The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-07 00:00:00

dilly. The proposition came before the House
of Commons yesterday is the pleasant form
of a vote proposed to be passed, but in
the end, we are delighted to say, peremptorily
rejected—an agreeable little vote of some 110,000
sterling for the New National Gallery, on the site
of Burlington House. Committees had sat, blue-
books had been printed, men of science and men of
art, almost all of them without exception persons
of distinguished eminence, had been elaborately
examined, and still more elaborately cross•examined
—all this with but one only result, namely, the
settlement to all appearance,it seemed until the other
day quite definitively, that the national collection of
Pictures should still continue to be on view as the
national collection. upon tile present site of the
building known (ever since it was erected for that
purpose) as the National Gallery. Of late, how-
ever, it had got about that the whole scheme
was to be set aside. That the National Gallery
was to be yielded up entirely to the Royal
Academy. That the National Collection of
Pictures was to be removed to Burlington House
in Piccadilly. That, in fine, if the Court Hobby
could not be ridden as far (as it was at one time
hoped) as South Kensington, it should, at any rate,
be trotted so far in that direction that it should
be in-stalled upon the site of Burlington House,
in Piccadilly. It seemed incredible. But
the attempt to delude the House last
night into passing this vote of £lO,OOO already
alluded to proved the statement that it actually was
so to be ower true. However, meek though it is
content to remain in regard alike io Reform and to
the Foreign Policy of England, the House could
hardly yield, so far as to swallow this cool proposi-
tion to bring about the total reversal of its own
decisions. It has repelled the paltry proposition of
the Government, and repelled it triumphantly..

Sir JOHN HAY did good service in calling atten-
tion to the very faulty management of Greenwich
Hospital. The Royal Commission that sat for six
months to inquire into its affairs made a most un-
satisfactory report. When it was mentioned that
this great institution was almost entirely perverted
from its purpose, it was surely time to make some
striking change in its style and workings. The
Hospital had been arranged to accommodate two
thousand and three hundred pensioners, but there
were only one thousand and flee hundred inmates
at the time of the investigation. The most scan-
dalous thing of all was that no less than one thou-
sand one hundred seamen were in the different
workhouses of England. A more striking proof
was seldom given of official mismanagement, or a
more glaring instance of fends misappropriated
from their original destination. The purport of
Sir JOHN HAY'S motion s‘ as that due heed should
be paid to the recommendations of the Commis-
sioners, who strongly urged on the Government to
put a stop to the system of double government
which prevailed at the Hospital. In this idea many
able and well-informed persons concurred, and it
was, therefore, most desirable that they should
attend to the suggestion. This double government
is an innovation on the original system, for it was
introduced in 1829. Since so much has been said
of the evil effects of its workings, it does seem
strange that delay and difficulties should be cone
tinually tkrust in the way of amendment and alte-
ration. It is perfectly incomprehensible to under-
stand the objects of these vexatious hindrances
that are constantly interpcs:d when any im-
portant step ought to be taken. It is idle to
attempt to fathom the motives of all in high places,
when they are told in emphatic terms what they
ought to do to clf,et remedies. The strange thing is
that ail sides appear to agree as to the advisability of
a change. The Secretary to the Admiralty himself
said in a speech a year or two back, "All the world
knows that the government of Greenwich Hospital
is extremely defective." It is a great scandal to all
immediately concerned that such should be the case,
and a great disgrace to the country that there should
be such errors existing in an establishment which
was formed for the refuge of those who have spent
the best years of their lives in the service of their
country, and belong to a class which is its best
security and surest safeguard. The Government
introduced a bill which was to do away with the
double government at the Hospital, and effect other
salutary arrangements, but this measure was with-
drawn. Mr. CHILDERS made a very specious state-
ment on this subject, but he did not explain why
it was necessary to wait for such a protracted period
before entering upon the necessary changes. Indeed,
one part of his own statement clearly showed the
necessity that existed for an immediate and tho-
rough change taking place. Since the Commis-
sioners made their report the number of pensioners
had diminished by one hundred and sixty-eight.
Surely this fact should be the most potent argument
that can be employed, and the most powerful
auxiliary that can be sought for to aid the cause of
reform. There is nothing so difficult to overcome
as the hindrances of those who profess that they
are ready to help but never show the least sign of
putting their promises into execution. Had the
Admiralty at first resolutely declined to move in
this matter, very likely there might have been a
strong opposition worked up against them, but
their seeming acquiescence quieted the loudest de-
claimer and reconciled the most severe of critics. It
is perfectly absurd to make it appear that sufficient
time has not elapsed since the date of the Commis-
sion for all essential alterations to have taken place.
It is nearly four years, and there would have been
ample time to do double the work necessitated by
these plans that were proposed. No doubt the
members of the Government are actuated by a desire
to put a stop to the serious grievances that impair
the working
of this time-honoured institution, but
they are evidently afraid of offending the prejudices
of interested parties.
indeed, it amounts to
aTphois sitiavegrweraotneng,isftoakrteh,
eandin.,
in-
terests of truth and justice should come before all
secondary motives, and the claims of those for whom
the charity was founded are paramount to the con•
siderations of secondary persons mixed up in the
affair. It is,
at all events, satisfactory to find that
the Government have resolved
to get rid of the
double government at Greenwich Hospital. Many
other changes are also contemplated, and,
therefore, we may indulge the hope that eventu-
ally this institution may again lift up its
head, and be recognised as one of the esta-
blishments of which the country may be proud.
Sir JOHN PAKINGION, who is a good authority,
approved of the plans that were in some part
shadowed forth by Mr. CHILDEES, The right hon.
baronet very properly advocated the claims
of the ofFicrs of the Royal Navy, who, he
said, were put aside in consequence of the misinter-
pretation of the words of the charter. This is a
very fair suggestion, since there can be no reason
why this deserving class should be precluded from
their share of the benefits of the institution. It
very frequently occurs that in these charities some
misunderstanding arises as to the right interpre-
tation of the text of the charters. Iu consequence
many really deserving individuals are put aside,
and others, who have really no claim of any sort,
are allowed to consume the profits of the place, and
virtually to fritter away the substance that, pro
perly applied, would have more than carried out
the benevolent intentions of the founders of the iu-