The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-24 00:00:00

position as President of the Society of Arts grew
up, those two memorable and magnificent exhibi-
tions, the Great International Exhibition of 1851 in
Hyde-park, and its successor the Great International
E thibicion of 1862 at South Kensington, exhibi-
tions which constituted two of the most remarkable
achievements of H.R.H. the PRINCE CONF3ORT, the
one the living the other posthumous masterpiece
wrought out mainly of his elevated and comprehen-
sive intelligence, there is perhaps no office that
could be named, thq acceptance of which by H.R H.
the Prince of WALES could be more welcome to the
thoughts or more grateful to the feelings of the
people of this vast Empire.

There is no more gratifying feature of the present
state of society than the universal attention which
is being paid to art.
All sides we meet with cere-
monies of various kinds, and many distinguished
persons lend their aid to do honour to the inaugu-
ration of institutions which are about to be founded
for Schools of Art, or to celebrate the successes they
have achieved and the benefits they have conferred.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE has come forward at
Nottingham for the purpose of laying the corner-
stone of the Government School of Art. In the
course of his remarks he gave practical illustration
of the vast extent to which these schools had
reached. It is true that the filets might have been
generally known before, but then people do not
always draw inferences as they might do from what
is taking place around them, and therefore they are
often under great obligations to those who think for
them, as it were, and poict a moral from familiar
events :and every-day occurrences. In the first
place, it is an encouraging circumstance to reflect
on, that whereas at the time of the Exhibition of
1851 there were only 19 of these schools, there are
now 90. This is certainly making progress, and
when we know that no less a number than 70,000
pupils are in some way or other obtaining instruc-
tion from them, it follows as a matter of course that
the spread of cultivation must be very great. It is
idle for prejudiced persons to cry up everything
foreign, and persist in declaring that the English
have no genius in that line. The great secret has
laid in the fact that, taking for granted this incapa-
city or inefficiency, no pains were taken to cultivate
the faculties or improve the tastes of the great
body of the people. We should have re-
quired the quintessence of genius for design, indeed,
to have performed any great wonders without re-
ceiving instruction. It is at all events very agree-
able to be able nowadays to give an answer to
those who sneer at every home production. No
better reply could be given than that selected by
the Duke of NEWCASTLE. Surely if any opinion
can be said to be removed from partiality it must
be that of our rivals in most things, and our suc-
cessful competitors in all branches of art, as yet.
The most eminent and distinguished of our
continental neighbours who were selected
to visit and decide on the merits of the
Exhibition, have all borne testimony to the sur-
prising progress and striking improvement that
have been made among us of late years ; and they
attribute this advance to the efficacious working of
these establishments. These learned foreigners go
so far as to warn their countrymen to take heed to
their ways, and not to spare their efforts, for they
are afraid of English competition now, so much
have they improved of late years. With this en-
couraging circumstance to bear in mind, it is to be
trusted that fresh energy and renewed vigour will
be infused into these institutions throughout the
land, and that the students will be urged on to
emulate, and even in some cases to excel, those com-
petitors who once so far distanced them in the race.
The advantages derived from such culture are
almost incalculable, and there are attendant benefits
that accrue, which, of minor importance, are still of

no mean account in forming the training and giving
a tone to the character of the artisan. He must
proceed in his course with more interest when he
understands somewhat of the principles which rule
and regulate his profession, and the refining influ-
ence which will be imparted to his mind must tend
to present good, and may ultimately conduce to
future distinction. There is no higher triumph and
no happier trophy which science can achieve in her
wide extent, or art produce in her boundless range,
than the improvement of the people's tastes and the
elevation of the mind in the nation at large. It was
said some time ago that " the march of armies now
stands still to wait the march of mind." That
happy picture was not, unfortunately, rea-
lised, but notwithstanding many drawbacks,

the philosopher, the philanthropist, and the
statesman may be thakkful to Providence

that the efforts made by enlightened and high-
minded individuals have so signally prospered,
and spread in such countless ramifications. The
satisfactory nature of such affairs, when once accom-
plished, is that the good must go on, and that every
cultivated member of society is not only an acquisi-
tion in himself, but is sure to produce effects on
others. Altogether the promise now held out
as regards the prospects of art in this country
are so far satisfactory that attention and care seem
to be bestowed upon it on all sides, and in all diree-
tions, and the best hope of permanent and solid ad-
vantages accruing will depend on those energies
not being suffered to relax, and that enterprise
being sustained by well-grounded confidence.

Our busy metropolis is undergoing various trans-
formations. In every quarter of it change, reform,
improvement, and invention are constantly at work.
The present generation has seen the novel sight of
railways traversing the midst of its highways, and
telegraph
wires skimming over its roof tops. New
ibridges are crossing the broad old river, new halls,
consi-
derably altered,
°tele, and railway stations are springing up on
every
side, until a traveller who left London some
lve Years back would find the familiar city consi-
:esti and ni dt 43411: oe Iniv ecnei
as well es extended, on his return
a year or two hence.
avna Among these different inno-
that some of the time-worn annoy-
day after day, but
ences which we all grumble at
come in for never think of altering, should
Corporation of a Share of
Loo changes. Now that the
naon
.has issued notices for plans
i
and designs for
a tetmg or
endured obstacle to trafEc a amending that long
safety—evils especially and danger to personal
winter—a paper
great in
has been sent us with a great
ofwi
,
' Test me well,"
being a design for Holborn valley Improvement. The plan proposes to erect aviaduct,
—to take down the houses 0, b;th er. the valley
streets between Hstton-garden and „ des of the
Inn west end of
St. Sepulchre's Church, and form a high level road.
those arches between points ee
way uponfeet in
length and nearly level. The central headway of
the bridge over Farringdon-street will be 21 feet or
may be 24, This
'road way is to be formed more on
the southern than the northern side of the existing
roadways, as the curve will be less, the vista
tee( u ral effect better,
larger, and the architectural
while it will also be more economical. All
this promises well, no doubt. There are two
streets to be formed from Victoria-street, the level
of which is to be raised as well as a portion of
Farringdon-street ; one of these streets is to go
obliquely up to Hatton-garden, and the eastern
one is to
join the upper level near St. Sepulchre's
Church, being in part a substitute for Snow
These streets • -hill. I
will be of easy gradients, 1 in 45, And