The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-16 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS—La,st Evening.

Lord PALMERSTON stated, in reply to Mr Osborne,
that there was no present intention to appoint a consul at
Rio, and that Mr Morgan, our consul at Bahia, would ad
interim, transact the consular business there. He also said
that the Government did not intend proposing the repeal
of the Government Act of 184 relative to the Brazilian
slave trade.

On the order for going into committee of supply a con-
versation of a brief and desultory character was raised by
Mr Baillie Cochrane, respecting the conditions upon which
the lonian Islands have been, annexed to Greece, and the
convention between her Majesty and the King of the
Ilellenes, with regard to the claims of British subjects and
others.

Mr LAYARD stated that he hoped the Greek Govern-
ment would do justice to the pensioners ; and as to the
bondholders he trusted also that some satisfactory arrange-
ment would be entered into with them ; but he did not
think her Majesty's Government was bound to interfere
between the Government of Greece and its private credi-
tors,
Amongst the other subjects discussed on the motion for
fllpply were the alleged ill-treatment of a pauper lunatic
in the Clonmel Lunatic Asylum ; the resolutions of the
union assessment committees aid the necessity of assisting
their operations, and the unsatisfied claims of British sub-
into on the Government of Portugal.
SUPPLY.

The house went into committee of Supply.
On the vote of £7,141 for scientific works and eXperi.
meats, _ _

Mr A. SMITH expressed 1113 distrust of the weather
forecasts issued by the Board of Trade, and said he had
taken the trouble to
go through the tables, and he found
them to be exactly twice wrong
to once right. He wished
to know whether any instructions were given to the vessels
of the Admiralty to be governed by the forecasts issued by
the Board of Trade.

Lord C. PAGET bello7ed he was expressing the opinion
of almost every seafaring man in this country when be said
the remarks the hon. gentleman had made with regard to
Admiral FiYzroy's signals were very unfair. Admiral
Fitzroy had told them this system was still in its infancy,
and wanted a great deal to bring it to perfection, but the
fact was, other countries were joining us in these observa-
tions, and we had daily communication with most of the
cbservatories of Earope. With respect to the vessels of the
Aliniralfy, he should think if a ship went to sea when the
bad weather 2i,znals were hoised the officer of that ship
wati.to bi„mo. fircat satisfaction with the system had been
coplo on tho sea-coast, and he thought it
expressed by p
would L 6 most unwise to check it.
Mr DILLW-1.7.i. did not object to the drums, but he
thought the forecasts were useless.
Mr LAIRD believed toe Ass-stations of Admiral Fitz-
roy were of great importance, and had been the means of
saving a great deal of lire and property.
The vote was then agreed to.
A vote of £5OO for the Geographical Society was
agreed to.
•

A. vote of £l,OOO for the Itoy,ll Society was also agreed to,
Ou the vote of £.500 for thy: Itoyal Academy of Music,
Mr B. OSBORNE: asked for an explanation of Zhe
Mr F. PEEL said the Academy v.tforcled instruction to

persons wishing to make music their profession. It was
partially supported by public subscriptions, and partly by
the feed of the pupils, and he trusted the house would not
begrudge the small sum of public money that was!given to it.
Mr. B. OSBORNE remarked that this Academy was a
private institution. They had been occupiel during the pre-
sent session in putting an end to street (et:, c, which was
for the benefit of poor people, but the fact was that the house
was becoming a rich man's club. This vote of £5OO to the
Academy of Music would, if agreed to, probably go on in-
creasing year by year. This was merely an attempt on the
part of a few amateurs to indulge their own taste at the ex-
pense of the public taxpayers, and he therefore had no hesi-
tation in moving the rejection of the vote.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER denied that
this was a private institution, unless the term could be ap-
plied to the multitude of institutions to which the house
gave assistance—such, for instance, as the Royal Geogra-
phical Society, This was only an experimental vote, and
was for the purpose of enabling the Academy to obtain ade-
quate public support. If they failed in doing so, of course
the vote would not be continued.

Mr AYRTON supported the amendment. and contended
that if they were to give this grant to the Academy of Music
in London, there would be deuzands from Dublin and Edin-
burgh for similar grants. It was evident from the tone of
the memorial presented by the Academy, that the memo-
rialists did not concur in the limited view of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, for they expressed a hope that the day
would come when music would take the same ground here
as it did in other nations where the Government entirely
supported• such institutions. He thought as the higher
classes were depriving the lower classes of music that they
should pay for their own luxury.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER wished to
explain that he did not think it would be unwise in that
house to recognise the claims of Dublin and Edinburgh, in
case the present experimental vote should be sanctioned by
Parliament in a future year. He trusted the hon. member
for the Tower Hamlets would not propagate the fallacy that
this vote was a matter as between the higher and lower
classes. It was nothing of the kind, but would rather be
for the benefit of the middle classes. (Hear, hear.)
Mr CLAY supported the vote on the ground that within
his own experience a taste for music had been largely de-
veloped in this country, which was in a great measure due
to the Royal Academy of Music.

Col. DUNNE wished to know whether it would be regu-
lar for him to move that a similar grant be made to Dublin.
(Laughter.)
Mr A. SMITH objected to the principle upon which the
vote was based, and thought the less Government assistance
music received the better it would flourish.

Mr S. NORTFICOTE remarked that increased expenii-
ture meant inoreaaed taxation, and he must own he was op-
posed to the principle of creating new burdens.

Mr DILLWYN said the votes just gives to the Royal
Geographical and Royal Societies were for special and use-
ful purposes, but this vote bore no analogy to them, and he
objected to it both on account of its paternal character, and
its interference with voluntary efforts.
Mr ADDERLEY justified the vote on the ground that
it was the duty of the Government to cultivate the taste of
the nation in art until that taste became self-supporting.
Mr OSBORNE said this was a private society, instituted
40 years ago by the Earl of Westmoreland sad several
noblemen and gentlemen, with the encouragement of his
Majesty George IV. (A laugh.) It had gone on without
any assistance since that time, but now, in 1864, a band of
musicians waited on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
said unless he gave them something they would be obliged
to close the doors. The next thing would be a vote for the
encouragement of dancing. If the house wanted this aca-
demy to be more than a rich man's club, they must reso-
lutely vote against £5OO being girea to a bankrupt society.
Sir J. PAKINGTON supported the vote, which he said
was in favour of an institution which had produced some of
the best of our public singers.
Mr SC LATER-800 TH denied that the science of music
stood in need of assistance.

Mr HENNESSY protested against the Chancellor of the
Exchequer offering the Irish membars a grant for music at
a time when, through his mismanagement, their country
was going to wreck and ruin, and the people were flying
away from tt. (Oh, oh,)

Sir G. BOWYER said the science of music was in an in-
fant state in this country, and ought to be encouraged.

The committee divided—

Ayes
Noes