The Sun.
London, England, 1814-02-09 00:00:00

CALCUTTA, JULY 10.

On Tuesday last the Hon. Company's freighted
ship Indian sailed for China, .w.ith a cargo on ac-.
count of this Government. The Indiantouchas
at Minto for. the purpose of taking in a quantity
of tin collected at that port. By this opportunity,
Captain Court, of the Madras Establishmentovith
several Officers attached to • the Banta Station,
proceeded. Captain COurt is appointed by this
Government to succeed Major Robinson in the
charge of that settlement. •

We understand that recent arrangements have
lately taken place in Banca, by which the tin
mines on that Island have been,taken into the
hands of the Company, and placed under the -im-
mediate charge of the Officers of Government.
This salutary and essential change became ne-
cessary in- consequence of the exactions and op-
pressions of the Kongsies or Native Chiefs, and
must be productive of the best consequences,
gowhether it be considered to affect the condition of
the inhabitants, the profits of Governmept-, or
the general tranquility and prosperity of the set-
dun-lent.

Accounts from the Eastward concur in stating
'that the - rice harvest is. most abundant. Appre-
hensions had been entertained in the 'early part of
the season in consequence of the long continued
dry weather, but we are happy to find that these
have been completely removed. The cultivation
of rice has increased
.very &msiderably during the
last two years, since the establishment of the Bri-
tish Government on the Island, and it is-calculated
that the recent abolitiOn of the Post Carriage es-
tablishment, and other reliefs to the native inha-
bitants, lately afforded, will increase the quantity
materially during- the next season.
The progress in the annual fall -of teak timber
is considerably advanced. The principal supply
for the public service, during the, present year, is
obtained from the central districts, and in parti.-
cular from Blora, one of the districts lately trans-
ferred to the Company. It is estimated that the
quantity felled in the present season willbonear-
ly double that felled during any preceding season.'
Frame timbers for four ships of 1000 tons burtben
each will be cut in the course of a few.,months.

The Batavian Literary Society have lately un-
dertaken, with the special authority and permis-
sion of Government, to reprint the Holy Scrip-
tures in Malays, in the Malay character. The
work is to be executed at the 'Printing-oilice at
Serawporc, but revised. under the irnmadiale eye
of the Societs,-.—Mr. Wedding has been annointed

TIM VINE ARTS.
IITUTISH INSTITUTION.—[No. IL]
Tn pursuance Of-the. design we chalked out for
ourselves in our notice of Saturday, we proceed to
thecommen.cement of a-series of strictures which
it is our intention to •offer on the Exhibition of
Pictures opened on. Monday last in Pall-Mall.—
In executing this purpose we-shall only state that
it is our most earnest desire; both in bestowing
and in withholding praise, to assist to.the utmost
of our power the object of this excellent Asso-
ciation "for promoting the Fine Arts i 3 the United
KingdOm." Our.applauseand our mention of er-
rtirs are impartially directed-to the same end, the
elevation of our NATIOAL ScuooL, by exciting
to si ill more successful efforts, by, encouragement
in the one case, and by leading to the reforma-
tion of false principles in style, colour, execu-
tion, or composition; by friendly censure in the

other.
-The Directors of the Institution having adopted
the only course obvious for them to pursue to-
wards the noble goal anticipated by their vsta-
blishment, viz. to encourage and reward the la-
hours of artists in the highest walk of the art, we
have this season, as heretofore, a number of his-
torical au-td poetical subjects. To say .(as has been
done) that the prevalence of this class of pictures
'detracts . front the merit of the Exhibition, 'be-
. cause it leaves less, room for representations of
common life and natural_. scenery, is about as Or
surd as if a society were formed for the amelio-
ration of our degraded stage, to censure the rind-
, titade of tragedies and comedies which their pre-
miums had procured, ibecause they precluded us
front witnessing a greater number of farces, panto-
mimes, and melo-dramas,. 'But in truth, there
is no exclusion of the kind complained of. There
are- enow of pieces in the manner of the Dutch
apd Flemish schools, which though the lowest,
are yet so entertaining that we are always grati-
.6ed with seeing their humours intermingled with
. the more sublime labours, which following the
loftier example of the schools of Florence, Rome,
and Bologna, can alone raise-the art to the highest
rank as a grand moral agent, addressing itself to
. the best feelings, and working upon the most ex-
passions of mankind.
Neither are the. mediocrity or inferiority of the
paintings which aim at this glorious character a
ground for censure. The Art, speaking with re-
ference to its patronage on a large or general
scale, is }Timing in this country, and we cannot ex-
pect that it will burst all at once into an equality
with the:most admired productions of the masters
of elder times. M. Angelo, Raphael, Titian,
and Corregio, were preceded by' Giotto, the
Perrugino, and the Giorgione. We repel
with indignation the idea that there exists
any physical eauses,"eithek in the climate or or-
ganization of Britons, ..which condemns them,
now and for ever, to lag behind other na-
tions _in this delightful art. Our genitks, yields
to no such claim of superiority, nor need we
look to our, bards for a refutation of the ca-
lumny it implies—the works of ,British painters
disprove the allegation. For, of whA quality that
is necessary to complete a master (34 the, highest
eminence, are we physically or naturally destitute ?
-Are we deFtriet4 to expression ?7---look at the
" UgOlino," or at " The Old Man's Ilead,"dq
Owen, in the present-Exhibition ; are we de-

ficient in fancy ?—look at the "Infant academy;"

in taste, or colour, or the management.of the chiaro
shim ?—look at " The Gypsey Fortune-teller,"
" The Stake in the Grass," " The Sleeping
Girl," and; in fine, the whole of the Reynolds'
collection lately before the Public ! Are we,de-
ficient in humour ?—look at Hogarth dead, and
Wilkie living ; in truth and nature ? refer to the
landscapes. of Wilson, of Morland, o of Turner ;
in composition ? West Challenges comparison ;,
in design or invention ? Barry ; in force and spi-
rit ? Mortimer ; in siMplicity and beauty.? Gains-
borough : in fine, not to multiply examples of
scattered excellencies, which no Artists- of, other
countries have surpassed, we have instanced a
catalogue of them sufficient to destroy .the hypo-

thesis built upon the incapacity of our coutitiy-

,
men to attain the proudest station in the pieto- -
vial ,art. What then it Will be said haS -prevented
our reaching that desirable eminence ? Why have
we no Works, such as (we believe, Annibal) Car-

racci defines•as
,alone worthy of being esteemed
in
,t,he first raids, combining '' the deiign

the. Roman, the shade and Moduli of the Ve-

netiati, the dignity of the Lon-lbard' schools, the

terrible manner• of Angelo, Titian's truth and na-
ture, the just proportionsantlsynunetry of Raphael,
and the purity of Corregio's style." Why, -in

short, have there beet so few (we may say, no)

pictures painted in England whict► merit to be

placed "among the chef d'terceres of the Art It is

because we Gave hitherto wanted that which the'

British Institution ,attempts to supply—adequate,
impartial, and constant encouragement. Neither

religion nor politics have contri6u..cd. to this con-
.
summation, in a country:where the
.zeal of the re-
formation,not only held it sinfitt not to destroy the

past labours of the Art, but lost sinful to promote
its future prosperity !: We have had no Popes to
patronize—no churches to adorn, that the pomp of
show and splendour of ceremony might impose
upon the mind—no sumptuous palaces to cover
with. frescos as their greatest riches : individual

adiuiration could do nothing towards cherishing

the spark of genius into flame--and, instead ,of
walking among the gods -by the grandeur, subli-

unity, and wonders of their attainments, our paint-
vrs have sunk into the eciuipanjons of men to
whom the nierctntile becupation .of portraiture
al° n e afforded the means oflnbsistence and life.
Even the British InStitutioli estimable as it is
.in principle, and desirable as is. the object it.has
iu view., is but a poor and insufficient source

whence to expect that extent of suceeis which every
tover of the Arts wishes to see crown the national

character with honour and fame. It gill, how-
ever, do something,.and we trust the example so
patriotically set, will he fpllowed and enlarged
upon till we reach the point in pur prospect.
It is now time_ to ,attend to the particulars in
this- Exiii!)it ion. - • .

No. 57. farary annointini
,the Feetsof <Tata. T. FL LroN,
A. it. we notice& on Satiirday, as the picture pur,
chased by tilt Institution 'fia-sqo guineas. Mr. II LroN is a
ocierviug :artist, and witk a laudable emulatiun, aims at the

Our pages are this 'day filled with ,the contents
of the Gazette of last night, with twaSupplements,
in which are given the substance of two Dis-
patches from Lord BURGHERSH, dated Vesoul
14th, and Langres, .18th January; of two (HS-
patches from Sir C. STEWART, dated. Basle, the
17th and 22d of the same month ; of a dispatch
from Sir TROMAS GRAHAM, dated Calinhout, the
14th ; and of a dispatch from Lord WELLINGTON,
dated head-quarters, St. Jean de Luz, the .23d
tilt. Of these various documents, the two first
mentioned detail the particulars of the affair at St.
Diez, in which the Bavarian corps under General
WREDE forced the important passes of the Vosges ;
the taking of Epinal, an(J actions consequent up-
on that .event ; the entrauce of'Langres by Gen.
GUILAY, and retreat .of MoaTiEtt with his whole
force, 12,000 of the old Guard, to Chamont ; and
the advance of the Prince of WIRTEMBURG to oc-
cupy the latter city, of PLATOFF to Neufchateau,
and of Tt UE RBATOFF upon mu!.

The effect of these operations was to lay en-
tirely open the strongest line of positions on the
east frontier of France; and we know, from sub;
sequent accounts received both . from Holland and
Paris, how proSperonsly the Allies have improved
the advantages thus obtained 'by advancing into
the very heart of the sacred territory.
The political part of his ,Lordship's Dispatch
will, however, be 'read with even greater satisfac-
tion than the military. The knowledge thus offi-
cially obtained, of the excellent discipline ob-
served by the Allied troops, and their abstinence
from every -species of violence and cruelty, is ren-
dered peculiarly gratifying, after the industrious
and active dissemination of-assertions of an oppo•
site nature by the treacherous enemy. It is•also
truly gratifying to learn, from equally authentic
and unquestionable authority, tient 4.11. Usurper
bad been altogether unsuccessful in raising the
people to espouse his cause.

Sir C. STEWAIIT'S Letters furnish the details of
the prOgress of Marshal BLUCHER,'who has in all
his movements been "attended with his .usual for-
tune. The rapid retreat of MARMOT is account-
ed for by the dread of his
,being cut off by the ad-
vance of the Silesian Army. Indeed, this is the
grand feature of the Allied operations. No de-
feat in any part. would 'bp attended with* con-
sequences- extending beyond the .field ; for the
enemy is not in a conthtion to follow up even,
a . victory, should he, which we- believe . he
never will, achieve one. Were he to defeat
SCHWARTZENZERG3 he durst not pursue, hint, for
WREhE;WITTGENSTETN, and -BLUCHER- would fall
• upon his left flank and rear. Vere he to defeat
BLUCHER, he durst not pursue him, for Scu WART-
ZENBER would-be enabled to inCluse hint on the
right, and the Army of the Lower Rhine upon the
Again; were he to direct his measures to the

ICorti+Pgainst the latter force, he woulil expose
'the whole empire of France, with its capital, to
• certain conquest. It is, therefore, senseless to
talk of .dangers'to be apprehended from sublime
maiii4uvres by the Corsican. lie is brought to
the stake, and' must fight the battle, not where
he but as be can. The combination
of the force opposed 'to him is admirable :
Prince SCHWARTZENBERG, from the south-east,
131xcnEa, from the east, and WINZINGEROnE,
from the north, converge to the common centre—
Paris. The intermediate spaces are filled up by
Generals WITTGENSTEIN and WREDE, between
the two former; while that between the latter
will speedily be occupied by the CROWN. PRINCE,
and is already retained by numerous partizans.—
The reserves, in great strength, cover fortified
places, and give security in the rear, while, as
We ate told, the brave Cossacks in front " are
heard of in evet y quarter."
General Sir T. GRAHAM'S Dispatch relates to
the Actions which ended in driving the Enemy un-
der Antwerp : they contain little of novelty.
Lord WELLINGTON'S only state, SOULT had,

thought it expedient to concentrate his army.—
Private Letters bring down- the news two days
later, 'at which time the weather still prevented