The Sun.
London, England, 1835-06-01 00:00:00

and cheers.) This has always been to me a matter of very
serious regret, and I heartily hope that we shall not spend
many years without seeing some attempt made to remedy this
evil, so that when any great public buildings are erected some
few pounds may be given for the encouragement of
those branches of the art which must otherwise absolutely
languish to the end- of time. Such being my regrets and opi-
nions—regrets deeply felt, and opinions maturely formed—
and such being my hopes, which I trust are well founded, I
shall proceed to add a few words with respect to what I have
observed in connexion with this subject, on the continent of
Europe.—( Hear, hear.) There is hardly any part of France
in which I have been, but more especially the North, in which
I did not find considerably great exertions made by the Go-
vernment, and fully equal exertions on the part of individuals
—exertions far beyond anything. I have ever known in favour
of the Fine Arts in this country—there was hardly any town
visited during my sojourn there in which did not find- a
School of Design. This is a part of the policy of the French
Government. In Paris, in Lyons, Brussels, Toulon, Mar-
seilles, and even in as small a town as Montpelier, I have
seen a School of Design under able artists, for the purpose of
teaching gratuitously all persons who choose to be taught—
giving them the very best instruction, and the most scientific
education an artist can give, and withal on the best and purest
principles of the art. These. are students, some of them with
the intention of benoreing artists, sculptors, painters, archi-
tect?, or engravers ; or with the intention of occupying some
adjacent province. of the Arts—l mean those which borrow
their aid, by borrowing their ornaments from the Fine Arts,
such as the eommon arts and manufactures. Both descrip-
tici.ns of students resort to these schools, and drink deep from
the sources of the knowledge and taste which these excellent
institutions open to them. - 1 remember on one occasion being
shown a Leige the head of Apollo painted by a boy only 124
years old,and who after six Month,' instruction hadproduced such
drawing as had deceived the best artists, who had set it down
as the production-of an experienced and first-rate pencil. If,
after six months' tuition so. much could be achieved, the ad-
vantages of these schools must be obvious ; but such instances
are by no means. uncommon. The benefits, indeed are so
numerous and obvious, that encouragement becomes the duty
of the governments of these countries (for the system is not
confined 'to Franee alone), and they feel that they cannot
better bestow small sums from the public funds than in sup-
porting these remarkably useful instuutions.—( Hear, hear.)
When I say- this much, I do it rather for the. purpose of en-
couraging such excellent establishments by the Government or.
individuals, than with a view, of casting blame upon any
quarter; for.l believe that the. apathy is owing rather to a
want of public attention•being called to it, or to the matter
netsbeing sufficiently discussed, than to any question of the
importance of the subject, if properly understood.—( Cheers.)
There is a very.humble branch of drawing—that of making
patterns for nnislin and calico printers, and it is rather curious
that there are only two artists in London from whom the
manufactuters in the country obtain good patterns, but so
disproportionate is the supply to the demand, that they can
scarce ever obtain the patterns within a reasonable period.
Three months at least must be spent before a manufacturer
can hope to have his order executed. There is, however, a
project- afloat which is fast ripening, by • which this monopoly
willnbe put an end to. • I was shown one pattern, and was in-
formed the price was from fifteen to twenty guineas, and that
sueh•was
_by no means an untlual•ellgsges; sand 'a firsq-tete
artist and lloyal academician, •who.waanweeent;:told us that he
could be fqo glad to spend his 'whole life .in furnishing the
iii:e at one-fourth or one-fifth the price. Could this
nessibly exist, except from carelessness and inattention,
and no thought whatever being given to the subject ? My
belief is that if theae schools were established, those instances
would no longer exist—the manufacturer would obtain what he
required at a reasonable,tate--his charges would consequently
he reduced, and-the public at large would profit as well by the-'
:eduction as by the increased excellence of the fabric. Thii,
is but a soli tatry example, but in my deliberate opinion the same,
remark applies to the want of encouragement given to even
the highest branches—(Hear)—because the attention of the
people at large, the thinking classes of the people, and ulti-
mztely that the Government, have not been called to it
These, Gentlemen, are the remarks that have lately struck me
in turning my attention to this subject, and especially from
seeing what has been done in foreign countries for the en-
couragement of the arts, and it only remains for me to apolo-
gize for having taken up so much of your time. I thought the
only way of showing my grateful sense of the kind and hearty
reception you have given me, was by turning to the particular
subject for which we have met. The Benevolent institution
for Decayed Artists has existed, I believe, about 20 years.
That it may, and that it will go on flourishing, I sincerely
hope ' • and that not only those of the profession who have the
eood fortune to enjoy affluence, but those of other pt ofessions
-may lend their assistance to its funds. There is no knowing
hut that the most prosperous may be himself reduced to seek
aid from its funds, and that the contributions from self-interest
may be on a large and well-measured scale by artists them-
selves as well as by the public at large, is my firm hope, my
sincere wish, and confident expectation.—(Cheers.) I have
now only again to return you my thanks for the cordial recep-
tion I have met with—that obligation has been encreased by
the kindness and attention with which you have listened to a
very dull and trifling address.—(Cries of " No," and great
cheering.) I beg to make you the only return I can, out of
the only fund from which it is my power to draw, by wishing
you all prosperity and happiness. The Noble and Learned
Lord sat down amidst enthusiastic cheering, which lasted for
some minutes.

The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the next toast, observed that
they had the honour of entertaining that evening a distin-
guished Foreign Minister, who represented a Sovereign con-
nected by many endearing ties from former melancholy recol-
lections with England—he meant the Ambassador of Leopold
King of Belgium.—( Cheers.) It was one of the advantages
of that country, that it formed a sort of near neighbourhood
with the other parts of the continent—a species of neutral
ground on which different nations might meet for the cultiva-
tion of mutual good will, and a country with which ( Ireland
excepted) England was on the closest terms of amity.—
( Hear, hear.)
" The Belgian Ambassador."—( Cheers. )
M. VAN DE WaTER shortly returned thanks. He stated
that as a Fleming he could not help feeling proud at the emi-
nence attained by many artists belonging to that school. The
attachment to the fine arts still continued as strong as ever
among his fellow-countrymen, and his Sovereign was most
anxious to encourage them in every way.—( Hear, hear.) An
annual exhibition of pictures had been opened at Brussels
under the patronage of the King, and he (M. Van de Weyer)
was authorized to invite British artists to send their produc-
tions there for exhibition, which could be done without any
charge to them.—( Cheers.)
" Success to the Artists Benevolent Institution, and the
Subscribers thereto."
Lord BROUGHAM—Gentlemen, there is no one toast which
will meet with a more favourable reception than the one I am
about to propose to you, and this I am perfectly satisfied of, that
if I were to sit here till to morrow night—but Sir Andrew
Agnew and Mr. Poulter would not allow me te. do
that---(Great laughter)—because, if they will not allow a poor
man to travel on Sunday on his necessary business, how much
less would they allow a loid to amuse himself.—(Renewed
laughter)—but if I were to sit here till to-morrow night, .1
could propose no toast which I am sure would give you more
hearty pleasure and gratification—l mean the health of the fair
ladies who have subscribed to this benevolent fund.-(Great
applause.) As they are always the foremost in the g work
of charity and benevolence ; and as they are in a triple way
the encouragers of the art—first, by affording the fairest and
faliryest subjects for the pencil--secondly, by the giving the
warmest and most grateful encouragement—l mean the encou-
ragement of their eyes upon the productions of the artist—
and, lastly, by coming forward with their accustomed benevo-
lence when the work of charity is to be done—l feel much
pleasure in proposing this toast to you.—(Tremendous cheer.
ing.) It is a great source of satisfaction to me to know that
none of them are present to hear what we say of them—
( Much laughter and cheering)--and I therefore call upon you
all most heartily to drink their healths.—( Great applause.)
The next toast was, " The Navy and. Army."
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the next toast, observed, that
the individual to whom lie alluded occupied a distinguished
place among British artists, and was equally distinguished in
point of individual merit. It was rare and gratifying to find
acknowledged merit implanted in the highest place in point of
precedence of the institution for the encouragement of the
arts in that country. It was almost unnecessary for him to
name Sir Martin A. Shee, Presidett of the Royal Academy.
—( Great cheering.) In addition to his attainments in the
sister arts of painting and poetry, they had that night wit-
nessed that his powers of eloquence as a public speaker were
also considerable.—( Cheers.) The Noble Lord, after some
allusions to the administration of the affairs of the Academy
over which he presided, gave the health of " Sir M. A. Shee,"
which was drank with great cheering.
Sir MARTIN A. Sim returned thanks—lt had been so
often his duty to thank them for compliments similar to the
present, that his small stock of words was quite exhausted,
and he'could devise no new ones for the honour they had con-
ferred on him. For the flattering and almost overwhelming.
talent with which the Noble Chairman had alluded to him, be
was most grateful, although he felt how unmerited it was. He
felt that it was unnecessary for him to offer them any renewed
assurance of the interest which he took in the prosperity of
the institution, and among the members of the Royal Academy
he could assure them that many were the most active,
zealous, and efficient promoters of the charity, and were most
anxious that it should receive that support which would enable
it to take a more extensive range.—( Cheers.) He sincerely
wished that those in whose hands rested the administration of
the affairs of the State, and who had it in their power to carry
into effect the suggestions of the. Noble and Learned Lord,
had been present to hear him.—( Loud cheering.) The Noble
Lord who was acquainted with all history, an therefore ac-
quainted with 'the history of the fine arts, well knew that
howevei they might be patronized or encouraged, they never
attained any high perfection without the stimulus of the State.
It was not by encouraging trifling productions that the great
plower of art was produced. The Noble Lord was aware that
civilization and refinement travelled from the surface doscri-