The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-13 00:00:00

.PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

This committee, fer inquiring into the practicability of
opening the National Picture and other galleries, met this
morning—Sir J. Trelawny in the chair.
Mr. Scharf, keeper of the National Portrait Gallery, said
the gallery was opened to the working classes upon procur •
ins a ticket at any of the printsellers. A working man
would get the ticket as a matter of course if he was cleanly
in his attire. There would be no ceremonious process for
him to go through. It would be at once delivered to him.
The effect of gas on pictures, be thought, was not at all
beneficial. As far as the principle went, he was decidedly
in favour of opening picture galleries in the evening from 7
till 10. The collection of pictures, however, at the gallery
witk which he was connected was far too small to reward
a working man for the trouble of a visit. There were a
certain number of persons who would go a great distance
to see a single picture if it had been generally talked about.
If the pictures from the British Museum were removed to
the gallery, it would do great good and become attractive.
The space left vacant at the Museum would give that in-
stitution additional room. If the collection of portraits in
the gallery were greatly augmented and well classed, so as to
make them interesting, he had no doubt the gallery would
be very largely visited. The attendance at the National
Portrait Gallery up to the present time was very small, and
consisted of the educated, not the working class. The greatest
number of visitors in a week was that of last Easter,
over 463. He thought if portraits of living celebrities,
such as Lord Derby and Lord John Russell, were
added to the gallery, it would prove highly at-
tractive. He could not state the nature of the evil
that would result to the pictures from gas, as he was no
chemist. When gas was first introduced in the library of
the Athenssum, it nearly destroyed the books arranged
above the gas lights. The gasfittings were removed, and the
gas carried up above the books, which did away with the ill
effects, but the place was now so very uncomfortable from
draughts as to prevent many persons from sitting there.
There is no accommodation for students for copying—the
directors having determined not at the present moment to
grant the privilege of copying. It was highly desirable
that the National Portrait Gallery should remain a sepa-
rate institution, as in time it would become of the greatest
importance as affording a place of reference on subjects of
costume and works of art.

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His Royal Highness the Prince Consort has been
graciously pleased to become patron of the National Rifle
Association.
NORTH BRITISH INSURANCE COMPANY.—The
annual meeting of this company was held at Edinburgh on
Monday, sth March. The report stated that during the
50 years th'e company had been in existence they had paid
to the public for damage by fire £171,577 18s. 4d. ; and in
the life department they had paid to the representatives of
deceased assurers the large sum of £1,346,465, and had allo-
cated to policies, as bonuses out of profits, the sum of
£643,956 2s. 11d. A dividend at the rate of 8 per cent. was
declared, and the report, which gave great satisfaction, was
unanimously agreed to. A vote of thanks to the chairman
and directors concluded:the proceedings.
An influential meeting of merchants and capital-
ists interested in the progress of India was held yesterday
at Messrs. Freshfield's, with the view of considering the
desirableness of forming a "Bank of India" on principles
that should meet the concurrence of existing establishments,
and at the same time facilitate the public transactions of
that empire, and the following resolution was adopted :
" That a deputation wait upon Sir Charles Wood to ascer-
tain his views in reference to the minute understood to have
been received from Mr. James Wikon ou the subject of
the establishment of a State Bank of India, with a view, if
,deeme(lexpeclivnt, of giving effect to them."