The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-31 00:00:00

COURT CIRCVLAR. a

Her Majesty will hold a Drawing Room on Friday,
June 20. and a Levee on Wednesday, June 25.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess'Of Kent and Prince
Ernest of Leiningen dined with the Queen on Thursday.
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary, the
Duke of Cambridge, Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar,
Prince Lccwensteiu, and the Maharajah Dulcep Singh,
visited her Majesty in the evening at Buckingham Palace,
and witnessed the fireworks.

Prince Frederick William of Prussia, attended by
Lieut.-Gen. Baron Schreckenstein, Baron de Moitke, '
Capt. Heinz, and Lieut. de Schreckenstein, went yes-
terday afternoon to the Prussian Legation in Carlton-
terrace, where his Royal Highness, received the Diplo-
matic Carps.
The Princess Royal and the Princess Alice took a
carriage drive yesterday.
The Queen took a drive in the afternoon, accompanied
by the Princess Royal and the Princess Alice, and at-
tended by the Hon. Lucy Ker, in an open landau and
four. Prince Albert rode on horseback, accompanied by
Count Alexander Mensdorff. The equerries in waiting
attended on horseback.

Her Majesty gave a Concert in the evening at Buck-
ingham Palace, at which the following assisted :—Ma-
dame Goldschmidt, Madame Novello, Madame Basio,
Madame Viardot, Madlle. Didi4e, Mr. Sims Reeves,
Signor Gardoni, Signor Ronconi, Herr Formes, and Mr.
Weiss.
The Royal Personages, the Foreign Ministers, and a
large party, of the Nobility were preseni, the invitations
amounting to above four hundred.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge
and the Princess Mary arrived at a quarter before ten
o'clock, attended by Lady Geraldine Somerset and Major
Home Purves.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge was
attended by his Equerry in waiting.
Her Majesty and his Royal Higuness the Prince Con•
sort entered the Grand Saloon (which was prepared for
the Concert) accompanied by their Royal Highnesses the
Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Mary, the Regent
of Baden, Prince Frederick William of Prussia, and the
Duke of Cambridge, his Serene Highness Prince Edward
of Saxe-Weimar, Count Alexander Mensdorff and the
Maharajah Duleep Singh, and attended by the Ladies
and Gentlemen in Waiting. •
The general company assembled in the Picture Gal-
lery followed her Majesty and the Royal Circle into the
saloon.

The concert commenced about ten o'clock.
The following was the programme :
PARTE PRIMA.
Settimino—" Oh terror, oh smania," Mes-
dames Bosio, Novello, Viardot c Didiee,
Sig. Gardoni, Mr. Weiss, e Herr Formes
(Conte Ory)
Duo—" Amor possente nome," Made. No-
vello a Mr. Sims Reeves (Armida)
Air—" Egli fu dm a dir m'apprese," Made
Bosio (Arabi nelle Gallie)
Recuoil de Mazourkas de F. Chopin, arranged
for voice and piano, by Mr. and Madame
Goldschmicit
Duo—" Qui dove merce," Made. Bosio e Sig
Gardoni (Pastorale)
Air—" Com' e bello,' Made. Novello (Lu-
crezia Borgi i)
Duo —" Allons, rentrez voiei Forage," Mes-
dames Goldsehraidt e Viardot (La more
grand) .
Coro—" Signor del Ciel," Mesdames Novello,
Bosio,Viardot, e Did ea, Sig. Gardoni, Mr.
Sims Reeves, Sig. Ronconi, Mr. Weiss, e
Herr Formes (Eli)
PARTE SECONDA.
Otti mino—" All 'idea," Mesdames Bosio, No-
vello, e Didiee, Mr. Sims Reeves, Sig.
Gardoni e Raneoni, Mr. Weiss, o Herr
Formes (Mose in Egitto) ... Rossini.
Nocturne
and By Schubert, for Piano, trans-
La Truito cribed by Herr Otto Goldsehmidt S. Heller.
Trio—" Pcnsa, e guarda," Sig. Ronconi, Mr.
Weiss, e Herr Formes(Margherita d'Aujou) Meyerbeer.
Air—" Squallida veste e bruna," Madame
Goldschmidt (Turco in Italia) .. . Rossini.
Duo--" Le ciel sourit a u flot limpide,"Mes-
dames Novello e Didiee (Le Zephyr)
Vieux Airs Franais du 15 et 16 siecle, Ma-
dame Viardot.
Coro—" Placido e ii mar," Tad (Idomoneo) Mozart.
11r. Costa presided at the Pianoforte.

Rossini.

Rossini.

0. Goldschmidi

Donizetti.

Donizetti.

Costa.

MEMORIAL OF BRITISH SCULPTORS.

Sculptors' Institute, 32, Sackville•stree

TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR BENJAMIN HALL, BART,

We, the undersigned, British sculptors, feel assured
that we sla►ll not be deemed intrusive or officious in ad•
dressing the following statement of the Crown chsrged
with the supervision of the public monuments of the
country. . . . . .

We have observed with regret that frequent attempts
have been lately made by the most influential organ of
the daily press to disparage the ability of British sculp-
tors, and to defend as an inevitable necessity a recourse
to foreign artists. It is, moreover, reported that a large
sum of money is about to be devoted to a monument to
the Duke of Wellington, and another sum to a memorial
at Scutari to the brave men who have fallen in the late
war ; and, in the present temper of the public
mind,• and in the disposition of some who exercise
the patronage of the country, we are not without
apprehension that due justice will fail to be done to the
English sculptor.
We desire to guard ourselves against the imputation
of an illiberal jealousy of the foreigner. Art is a uni-
versal language, and the artist should find himself a
native of every great city in the world. There has never
been a time when the English courts and the English
people have not received with ready welcome the foreign
painter, architect, and sculptor. May it be thus always.
But we claim for native talent that it also should be
sought for and appreciated. It is not true that there is
a dearth of genius amongst the sculptors of England.
There are works of indisputable excellence from the
hands of living artists that attest the contrary. What is
lamentably true is this—that means have rarely been
adopted for committing public works to the men of the
greatest merit amongst us. We would humbly suggest
that if the patronage of the nation were exercised with
more care and discrimination, and with a genuine desire
to discover the worthiest on whom to bestow it, the
public monuments of England would no longer be ap-
pealed to as displaying in so many instances a painful
mediocrity.
None can feel more deeply than ourselves the degra-
dation which the sculpture of England has suffered
during the last 50 years, from the erection in our Me-
tropolitan Cathedral, the Abbey, and Guildhall, of the
huge puerilities and distressing allegories which deface
the walls of those buildings. But let it be borne in
mind, that while large sums were being lavished upon
such productions as these, Flaxman and Banks were
alive, needy and seeking employment. Men who were
neglected year after year by the Government and the
municipal authorities of that time are now the boast of
every Englishman, and are acknowledged to have ear. e I
an European reputation.
To approach somewhat nearer to our own times, we
would point to a fact of no little significance. A sculp-
tor of the name of Watson recently died ; he was an in-
dustrious artist, and a competitor for most of the public
monuments erected in his day. He never obtained a
commiesion ; but the rejected models which he exhibited
on such occasions, are now sought for with avidity, and
studied by living artists.
Whether the same unfortunate method of selection
still attends upon us, we must leave other to decile.
We must observe, however, that there is an increasing
indisposition amongst artists of acknowledged merit to
enter into any pnblic competition. It is felt that a pro-
posal for a general competition is no security against an
incompetent or impartial judge.
To combat this indisposition, to foster the genius of
the country, to secure for our greatest monuments the
artists of the greatest power, we would finally submit,
1. That in every competition a public exhibition of the
models of all competitors should precede the selection of
any one of them ; and 2. That such selection should be
made by a committee so constituted that the body of ar-
tists as well as the public in general may confide in them.
To a public competition so conducted we cheerfully in.
vite every artist resident in the United Kingdom, and
we rest confident that, patronage being liberally and
wisely exercised, there will no longer be an impression
abroad, in this country, that the English sculptor is ure
qual to the celebration of English heroism.
We have the honour, with great respect, to si bucrib •
•urselves—E. H. Bally, R.A., P. MacDowell, R.A. W.
C. Marshall, R.A., J. H. Foley, A.R.A., H. Weeks, J.
E. Thorns!, F. M. Miller, T. Thorncroft, A. Hone, T.
Butler, W. Behnes, M. Noble, J. Hancock, A. Munro,
E. B. Stephens, J. S. Wsstmacott, J. Durham, J. Ed-
wards, F. Thrupp, E. Davie, Thos. Earle, W. F. Wod-
rington.