The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-27 00:00:00

THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

On Monday the members of the Royal Academy
assembled in their Council-room, and proceeded to
elect a President, in the room of the fate Sir
Thomas Lawrence. The choice of the Academi-
cians was declared to be in favour of Martin Archer
Shee, Esq.
Mr. Shee is an Irishman and a Roman Catholic.
He is a portrait painter, but does not hold the
highest rank even in this department of art, which
has been generally designated as the inferior, but to
which Great Britain in mainly indebted for the high
station assigned to her on the Continent. It will,
consequently, be matter of surprise to many that the
choice of the Academy did not fall upon some more
distinguished individual.
His portraits are certainly not equal to those of
either Jackson, Pickersgill, or Phillips ; yet his
works have much excellence. His paintings are
graceful, and his copies of nature, we believe, al-
ways accurate.

We should imagine, however, that he is indebted
for elevation less to his pencil than to his gentle-
manly manners, the skill with which he guides his
pen, and the power that he possesses to a remark-
able extent of producing dfect upon an audience
by ease of delivery and eloquence of language. Mr.
Shee is a good speaker, a poet of no ordinary ta-
lent, and a gentleman. His " Rhymes on Art"
have been and are deservedly popular. We have
heard him speak only at the annual dinners of the
Artists' Benevolent Fund ; but we feel assured that
few men could deliver the academical" lectures" and
" addresses," of which he will now have his share,
with greater ability or with more credit. He is, as
we have said, a gentleman ; and in his manners has
much in common with the elegant mid accomplished
gentknian he has been destined to succeed. la
private life we have heard him spoken of in the
highest terms. It is stated, we believe on good
authority, that Mr. Wilkie would have been elected,
but that his state of health precluded the possibility
of his discharging the duties of the oflice.—Moro-
ing Journal.

A small party being assembled last year at the
B►itish Embassy at Brussels, several musical amateurs un-
dertook to entertain the company. Among others a young
lady, a native of Scotland, sung several ballatds with great
taste,—a favour which she afterwards invalidated by per-
secuting the various persona present to replace her at the
piano. The American President, who, by his age and
station, should have been secured from her flippant solici-
tations, became at length the object of her pert peraifiegye,
and ♦ainly attempted to extricate kimoelf, by assuring
Miss
sing, and was not master of a single stanza. ‘. At houtt,"
persisted the young lady, with singular ill-breeding, •' you
eau favour us with your national anthem of Yankee
Doodle ! " Certainly," replied Mr. H-----, on
condition that you oblige me with- an accompaniment ea
your national instrument--the Scottisk Addle !" Coati
Journal.

Loss OF A COAST-GUARD BOAT--Si%
Pxasoxs Dttowrrin.—We regret to learn, from intelli-
gence which was kindly transmitted to oar office Tester
day, that a Coast-guard boat, which was proceeding on
Thursday evening from Bantry to the station at Blue Hill,
when about a mile from the shore was upset by a sudden
squall, and, melancholy to relate, the ehief boatman, with
four of his men and one of their wires, unfortunately
perished ! They have all left families to deplore their boo.
—Cork Constitution.

MELANCHOLY SHIPWRECK.—On the night
between Wednesday and Thursday it blew a very heavy
gale of wind from the eastward, which in a short time
raised a heavier sea on the coast than has been witnessed
for several years. Yesterday morning, between five and
six o'clock, the smack Fame, of Findhorn, Capt.CL.amcv
front Loudon for Inverness, with goods and paseengerst
was driven on shore about five or six miles to the North-
ward of this place, the wind blowing at thy time from E.
to E. by N. The rum-zing being very dark, it was some
time before Captain CLAIM could ascertain at what dis-
tance the vessel was from the land ; but between eight and
nine o'clock he sent the passengers (three gentlemen and
two ladies) on shore in the boat, along with two of the
crew, and the whole of them were landed on the beach
in safety. We are sorry to state, however, that the boat,
in returning to the vessel, `►as swamped, is eonsequence
of the rope attached to it breaking, and the two seamen
were unfortunately drowned. The vessel lie, with her
stern towards the land, and as both anchors have been put
out to seaward, it is expected that, if the weather mode-
rate, she may be got al.—Aberdeen Observer.