The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-02 00:00:00

wish was father to the thought." We now find that '
there cannot have been the slightest foundation for
any of them, that no explanation will or can be
given Vtore Monday evening. Lord DERBY ex-
plainedlast night in the House of Lords that, after
consulting his colleagues at an early hour, he had
an audience with Her MAJESTY, but that he had not
her MAJESTY'S sanction for making any communi-
cation on the subject. Besides that, the statements
respecting the Ministerial intentions should be laid
simultaneously before both branches of the Legis-
lature. It would be a disrespect to the representa-
tive one to act otherwise.

According to our judgment, there is not the
slightest necessity for their resigning office under
existing circumstances. They owe it to them-
selves, to their supporters, and, above all,
to the community at large, to appeal to
the country in the first instance. There are
many reasons for such a course. It must be
borne in mind that the last general election did not
take place under their auspices, but under that of
their opponents. This simple fact invariably makes
a decided difference in the balance of parties. It
also occurred under peculiar and very exciting
circumstances ; when the feelings of the people
were greatly excited, and the star of PALMERSTON
was in the ascendant. It is true that within a single
year he contrived to alienate many who would
otherwise have given him a,liberal and independent
support. The hauteur with which he answered the
interrogatories of private members; the arrogance
with which he attempted to ride rough-shod over
the House, combined to produce the effects that
might have been anticipated, and led to a change
of Ministry. We need not put forward a single
argument to show .thee difficulties that beset Lord
DERBY, when, yielding to the commands of his
SOVEREIGN, he reluctantly undertook the arduous
duty of forming an Administration—nor is it ne-
cessary to speak of the manner in which the difficult
task has been performed. These matters have been
clearly and truthfully explained by, the. Chancellor
of the Exchequer so as to bring conviction• to every
unprejudiced mind, and we have no hesitation in
saying that they would produce an impression
on every liberal and unprejudiced constituency
throughout the length and breadth of the land.
Nor is there any necessity for an immediate dis-
solution. There are matters before the House that
must be carried, otherwise the most serious in-
jury will be inflicted on the public interests. We
cannot believe that even Lord PALMERSTON would
go such a length, notwithstanding the jokes in
which he permitted himself to indulge during the
debate. He should be the last man to do so, for
he himself received a similar concession when
he resolved to appeal to the country two years
since., Indeed, if he attempted to do so he might
learn a painful but salutary lesson as to how
scanty was his personal following.
But, independent of the necessary measures,
there are several others containing no party
element, the utility whereof is universally ad-
mitted; surely it would be worth while passing
them, so that they might forthwith be acted on.
This would occasion but trivial delay—a month or
six weeks at the outside would suffice for every
purpose, and it would give time for intending can-
didates to select suitable constituencies, and the
independent electors to decide on congenial repre-
sentatives. This is the course that ought to be
taken. Until Monday evening, however, nothin g
certain can be known ; and until that time we must
restrain our laudable curiosity.

It was unfortunate that under the peculiar cir-
cumstances of the case the hon. gentleman the
member for Brighton was constrained to put that
question on the 25th inst., somewhat ambiguously,
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. There are
reports at least to the effect that the authorities of
the National Gallery have expressed their willing-
ness to give a large sum for apicture by RAFAELLE.
There is undoubtedly in the possession of Mouuxs
MOORE, Esq., that famous picture, by the greatest
of the world's painters, " The Apollo and Marsyas,"
the original drawing of which picture is pre-
served to this day in the Venetian academy.
It is equally undeniable that Mr. MOORE,
the possessor of this remarkable and renowned
work of art; has been impoverished by his
endeavours to advance the interests of art in
this country, and that he may, therefore, be said to

have earned a distinct claim to at least some degree
of consideration. Earnestly do we trust that the

plight to which Mr. MOORE has been reduced in
the course of these arduous but, for the most part,

hitherto futile endeavours to advance the in-
terests of high art in England, was very greatly
exaggerated in the description given of it on Friday
week in the House of Commons by Mr. CONINGTIAM.
According to that lion. gentleman the possession of
the chef d'ceuvre of RAFAELLE, " The Apollo
and Marsyas," has been actually reduced to a
state leaving him no alternative but suicide or
starvation ! The services of MORRIS MooRE, Esq.,
are in no way imaginary or conjectural. They are
notorious. They are capable of demonstration
from printed pamphlets and from the records even
of Parliamentary inquiries. Here is a man who
has striven zealously to effect a high and pure
object, who, if not driven to the frightful alternative
above specified is at any rate lamentably im-
poverished. His last provision—the honourable
fruit of his own rare discernment—may at the
eleventh hour yet redeem the fortunes of this able
but hitherto ill-fated Art-Reformer. Mr. CoN-

INGHAM bears out the report now currently
credited, namely, as we have said, that
the authorities at the National Gallery have
intimated their readiness to give a large sum for a
picture, of course for an authentic picture. by
RAFAELLE. Mr. CoNixwram knows that Mr.
Moßms MOORE has in his possession what is gene-
rally believed to be the celebrated painting by
RAFAELLE of " The Apollo and Marsyas." Mr
CONINGIIA3I hearing the one thing and knowing
the other, asks—lf the report be true, is it not
advisable that the picture should be purchased ?
Mr. DISRAELI answered, thereupon, no less rea-
sonably—that he had never heard of the report,
and that he had never seen the picture, and that he
was therefore called upon to deal, at the same time,
with two of the most difficult things with which any
one could deal, namely—a hypothesis arid a contin-
gency. At this, of course everybody laughed. It was
a ludicrous position most humorously defined. But
all the while the House of Commons is laughing,
the ill-fated Art-Reformer may say with truth—

What is fun to you, is death to me. The actual
position, apart from its ludicrous aspect, has been
already here explained. And supposing even, to
begin with, that the report alluded to be altogether
erroneous—supposing the authorities at the Na-
tional Gallery never gave utterance to any such
expression, never announced their readiness to buy
for a considerable amount some great picture—any
great picture—by RAFAELLE ; there undeniably is
the need of such a picture in the national collec-
tion ! Recollect that even that fragment of a great
design from the hand of RAFAELLE hitherto
in the national collection, " The Massacre
of the Innocents" has now been returned to the
institution by which it has-hitherto been only lent
to the nation—not given, but lent.. The British Na-