The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-25 00:00:00

Mr. GOULBURN thought the Government were
bound to have a sufficient naval force to meet any emer-
gency that might take place.
Capt. PL t;HELL considered the proposition of the
Hon. Member well worthy the attention of the house, and
he could no: see any reason for withholding the papers that
had been referred to by him.
Mr. MORE O'FE RR AL I, said, that so far from the
defence of the country being diminished by the contracts
that had been entered into by the Government, it had been
increased ; and looking at the subject in an economical
point of view, all the contracts that had been entered into
were at a lower rate than they could have been accom-
plished at by vessels in the Queen's service.
Lord ING EST RIE said this was a subject of the very
greatest importance. It would be very well to carry on
this service by means of the commercial marine if they were
always sure of remaining in a state of peace. But in the
event of a war breaking out there could be no doubt of its
being mainly conducted by steam navigation. By means
of that power any Power with whom we might be at war
would do all they could to intercept our large commercial
marine upon our own shores, and it would be absolutely
necessary that we should have plenty of armed steamers
ready at all times to meet them—(Hear)—and if they
employed only the commercial marine in the packet
service, they would lose an opiiortanity of providing them.
It was also of much importance that we should have a
means of speedy communication with our Ministers abroad,
and that could only be done by steamers, which ought to
be commanded by naval officers, in order to make them
acquainted with that branch of the profession. The con-
tract system might be cheaper annually at present, but at
the end of the contract they had no ships remaining • , so
that in the end it would be dearer. He thought the plan
of his Hon. and Gallant Friend, the Member for Porter-
lington, was deserving the attention of the Government.
Captain GORDON thought the statement of the Se-
cretary to the Admiralty was very satisfactory.—(Hear,
hoar.) It was a most important question, and he was
very glad that the Admiralty had made contracts of such a
nature as to ensure that the vessels to be stied in the
packet service would be made so strong and commodious
as to allow of their being used in the naval service. So
large a number of steam vessels were being built by fo-
reigners, that he was most happy that these packets would
be built so as to render them almost at once fit to be en-
tered into the naval force of the country.
Mr. IRVING said he was deeply and immediately
interested in a cuntract with the Government to
carry the mails to the West India Islands,
Cuba, Vera Cruz, New York, and Halifax—that

service was to be performed by fourteen steam-ships of
1,400 tons and 400 horse power each; they were to be
armed and commanded by Lieutenants of the Navy-
-( Hear)—they were to bear the Post-office Flag, and to
be treated by foreign nations on the same footing as the
present Packet Service.—(Hear.)
The motion was then agreed to.
The sum of 3,6821. was then voted for defraying the
half-pay of Naval and Marine Officers.
A grant of 171,3711. was then proposed for defraying
the expenses of the disembodied militia.
Mr. HUM E said upwards of thirty millions had been
spent upon the militia since the peace—it was a useless, an
expensive, and an oppressive vote. The Government
pledged themselves last year to bring an improved system
forward during the present Session, but they had failed in
doing so. Believing this money had not, and did not, con-
tribute to the purpose for which the force was established,
he must press upon the Right Hon. Gentleman to say
whether they intended to take any steps to render the
force more efficient.

Mr. NI ACAUL AY said a gradual reduction was taking
place, and the force would be put on as good a footing as
possible,
but he did not think it advisable to enter into
any general plan till after the census had been taken.
Colonel T. WOOD could not remain silent when he
heard it proposed to do away with the militia. It was a
most constitutional force. Before the breaking out of the
seven years' war—(A laugh)—this country was obliged to
send over to Germany in order to get soldiers to protect
eur shores. That was felt to be a great disgrace, and
then Lord Chatham introduced the militia. It was a force
which might be rendered efficient for a very small sum.
Mr. HUM E really did not remember the breaking out
of the seven years' war—(A laugh)—but he knew they
were called upon to pay a very large sum for a very in-
efficient force. A lamer excuse than the one given by the
Right Hon. Gentleman he had never heard given; he
would certainly expect more from him next year.
The vote was then agreed to.
MISCELLANEOUS ESTIMATES.

On the vote that 28,8001. be granted for the purchase of
property for the British Museum being read,
Captain PE CHE LL begged to call the attention of the
Committee to the expediency of opening Cardinal
\Volsey's Hall, and the State Apartments at Hampton
Court, which contained some very valuable paintings, to
the public.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. R. GORDON said these apartments were at pre-
sent undergoing repair, and as soon as these repairs were
completed, they would be thrown open to the public.
Mr. HUME thought the Government ought to throw
open Richmond and Rev► Parks more fully to the public.
He would throw that out as a suggestion for its con-
sideration.

The vote was then agreed to, as was also a sum of
13,0001., for laying out the area of Trafalgar-square.
The next vote for 2,0001., for building a new Post.offica
at Aberdeen, was, after a few words from Mr. Goulburn
and Mr. Gordon, agreed to.
On the vote for 2,5301. 10s., to purchase pictures for
the National Gallery,

Mr. HUME wished to know on whose taste and judg-
ment these pictures were purchased. If the trustees, he
thought they should publish a statement of their proceedings.
Sir R. PEEL thought it was a great advantage, that
these questions should be put in the House of Commons.
With respect to pictures of the highest class, their value
was always perfectly well known to connoiseurs and artists.
In the collection from which these purchases had baen
made, there had only been three pictures, of which the
trustees had recommended the purchase. These were two
Murillos and a Guido. For one of the Murillos, " The
Good Shepherd," they had recommended the Treasury
to empower them to make an offer of 2,500 guineas. This
offer had been refused, and the picture had subsequently
been sold by auction for 3,000 guineas. For the second
Murillo they had also been empowered to offer 2,500
guineas Some misunderstanding had arisen regarding
the picture, and Lord Ashburton, one of the trustees,
had subsequently purchased it for his own collection for
2,300 guineas, but he had subsequently most handshandsoelyceded it to the National Gallery for the price whimca he
himself had paid for it.—(Cheers.) With regard to the
Guido, he was convinced that if that were exposed to
public sale to-morrow, it would fetch more than double
what the National Gallery had given for it.
Mr. HUME said what he wanted to know was, how
these facts could have been ascertained if the Right lion.
Gentlemen had not been present ?
Sir R. PEEL—By moving for the correspondence.
Mr. HUME said that was just what he wanted to as-
certain, whether there was any correspondence existing
on the subject of the purchase of pictures which could be
moved for ?
Sir R. PEEL—Yes.

Mr. HUME was glad to And that these purchases were
not made except upon the recommendation of competent

Sir R. PEEL said, all these things were matter of
record, but he suggested to the Hon. Member the pro-
priety of not asking for any disclosures until after the pur-
chases were made.
Mr. HUME said that such had never been his in-
tention.

Sir DE LACY EVANS wished to know, as they
were improving Trafalgar-square, whether it was in-
tended to make any alteration or improvement in the
National Gallery?
Sir R. PEEL said that when the Gallery was erected,
the House was in an economical fit. It was for the Chan.
cellor of the Exchequer to say if he would recommend that
it should be pulled down, and a building erected worthy
of the arts. _ _

Mr. EWA RT thought that as the Royal Academy had
rooms rent tree in the National Gallery, they ought on
certain days to open their exhibition gratuitously to the
public.
Mr. HUME denied that the House had been in an eco-
nomical fit at the time the National Gallery was built.
48,0001. had been proposed, and he had recommended that
the sum should be doubled, 76,0001. had been voted, and it
had been suggested that the front should be brick ;
on his suggestion the Right Honourable Baronet
had penned a note to Lord Grey, recommending It
should be of stone, which would cost 10,0001. more.
Ultimately the building had cost 96,000/., and the
reason why it was not a fit and proper one was,
that competition had not been allowed.—(Cheers.) The
Royal Academy occupied one half of it, and although they
were receiving a benefit from the public equal to 3,000/. a
year, they were the only public body that refused to foster
the growing taste for the arts among the people. He did
not know more illiberal men in promoting the arts than
that Academy. who should make that their first object.
Mr. HA VVES differed from the Hon. Member for
Kilkenny. Ila did not know a body which had done more
for the arts than the Royal Society. It should also be
remembered that the public did not contribute anything to
the Academy. The only sums its members received were
derived from the exhibition of their own paintings, and
those sums were exclusively devoted to the progress of art
in this country. No body had done more for art, and it
was entitled, in his opinion, to the gratitude of the Eng-
lish people.

_ .
Mr. E WART did not think the Academy was entitled
to all the praises of the Hon. Member. The Academy
did not exhibit their own paintings merely, and they did
not, as the Hon. Gentleman supposed, spend all the money
they received in the promotion of the arts.
Sir R. PEEL did not think that was the time for dis-
cussing the merits of the Royal Academy ; such a course
Iwould lead to the total derangement of public business. It
was not fair to create a prejudice against the Academy on
a matter unconnected with its proceedings. The Academy
did not, as the Hon. Member stated, exhibit any paintings
but those of its Members ; and he was 'monocled that there
could not be found a body in any country who stood higher
than those gentlemen.
After a few words from Mr. E. TENNENT and Mr.
H UM E,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
that that was not the time for discussing the question on
which Hon. Gentlemen had entered.
On the motion that 11,5001. be granted for the law ex-
penses of the Act of Parliament for carrying into effect
the navigation of the river Shannon,
Mr. G 0 ULBURN said that the expenses for one year
of carrying into effect a single Act of Parliament was
nearly equal to the whole legal expenses of the country for
that period, which was only 14,0001. He could not agree
to the vote without some explanation.
Mr. GORDON said that the charge excited the atten-
tion of the Treasury, and on inquiry it was found that the
expense had been incurred in the number of valuations
(1,500), of conveyances (1,000), and of various investiga-
tions and purchases. How great those expenses were
might be understood from the fact that on a railway of only
five miles in length the law expenses amounted to six thou-
sand pounds. In the present case, the improvements