The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-30 00:00:00

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

The oinual accounts and .I.3tititates relative to the
British Moieum have been laid before Parliament on
the motion of Sir Robert Peel. They show that the
general receipts during the year 1848 amounted to
53,9991., the actual concurrent expenditure to 49,8451.,
leaving a balance of 4,154/. Of this amount the sum of
21,0411. was appropriated to salaries, 1,768/. to house
expenses, 18,707/. to purchases and acquistions, 6,5141. to
bookbinding, cabinets, &c., and 1,6551. to the printing of
catalogues and the making of casts, &c. The amount of
grant required for the service of the year ending the 25th
of March, 1850, is 42,9151, which sum the House of
Commons will be called upon to vote from the public
purse.

The number of visitors admitted to the Museum last
year amounted to 897,985, against 820,965 in 1847,
750,601 in 1846, and 685,614 in 1845. The number of
visits made to the reading-rooms for the purpose of study
or research was about 1,950 in 1810; 4,300 in 1815;
8,820 in 1820; 22,800 in 1825; 31,200 in 1830; 63,466
in 1835; 67,542 in 1140; 69,303 in 1841; 71,706 in 1842;
70,931, in 1843; 67,511 in 1844; 64,427 in 1845; 66,784
in 1846; 67,525 in 1847; and 65,867 in 1848. The
number of visits by artists and students to the galleries
of sculpture, for the purpose of study, was about 4,938 in
1831; 6,081 in 1835; 6,354 in 1840; 5,655 in 1841;
5,627 in 1842; 4,907 in 1843; 5,436 in 1844; 4,256 in
1845; 4,124 in 1846; 3,508 in 1847; and 3,694 in 1848.
The number of visits made to the Print-room was
about 4,400 in 1832; 4,065 in 1835; 6,717 in 1840; 7,744
in 1841; 8,781 in 1842; 8,162 in 1843; 8,998 in 1844;
5,904 in 1845; 4,390 in 1846; 4,572 in 1847; and 5,813
in 1848.
The report of the progress of the year is, as usual,
very interesting. In the secretary's department 931
vols. of the additional MSS. have been registered and 403
vols. stamped. The printed books registered and stainped
amount to 26,075 vols. or parts of vols.; the maps to 138,
and the newspapers to 550 vols. of different publications.
1,123 specimens of minerals and fossils have been regis-
tered, 14,040 zoological specimens, 4,933 entomological
specimens, 2,420 " antiquities," 2,767 coins and medals,
and 5,545 prints and drawings.
The list of additions to the MS. department includes
the following interesting items, viz.:-1. A volume of
Hours, executed by a Flemish artist, for Philip the Fair
of Castile, previous to his accession to the throne of
Spain (between 1490 and 1506), or for his wife
Joanna, mother of the Emperor Charles V. Full-
length portraits of both Sovereigns appear at the
beginning of the volume. It is very beautifully
written and illuminated, and the miniatures have been
ascribed to the celebrated Hemmelinck. 2. An original
volume of the Statutes and Privileges of the University
of the Paris, of the 14th century, on vellum. 3. The
Apocalypse of St. John, in Latin and French, illustrated
with miniatures of a large size, and of very remarkable
execution, on vellum, of the beginning of the 14th century.
4. The Latin Gospel-lessons for the service of the year, ac-
cording to the use of the Church of Paris, with a profusion
of miniatures, in the highest style of French art, at the
end of the 13th century, on vellum. 5. The New
Testament in Greek, including the Apocalypse (of such
rare occurrence), of the 13th century, on vellum. 6. A
copy of the Scala Paradisi of Johannes Climacus,
written on vellum, in a beautiful large minuscule cha-
racter of the 10th century. 7. A large and valu-
able collection of papers relating to the history,
geography, and statistics of South America and the
Philippine Islands, formerly belonging to Captain Fe-
lipe Bauza, director of the Geographical Cabinet of
Madrid, together with 266 drawn maps illustrative
of the same. 8. A collection of 357 original charters
relating to England and Normandy, from the 13th to
the 18th century, acquired from a collector in France;
and 9. The first portion (extending from 1,576 to 1,580)
of a series of transcripts from the archives of the king-
dom of the Netherlands, of documents relating to Eng-
land, deposited in the Museum by direction of Viscount
Palmerston, Secretary of State.
The number of deliveries of manuscripts during the
last twelvemonth to readers in the reading-room amounts
to 17,992, and to artists and others in the rooms of the
department to 2,442, exclusive of the numerous volumes
examined by visitors.
The report from the "printed book " department in-
forms us that the number of readers has been 65,819, on
an average 225 per diem, each reader having consulted,
on an average, 5 vols daily. The number of old works
purchased amounts to 10,177. The collection of English
Bibles has been greatly enriched by the purchase of six
editions of Cranmer, dated 1540 and 1541. To the
pamphlets on political economy some considerable addi-
tions have been made. A collection, supposed to be
unique, of 130 proclamations issued at Dublin by the
Irish Government, from 1685 to 1691, has been secured.
Some additions have been made to the works on the
history and topography of Spanish America, printed in
the country. Among them are about 200 pamphlets on
politics and statistics, which form a valuable supplement
to those purchased in 1842, at the sale of M. Chaumette
des Fosses.
Considerable additions have been made to the works
on Italian topography, among which the seven magni-
ficent folio volumes of Rossini on Rome.
Upwards of 100 Oriental works, recently printed at
Constantinople, have been added to those printed at Bu-
lak, purchased two years ago; and the acquisition of
more than 300 volumes, forming about 20 works in the
Manchou and Mongol languages, supplies a deficiency in
the collection, now one of the best known with respect
to Chinese.
By the liberality of several of the States of America,
more particularly by that of the State of Vermont, addi-
tions of such importance have been made to the collec.
lions of public documents and acts of those Governments
as to deserve special mention as an acknowledgment to
the donors.
The most remarkable addition to the library is, how-
ever, that of the collection of Hebrew works formed by
the late H. J. Michael, of Hamburgh. This collection,
well known and highly praised by critics, among
others by Zunz, consisted, according to the printed cata-
logue, of 5,400 volumes, of which, after the rejection of
duplicates or of copies otherwise objectionable, 4,420,
forming 3,970 distinct works, were purchased for the
Museum. Among them are about 400 Bibles and
Commentaries on the Scriptures, 2,020 theological
works, 360 liturgical works, 230 works on the
Cabbalah, 860 on science. Amon., the theological
works is concluded a very valuable and nearly complete
series of decisions, throwing great light on the history,
manners, and customs of the Jews before and after their
expulsion from Spain. This collection offers a large pro-
portion of the works printed in Turkey and Poland during
the 16th century, many editions unknown to bibliogra-
phers, and several fine early specimens of printing from
the presses of Lisbon, Soncino, and Naples. Among the
former may be noticed the " Tur Orach Chayim " (The
Path of Lite), printed in 1485, and perhaps the first book
printed in Portugal. Among the latter the "Avicenna,"
printed at Naples in 1492. The volumes are enriched
by the manuscript notes of several distinguished lie.
brew scholars, such as Azariah de Rossi and Bezaleel, of
the 16th century; Schiff and Heller of the 17th; Em-
den, of the 18th; and Heidenheim and A. Eger of the
present century. The manuscript notes of the collector
himself, the learned Dr. Michael, deserve special men-
tion. To the moment of his death, in 1846, at the
age of fifty-four, he was indefatigable in collating
his printed books with manuscripts, and marking the
variations. Owing to these circumstances, his collet.
tion, the pride and labour of his life, may well be desig-
nated as unique. The collection of this class of works
now in the British Museum cannot be called perfect, but
it is not inferior to any in existence; and we may now
hope that, with proper attention, it will become in a few
years the first in the world: ten years age it was lament.
ably deficient and small.

In the " drawing and print" department the most im-
portant acquisitions mado during the year, are-
- -- - - -

1. Italian School.—Drawings by Perino del Vaga,
Parmegiano, and Domenico Campagnola. Engravings
from the works of Giotti, Taddeo, Gaddi, Masaccio, Fra
Angelico, Masolino, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Pintu-
ricchio. An impression of Marc Antonio's engraving,
from the design of Bandinelli, of the Martyrdom of St.
Lawrence, in the first state; also an unfinished state of
his print of the figure from Michael Angelo's Cartoon
of Pisa. A collection of the engravings of Toschi, con-
taining impressions of all his works in their progressive
states.

2. German School.—Drawings by Hans Holbein and
Weirinx. Engravings by the Master of 1466, Israel Vo❑
Mechen, the Masters of the Monograms S, and TG (in-
terlaced), &c., Measotintos by Count Siegen and Furs-
temberg. _

3. Flemish and Dutch Schools.—Drawings by Rem-
brandt, Eckhout, and Vinkenboom. An extensive and
valuable addition to the etchings of Rembrandt, selected
from the Aylesford Collection, many of them in the
rarest states, and some few unique, rendering the col-
lection of this artist's works in the Maseura equal to any
in Europe.

4. English School.—Drawings by Laroon, Stothard,
Lawrence, Carter, and Coney. A small collection, corn
prising some of the rarest portraits of the English
series, by Elstracke, Simon Pass, Faithorne, £c. Addi-
tions have also been made to the works of Prince Ru-
pert, Holler, Hogarth, Barry, and Turner.
For the convenience of the public it is announced that
visitors are admitted to the British Museum on Mon-
days, Wednesdays, and Fridays, between the hours of
ten and four,: from the 7th of September to the Ist of
May, and between the hours of ten and seven from the
7th of May to the Ist of September.
Persons applying for the purpose of study or research
are admitted to the reading•rooms every day, from 9
o'clock in the morning until four o'clock in the afternoon
between the 7th of September and the Ist of May, and
until 7 in the evening between the 7th of May and the
Ist of September.

Artist; are admitted to study in the galleries of sculp-
ture, between the hours of nino and four every day, ex-
cept Saturday.
The Museum is closed from the Ist to the 7th of Ja-
nuary, the Ist to the 7th of May, and the Ist to the
7th of September inclusive, on Ash Wednesday, Good
Friday, and Christmas-day, and also on any special fast
or thanksgiving days ordered by authority.

THE DEFALCATION IN THE BRIGHTON SAYINGS'
BANK.—The managers of this bank have offered a reward
of 50/. fir till apprehension of their late actuary (Mr.
Buckoll), who has absconded. An investigation has
beeu for some time going on into the affairs of the bank,
which has resulted in the discovery of defalcations of the
funds to the amount of 1,8241.; and it is feared that
when the inquiry is completed they will be found to be
not less than 1,000/. more. Mr. Buckoll, it seems, has
contrived to draw these sums out of the bank by dint of
falsifying the accounts and forging powers of attorney.
His operations have extended over several years, his de-
falcations will more than absorb the surplus of the bank,
which amounts to 1,738/.

The Government contract for 100,000 gallons of
rum for the navy was again taken by Messrs. Lemon,
Hart, and Son, of Fenchurch-street.