The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-09 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 9, 1853.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

use of metal of the proper quality and value, so that
there should be no depreciation in the coin. (Hear.)

HOUSE OF LORDS--(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from
the Eastborne Union, Sussex, praying that the copies of
the general orders issued from the Poor Law Board, may
be for the future sent round to the different unions
before they are transmitted to the Secretary of State, by
whose ratification, at present they become law. Also
a petition from the farmers attending different markets
in Sussex, praying for the repeal of the malt tax.
The Earl of EGLINTON presented a petition from
the South Dublin Union, against the dissolution of Kul-
mainham Union.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented a petition from
Yorkshire against the Maynooth grant, and also praying
for the inspection of nunneries.
Their lordships then adjourned.
COUNTY COURTS.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
merchants and traders of Margate, complaining of the
expense, vexation, and delay occasioned by the present
state of the administration of the bankruptcy law. The
noble and learned lord said that the petitioners did not
Complain of the law itself; but of the great distance which
they were obliged to travel to attend the courts ; and
they prayed that the bill now before their lordships for
vesting a bankruptcy jrisdiction in the county courts
might be passed into law. lie had also a petition,
numerously signed, from the inhabitants of Brighton, to
the same effect. It was impartible kor4kturto present
such petitions for, extending the Arisdintion of the
county courts without eutrenting the attention of their
lordships and of her Majesty's Government to the
immense importance of the system of local judicature.
He would only mention one circumstance for the pur-
pose of illustrating the evils of the present system, and
which, indeed, it required no argument to prove.
Of the 1,900 or 2,000 cases tried in the supreme
courts in one year, sent by writs issuing from all
the four courts of Westminster-hall, to be tried at
all the circuits, including the circuits of London and
Middlesex, more than one-half of the number were
cases under 40/., which was the extent of the county
courts jurisdiction as the law at present stood, and con-
sequently more than one-half of those cases might be
tried much more expeditiously and infinitely more cheaply
in the county courts. How many cases did the county
courts try between 201. and 501., to say nothing of the
thousands and hundreds of thousands under 20/. ? Be-
tween 201. and 501.—the ground upon which the county
courts might be said to come into competion with the
supreme courts—there were somewhere about 6,000
cases tried in the county courts, as compared with 1,000
cases tried by the supreme courts under 501. Anything
more monstrous than the state of the law, or rather the
administration of the law, in this respect, he could not
conceive. The whole of the salaries of the judges of the
supreme courts were now paid, and most properly paid,
not by the suitors but by the consolidated fund. He
thought it was the bounden duty of Parliament and the
Government to provide for the expenses of the adminis-
tration of justice at the expense of the country at large.
But in the county courts, where an immense amount of
business was conducted, to the infinite relief of the
suitors, instead of the country paying the expenses, the
poor suitor paid, because he was less capable of paying.
Being much less able to bear the burden, on that ac-
count the suitor in the county courts was saddled with
the expense of the administration of justice. That was
an anomaly to which he had often had occasion to
ball the attention of their lordships, but ho hoped and
trusted that he would not much longer have any occa-
sion to press it on the attention of Parliament and the
Government, 174,000/. was extorted, he might say, from
these' poor suitors in the county courts, to pay the ex-
penses of those courts ; and besides that sum, they had
to pay about 100,0001. more to the general fee fund, and
there was even a surplus—which was even more mon-

strous and more anomalous still—and that surplus went
into the consolidated fund.

Lord COLCHESTER gave notice that on Monday
next he would move for a return of the number of per-

sons who had passed the examination established for
masters and mates of merchant vessels by the Board of

Trade.

courts, and, whatever might be their polities
as individuals, were generally allowed to be persona
of competent ability, and men who very often ebt-‘ined
the highest positions. (Hear, hear.) By these means,
it appeared, were combined in Scotland the two
advantages of a cheap and speedy administraition
of justice and the dispensation of sound law.
' Then, if they were to judge of the system by its results,
the statement made by the hon. gentleman who last
spoke, that out of 14,000 cases, no more than 110 had
gone by appeal to the Court of Session, ought to grab.
Eying to those who belonged to Scotland, or who took
any interest in the welfare of that part of the kingdom.
(Hear, hear.) He was certainly surprised to find, that
there were gentleman who wished to change the system
Iroot
was a nsda
ibdr anthchat,
tahnd es
sconstruct an u
tentirelys ne w
sinecuresystem o
f_.
ficers. Was that the fact ! Could it be proved before
any committee that those sheriffs received salary with-
out having any causes brought before them, without
giving legal opinions, and without performing any work!
He conceived that to be an assumption inconsistent with
the facts of the case. It was certainly very desirable
that all proposed amendments of the law should be welt
considered, and should the suggestions made by the last
speaker be deemed conducive to the good administra-
tion of justice, no one would be more ready, after due
consideration, to adept them than his learned friend.
But, until he heard more convincing reasons, he should
be loth to give his consent to make such a complete
change in the Scotch system, which appeared to work
beneficially, as that contemplated by the bill now pro-
posed to be brought in. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. NAPIER should be sorry that anything oc-
curred in that house tending to interfere with the local
jurisdiction in Scotland ; and he trusted that the course
would not be taken of sending two bills irrecon-
cilable in principle to the same committee. Let
there be a full discussion in the house, and let the
house decide which principle should be adopted. He
believed that the Scotch bar, as a body, supported the
Lord-Advocate's bill, and, as at present advised, his
opinion was in favour of the view taken by that learned
lord.

Mr. COWAN was satisfied that the people of &di.
land would be much disappointed if the Lord-Advocate
did not consent to refer both bills to one select com-
mittee, and give the committee power to receive evi-
dence. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. C. BRUCE trusted that the learned lord would
not refer the bills to the same committee. He denied
that the sheriffs-depute held sinecure offices, but de-
clared, on the contrary, that had great and serious
duties to discharge.
Mr. DUNCAN said that the whole mercantile body
in Scotland were almost unanimous •in favour of doing,
away with the sheriffs-depute. He supported the sug-
gestion that both bills should be sent to the same com-
mittee.
Mr. HASTIE (Glasgow) spoke in favour of the aboli-
tion of the functions of the sheriffs-depute and the sub-
stitution of local administration.
After a few words from Mr. CRAUFIIRD in reply, lean
was given to bring in the bill.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY AND THE FINE
ARTS.
Colonel MURE, in rising to move for a select committee
to inquire into the management of the National Gallery,
also to consider in what mode the collective monuments of
antiquity and fine art possesased by the nation might be
most securely preserved, judiciously augmented, and ad-
vantageously exhibited to the public, said it might be in
the recollection of many hon. members, that at an early
part of the session his hon. friend the member for East
Lothian had given notice of a motion similar to this, but
his hon. friend was afterwards appointed to an office in the
Administration, the duties of which precluded him from
devoting to the subject so much attention as he could de-
sire, and for which his qualifications so well fitted him.
Under these circumstances, his hon. friend had requested
him (Colonel Mure) to undertake the task, which he him-
self had been obliged to forego. The house would recollect
that no longer ago than 1850 a committee of that house
was engaged in a very similar course of investigation, and
produced a report founded on a valuable body of evidence.
That committee had been suggested, he believed, by the
excitement that then prevailed in the public mind in con-
sequence of the injuries that were alleged to have been
committed on several fine works in the National Gallery
by a rash process of cleaning. His hon. friend's attention
had been directed to the subject from the reappearance in
the gallery of several other pictures after a like operation,
and, similar as might be the objects of the former and of
the committee he was now moving for, and short as might
be the interval between them, there were various circum •
stances which tended to justify or demand a renewal of ,
inquiry at the present season. In the first place there
could be no doubt that a very great advance had taken
place both in the state of public opinion and in the spirit
of public discussion and speculation relative to the arts in-
stitutions in this country since 1850. That, he believed,
was owing to the Great Exhibition, which had given a
stimulus to every branch of art in the country; but, in the
next place, although the committee of 1850 had gone care-
fully into the question of cleaning, they did not appear to
have altogether exhausted the subject ; and in that remark
he thought he was borne out by a passage in their report,.
in which they said :
" With regard to the disputed question of cleaning and
varnishing, the committee do not wish to express any
opinion, but they refer to the evidence produced before
them."

It appeared to him to be very desirable
,in the present in-
stance, that some distinct expression of-opinion upon this
particular point should emanate from the House of Com-
mons, in order to tranquillise the public mind, and assure
them that the Legislature was not indifferent to a subjoc
in which it rejoiced to see the public take so strong and
anxious au interest. (Hear, hear.) There wore variou
other topics of considerable interest embodied' in the form
of the present motion, which it might be expected he
• should advert to,--were it the object, to raise any discussion
upon—theaubjoet.of the fine arts in general ; but that was
not his object. What he had in view was simply to obtain
a committee of the house on. a subject, tf considerable
extent and interest which the present state of the national
and pnblic opinion appeared to him to render at that
moment peculiarly ripe for Parliamentary inquiry. (Hear,
hear.)

Mr: EWART, in seconding the motion, rejoiced that
his hon. friend had not limited his motion to the technical
question of cleaning the pictures, but that he had extended
it to the general question of getting for us a real National
Gallery, which should comprise not pictures only, but
walks of antiquity, casts, and a variety of other specimens
indispensable to the cultivation of the fine arts, and the
want of which was a disgrace to the country. The ma-
nagement of the National Gallery had fluctuated in the
most extraordinary manner between the trustees and
the Tresury, and he thought some other system should
be adopted. He regretted that our collection was not
extensive enough. The architect of the National Gal-
lery was asked, while he was building it, whether he had
made any arrangements for sculpture as well as pic-
tures ; but his answer was, " No ; ' because the Minister
of that day had not given him to understand that a galler y
of sculpture was to be combined with the gallery o f
pictures. Where are the antiquities in the National Gal-
lery—where the specimens of mediaeval art ? Where
the specimens of the beautiful drawings of the great
masters ? At the Louvre they had a collection of that
kind, and in his opinion it was necessary that artists
should have the means of tracing out the first conceptions
of the great masters by their drawings. In connection
with the Louvre, also, there was an establishment for
tracing the outlines bf the works of the great masters, and
such tracings, from the works of Correggio, Raphael,
Michael Angelo, and others, might be purchased in Paris
for 3f. or 4f. a-piece. In 1836 Mr. Woodburn had offered
to the country a collection of most indubitable drawings of
the great masters, which bad belonged to Sir T. Lawrence,
and in the collection of which he had passed his life and
injured his fortune, but the offer was never accepted, and
the consequence was that they were sold and dispersed.
Some of them were sent to Bavaria, some to Holland, and
some to Russia, while some remained in this country, and
wore to be found at the Taylor Museum at Oxford, where
they were exhibited to the public in glass cases, so as not
to be (liable to any injury. In his opinion the appoint-
ment of the committee now moved for would be bene-
ficial, and he therefore hoped it would bo agreed to by the
house.
Mr. B. WALL anxiously hoped that if this committee
were appointed
it would be the last ; for during 15 years
they had had committees and commissions upon this sub-
ject, and he believed he stated the opinions of a great many
out of doors, if not of a groat many in that house, when he
' said there was an anxious desire on the part of the public
that an early decision should be come to upon it. He hoped
also the Government would inform the house in what posi-
tion they stood in reference to this subject ; for there
had been so many committees and commissions upon it
that there was a great contradiction in their reports, and
the house was quite ignorant of what the wishes of the
Government were, or what they thought would be
cePitZe
the moat satisfactory arrangement to the country.
forni
rejoiced profferin_....th opinion
e
For his own part, he thought that the committee of
uthapotnhtohuse esuwb
jaseclit,ttalne
dcalhceulvaemucht:: to
step taken by the noble lord the member for London
he appointed a commission to inquire into it, in London, when.
upon that commission, besides three most did; putting
men, a professor of painting and the most e • InTished
of the clay, minent c emist
Mr. H. D. SEYMOUR said there was a g
sion out of doors that some of the pictures general imPres.
in the process of cleaning, and he therefore had been spoiled
subject to be inquired into. With erefore wished that
meat of the National Gallery, be respect to the manage-
ought to be taken out of tal, hands did. not think that it
vested in the keeperof the of the trustees and
e national control of some member of the pictures, under the
time might be regarded as •Government. The present
this country, and he should crisis
in the history of art in
second report of the Great be glad to know whether the
to be included. in the be
Commissioners was
frewshire ? motion of the hon. member for Ron-
Sir G. STRICKL AND thought that it would have . been
more practically useful of the committee
been limited to had the inquiries
the National Gallery. The rescue of the
divine monuments of art there from the destroying' process
what was called cl .lone
an
object of vast in-
terest. lie could sa eanm
fog wSs a himself, that pictures which
y, r
heretofore he had gazed at with
delight were now trans-
bsolute disgust in
_formed by this process into objects of a
his eyes
on that the hon. gentle-
Lord J. RUSSELL was of opin!
nd who was emi-
this motion—a
man who had proposed .
ts objects—had framed the
neatly qualified to develone
'wear, hear.) However
de-
motion with great judgment'
evexed question as to the clean-
sirable the settlement
eorfe
were
other subjects of inquiry in
in g of the pictures,. thot less worthy of investigation. _
whether
, connection with art '1 together, in his opinion, wh th
; tug(
with other monuments
L was a very .rePie)h
diversified as to entitle
1 the pictures
: Ltnot be 00 extended and
of a national col-
, of art, raig-impietely to the character
Gallery might be cowl-
r them morn 00
than the present National
him that the Na-
lection
) It had always struck
• tiered. (Hear's., now composed, was
rather
such a collet-
' tional Gallery, .
tion
very ch individual, selecting a number of fine
gas a n
art for his own particular gratification, might
workether together,
°fathan such a collection as a greats nation
collected together for its instruction and de-
light. hould have
(Hear, hear.) There were vast numbers of drawings
and pictures belonging to the first beginnings of art which
he should desire to have, as eminently valuable both to
artists and to the general spectator, as illustrating the his-
tory of the art. (Hear, hear.) Whether it would b@ pos-
sible, considering the various titles under Which
our
various collections of fine art monuments were held, at
the British Museum, for example, and elsewhere, to
com-
bine
them, if considered desirable, into onegreatcollection,
he was not prepared then to sa ....
y. ThlS was one of
the important subjects which the •
committee would
have to investigate. Re had • If more than once