The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-12 00:00:00

PRINTERS' ALMSHOUSES.

Last night the annual meeting of the subscribers
to this excellent institution was held at the Mechanics'
Institution, Southampton-buildings, for the purpose
of receiving the report of the committee, and for other
business. Mr. Lawrence Thompson presided. A
letter was read from Mr. Elihu Burritt, apologising
for his absence ; and apologies were also received from
Mr. Richard Taylor, &c.
Mr. DAELIN, the secretary, read the report of the
committee. It commenced by congratulating the
meeting on the fact that, during the last year, the
great object had been accomplished of laying the
foundation-stone of the institution ; and that although
only three months had elapsed since the first stone was
laid by Lord Mahon, they had the pleasure of inform-
ing them that great progress had been made with the
building, and that the erection was going on in the
most substantial manner. The report then went on to
state the anxiety of the committee that the meeting would
decide upon the necessary qualifications of candidates
for the asylum, and concluded by calling attention to
the financial statement. The details of this part of
the report having been read, the Secretary said that
although the accounts had not been fully made up,
he could state that the gross amount of the donations
and subscriptions received would reach to about
2,6201., and that the various expenses and charges in-
curred for the building amounted to 2,1121, leaving
about 5001. of a balance to meet the engagements
which they had to discharge. The report concluded
by appealing strongly to the friends of the institution
for their continued support.
Mr. DREW moved the adoption of the report, ob-
serving that the almshouses would not be of much
use unless they were endowed, and in order to effect
that important object all their exertions should be
now directed.
Mr. Munatex had great pleasure in seconding the
motion, which was then agreed to.
The CEIAIRMAN then called attention to the rules
for regulating the admission of candidates to the
almshouses, which had been proposed by the Com-
mittee.
After some alterations they were agreed to.
The business then terminated.

SIR ROBERT PEEL'S PORTRAIT GALLERY, DRAY-
TON MANOR.—It is about twenty years since Sir Robert
Peel took down the old house at Drayton Manor, occu-
pied by his father, and built the present mansion,
from the designs of Sir Robert Smirk°, on a site
closely adjoining the previous building. It is a
quadrangular stone mansion, in the Elizlbethan
style, of very considerable extent, but without
an ostentatious display of architecture, either internally
or externally. The taste and fondness for the fine arts,
which form so marked and agreeable a feature in Sir
Robert's character, exhibit themselves plainly at
this residence. A large corridor, or gallery, in the
centre of the building, has its walls entirely covered
with fine works of art, as well as almost every avail-
able space on the staircase and else where ; and to
his high creditt be it said, that almost every pie
ture at Drayton Manor is by some artist of the pre-
sent day. Sir Robert's collection of pictures having far
outgrown the means at his disposal for suitably hanging
them, a gallery was erected in 1346, from the de-
signs and under the able direction of Mr. Sydney
Smirke, A.R.A. It forms a wing appended to the
north-west angle of the mansion, and extends west
ward about 100 feet. It is built of a fine grained mag-
nesian limestone, and is designed in the style of English
Renaissance, so as to harmonise with the rest of the
building. The exterior is embellished with colossal
statues of Rubens, Vandyke, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and
Sir T. Lawrence. The gallery within is 90 feet long by
22 feet wide, and 21 feet high, being subdivided into
three compartments by columns and pilasters of Italian
and German marbles. The parqud flooring and all
the wood fittings are of wainscot and walnut
tree. The walls are painted of a strong neutral
green colour. The ceiling is caved, and elaborately
ornamented with corbels and pendants, 84-c. The pic-
tures are lighted by skylights in the flat central part of
the ceiling. It does not come within the scope of these
pages to enter into any description of the pictures
which enrich the walls of this unique gallery ; suf-
fice it to say that they almost entirely consist of
portraits of Sir Robert's contemporaries, eminent
either as statesmen or as mn of science or litera-
ture, and comprise some of the chefs d'eeuvre of Reynolds
and Lawrence. When we take into consideration the
high merit of these pictures as works of art, the distin-
guished eminence of the persons they represent, and the
brilliant character of the individual who has taken
delight in paying this homage to cintemporary genius,
we cannot but regard the gallery at Drayton Manor
with the deepest interest.—Buildings and Monuments.
On Tuesday last, the children attending the Lan-
casteriem Schools, accompanied by their parents and
friends, had their annual railway excursion. For several
years the teachers have annually invited the parents and
friends of the children to spend a day with them in the
country. On previous occasions the trip has been to
Wentworth, Wortley
e harhcliffe; this year to Work-
sop. The special trai orn, consisting of nearly 40 carriages
=d co
drawn by three engines, containing d
taiining about 1,500 pas-
sengers, left the station at She about ten o'clock in
the morning, and reached, without
laccident,vioc its destina-
tion in about an hour. Arrived at the party
soon spread themselves in various directions. The ),
themselvese chil-
dren had permission to enjoy
Park, but by far the greater number spent the day in
i
visiting the mansions and parks in the
enjoyment
; thehooT
The day was one of almost unalloyed njyrao
lowering clouds which hung threatening in the morning
had speedily been dispelled, and Sol in all his power and
majesty flung a glory o'er the face of nature, and though
we heard many expressions of fatigue as we returned,
we do not remember hearing one of dissatisfaction at
having spent the day in the "garden of Nottingham-
shire." The arrangements on the part of the railway
company were admirable, and the kindness, care, and
solicitude for the comfort of the passengers on the part
of Mr. Binney, the superintendent of the Sheffield sta-
tion, deserve special and grateful mention.—Sheffield
Times.
BELGIAN lioasEs.—A vessel has arrived at the
Brunswick-wharf, Blackwall, from the port of Ostcnd,
having a cargo consisting entirely of horses, of Belgian
produce.