The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-27 00:00:00

Mr. E. Potter, M.P., on Schools of Art.

On Thursday night Mr. E. Potter, M.P., was
present at the distribution of prizes to pupils of the
Carlisle School of Art, and made a speech upon
the position and prospects of provincial schools of
art. He said that since their last meeting a com-
mittee of the House of Commons had presented a
long report, with evidence. That committee re-
commended a capitulation grant—they did not men-
tion what amount—to be given to artisan classes.
Their next recommendation was that there should be
no building grants. The committee thought also
that the accounts of grants to South Kensington
should be more clearly made out. Shortly after
Parliament met the new minutes were sent out, and
they found that South Kensington declined carrying
out the recommendations. They declined capitation ;
they adhered to their resolution of giving building
gi ants ; aild they said nothing about the accounts ;
but in their first report after this no accounts were
published—the first time they had been omitted
for 10 or 15 years. He remonstrated with Mr.
Bruce, but meanwhile Parliament was sent to the
country. The Department having taken its own
course some of the committee felt rather annoyed,
and their chairman, Sir Stafford Northcote, sum-
moned some of them together. They did not know
what to do, and a great many of them having sat
10 or 15 days on the subject were tired of it, and
therefore concluded that the best plan would be to
get the country schools to appeal to Lord Gran-
ville. A large deputation went up, and succeeded
almost in getting what would probably have
the effect of doubling their allowance. There was
nothing now left hut to test the thing, and to rely
more upon their own efforts than upon Government
grants. The department had taken its own course,
and relied upon its own system. The yearly grants
to South Kensington were from £130,000 to
£140,000. Some £30,000 or £40,000 of that was
employed in decorating South Kensington ; a large
sum for the purchase of articles for the museum ;
and the principal schools came in for what was left.
He did not wish to detract from the merits of South
Kensington. Its drawing school was the finest in
the world ; and they were indebted to it for a large
number of able masters, but he was most anxious
that they should have educational grants separated
from South Kensington. Till they got that he was
certain they should never get any satisfaction.
(Hear, hear.) What the Department had done
fell very far short of what was due to the coun-
try. The entire number of art students last year
was 16,500 in ninety schools, and when they
considered, as he ventured to assert, that very
little above one-half .of them were artisans, and
that the Department and the Government had been
urging on artisan education for nearly 20 years, he
thought that result was most miserable. (Hear,
hear.) He believed if the capitation system sug-
gested by the committee had been followed, they
would have had, instead of some 8,000 or 9,000
artisans, some 30,000 or 40,000 in course of educa-
tion. (Hear, bear.) Country schools could not be

self-supporting; theymust have liberal subscriptions.
They could not class art schools under the head of
charity schools. They were exceedingly valuable,
and gave a sound education in scientific drawing
up to a certain standard. But the artisan could not
afford to pay for it himself. It had been said in
the committee, and advised by Mr. Cole himself,
that they should raise the rates if schools did not
pay. He himself thought the rates were high
enough, and his own feeling was that they should
be lessened ; and that it was a class of education
which Government ought to support, otherwise
it could not be carried on. The cotton
districts had recently felt that whole towns
should not be devoted to one trade, but unless
they had educated workmen they could not
make the change. Art classes would supply
that want. The state of art education was not
what it ought to be. But their only course now
was to work it out as best they could, and if in the
course of a year or two they thought they were
wronged they had the means of redress, and he
hoped advocates more powerful than himself would
be found for an alteration of the whole system.
(Cheers.)