The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-04 00:00:00

THE PICTORIAL GALLERY OF ARTS.

Part XX.
If only for that noble engraving from tha.,
noble " ancient bust of llomer"—the " blind old
man of Scio's rocky isle "—this part is most
valuable. Besides this, it presents us with
copies of most of the masterpieces of sculpture
from the Parthenon those glorious Elgin
marbles which would alone render the British Museum
a sacred edifice. The wonderful Theseus—the mira-
culous Iris—the marvellous head of one of the horses
of Night " snorting the green billows from its nos-
trils"—that marvellous head which Foster declared
to be the sublimest specimen of human ingenuity his
eves had ever beheld.

THE ROYAL PAVILION.—A petition is in the course
of signature at Brighton, praying the Queen and the
Government that the Pavilion may be preserved as a
royal residence.
REPRESENTATION OF THE COUNTY KERRY.—
On (lit that Mr. Herbert, of Muekross, will start for the
county at the next election, supported by the Kenmare
interest.— Tralee Chronicle.
CITY OF LONDON GENERAL PENSION SOCIETY.—
The Secretary of this Institution, Mr. IL F. Richardson, has
been honoured with a communication from his Royal High-
ness the Duke of Cambridge, consenting to preside at the
next Anniversary Festival of this valuable charity. The
Illustrious Prince presided in 15-10 for the institution.
Amongst numerous donations lately received by the society,
may be named the Marquis of Breadalbane, 501. ; Thomas
Dickinson, Esq., 521. 10s. ; the Worshipful Companies of
Goldsmith's and Draper's, each 501.; Joseph Baxendale, Esq.,
in addition to 80 guineas ; Mrs. H. F. Richardson, 10/. 10s. ;
Luke J. Hansard, Esq., COI., in addition to 10/. ; Mr. and
Mrs. Braithwaite, 211. •, Mr. 211., &c., &c. It is
quite anticipated that after the next festival, the payments to
the pensioners will be at their maximum amount, us resolved
on in 1818, the date of the society's foundation.
WEST INDIA MAIL—THE CUSTO3I-HOUSE.—The
British Possessions Act, passed towards the close of the late
session, removes all reasonable pretext for reserving the
colonial Customs' appointments to the Home Government.
So long as Imperial Cities were imposed in favour of the
mother country's produce there was a shadow of a pretext
for this arrangement. It might be said that local officers ap-
pointed by local authorities might connive at evasions of the
Imperial restrictive policy in favour of local interests. All
that is now at an end. Colonial Customs' duties are only to
be levied in future for purposes of revenue, and they are to
be imposed by the local Legislatures—where there are any.
It will be found conducive to general economy, and to
honest discharge of duty, that the power of nominating
to and removing from such offices should also be vested
in the local authorities. The remote Imperial Board
of Customs cannot detect and check delinquencies
in subordinate officers so well as a local assembly or council.
The only use of retaining such appointments in the Board of
Customs is to enable its members to diffuse their patronage
in favour of retainers over a wider sphere. As long as the
Board of Customs dispense these appointments the colonies
will be subject to periodical immigrations of small, conse•
quential officials, looking down upon the " natives," and re-
lying for support against all accusations upon their great
friends at home. There is no convincing home authorities of
the delinquencies of such proteyes. With a noble spirit of
independence the creatures themselves bid defiance to all at-
tempts of the colonial representatives to keep them in the
line of their duty. They are a nuisance in the colonies; and
all the benefit the mother country derives from their ap-
pointment being vested in the Board of Customs is, the per-
petuation and aggravation of low political corruption.
PORTUGUESE ONIONS.—A vessel arrived at one of
the wharfs adjoining the Custom-house from Oporto
has brought a cargo consisting entirely of onions, com-
prising, consigned to different houses, the large number
of 800 boxes of this description of vegetable, the pro-
duction of Portugal. We have lately alluded to the ex-
tensive importation of onions which have taken place
from the quarter under notice, but no instance of an
entire cargo, or so large an arrival at one time, has come
under our observation. Whether they be imported to
so great extent for pickling purposes, which is so general
at this season of the year, or otherwise, they evidently-
form an important and interesting feature in the list of
foreign supplies to our markets, and the present im-
portation, on account of the large quantity, is entitled to
particular notice.
TILE PRUSSIAN CONSTITUTION.—Lost or stolen,
the Prussian Constitution. It was done up in a small
parcel, and was dropped about the 3il of last month. It
was last seen at the Sans Souci, Potsdam, where it had
been lying on the shelf for years. It is marked " Anno
Domini, 1816," and has a royal seal on it, with the motto
of " Sie sollea es nicht haben." As the contents are of
no value to any but the owner, a small reward will be
given for its restoration to " Frederick, Royal Palace, or
Greek Theatre, Berlin." For fear of accident, it had
better be labelled "Fragile."—Punch.
The following not very probable shooting adven-
ture is given by the Journal tie la Meuse ;—Two days
ago M. Bachet, of -Consenvoge, was out with a party,
when he saw his dog running a hare hard, and behind
the dog a ferocious wolf, following with.evidently sinister
intentions. Preserving his coolness, he fired his double-
barrelled gun, and first killed the hare, and next the
wolf, by a shot from the other barrel. The dog- appeared
completely astounded at being thus at once deprived of
his prey, and delivered from a formidable enemy."
SETTING IN OF DISEASE. A writer in the
Cork Examiner says that " common cholera," meaning
what is called " English" cholera, has set in decidedly
at Listowel, owing to the diseased potato food eaten by
the people.
THE EXILES OF LAMBETII._Lambeth has become
a sort of Siberia since the stopping up of Westminster-
bridge, for there is now literally no communication be-
tween the inhabitants of the northern shore, and the
transpontine people. All means of social intercourse are
completely cut off, and Astley's Amphitheatre might as
well be on Salisbury Plain, as far as there is any possi-
bility of getting to it from any part of Westminster.
Lambeth is in a state of utter desolation, and the prin-
cipal street reminds one of a strada in Pompeii. A civil
war might break out and be all over before any one on
this side of the Thames could know anything about it.
The people are becoming quite isolated from the rest of
their fellow-subjects, and the interests of civilisation aro
severely suffering. Already Lambeth is a week behind
us in the polite arts, and every day that the blockade
continues will send them backward 24 hours towards
the barbarism which it has taken centuries to get out of.
We should not be at all surprised at hearing through
some circuitous channel that a provisional government
has been established in the New-cut, and that the whole
of the Marsh has thrown off its allegiance. During
the stoppage of Westminster-bridge, the Lambethites
aro aliens in geography, if not in blood, and we can
scarcely expect submission where protection is not
affiaded.—fun ch.