The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-14 00:00:00

OPINIONS OF OUR CONTEM-
PORARIES.--(THIS DAY.)

eine cam.

SALE OF THE LATE NE. WINDVWS COLLECTION.
IThe name of Mr.Windus has so long been known

LEGISLATION AGAINST BRIBIZT.

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The Times does not quarrel with the decision of amongst the MOO liberal enewinseall Of the Engnir schools
the ministry to remit the question respecting its diver- that the announcement of the vele el his oollsotias nand
gene. of opinion with the judicial bench as to election fail to excite great interest in the art world. The sale,
however, which commeaoes to -day at Messrs.Chriellie rand
petitions to parliament, but it finds it difficult to under-
stand how anyone seriously considering the matter, and Manson's refers only to the disposal of the rentanete left
setting aside the hesitation of the judges to accept the after the decease of their late owner. The mat
duties sought to be imposed on than, could Come to any Turner pictures which Mr. Winds, once possee.sd„
other conclusion than that the transfer should be made. and over one of which the great painter is said to
The oath of office to which the judges refer is nothing have wept when he was denied the privilege of purchasing
more than a pledge of conduct which the nation, throogh it back again from Mr. Windus, for whom it was painted,
parliament, can wholly or partially remit ; and as to the were all sold some five or six years ago, with some other
objection respecting their political bias, the judges of our important examples. Mr. Windus was a purchaser of pie.
isommon law courts have retired altogether trees tures forty yeses ago, and had formed in the course
party life. If they have more than sufficient work already of his long acquaintance with art and artists a
their number should be increased by the addition of balls collection of finished drawings and sketches,
other men miscuing the proper qualification.. The fate Perth:falai ly those by Stothard, which were originally col.
of this bill will test the value of the professed seal ofi tented by the late Mr. Robert Balmanno ; these are in-
honourable members to repress bribery. eluded in the sale of to-day, with many others by W. H.
The Daily Yews aye that the House was unanimous as Bartlett, the well-known illustrator of books upon Italy,
Switzerland, and Spain. There are also • number of
to the unsatisfactory character of the Government selteme,
which is founded on a initapprekeneina of the reeeemen. sketches, studies, and drawings by various artists of more
dation, of the select committee. The wommittee mom• modern repute, as Mollies, W. J. Grant, J. E. Millais,
mended that if • transfer of jurisdiction ever controverted"lino, Arthur Hughes, F. Medox &own, ,I. W.
elections were determined on, it should be committed Inebbold, J. Brett, and others, with • few of the older
to the highest tribunal in the land, sad this the Buglish school, such as null, Warta, Harlow, and
Government bill disregards. The all but unani- I Smirk,. Mr. Wind" gave especial favour and maxi-
mous opinion of the House, that questions in- ragemeut to the pre-Raphaelite section of our painters, and
volving the personal honour of individual", was always disposed to lend • helping baud to young
their suspension for a term of years or for life from pellet- painters who showed any marked originality ; hence we
cal privileges, and the electoral franchises of entire ems- find in this sale the early work of Mr. Millais—the
inanities, should not be committed to an inferior court, " Isabella," which was exhibited in 1649 at
will be shared by the country. It is likely to pro,e fatal the Academy. By the same painter there are
to the scheme in its present form. On the whole, the a small and highly-finished replica of the " Pre-
scribed Royalist ;" a highly-coloured picture of • lady
House does not seem to have advanced beyond the hypo-
with • man of yellow hair, called "The Bride ;" " Wan-
is conclusion of tire select eesemittee of last year. It
daring Thoughts;" "Excelsior," and • study of • young
is disinclined to give up its jurisdiction to say bat the
highest tribunal in the land ; and it is by no means certain girl. We see here, too, • curiously minute picture by
lir. Charles Collins, dated 1810, since which time the
that there should be any messier of jurisdiction at all.
The consequence may be easily foreseen. The semi= will painter has changed the pencil for the pen with no small
end without effectual legislation against bribery.
alarmed for the eafety of Richard Creur de Lion," in
silent proposal, oar contemporary thinks it would be Mat. The subject of this picture is " Queen limn:aria
A similar view is taken by the Amt. As to the govern-
illustration of the pretty story of the Provencal traditions
scarcely decent for the English House of Commons to refer that the beautiful queen saw offered for sale in Rome a
all matters respecting the validity of the election of its jewelled girdle which she knew had belonged to her
crusader lord. Two of the first works of • lady—Mrs.
members to a third-class tribunal composed of three
gentlemen whose sole merit might consist in being liar-
Benham Hay—who has since so distinguished herself as a
ristera of seven years' standing.
painter of no mean ambition, and whose remarkable
picture of • Florentine procession is now attracting much
The question, says the Herald, is really • narrow on..
attention at the French Gallery, will no doubt be viewed
Can the House of Commons, if it retains the jurisdiction
over disputed elections in its own hand, keep corruption with a lively interest. Those will be remem-
do en to that minimum with which, in despair of entirely bared in the Academy exhibition of some years
suppressing it, all sensible men will be but too well satin- back as "England and Italy," acid " A Florentine
fled' If it can, let it by all means keep the power in its Boy of the 11th century." Of the pre-Raphaelite
own hands; but if it cannot feel assured that it has this school as applied to landscapeandfigure.'
the collection contains "The Hedger," by Mr. John Brett,
power, and the determination to exert it, it must not be
deterred by any false sense of dignity from securing the which was in the International Exhibition of 1862 ; Mr.
suppression of this great scandal by such •• transfer of its Arthur Hughes' "Pansies" and his " Soldier s Departure,"
with Me F. Madox Brown's " Last of England," the stud,
jurisdiction to an independent and impartial tribunal as
the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes for the picture which was engraved—and tho " Lear and
Cordell& " painted by the same artist in 1854. Mr. Inch-
According to the Telegraph, the general feeling of the
hold's " Spring " and "Autumn," are examples of a similar
house was that fundamental privileges must be preserved,
line of minute imitative study for which Sir. Wincing
and that other modes, not so revolutionary, must be de-
seems always to have had • great admiration. In the
vised to render election trials leas expensive and more
efficacious, pictares of the " Odalisque " exhibited in the Academy in
Although the Star would vastly prefer judges' decisions 1862 by Mr. F. Leighton, and the same artist's "Turk
Smoking," with • rather important historical work by Mr.
to those of a committee if either were inevitable, it has
Cave Thomas representing "Domenico des Nubia urging
some hesitation as to whether judges should be made in. Cave
to the ordeal of fire for a miraculous confirms-
wise
aid some further hesitation as to whether it is
tion of his doctrines," we may observe the taste for the
wise to net ahem to make that • crime by their decisions
which the too common ideas of English society con- more legitimate style of the wheels'
eider au indifferent and simply political proceed- I The only works of Turner to be sold are the drawings of
lug. The difficulties multiply as the proposal" Tyneniouth," engraved in the England and Wales series;
the " Ruined Abbey with Cattle," and "The West Front
examined, and great weight ought to be attached
to the judges' protest. The case is not dee te ; the re- of Wellsth,lial," with three slight sketches of
forms which me in the immediate future will meet it. I shipping.
The pictures are to be sold on Saturday, and on the
With large constituencies and vote by ballot, it will
ing the old plate, porcelain, marbles, and
onday follow
matter very little upon whom shall devolve the duty of
feMlsiliesa
discovering bribery indlocreption, for they will be vie-
1 Marrs. Christie and Manson announce the sale of the
tually things of the past. I rercaising works and collection of the late Clarkson Stan.
field, ILA., for May 7 and following days.

OCR WATT ZIPIRDITCII.
The Times tells the Board of Admiralty that if they 1 ....
come before parliament this year, as they came last year. • DARQUST AT FISHMONGERS' HALL grand
and ask for a large increase in the navy estimates without bouquet was given at Fisbniongere-hall last evening by
doing anything to check the dockyard waste or reduce Mr. Frazer Bradshaw Renshaw, the Prime Warden, and
nor distant irieedreae, they will stamp themselves his court. Amongst the guests (who numbered nearly •
as incapable administrators, and compel the cone. hundred) there were Mr. Baron Martin, Sir W. Denison,
Sir H. Bruce, M.P., Alderman Lawrence, M.P., Berea
try to look for more provident servants. Mr.
Kubeck, Ahlenrom Sir W. Rose, Sir J. Musgrave, Mr.
Childers' proposals to reduce our present force in the
Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Austaslian seas front 17,800 to George Hoare, Mr. W. Kynaston, jun., Sir it. Mont-
-10,600 men, and, instead of frittering away our
fems en pinery, Mr. Owen Lewis, Mr. W. B. Town) (clerk), Sir
over the globe to haves new flying squadron to rendezvous W. Ferguson, Mr. Cecil Trevor, Mr. C. Durant, Mr. E.
off Lisbon, or some other station, contain much that de- , Eherulli &c. The banquet was of the usual magnificent
germ consideration. We should tarnish our wades. I character. After dinner various toasts were given, and
and, where they can afford it, at their own expense, with' sense songs and glees were sung under the direction of
each a number of amen ironclad tweet ships as their late.' Mr. George Emblem!, brother to the lamented vocalist of
rests require. The Bombay government is already owt.ltbe same name, whom decease has recently been recorded,
strutting monitors for itself, and the government of Mel- and who used to conduct the musical arrange.
bourne ie sharing the easier., of a larvr heeded. menu of this and other similar guilds. Sir W.
And when we have done this we shell he freer to 1 Denison returned thanks for the army. The Prime Warden,
move our squadrons from place to place as the ewer- in giving " The House of Commons," said be hoped par-
genoy Galls Are we to gain nothing from the llanmint would take into their consideration the present
agencies of science, which have brought nearer to position of railway interests, and that the members for
us the distant parts of the world, and have made steam the City would nee their influence in doing anything that
was possible to improve the state of the London streets.
and machinery do the work of seamen? Are we to have
no reduction in the number of our men alloat, now that Sic Hervey Bruce, M.P., responded, and in touching
upon the condition of Ireland repeated the "don't call in
our ships carry less canvas and fewer guns! Why should I
we need at the present time 4,000 more sailors than ins I the 'Muhl • advice given by Lord Stanley, and said be
employed twelve years ago, just after the Crimean War? hoped we should not, in dealing with the Irish difficulty,
listen "to a parcel of agitators."—Mr. Baron Martin, in
responding to " The Judges," said there was a gentleman
connected with the court who held • high position in the
judicial world—he meant Sir W. Pegs Wood. Within the
last month he had had special opportunities of hearing
opinions of Sir W. Page Wood, and could say that no man
stood higher in judicial estimation, (Loud cheers.) His
lordship also paid a high tribute to the Recorder of London.
Other toasts followed.
A CASKET OF JEWELS. —A casket of valuable
jewels, brilliant ornament', beautiful rings, set with eme-
ralds. rubies, and other precious stones, was yesterday dis-
posed of by Mr. Phillips, at his great rooms in Kew Bond-
street. Among other objects were the subjoined:-103.
A vary fine brilliant (14 grains), set as • ring, and a hand-
tome gold band bracelet, enriched with amethyst and die.
lemmas (140 guineas). 114. A lame single stone brilliant
ring, and an emerald and diamond half-hoop wing (106
guineas). 119.1 pair of large and magnificent single-stone
brilliant earrings, weighing 12 carats (790 guineas). 115.
An elegant brilliant flower brooch, with three pendants
(150 guineas). 127. A single-stone brilliant ring, of Sae
water; a half-hoop emerald and diamond ring, flee
atones ; and gold band bracelet, with centre of opals and
brilliants (100 pantos).
ROYAL ILYPRFEREATRZ AND CIRCUS, HOLBOILW.—
Th• engagement of the American Champions at the above
elegant place of entertainment is drawing to a close, and
next week will be the last of their stay in London. On I
Tuesday next Mr. Robert Stickmen whose mid-air double
somearalt has excited the wonder of the Londe public,
seascapes his benefit. If grace and daring can command •
fall house Mr. Sticlmety certainly deserves it. Roam who
06 yet witnessed the performance) of the American
pions should lose this opportunity of doing so. At
Ithe termination of the engagement of the present ono
psny it Is am that the spring sad eaeurar seams
will he isseguratsd, sad en Monday, the 24th, ran entirely
am troupe of 'gouaches will make their wwwsees.
Tan Loa litit DARED Baaweree.—TU funeral
it Sir David Bemis( is to take plies today at 12 o'clock,
tie piss of intiement being Melrose Abbey. The funeral,
widish will be it *public emseic, is to iss attended by
pmg=wists, anEddiatseTC aUlleridepaLffil 4%16 hest
illeing, og askw_sh. so theales sill .
by the /take with thews, sad the Wiwi
Xia their gowns sad Ueda. Thou Wiwi will
ivetnltitm_ oh the abbey Oa. The neiversity will
lislur ''''''y 41.1 d gm« le the memory of Me do
1 riKiL The weal heathy families
1 in Ailed at taws with elm slimmemesd at sea Oka= se
liellike sea be remise to weft VIM iIIIWIROMSI
grl:Ced Al e s I •
ldMnee~t%l 4TWSIRLIRTOIRIC: X16.7116118S haltra"
1 •

OFFICIAL INDOLENCE.

The Daily News recommends to the notice of Sir SW-
ford Northcote the cam of a colonel who has, in its ,
columns, told a story of the experiences which have at
last brought him to a county gaol. On returning to Eng-
land upon a small pension with health impaired by long
service, he receiver an intimation from the Standing Bonus
Compensation Committee at Madras that hie claim to a re-
funding of," step money " has been allowed, bat theemonnt
cannot be paid in India because " these claims ha►e not
been included in the year's budget." He next appeals
to the India-office, and is told that be moat write to
Hadras. He takes this course, but with no more effect
than before. Still the money is not forthcoming, and
the immediate consequences to Mm are worse than it his
claims had been disputed from the beginning. While be
is being sent from poet to pillar, the obligations which he
had contracted to tradesmen on behalf of his family, and
in the faith that the Government would pay him what it
owed, mature and become overdue. Creditors take
stricter note of the flight of time than Government clerks
either in India or at home, and one of them lolling his
patience claps him into gaol, from which his only way out
is through the Bankruptcy Court. He is the victim of
mere official indolence and neglect.

THZ CLIME OP MI CIONIONS.

The Standard states that the government have corn-
roamed en investig►tien into the grievances and claims of
the club of the Cantata. The commissica has had four
sittings, three of which were devoted to the exaadnation
of Mr. Walpole and Mr. Dick, and the week of their or
quietly° once.; while the fourth sitting wee glum to a
pereonsl inspection of the Inland Revenue Department,
with a view to a comparison of the work of the two
servisse. The burden of the complaint of the easto•s
darks woe, that while the work of their department was
quite equal ia character and importance to that of the
Wand revinue, the average of their &aria wee only
MM. a year, against 235 i, of the clerks of the eider ass.
vice. The &nadard hopes that other departments of
egad importance to the controllers and secretaries depart-
ments will also be examined.

The Strweey ',Num Therm—Mr. John Abel
Ebel* ham fixed the iseand readies of his bin fret en the
list for Wednesday. the 18th of Mira.
The directors of the South Devoe Railway PO
Why speed to reeenseend s &ridged of S per eat ea
the entbiary stook.
It is said to be the intention of the Weed party
M set %wee' tee etadidetss firr Robes at the seated
flia•Skts•