The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-26 00:00:00

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

There is nothing which has t long engaged the public at-
tention, or occasioned so much of an unpleasant feeling
throughout all classes of society, as the practice, which asto-
nishes foreigners, of compelling those who have at first been
heavily taxed for the erection of national monuments, and
who still are required to maintain them, of charging an ex-
travagant sum afterwards for permission to view those things
which can only be valuable in the ratio as they improve the
public taste, inspire a veneration for religion, and increase
the reverence of the multitude for the virtuous, the talented,
and the brave—for

" The mind that thought for Britain's weal,
The hand that grasped the warrior's steel."
On Saturday one of the most influential, as well as inter-
esting meetings that it has been our lot to witness for a
length of time, was held at the Thatched House Tavern, St.
,James's-street, for the purpose of affording Mr. Hume an
opportunity of communicating to the Committee appointed
to procure free admission for the public to the national mo-
numents, not only in the metropolis, but throughout the
United Kingdom, and of which he is Chairman, the result
of the several applications which he had made to the Go-
vernment, and various other parties having charge of the In-
stitutions, in which those monuments are deposited. The
meeting was announced for one o'clock, but owing to Mr.
Hume's unavoidable attendance at the House of Commons,
it did not take place until after two. Amongst the nu-
merous gentlemen present on the occasion, besides Members
of the Committee, we observed Lord Worsley, M.P., Mr.
Wyse, M. P., Mr. Smith O'Brien, M. P., Sir Harry Verney,
M. P., Mr. Marshall, Mr. Wilks, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Rennie,
and Mr. Crawford.
In the absence of the Hon. Member for Kilkenny, Mr.
EWART was called to the Chair.
The SECRETARY having read the proceedings of the last
meeting, and the resolutions then adopted being confirmed,
proceeded to lay the following Report before the meeting
GENTLEMEN—It is our duty to report to the Committee
the various steps taken since its last meeting, held at the
Thatched House Tavern, July 1, 1837.
" The Deputation then appointed to wait on her Majesty's
Ministers being advised by Lord J. Russell that he would
receive the Address to the Queen on the of July, at two
o'clock, Messrs. Hume, Colborne, Hope, Wyse, and Rennie,
and Alderman Sir M. Wood proceeded accordingly to the
Homo Office, where they were received by the First Lord of
the Treasury and the Secretary for the Home Department.
Lord John Russell assured the deputation that her Majesty
had that morning expressed her approbation of the objects of
the- meeting, and evinced a lively interest on the subject.
Lord Melbourne proved by various questions to the deputa-
tion, that he considered the proceedings and objects of the
Committee of considerable importance.
" Communications in unison with the Queen's gracious
approbation were soon after forwarded by the Noble Secre-
tary for the Home Department to the Deans of St. Paul's
Cathedral and Westminster, and likewise to the Master of
the Ordnance, on account of the collections in the Tower,
and to the President of the Royal Academy, relative to the
annual exhibition in the rooms which that Society holds in
the National Gallery.
" The Dean and 'Chapter of St. Paul's have ordered that on
week days those who enter freely during divine service shall
not, as heretofore, be driven out at its conclusion, but remain
if they please the remainder of the day. The Canon Resi-
dentiary has also promised one hour each week day addi-
tional free entrance. The fee is, however, still levied on
those who enter at other times whilst no service is being per-
tained. For two or three Sundays St. Paul's was left open
the whole afternoon ; but on the complaint of the Senior
Verger (who receives one fourth of all entrance fees) that a
prodigious crowd of ' fashionable loungers,' by walking along
the floor, made a noise that interfered with divine ger% ice, to
the indignation of some pious persons, this Sunday admission
is again restricted to the hours of service.
" We have learned with regret that the Dean of Westmin-
ster declines to accede to the wishes of the Queen as commu-
nicated by the Minister of State.
" The President of the Roy al Academy waited on Lord
J. Russell, and endeavoured to persuade his Lordship that al-
though located in a national edifice, that Society being strictly
of a private character, ought to be excepted from the proposed
regulations, so properly recommended for more national esta-
blishments. The President has since printed and circulated
the purport of his observations.
" Application has since been made to the President for re-
turns of the number of students sent by that Institution to
Rome, &c., (that being the object of paramount claim on the
ccuntry.) The return was promised for October, but is ex-
pected.
"On the subject of the Tower of London much corres-
pondence has taken place between Mr. flume, General Sir
Hussey Vivian, Lord John Russell, and with the Duke of
Wellington, who is averse to any change of regulations iu
that fortress. The Board of Ordnance, in consequence of
his Grace's remonstrance, thinking there might be some in-
convenience attending the unrestricted exhibition of a quan-
tity of fire-arms, instead of free admission, recommend a
reduction of fee from 3s. to Is. It has been explained, that
all anxiety may be set at rest by continuing the fee on the
exhibition of modern implements of war, while the objects of
national interest, such as the historical records, the horse
armoury, and the trophies won at the defeat of the Spanish
Armada, are throan open to the public.
" Lord John Russell still declares this subject to be open
to consideration.
" In pursuance of the resolution of the Committee of the
Ist of July, the report of the public meeting of the 29th of
May has been printed, and as far as was practicable, copies
have been forwarded to the Throne, to Ministers of the State,
Archbishops, Bishops, and Deans of the principal Cathedrals.
as well as to the Members of the Committee, to provincial
editors and public institutions. •
" The Committee will be pleased to hear that very favour-
able arswers have been received from the Dean and Chapter
of Norwich, with a copy of their order for throwing open their
Cathedral one hour in each day in addition to the usual hours
of divine service free to the public, an additional allowance
being made by the Chapter to life Subsacristans for their at-
tendance.
" The Bishop of Chichester informed Mr. Hume that he
had sent Mr. Hume's letter to thc Dean and Chapter, with
his strong recommendati, n, and expressing a hope, f,orn the
in nncr the proposal had been received, that two hours each
day would soon be allowed to the public to see that splendid
edifice. The Dean of that Diocese has also written on the
subject, explaining that no definite answer could be given
until the next meeting of the Chapter, when the proposal
would be submitted to their consideration, and observing
that there might possibly be some practical difficulties in the
arrangement.
" The Bishop of Bath and Wells has, in three several com-
munications, expressed his concurrence in the sentiments of
the Committee, and is happy to find that his Cathedral (pro-
bably that of Wells) is at all times open to the public, and no
fee expected.
" We have also been favoured with a statement of the cir-
cumstances connected with the late visit of the Turkish Am-
bassador to Edinburgh Castle, when his Excellency and suite
were refused access to the regalia of Scotland, because un-
provided with shilling tickets, although bearing a letter from
the Secretary of the Home Department. An Address to the
Queen has been forwarded, and we have also received a copy
of a petition about to be presented to Parliament from the
Lord Provost and Council of Edinburgh, praying that the
regalia, and all other exhibitions of objects having a national
or historical interest, or calculated to improve the public taste,
may be made free to the public without admission fee.
" A petition from Glasgow was presented in the House of
Lords by the Duke of Richmond, on the 29th ult.
" It has no doubt been observed by many Members of the
Committee that schools of art are springing up in various
quarters, in consequence of the late Parliamentary inquiry
into the state of the arts of design, and the effect produced
by the public meeting of the 29th of May last, and the sub3c-
qttent exertions of the Committee. According to the reports
in the papers, the Society for the Promotion of Art just founded
at Newcastle, under the active auspices of the Bishop of Dur-
ham, has been founded in consequence of the reports of those
various proceedings.
" On the 29th of November a meeting of the Members of
the Mechanics' Institution was held in their theatre, for the
purpose of addressing the Queen and petitioning Parliament
for free admission to all collections of objects calculated to
assist national education, particularly St. Paul's, West-
minster-Abbey, the Tower, the exhibition of modern pictures
at the National Gallery, and the designs and models at the
Admiralty and at the Trinity-house. The proceedings were
highly interesting, and the resolutions were carried
unanimous') .
" It may be observed, that this is the only occasion of that
useful and prosperous Society having ever during the fourteen
years of its existence petitioned the Legislature. Unsup-
ported by Government, it has built premises, paid rent and
taxes, and taught the community that education and rational
amusement are alone sufficient to render working men sober,
intelligent, and orderly, and having done this in thousands of
instances, they now declare that public museums and exhibi-
tions of proper objects are capable of leading the industrious
classes from the debasing habits picked up in the tap-room
to the practice of temperance and orderly deportment. The
resolutions were all proposed and seconded by members of the
Institution, and the arguments adduced calculated to give a
very high opinion of the individuals and of the Society, as
expressive of an uncommon share of sound principles and
practical observation. The Address has been placed in the
hands of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex ; the petition
to the Lords has been sent to Lord Brougham, and that to
the Commons to Mr. Grote.

" That a general interest of a most cheering kind has been
excited can no longer be doubted. The above details, and
the great increase of schools of art, leave no room to doubt
the effects of tke late inquiry by the Select Parliamentary
Committee, and the exertions which you, Gentlomen, have
made, arc an example to the country, and in retribution of
honour.

'' That the object of the Committee have not yet been fully
effected only proves the magnitude of the plan, whilst the
patience of its most sanguine supporters, and good intentions
of nearly every class of society, from the Throne and Govern-
ment down to the humblest mechanic, are the best presages
of your ultimate success in procuring for a grateful people
an extensive, or wholesome, and truly national adult educa-
tion."

Mr. WILKS observed that it might save the valuable time of
the meeting if the Secretary would inform them what practi-
cal course they were called on to pursue.
Mr. Focco (Honorary Secretary) said that if he were al-
lowed to read the correspondence which had taken place
between Mr. Hume and several distinguished individuals,
the meeting would soonest arrive at a full possession of how
matters stood. The Duk© of Wellington, Lord John Rus-

sell, and the Dean of Westminster, had written letters which
would fully explain their situation.—( Hear.)
After some further interlocutory observations, during which
the Chairman observed that the chief object of the meeting
was to.lay before the public the whole of the information which
the untiring and indefatigable exertions of Mr. Hume had eli-
cited, the Honorary Secretary proceeded to read the following
correspondence :

" Brighton, Oct. 30, 1837.
" Dear Sir,—l have heard this =min,* from Sir Hussey
Vivian, respecting the admission of the public to the Tower.
Some time ago he appointed a Committee of the Board, who
reported that the entrance-money ought to be reduced to one
shilling, but that as the Tower contained so many military
stores it could not, without inconvenience, be opened gratis.
" Her Majesty approved of the recommendation, and the
Master-General has now ordered that the admission fee be
reduced to one shilling accordingly.
" The Chapter of St. Paul's have, in compliance with the
Queen's wishes, given greater facilities for the gratuitous ad-
mission of the public to the Cathedral, but they complain that
the performance of Divine Service has, in consequence, been
much disturbed. I trust, however, that some arrangements
will be adopted to prevent this evil, and at the same time more
commodious to the public.
" The Dean and Chapter of Westminster altogether refuse
to enlarge or modify their present restrictions.
" I remain yours faithfully,
" J. RUSSELL."
FROM THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON TO THE SECRETARY OF