The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-08 00:00:00

_..cTICAL DESIGN, AND DIFFUSING A
KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE of THE ARTS
AMONG THE PEOPLE.

A Meeting of the promoters and friends of the above
institution was held last evening at the Society's Rooms,
Saville House, 6, Leicester-square. Cat from the
antique, models, paintings.; atal ornaments, for the use
of the students,, -,tere placed on different pedestals, or
stisp-mded on the wall round the room, producing a
pleasing and picturesque effect.
Among those present we observed *Mr. Steele... tlf,.•.
High Sheriff of the County of (tare W. t wart, E‘q ,
M.P., T.Wyse, Esq., M.P., 0. J. Hector, Esq.,
Samuel Smith, E,q., Captain Doran, Anthony Crosby,
Esq., the Honorary Secretary, &c. &c.
Shortly after eight o'clock W. Ewart, Esq., M.P.,
the. President of the Society, took the chair.
Mr. LATILLA then commenced readlng an ad-
dress on the advantaire of the arts to a coun-
try, and of the legislative impediments to their
progress in England. The value of the arts
were, in this country, but little understood and
acknowledged. What should we have known of the
magnificence of Ancient Egypt if it had not been for
its remains of art ? Of Jerusalem and Babylon we know
little, seeing that none of their works of art remained.
The arts were not onl- ornamental but useful—they
were an index as to the state of refinement of t 1 nation,

for none but a refined nation cultivated the arts. The
cultivation of art was a powerful engine in producing
mental refinement, as was proved by the different state
of refinement existing among the working classes, where
they could have easy access to galleries of art, and
among those who did not enjoy these advantages—and
the preference given to town-prints in the cotton manu-
facture was a proof of the advantage of the art, to
the working classes. The arts had never been favoured
by the Legislature of this country.—(Hear, hear.)
Cromwell commenced a persecution against the
arts which had continued almost ever since. The
Lecturer then paid a well-merited compliment
to the Administration which had purchased the Anger-
stein Gallery as a nucleus tor a National Gallery, and
had also opened the ,sculpture•rooin of the British Mu-
seum. persons
Easterl
Mondaybeen a damftiet treidt
tsoeutrehe scUul r.pwards o.fie2ri4e's°°o°n the
had been filet opened. The lecturer then defended the
middle and working classes from the accusation most un-
brought against them, of a propensity to injure
works of art. The Legislature of England had done
less for art than that of any other country. They
had never
.purchased a picture of a single living
artist, nor had they paid any honour to them.
He then commented in strong terms upon the treat-
ment Fiaxman, the great master of design in the Bri-
tish school, had received from his contemporaries. The
members of the Legislature had done little for the arts,
with the exception of those Members of the House of
Commons who, members of this Institution, had always
done their utmost to promote a taste for the arts
among the people. The Lecturer then went into a '
history of art in England from the time of Holbein to
the present day ; in the course of which he took an op-
portunity of defending Reynolds, the founder of the
English school, from the attacks of Allan Cunningham.
The Lecturer then alluded to the effects produced by a
knowledge of art among the ancient Greeks in the
elegance of every species of manufacture ; helmets,
swords, candelabra, all were elegant and spendid works
of art. A great improvement in the elegance of our
own manufactures had taken place in consequence of
the efforts of Wedgwood. The Lecturer then alluded to
the improvement introduced in the costume of the
drama by John Kemble, and to the general improve-
ment which had taken place in the elegance of manu•
factures within the last half century, and contended
that the preference given to French manufactures was
owing to their superior elegance alone. The neglect of
the legislature proved the necessity of appointing
professors of design in our colleges. The great
meta of the 16th century rose to eminence through
having free scope for their efforts. Patronage
could not create genius, but it could foster and
develop it, and it was to be regretted that our palaces
and public buildings were not more adorned with works
of art. If the walls of the new Houses of Parliament
were painted in fresco, it would revive the English
school in the highest walk of art, which was now com-
pletely neglected. In fresco painting every faculty
of the mind was called forth, and the powers of the
artist would be increased in proportion to the demand
upon them. The Germans were obtaining a distin-
guished name from their attention to fresco, and in
France the higher walks of art were more encouraged
than in this country, and until the higher walk of art
were encouraged, this country would never produce a
Raphael, or a Michael Angelo.—(Cheers.)
Mr. STEELE, in a very energetic speech, proposed
a vote of thanks to Mr. Latilla.—(Cheers.)
Mr. C. K. NICHOLLS seconded the motion, and
trusted the meeting would again have the pleasure of
seeing 111 r. Latilla upon a similar occasion.
Mr. LATILLA stated he should always be happy to do
everything in his power for the Society.—( Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT, in allusion to the latter part of the
lecture, said it was of the utmost importance that in the
decorations of the new Houses of Parliament the labours
of the statuary and the painter should not be forgotten.
Only a few years ago a Committee of the House of
Commons was appointed to consider the causes of the
inferiority of the inhabitants of this country in elegance
to those of the Continent. That Committee was as-
sisted by his friend Mr. Wyse—(Cheers)—himself a
lover of the fine arts.—(Cheers.) They ascertained
the truth of the accusation of inferiority, and recom-
mended the formation of schools of design, and the
throwing open the monuments of art to the people.
With respect to their first recommendation, that had
been fortunately responded to. In Manchester, Liver-
poo., ' Glasgow, Coventry, and Edinburgh, schools
of design had sprung up. A school of design
had been established by the Government, and
lie trusted the day was net far dietant when
its scope would be extended, and then its end
would be accomplished. It had also been recommen-
ded that where a desire was manifested to establish
Schools of Design, they should receive assistance from
the Government, and he hoped that recommendation
would, ere long, be attended to.—(Cheers.) He de-
precated the interference of the Government, but he
solicited their assistance. The first would crush, the
second foster, the arts. With regard to opening the
National Galleries and Museums to the people, as was
done on the continent, it was obvious that it would be
impossible to contemplate the noble works of art con-
tained in them without desiring to imitate them. That
wish had to a great degree been accomplished, and
it was already perceptible that this was doing
infinite good in refining the tastes and elevating
the morals of the people.—(Cheers.) He rejoiced.
see so many of the younger portion of the community,
who had devoted their time to the study of the arts,
present on this occasion. This School had contributed
its quota, having sent forth upwards of 400 pupils into
different parts of the country. Seven of the pupils had
been admitted students into the Royal Academy, thus
showing that from institutions like this artists might
spring, who might contribute to the glory of their coun-
try —(Cheers.) The artist who flung the soul of art •
into our industrial manufactures, was a benefactor to
his country, and was extending the sphere of art.—
(Cheers.) He trusted all those who had favoured
the Institution with their attendance, would also favour
it with their advocacy in the circles in which they
moved ; and they could not better serve the interests
of art, than by disseminating the knowledge of the use-
fulness of such establishments, and calling upon the
country to support them.—(Cheers.)

Mr. SAMUEL SMITH moved a vote of thanks to the
Chairman for his uniform kindness and attention to
the interests of the institution.—(Cheers.) He could
not help remarking that among the auditors was a
student of Christ's Hospital. Now, he hoped that
that ancient foundation would receive the addition of
a Professor of the Arts.—(Cheers.) _ _

Mr. Focuo seconded the motion in a most able and
eloquent speech, in which he passed a high eulogy on
the President for the valuable services he had rendered
to the institution.

The motion was received with loud cheering, and
carried by acclamation, having been put by Mr. Hector,
M .P.

Mr. Ewan thanked them most cordially for the honour
they hat done him, :ind mentioned the debt of gratitude
that was owing to Mr. Hume, Mr. Hector, and Mr.
Wyse. for their support of the cause of the arts in the
H.iuse of Comtnons.—(Cheers.)
The meeting:, which was numerously attended then
broke up. Several ladies were present.

DOVER, A UGUST 7.-1-lis Excellency Mons.
Guizot arrived here from London at two o'clock this morning,
and immediately proceeded in the French mail packet for
.21.11/S. It is understood he is going to the Chateau d'Eu, near
Dieppe, the present residence of his Majesty Louis Philippe.
Lord S. anley arrived in Maryborough on "Tues-
day evening. and left on Wednesday morning en route to his
extensive estates in the county Tipperary.
GREAT EXPLOSION AT SPITIIEAD AGAINST
THE WRECK OF THE ROYAL GEORGE.—By far the most
magnificent exhibition which has yet been witnessed of the
enormous force of gunpowder when exploded under water took
place on Wednesday last at Spithead. The charge, which con-
e faartllyi o mo,searn dt
hae- h
oalrfi,goi
or
aal b
po uo
st
t seventyioo o f Iteheet derufnore _
sisted of twenty-five barrels, or 2,2501b5, was placed at the
depth of eleventhhaetchsuwrafyact7i the old ship. When Colonel Paslev's preparative
trumpet sounded, all eyes were tutned to the launch in
which Lieutenant Symonds stood with the ends of the con-
necting wires of the voltai "
c battery i his hands. Scarcely
had the word been given to Fire," and the trumpet
sounded, when the whole area was shaken as if by an earth-
quake, the surface became ruffled like the top of a glacier,
and in the next instant, literally in less than two seconds, the
water bulged up and rose to the height of about twenty feet,
after which a sort of second burst or bulge occurred, which
projected the sea in huge masses high into the air. Such was
the violence of this effort, that the spray was thrown completly
over all the adjacent vessels in a drenching shower, accompa-
nied by gusts of wind radiating from the centre. Various esti-
mates were formed as to the height of the column or columns
of water. Some went as far as 100 feet, and some as low as
50. The commotion in the water, and the ocean of mud, dead
fish, and other symptoms of violence which spread far and near,
geve every promise that the operation will answer the purpose
1-vthic4 C 911414 Ask/ has is view,