The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-25 00:00:00

diately contiguous shall be increased. Whether
duplicate books and specimens shall be eliminated
from the aggregate of the different departments,

with a view to the formation of a separate Museum
elsewhere—say in the east of the metropolis.
Whether the institution shall after extension and

reorganisation be maintained as it is, namely,

one and entire—or whether, on the contrary,
its various sections shall be divided for removal.

Whether, in point of fact, the British :Museum

shall lose its right to that title by being subjected

to an arbitrary disintegration.

There is unquestionably, as was intimated last
evening in the House of Commons, a decided ten-
dency to the filtration of our various public collec•

tions down to that hideous, temporary, mongrel

edifice, or agglomeration of edifices down at South
Kensington. It is--what shall we call it ?
ALBERT'S Folly ! It has an immense prestige in
high quarters—one that threatened at the outset
that each of our public museums and galleries (no
matter where situated) must have its " slope"
thither as inexorably as Russia has hers to the East
according to the phrase of M. DE LAMARTINE, Ipso-

much thatwo looked with unutterable qualms of terror
towards it as to an insatiable maw ever crying aloud
for more ! like the brazen head of Friar BACON'S
contrivance in the popular legend. It promised in
fact, at one time to swallow up in a single gulp the
whole treasures of our National Gallery—leaving
the unsightly edifice, so called, entirely to the tena-
cious squatters hitherto in one half of it, i.e. to the
members of the Royal Academy. Happily that
design, at any rate, was frustrated—though not

without an effort. The finest site in Europe was
still retained as the site (nominally at least) of the
National Gallery. We say with deliberate inten-
tion " nominally"—because in spite of the ulterior
decision of the House of Commons, the decision

that Trafalgar-square should yet retain the National
Gallery and that the National Gallery should not be
bodily removed to South Kensingtonf thither to
South Kensington have been removed the TURNER
collection, the VERNON collection, the SHEEP-
SHANKS collection, together with other works of
native artists, hitherto appertaining to the larger
and more miscellaneous national collection ! There
—in the South Kensington Museum—are en-
shrined old familiar favourites, specimens of Sir
JOSHUA and of HOGARTH—the " Banished Noble-
man," for example, and the series of ".31-arriage a

la Mode. Precisely, in fact, those very portions o
the national treasures of art, which justified
in a peculiar manner the distinctive title of
the aggregate collection, the title of the
National Gallery National in the strictest
sense of the word now no longer, if all the
works of our native artists without excep-
tion are to be forcibly abstracted from the edifice
to the north of Trafalgar-square, and carried off to
the PRINCE CONSORT'S Folly yonder down at
South Kensington !
What is being accomplished, or has already been
accomplished, in regard to the National Gallery by
the promoters of that grotesque jumble of iron and
wooden outhouses down in the neighbourhood of
Brompton, there is now some danger may be at-
tempted to the same end by the same courtly
agents in respect to the British Museum, with a
view at once to its detriment and disintegration.
At this rate—unless we louk about us betimes
and guard against these preposterous proceedings—
the British Museum will no longer be the British
Museum, any more than the National Gallery will
be any longer the National Gallery ! The latter
will be restricted to a collection of specimens of the
various Foreign Schools of Painting. The former
will become possibly no Museum at all—but solely
and exclasively a Great Library. Before any such
comprehensive changes be decided upon, it is cer-
tainly advisable that the whole question should be
submitted to the scrutiny of a select committee of
inquiry.. For a variety of reasons, therefore, we are
rejoiced that Mr. GREGORY'S motion was agreed to
yesterday by the House of Commons, and that the
future of the British Museum shall be confided, in
the first instance, to the care of that select com-
mittee. We arc sanguine that through its inter-
position much evil may be guarded against and
that many advantages may be also thereby realised.
There is, at any rate, an obvious necessity that
something should at length be done, first of all,
with a view to the extension of the British
Museum, and, secondly, with a view to its better
arrangement.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent arrived
at Buckingham Palace yesterday, from Frogmore House,
on a visit to her Majesty.

The Earl of Radnor is expected at his house in
Grosvenor-street next week, from Berkshire. This venera-
ble peer, although in his 81st year, is in the enjoyment of
sound health, and still takes an active part in the low:
business of his county.

The Earl and Countess of Erne have arrived at
their mansion in Eaton-square for the season.
Viscount and Viscountess Combermere will come
to town early next week for the season, from Combermere
Abbey. _ _ _

Lord and Lady Vivian have arrived in town
from Cprnwall. his lordship has taken a house in Chesham-
place for the season.
DovER, Tuesday.—His Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales landed here this afternoon from her Ma-
jesty's steamer Vivid, Captain Allen. His royal highness,
who was accompanied by General Bruce and Captain Grey,
was received on landing by General Cranford, Col. Cup-
page, and Major Barnard, and a guard of honour of the
32d Regiment, under the command of Capt. Harman His
Royal Highness dined at Birmingham's Royal Lord Warden
Hotel, and left by express train in the evening for Windsor
Castle. His Excellency Lord Cowley arrived at the Royal
Ship Hotel last night, and this morning sailed in the John
Penn for Boulogne. The Admiraly Pier is now so far ad-
vanced as to afford a most convenient mode of embarking
or landing at any period of the tide, while as a marine walk
it is unequalled, extending more than 1,000 feet into deep
water, and offering most delightful marine views from the
Foreland to Dungeness.

We have authority for stating that the announce-
ment made by some of our contemporaries, that the Prince
of Wales will sail for Canada in the course of the next week,
is incorrect. Ilis Royal Highness will complete his term
at Oxford, and, as at present arranged,' the Prince will not
make his Transatlantic trip before the first week in July.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, it is
now authoritatively stated, will return to Frewen Hall, Ox-
ford, to-morrow (Thursday) ; and, according to present ar-
rangements, will remain at the University until after the
commemoration, when his Royal Highness will leave, and
Frewen Hall will then become the residence of the Prince
Consort during the meeting of the British Association for
the Encouragement of Science, of which his Royal High-
ness is the retiring president.

•
As the Prince of Wales is about visiting
Canada, the Manor-house of Beauport, at the Falls of
Montmorency, the residence of his grandfather when com-
mander of the fortes in British America, ought nut to be
forgotten. Though the mansion has been rebuilt and en-
larged, the rooms occupied by his Royal Highness are pre-
served in static quo by the respected proprietor. There is
no more princely sight in the world for a royal residence.
The Falls, 2GB feet high, dash in one plunge through the
ground, while the river St. Lawrence, with the isle of Or-
lesns, and the citadel and city of Quebec, complete the
foreground; the mountains of Maine, GO miles distant,
closing a scene almost unrivalled for beauty, grandeur, and
extent. In winter the frozen river, with the ice-formed
cones at the Falls, and in summer, the shipping, steam-
boats, rafts, and boats on the broad surface of the stream,
form very pleasing pictures.

MARRIAGE OF A LUCKNOW HERO. —Wednesday,
the 18th inst., witnessed the marriege of Janata H. Mcßae„
the bride's father, at his residence, to
C.E., late of the Lucknow Garrison, with the eldest daugh-
ter of Dr. Culverwoll, of Great Marlborough-street. After
aa (lune
numerousr, OrN:aerntyl: by
the
happy
couple left for Folkestone
en route for Paris. Several of the bridegroom's brother
officers were present at the cercrocny, amongst whcm we
observed Colonel Knatchbuil, Major Anderson, and Mr.
Kavanaph, the gentleman who, it will be remembered,
gallantly passed through the enemy's camp in disguise,
and led Sir Colin Campbell and his troops safely into the
city. Mr. Mcßae himself was severely wounded during
the defence, but is now happily recovered.