The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-12 00:00:00

UN'TTPT) SF:PVTOFI IN'TITUTJON,

Those who have had occasion to pass through White-
hall-yard for some considerable tine back must have
been anything but pleased with the unsightly mass of
rubbish which surrounds the-United Service Institution.
The public will be gratified to learn that whilst the
Board of Works are responsible for debris °Weill°, the
curators of the Institution have been busily employed
inside in reducing to a lucidus ord• the interesting col-
lection which it contains. For the first time this
Institution received a grant of public money last year to
the extent of 4001., and the effect has been to induce the
council to regard it more in the light of a public estab-
lishment. At all events they have not been idle, and those
who carry with them recollections of the old museum,
will be surprised and delighted with the change that
has been effected. The first step in this, as in most
other reformations, was to get rid of an incongruous and
undigested mass of material which time had collected
within the walls of the institution. Any attempt to give
the collection a general character must have only one
result—that of destroying its value ass museum specially
devoted to the illustration of military and naval sub-
jects. Accordingly whole classes of objects—interesting
no doubt in themselves, but more appropriate to the
British Museum or the College of Surgeons—have
been ejected, and their places asrigned to others more
in keeping with the "style and title" of the in-
stitution. It may perhaps be doubted whether the
principle of excision should not have been carried
further in this direction, and whether too many stuffed
birds and pinned skeletons have not been allowed to
remain. The contents, however, have been re-arranged
and distributed, as far as the building would allow, in
geographical and chronological order, beginning with
Australia. The armoury is arranged not only with a
view to effect but so as to afford ready illustration of
the improvements in fire arms, from the earliest attempts
to the Enfield rift-. The improvements In the steam
engine, in naval architecture, and fortification are simi-
larly illustrated by models which are full of interest and
instruction. All the objects in the museum—and most of
tnem are highly interesting—are plainly labelled, so
that the visitor will not in future be obliged to search
hrougb a catalogue for an explanation of each article.
This is a great improvement in itself. The roofs
of the theatre and fortification-room have been c,‘loured
under the direction of Mr. Owen Jones, and the effect
produced isnot inertly that of a Weasing chromatic com-
bination, hut an apparent addition to the height of these
r..onus. Vit hen t o the advantsges which this institution
holds out as a museum of military and naval art, are
added these of a first-rase professional library and read- '
mg room, a journal of the society, and lectures on
military subject., it may be said to include everything
which can render it .a point of attraction, more especially
to officers of the service. Great credit is unquestionably
due to the council and to Captain Burgess, the secretary
for the improvements which they hale effected.