The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-09 00:00:00

8-U N,

THE PICTURE BY TITIAN_

CHARTERS asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
if thee was any truth in the report that a picture, said to be
by Titian, which was recently purchased for the National
Gallery at Marshal Soult's sale for 2,4001., was last year in
the possession of a London dealer, by whom it was shown to
several of the trustees, who then might have purchased it for
1,200/. ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said there was
no proof that a picture in the possession of a London dealer,
and said to have been purchased by Marshal Soult, was
shown to the trustees of the National Gallery, and offered to
them for 1,2001. It was quite true that a picture,
undoubtedly by Titian, and which had been purchased by the
National Gallery, was for sale in London recently, and was
seen by a friend of his ; but he was not aware that that pic-
ture had been offered to the National Gallery for 1,200/. But
must observe that nothing was more delusive as to the
reZq value of a picture than the fact of its acquisition by a
private individual at a particular price. He knew of a picture
by Morino which bad been recently sold for 24,0001. sterling,
which :lad been offered to a distinguished individual well
known to many Hon. Members in that House only a few
years ago for 8,0001. There were very few pictures of emi-
nent merit that did not find their price in London at the
very top of the scale. It was impossible thata the picture in
question had been offered at a less sum than the trustees of
the National Gallery took it at. But the country had given
2,400/. for it, and he believed that they had purchased a
very valuable picture at a moderate price.
PRIVATE BILLS.

Sir R. PRICE asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether, in case of private Bills being prevented from passing
the House of Commons by an early dissolution of Parliament,
any steps would be taken to facilitate their being passed in
the next Parliament, so that the great expense iacurred in
respect to them, up to their present stages, might not be
thrown away?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
not in the power of the present Parliament to facilitate the
passing of these Bills in the next Parliament. No doubt
the indulgence which the Parliament of 1831 had afforded
would be given by the new Parliament. At the same time,
the Hon. Member must feel that the circumstances must be
of a very pressing character to justify such a course.
THE MA YNOOTII GRANT.

Mr. M. GIBSON- wished to ask a question of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer with regard to the employment of
the time of this House and the dispatch of public business.
They had still got the Maynooth question hanging over
them, and after a whole morning had been devoted to it,
they were still as far from the termination of the debate as
ever. He wished, therefore, to ask the Eight Hon. Gentle.
man, who was the trustee of the public for the proper appli-
cation of the public time, whether he did not think it fit for
him to use his influence with the Hon. Member for Warwick-
shire to induce him to postpone all further proceedings to a
more convenient season. _ _

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that he
felt his duty at present to be in unison with the statement
which he had already made to the House, namely, to take
care that all those measures to which the Government were
bound should be passed this session with due deference
to the great consummation which they all awaited.—
(Laughter.) That he acknowledged was itself a difficult,
though he would not say an impossible task, but he must
decline, with respect to the subject of Maynooth, to under-
take that which the Eight Hon. Gentleman had asked him
to perform.