The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-06 00:00:00

THE SOCIETY OF ARTS.

The centenary of this society was celebrated on Tuesday
by a grand dinner at the Crystal Palace. The Duke of
Newcastle was announced to take the chair, but his
Grace was unable to do so. Earl Granville in conse-
quence presided. From 750 to 800 gentlenten sat down
to dinner, which was served with an abundance and
excellence highly creditable to Mr. Horne, the head of
the refreshment department at the Palace. The enter-
tainment took place in the basement story, where, a
few days ago, the directors and shareholders of the
company gave a dejeuner to the distinguished foreign
visitors present at the opening of the building. If on
that occasion the arrangements deserved commendation,
it was still more due on Tuesday, the number of persons
present being greater, and the proceedings being charac-
terised by a succinctness most unusual in the post-
prandial celebrations of this country. It was after five
o'clock before dinner commenced, and at half-past eight
all was over, the lists of toasts exhausted, and the com-
pany on their way home, much gratified with an enter-
tainment which had been brought to a close before it
became tedious. The society has every reason to be
satisfied with the demonstration made yesterday in its
favour. More convincing evidence of the recognised
utility of its labours could hardly be given. The Crys-
tal Palace Company, tracing their patronage to the
society, gratefully offered its members the facilities for
celebratiug their centenary in a worthy manner.
Dinner over, the Dean of Hereford returned thanks.
Earl GRANVILLE then rose and said that the Duke of
Newcastle had been prevented from being present and
taking the chair by the departure of his youngest son in
the Dauntless for the Baltic. Every father who heard
him would understand the validity of such an excuse.
The noble Earl concluded by proposing, in happy
" The Health of her Majesty the Queen." terms,
The toast having been received with loud cheers,
The CHAIRMAN gave "The Health of his Royal High-
ness Prince Albert, President of the Society." He was
sure the toast would be received with every mark of re-
spect and regard, when they considered how valuable
his Royal Highness's connexion with that society had
proved to science'and art. As president of the Society
of Arts, he believed the connexion had proved most use-
ful both to the society and to his Royal Highness. The
Society of Arts had most materially assisted iu carrying
out those propositions which his Royal Highness had
brought forward for the promotion of art, while he be-
lieved the society had materially benefitted by the com-
bination of talent and position which his Royal High-
ness had brought to bear in support of an institution in
which his love of art and science had induced him to
take so great and lively an interest. (Loud cheers.)
The toast was responded to amid loud applause.
" The health of his Royal Highness Albert Prince of
Wales and the rest of the Royal family," having been
drunk,

Mr. HARRY CHESTER rose and said,—As chairman
of the council of this society, I have been requested by
my colleagues to propose a toast. Upon ordinary oc-
casions those who visit this remarkable building come
here as visitors and guests of the Crystal Palace Com-
pany. Upon this occasion, however, we are here in a
somewhat peculiar character—being in one sense the
guests, and in another sense the hosts of the directors
of the Crystal Palace Company. I have, my Lord and
gentlemen, to request you to drink " Success to the
Crystal Palace," (loud cheering) ; and I will blend with
that " The Health of the Chairman of that company,
Mr. Laing." (Renewed cheers.) I take it the mem-
bers of the Society of Arts are, generally speaking, per-
sons having a lively personal interest in arts, manufac-
tures, commerce, and, education, and no one who has
any special and real interest in these objects can fail to
feel a deep interest, in the success of the Crystal Palace.
(Hear.) I will 'rot say it is the Palace--I would rather
say it is the happy and natural home of arts, manufac-
tures, commerce, and education. (Cheers ) I now
simply ask you to drink this toast, and, coupled with
it, the health of Mr. Laing, a gentleman who, I am
sure, has exerted himself, and will continue to exert
himself, to provide for the recreation and instruction of
the visitors to this wonderful structure, as well as for
the profit of those public-spirited individuals by whose
means the innumerable works of art with which this
building is enriched have been collected together. I
give you, my Lord and gentlemen, "Success to the
Crystal Palace Company, and the health of its chair-
man, Mr. Samuel Laing." (Loud cheers.)
Mr. S. LAING, M.P., in replying, said—l regret ex-
ceedingly that the absence of my friend, Sir 'Joseph
Paxton, whose name is so much more appropriately as-
sociated with this noble undertaking, should make it in-
cumbent on me to reply to the present toast. The popu-
lar sentiment has so connected his name with the enter-
prise of the Crystal Palace, that I confess that it is with
a feeling of disappointment that I now get on my legs
to address you, and that I do not see Sir Joseph in his
proper place. That absence I regret exceedingly on the
present occasion, because it is obvious that, associated
as he is in the eyes of the nation with the Crystal Pa •
lace, he would more properly than myself welcome be-
neath its crystal dome that parent society, the Society
of Arts, to which we are Bo deeply indebted. I think
that there is another reason why we should be exceed-
ingly glad to hail and -welcome the Society of Arts. It
is evident that if the Crystal Palace is to carry out those
objects for which it has been designed, it must be asso-
ciated with the education and advancement of the people
of England. (Cheers.) We have practically to carry
out the HoratirAn maxim, and mix the utile with the
dulce. As regards the agreeable, there can be no doubt
that we have succeeded in providing for the people of the
metropolis a most agreeable resort. There is no doubt
that those who are now above stairs are enjoying a great
deal of harmless instruction—(laughter)—and that the
Palace every day becoming an essential part of the
existence of the citizens of London. It is, in fact, an
approximation to the most agreeable part of continental
enjoyment, where they look on the most beautiful in
nature and art undisturbed by the inclemency of weather.
I am not disposed to underrate the educational advance-
ment to be made in such scenes, where we are stir-
rounded by the sight of all the most charming in nature
and the most excelling in art. For the general diffusion
of education, however, among the masses of the people,
we must trust to the operation of associations such as
this, and to men who come up like those whom I see
around me representing them. (Hear.) If we were to
attempt to take into our hands the ferule of the school-
master, an,:t say to the million what we think they should
particulariy attend to, and I believe that we would most
assuredly not advance, but render ourselves ridiculous.
(Laughter.) If, on the other hand, gentlemen like those
whom I see around me will take the ma ter in hand and
organise it, then a great deal of good may result to educa-
tion. I do, therefore, trust that our connexion with the
Society of Arts—from whose loins I may say we have
sprung—may be the means of promoting co-operation be-
tween us in our endeavours for the same object. I can
now only return you on my own part, and on that of
the Crystal Palace Company our most sincere thanks for
the honour you have done us, and I hope that the Crys-
tal Palace--sprung from the Society of Arts—may turn
out to be an institution of which the parent society may
never have reason to be ashamed.
The CHAIRMAN then rose and said,—Gentlemen, the
toast which I have now to propose to you is that of the
" Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures,
and Commerce." (Cheers.) The only thing which I have
to consider in proposing, and you in accepting, the toast
is, whether the objects of this society are desirable in
themselves, and whether the attempts to carry out those
objects have been successful or not. With regard to the
objects, I really should have imagined that there could
have been no doubt upon the subject. (Hear.) But it
having happened that within a very short time two of
the most intellectual and highly-cultivated members of
the Legislature—one in each house—have thrown some
disparagement upon the necessity of elementary educa-
tion and the use of trying to instil arts and sciences among
the masses of the people. For my own part, I cannot
help thinking that it is a proof of the overwhelming con-
fidence which such highly-cultivated minds feel in them-
selves that they indulge in what appears to me such a
perfect fallacy. (Cheers.) I maintain that here is repre-
sented pretty well the sense of this country. Among us
there are some of the most distinguished representatives
of the intelligence of some:of the most highly-cultivated
countries in the world. If any one of the 750 gentlemen
who are here present is inclined to take the line of argu-
ment which I have just distinguished, I will undertake
to argue it with him, and I would do so not from any
confidence in my own liabilities, but because I believe
that, however inferior the understanding of one man
may be to another's, if they take up an argument upon
a proposition of Euclid, the one who argues against that
proposition in the long run must get the worst of it.
(Laughter.) My challenge does not seem to be accepted.
I therefore prenume you agree with me that the object
of this society is a desirable one. (Cheers.) With re-
gard to the means of carrying it out, I have read the ad-
mirable aSidress, and I think it is impossible for any one
to have beard the report read to-day, and not to be
struck with the manner in which this society had gone
on fissom small beginnings to a great result ; how it has,
front the almost exclusive attention and interest of
higher classes, come to be regarded with deep into-
s•est by the middle and even the lower classes of so-
ciety. (Hear, hear.) I cannot help thinking that the
educational Exhibition which is now intended to be re-
opened, and which has been, owing to the untiring efforts
of the council of this society, aided by one or two other
gentlemen—will be of the most beneficial effect, not only
as giving information respecting education in this and in
other countries ; but as bringing the attention of the
public still more to the subject. lam one of those who
think that immense progress has been made both in ele-
mentary instruction and in the necessity which all classes
of English society feel fora greater admixture of instruc-
tion in :nanufactures and science than has hitherto been

giver.. I believe by the efforts of the State, by the efforts
of pubiic bodies—both as laymen and of religious bodies
—and, I may add, by the efforts of individuals, immense

assistance has been given to the cause of education in

this country. The mode of imparting education has been
immensely forwarded and improved. A race of teachers
utterly unknown a few years ago has been created.
Without referring more in detail to anything which has
lately been done by the Government, I believe that the
regulations which have been adopted within the last
Yr./at will, within a very few years, show their result in a
very largely increased measure of instruction, both in
science and in art, being given in the elementary
schools of this country. (Hear, hear.) But when I
when we compare have said this, so far from being proud of the progress
we have made, I feel that there is a lamentable defi-
ciency_oveT carrying
, the powers and resources of this great nation. (Hear,
the state of education with
conscientious objections
believe,
Plans ;have been suggested—many of which, I
gin"el:e'
those conscientious would work ve well if all persona would corn-
and only
(s, nment or any
0 themus
objections out—butanya r ite foisu particularuselessnd ed either,,,3nia political
i when
i ifeonr
other body of men to force down
for the moment,
and religious feelings, (Rear, hear.) I think we must
for the moment, be satisfied