The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-08 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—May I ask yon to invert in your pap9r the ac-
companying letter from his Royal Highness Prince Al-
bert to the president of our intended Manchester Exhibi-
tion.

'When permission was Fought to make this valued com-
munication public, Lord Ellesmere was informed that
his Royal Highness's letter was not intended for publi-
cation, but that as it was written in the hope of being
useful to the committee, the Prince condescended to
leave it eilitirely to them to make such use of it as might
best serve their purpose.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) THOMAS FAIRBAIRN,

. _ .
Chairman to Executive Committee.
Manchester, July 7.
._ .

(Copy.)
My dear Lord Ellesmere,—l was very sorry not to
see you with the deputation from Manchester that came
to me yesterday upon the subject of the exhibition of
art treasures which it is proposed to open in May, 1857.
Lord Overstone, however, as well as the other members
of the deputation, left nothing to desire in explaining
the objects which they have in view. I could not fail
to admire the public spirit which has prompted the people
of Manchester to enter upon so large and magnificent an
undertaking.
e had a good deal of discussion upon its general
principles, upon the soundness and fitness of which much
of its future success must necessarily depend.
Manchester enters upon this undertaking nt a certain
disadvantage. It has been preceded by the Exhibition
of 1851, that of Dublin in 1853, and that of Paris during
the last year. That a mere repetition of what has thus
gone before would fail to attract sufficient notice and
public support, appears to have been felt by the com-
mittee ; and they most wisely gave a distinctive charac-
ter to their scheme, by making it an exhibition of what
may emphatically be called the art treasures of this
country. How to succeed in collecting such treasures,
fondly cherished as they are by their owners, who are
justly jealous of their safety, is the problem to be solved.
In my opinion, the solution will be found in the satis-
factory proof of the usefulness of the undertaking. The
mere gratification of public curiosity, and the giving an
intellectual entertainment to the dense population of a
particular locality, would be praiseworthy in itself, but
hardly sufficient to convince the owners of works of art
that it is their duty, at a certain risk and inconvenience,
to send their choicest treasures to Manchester for ex-
hibition.

That national usefulness might, however, be found in
the educational direction which may be given to the whole
!cherce. No country invests a larger amount of capital
in works of art of all kinds than England ; and in none,
almost, is so little done for art education ! If the col-
lection you propose to form were made to illustrate the
history of art, in a chronological and systematic arrange-
ment, it would speak powerfully to the public mind, and
enable, in a practical way, the most uneducated eye to
gather the lessons which ages of thought and scientific
research have attempted to abstract ; and- would pre,
sent to the world, for the first time, a gallery such as no
other country could produce, but for which, I feel con-
vinced, the materials exist abundantly in private hands
amongst us.
As far as painting is concerned, I enclose a catalogue
exhibiting all the different schools, with the masters
who illustrate them, which able hands have compiled for
me, and which was communicated to the National Gal-
lery Committee of 1853, and printed by them with the
evidence.
If such a catalogue, for instance, were find up with
the specimens of the best paintings by the different
masters enumerated in it, which exist in this country, I
feel certain that the committee would come with very
different powers of persuasion and a very different claim
to attention to their owners, than when the demand for
the loan of certain of their pictures was apparently de-
pendent upon mere accident or caprice. A person who
would not otherwise be inclined to part with a picture
would probably shrink from refusing it if he knew that
his doing so tended to war the realisation of a great
national object-.
The same principle might be adopted with regard to
the other branches of art, extending even into the field
of manufacturing industry.
Whatever may be the decision of the committee, I
assure you it will give me the greatest pleasure to give
you any feeble assistance in support which I may be
enabled to render. And I may at the same time repeat
to you the assurance of tie Queen's Lest wishes for the
success of your labours.—Ever yours truly,
Buckingham-palace, July 3,1856. ALBur.