The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-23 00:00:00

SOCIETY OF ARTS.

Oa Wednesday a very crowded assembly attended
in the tilll of the society, John-street, Adelphi, Lord
Monteag le in the chair, to hear the lecture of Mr.D igby
Wyatt, on " An attempt to define the principles
,ehich should determine form in the decorative arts."
rhe lecture, we need hardly remind our readers,
is one of a series undertaken by the members of
society to illustrate the obj,cte displayed at
th- Great Exhibiti )n. The lecture delivered on this
occasion by Mr. Wyatt was a very elaborate disqui-
sition on the principles exhibited by nature in all the
departments of the physical crecion, which must ever
guide the artist in his formative pence-see, and a dili-
gent study of which, therefore, was indlipensable to
success in the decorative arts. The leading prin-
ciples of nature which a diligent observer
would meet with everywhere, and which should
therefore determine form, were thua descrihsd
by the lecturer. The first quality with which
the observer must be struck is the infinite
variety of form which pervades creation. When the
most complex fl )wer is submitted to the test of a
,cientiflc botanical examination, no particles are
found to be adventitious—all are concerned in ful-
6lling the appointed functions of vegetable physiology.
As those functions vary with the growth of the plant,
ao in every case does it form—changing from
tender bud to blooming flower, and from bloom-
ing flower to reproductive seed-pod, as each suc-
cessive change of purpose progresses. lufinite
variety and unerring fitness thus appear to
govern all form in nature. While the former of
these properties demonstrates ,her infinite power of
'einnplexity, the latter restrains the former, and binds
-in beautiful simplicity. In every case -ornament
appears the offspring of necessity alone, and where-
:vverr structural necessity permits, the simplest lines in
9 case consistent with the variety of uses of the
which spring erect
object are adapted. Thus,
_ the principal forest tree?,
their
normal
stateand
noinfluenced by special condi-
houghs equally
Mons of light
on all sides, growing so Gym.
heat, shoot straight aloft, with
iranoestrticinaslityar,eethesa,tparereeigsvulladr cone
_or. oviform would, in
balanced
yfroemfinethteh.eir outline; and thus
the climbing plants,
along the ground in
creep weal:rise:ratappearance,
wayward lines,
until they reach something stronger more
erect than themselves; to this they ear
from it they hang either vertically or in "and
propriety of
most graceful festoons ; to each its characte7thef
form as of purpose—to each the simplest line o
con-
sistent with its appointed functions and
expression. While a consideration of the quality of
fitness binds us to simplicity, that of variety, as if in
counterbalance, conducts us to a just recognition of
the value of contrast throughout the works of crea-
tion. Simplicity becomes appreciable only when op.-
posed to complexity, while complexity itself will, on
analysis, be found to crnsist only of the combination
of parts, individually, of extreme simplicity.
Nature, in working out her harmonies of contrast,
abounds with optical corrections. The infinitely„
gentle convexity if her water sky line is precisely
corrected into perfect apparent horizontality by con-
trast with,any line at right angles to a tangent to its
curve. It is by attention to the optical effects pro-
duced by_the impact of lines upon one another in na-
ture, that the artist can alone store his mind with the
most graceful varieties of delicate contrast. Thus it
is alone that he can appreciate the extreme beauty
and generally inappreciable
doifvhergerecLen't;rt minute,
enuptreeoise rna.thernatical figures, in
licrtgialtba Wiaigie 34140117 *WA e We,

have already sho.vn, that her leading forms should he
modAled. We have now arrived at a recognition of
the four principal elements which invariably concur
in produoing those et:notions of d- light, which may
be reg-trdea as infallible tests of our contact with real
beauty in the produ‘ttions of natur—variety—fitness,
simplicity, awl contrast.
The rest of the lecture, which occupied altogether
about two hours in the delivery, consisted for the
most part of an application of these principles to the
works of art that adorned the Great Exhibition, and
were illu.trat_ed by various beautiful specimens in
w. rks of metal, Klass, and textile fabrics, which bad
been lent for toe purpose.
At the close of tb• lecture a vote of thank., moved
by Mr. R•dgrav,<, and seconded by Mr. T. H. Hope,
M.P., was uf,annnou,dy accorded to Mr. Wyatt., for
his lecture; and thanks were also voted to the manu-
facturers who had sent their manufactures to the
society.

STEAM NAVIG kTIoN—SAFETY

VALVES.

The following instructions helve been issued by the
Lards of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, for
the guidance of engineer survefurs, under the Steam
Navigvion Act, 1852. with rvspect to the safety valves
required by the 2lst section of the Act:—
The 21,t section of the Act rt quire* that after the
31,4 d ey of March, 1852, each bce er of every steam-
vessel shall have a saf ty valve "ftee from the care of
the engineer, and out of his control and interfetence."
Some doubts having been expressed as to the weaning
of the above section, and some practical diffi,fuli having
been experienced in bringing it into operation, the atten-
tion of the engineer surveyors is directed to the follow-
inginstructi,n-, which have been aclopted,by my Lords
after mature delineraiineyand are now issued fur the
future guidance of these officers.
Each boiler must be d with a safety valve con-
structed so that it shall be entirely out of the control of
the engineer when the steam is up, and so that he may
not have the power of increasing the pressure upon it in
any manner whilst the ve*sel is under steam.

My Lords consider that the responsibili y of seeing to
the efficiency of the mode in which this is done rests
with the surveyors; but the following are modes which
appear to them to be satisfactory.
The valve may either be contained wholly within the
boiler and sccessibla through the man-hole only, or on
the out'ide ut the b filer, enclosed in a box sufficiently
large only for the weights and the necessary motion for
them, and secured by a lock, of which the k.y is ant t)
be kept by the t•nginer, a:.d it kept on board, to be
in charge of ;he mAbter of the vessel, who will. of course,
in such c ise he respousib'e, should any atditional weight
or pressure Iv.. placed on the valve.
These safety valves are in all cs,,:es to be of the same
areas ai the orlinary safety valves upon the same boiler.
and to bear an t qusl or less pressure, but not in any case
more.

In cages where two or more boilers of a steamer hive
a nolancon steam chest, and there is no means of shutting
cff eett•Ti from, or disconnecting either of them, they
may, so far ai the slfety valve in vestion it concerned,
be considerei a, one holler.

My Lord, think it extremely desirabh that the safety
valve required by the Act should be in addition to the or-
dinary v.►lve and the .urveprs sttould point this out to
the ownrri of ves4els; but IA! it is not expressly enjoined
by the Act, the; are not to reuse a drclaration on ac•
count of the recommendstion not being complied with.

The engine.-r surveyors ate, 9.) far as in tteir power,
to makA my Lord,' opinion ou these points generally-
known to the proprietors of steam-vessels carrying
pas4engers.
In order to give time for preparation, the 30th day of
June next ha, been fixed as the time at which the above
instructions are to come into lull operation; and the stir•
veyors arrn, th,reFore. not to give any deolarerion for
steam vessel after that dive, unless they are satisfied
that the requisite saie:y vAlva is fitted aceordi„ly.
F. W. BEECHEY.
W. H. WALSER.
T. H. FA.RRER. Secretary, Naval Department,
I3Jard of trade, Aptil 19 1852.