The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-03 00:00:00

THE ►SOULAGES COLLOCTION.

A Parliamentary paper on the subject of the
famous Soulages Collection tis published on Fri
day, on the motion of Lord 'Elcho, Me P. The
nature ard extent of this collection (already exhi-
bited in London) is well known to the public. It
includes enamels of all sorts, medals, glass speci-
mens, bronzes, decorative furniture, majolica, en-
a•nelled ear,hen and stone ware, and other articles
of vertu, all pronounced by artists and connoisseurs
to be of the most valuab and interesting charac-
ter, and well worthy of ing a national collec-
tion.kn It appears that at hOe beginning of the year
1857 74 persons, representing manufacturing and 1
other interests, and desirous of promoting "art
education" -in England by securing the Sou
lages Collection for the public, guaranteed (by sub-
scription) a sum of 24,8001., and effected its pur-
chase, and that then, ou behalf of these subscribers,
an offer was made to the Department of Science
and Art, to sell the collection to the Government
for the sum of 13,5601. (being the cost price), but
with the expenses of importation, insurance, and
interest. Mr. D. C. Marjoribanks, M.P., Mr. M.
Uzielli, and Mr. H. Cole were the managers of the
undertaking for purchasing the collection of M..
Soulages, and the list of subscribers to the guarantee
fund includes Mr. E. Marjoribanks, 1,0001. ; E trl
Granville, 5001. ; Lord Ashburton, 1,000/. • the late
Mr. B. Minton, of Stoke, 1,0001. ; Mr. E. Wood, of-
Burslem, 1,0001. ; Mr. H. T. Hope, of Deepdene,
Dorking, 1,0001. ; M. Uzielli, 4000/. ; Mr. A A.
Barker, 5001. ; Holland and Sons, 5001. ; the two
Delarues, 500/. ; Mr. Dudley C. Mtrjoribanks,
M.P., 500/. ; Mr. Sydney Smirke, 20U1 ; John-
ston and Je Ines, 5001. ; the Duke of Hamilton,
5001 ; the Society of Arts, 5001. ; Sir H. Meux,
500/. ; Mr. Titus Salt, of Bradford, 1,0001. ; and
the Marquis of Hertfurd, 1,0001., besides several
,
subscribers for smaller sums, ranging from 1001.
to 300/. A memorial at the same time addressed
to the Treasury by Messrs. P. Graham, J. G.
Grace, J. Jackson, and E. Bond, recommending
the purchase, and a select committee of the Royal
Institute of British Architects drew up a paper
warmly urging the same step, and denouncing the
neglect to purchase as "au irreparat'le loss of a
great opportunity to improve our manufactures, to
enlarge the sphere of artlapplieation, to increase
our commerce and instruct the pnblic mind." Mr.
Cowper, then the Vice-President of the Committee
of Council on Education, also submitted the offer to
the favourable consideration of the Lords of the
Treasury, stating that the total cost would be but
14,3751. (including carriage); and numerous letters
ware sent up to to the Chancellor of the e xchequer
from the Society of Woodcarvers, the Sheffield Sceool
of Art, the Silk Manufacturers of Spitalfields,
and elsewhere, tie Staffordshire Potteries, and
several societies of artisans, lc., all to the same
effect. What might have been the result of these
urgent appeals to Government had the late Minis-
try remained in office it were va'n to speculate ;
sufficient to say that the neiv Administration under
the Earl of Derby have just intimated their refusal
to incur the expense of purchasing the collection,
through the medium of a letter from Sir 0. E.
Trevelyan to the Committee of Council on Educa-
tion, which we subjoin :—" Treasury Chambers,
April sth. Sir,—With reference to the letter
from your department of the 18th of February
last, recommending the purchase of the collection
of Italian Ornamental Art formed by M. Soulage',
I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of 'her
Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you, for the infor-
mation of the Lords of the Committee of Council
on Education, that my Lords are not prepared to
submit to Parliament the proposed vote of 14,1751.
for the purchase in question. I am, &c., C. E.
TREVELYAN. The Vice-President •of the Cotn-
tniitee of Council on Education." Accordingly,
the Soul Iges Collection remains in the hands of
the private purchasers by subscription, and its fate
remains to be seen.

A letter from Berne of the 26th in th 3 Nouvel-
liste of Vaud says :—" The Government had ad-
dressed to the federal authority a voluminous me-
morial in which it made itself the organ of the nu•
merons remonstrances mixed by the measures
adopted by the federal authorities to secure the
execution of the federal decree of the 15th February
relative to sending into the interior a certain
category of refugees, and particularly those he-
longing to the Italian Benevolent Sicieiy. This
memorial having been communicated to the
Federal Commissioners, was ref orted on by them,
and .the Federal Council, at a special meeting con-
voked for the purpose, has just come to a decision
that there are Lot any grounds for paying any at-
tention to the application of tiie Council of Ge•
neva, and that the previous re3olutions must be
carried into execution."