while without it there would be famine and
expatriation.
In the discussion which followed, Dr. Martgowan, Mr.
Greer, and other gentlemen took part.
The SOLICIToR•GENKRAL read a paper "On the Provision
Trade of Ireland," which gave rise to a lengthened dis-
cussion,

Mr. 4. CLARKE read a paper "On the Extending of Bond.
ing Frieling's."

ARTISTIC CONGRESS AT ANTWERP.

AYIWICRP, Acouet 19.

The banquet given at the Theatre des Varietes
last evening wee one of the finest affairs of the kind ever
accomplished—certainly the finest I have ever been present
at—and is the theme of universal commendation.

When the dessert commenced, the Burgomaster pre•
sented himself in one of the stage boxes, and gave the first
toast :—" Gentlemen,—lf in all countries a just tribute of
gratitude is rendered to men who, occupying an exalted
station, consecrate their influence and their authority to
promote the arts, letters, and science, those fruitful ele-
manta of civilisation, you who are here present, to what-
ever nation you belong, will, I am sure, all receive with
lively sympathy the toast which I have now the honour to
propose :—" To King Leopold the First, to the venerable
monarch who for thirty years has devoted himself to the
promotion of the happinees of our country, and the pros-
polity of the fine arts, one of the moat glorious heritage
of our free Belgium. Vire le Hoi.' "
This toast it is needless to say was received with vehement
acclamation, in the midst of which the Brabanconne was
performed by the orchestra ; which was located in the tiles
at the back of the stage.
The CHAIRMAN next gave the second toast, which he in•
sited all present to receive with triple cheers—" To the
strangers, our guests, artiste, men of letters, and friend. of
the fine arts of divers countries, who have deigned to respond
to our invitation, and have come amongst us to fraternise
with oar artiste, sae to deliberate en qweetione, the happy
solution of which cannot but conduce to the progress of the
arts, and to the happiness and dignity of those who devote
themselves to their culture. Whatever be the issue of
these deliberations I have the firm conviction that this in•
spiting reunion of the friends of art will have the effect of
establishing bonds of good feeling and cordial confraternity
between all the schools of art, and all those who are inte-
rested in their prosperity." The applause with which this
toast wan received even surpassed that which did honour to
to the proceeding. Natives and strangers roared till they
were hoarse, and gesticulated in friendly recognition and
greeting, a sharp clinking of glasses occasionally rising
above the vocal tumult. At length, in the midst of this
hubbub, M. Frans Vinck, a painter of Antwerp, came for-
ward to the front of the stage-box, and sang a song com-
posed in honour of the day by M. Sive!, entitled " La Bra-
beacon des Artistes."

Dr. and Professor Brun, of Holland, first returned
thanks, in Dutch, for his countrymen.
➢bir. Hunstort; president of the Society of British
Artiste, briefly responded on the part of the English.
Baron TAYLOR, on behalf of the artists and literary men
of France, returned thanks to the city of Antwerp for its
splendid hospitality. Belgium, he said, had now the
honour, for the first time in the history of art, of bringing
together all the cations of Europe is a confraternity of
interests, the principal of which was peace.
H. Dung, painter, of Dusaeldorf, spoke on behalf of
Prussia. " Germany," he said, " had made a large response
to the invitation of the city of Antwerp ; and she was happy
in having done so in face of a generous hospitality which
would render indissoluble the bonds of fraternity existing
between the two nations."

IL limmusan, in • florid oration, proposed a toast to
the "Apostolic influence (Apostolat) of the School of
Antwerp." Belgium was justly proud of her independent
action and strong convictions in art, and in that consisted
her glory, and her position with regard to Europe, which
no material fortifications could enhance or strengthen. This
speech was, like the others, greeted with loud noclainations,
which, however, were so noisy as to prevent one from ob-
taining a connexion of the discourse. And so amidst
general enthusiasm terminated this extraordinary and
gratifying festivity.
In the evening, at eight o'clock, there was • grand fête
' chatimare in the gardens of the Royal Society of Harmony,
which were brilliantly illuminated, and decorated with
allegoric paintings of large dimensions, expressly executed
for the occasion. These works were of an order of excellence
which one rarely sees in England, even in the most elaborate
set pieces of the stage. One of them, a temple dedicated to
the fine arta, was moat admirable in design, the two
°eland figural of Painting and Sculpture being conceived
and painted with masterly breadth and vigour, and with a
degree of technical knowledge which would have well
qualified them for the purposes of permsment wall decora-
tion, instead of an ephemeral el /ram display.
The gardens, and the saloon facing the orchestra, were
crowded to suffocation, and a ooncert of vocal and instru-
mental music was given, the principal incident of which was
an occasional cantata, entitled " Homages aux Arts," com-
posed by M. A. Lemaire, the words by G. de Marteau.
The evening concluded with a display of fireworks over
the lake, which produced • grand and striking effect.
To-day the proceedings commenced at nine o'clock with
the inauguration of some grand mural paintings, executed
by Messrs. Oriffene and Svelte. members of the Academy of
Antwerp, in the choir of the new church of St. George, a
handsome structure in the perpendicular GotLic style.
These paintings consist of colossal standing figures of the
Twelve Disciples and the Four Evangelista, with a picture
of St George vanquishing the Dragon, surmounted by the
figure of the Saviour in another compartment over the
altar. They may be pronounced capital performances, full
of character and breadth of treatment, and are alone suffi-
cient to assert a high rank for the school from which they
emanate.

" A wlerun meeting" afterward' took place at the Aca-
demy, the fine saloon of which was filled with notabilities
in art, when the president, N. de Keyser, read a paper con-
taining, as I understood, a review of the events in art
during the year, the lose sustained by the death of Ary
Schaffer being particularly dwelt upon.
The first meeting of the congress commenced at one
o'clock, and is now sitting. Their proceedings will be re-
ported in our next.
The King of Bavaria and suite arrived at two o'clock to-
day at the Hotel St. Antoine, his Majesty's visit being
made expressly in furtherance of the &lag and objects of
the congress. He has since started on a tour of inspection
through the town.
Amongst the visitors from England here are :—J. P.
Knight, Secretary of the Royal Academy ; Sir E. Landseer,
; David Roberts, R.A. ; It. D. Westinsicott, R.A. ;
SN. Ward, R.A. ; George Doo, engraver. Front
the Society of British Artiste :—Masan. F. Y. Ilorlstow,
President; Wm. Salter, Vice-President ; J. B. Pyne.
From the New Society of Painters in Water-colour : —Messrs.
Warren, President; H. Weboert, and J. Fahey, Secretary.
From the Institute of British Architects : Me-srs. M. D.
Wyatt, J. Fergusson, and G. Godwin. Corresponding Se-
cretaries for Engl■nd, Mews. O. Delepierre and I. 1411104).
The others include Messrs. W. Cave Thomas, painter;
F. Watson, Art Union of London ; H. Gilley, lion. Secre-
tary of the Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arta,
Loudon ; J. Balboni., Secretary of the Asiatic Society ;
J. Donaldson, tic.

THE Ditmsu ASSOCIATION.—The inaugural ad-
dress is to le doUvered by Mr. Fairbeirn, on the evening of
September 4, at Manchester. The members are to be in-
vited to partake of the hospitalities of the Earl of
Elleamere, at Wonky, to the number of 600, on the 12th
proximo.
The eighteenth annual meeting or congreas of the
British Arcliwological Association commenced at Exeter on
Monday, under the presidency of Sir Stafford H. Northcote,,
M.P. A meeting of the officers and committee took place
at half.past two. At three o'clock the Right Worshipful
the Mayor of Exeter, Frederick Franklyn, F.,eq., together
with the members of the corporation, received the president
and the associates in the council chamber of the Guildhall,
in which, during the morning, a life-size painting of
Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, by Northeote,
and the gift of Sir Joseph Graves Bawl°, had been hung.
Amongst those present who hays promised to read papers
daring the week were Mr. Plaudit, en the Earls of Devon ;
T. Wright, on the library given by Bishop Learjet.,
Exeter Cathedral, in the beginning of the II th century,
and also on the Exeter Municipel Boards; Mr. Gordon
Hula, on Ford Abbey ; Mr. Pettigrew, on some Roman
antiquities found in Exeter; Mr. C. E. Davis, on Exeter
Cathedral ; Lieut.. Colonel Harding, on the coinage of
Exeter; Mr. Gidley, on the rural visits to Exeter; Mr.
P. I). Hutchinson, on the hill fortresses, tumuli, and
some other antiquities of eiders Devoe; Mr. Ashworth, on
Tort Ablmg ; Mr. N. H. P. lAWTellelk 014 Compton Castle.
CRYSTAL PALACIL.—Blondin makes his eighteenth
ascent this afternoon, when among other feats be will carry
his attendant, a French Canadian (Natale), across the rope
Opoll his back, and wiU also perform some wonderful ex-
ploits upon the slack rope.