The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

The Late Mrs. O. Newton.

The short muster-roll of English female artists
has lost a name of high distinction, and still higher
promise, in Mrs. Charles Newton, who died prema-
turely at 33 of brain fever following on measles,
just after the dawn of the new year. Mrs. Newton
came of a family of artists. Her father, Mr. Severn,
our present consul at Rome, is known both by his
, pictures in oil and fresco and as the friend of Keats,
whose deathbed he soothed ,by his devoted care.
Her brothers are both artists, and Mr. Walter
Severn's etchings and designs of the Golden Ca-
lendar, and Mr. Arthur Severn's water-colour
drawings in the exhibition at the Dudley Gallery
last year have received very favourable criticisms.
Miss'Severn early began the practice of art, and by
her heads in pencil, crayon, and water-colour, and
still more by her exquisite copies in water-colour
from the old masters, had already won for herself
both reputation and profit, when five years ago she
married Mr. Charles Newton, the distinguished su-
perintendent of Greek and Roman antiquities at the
British Museum. After her marriage Mrs. Newton
became even a more devoted and conscientious la-
bourer in her art than before. Following her hus-
band's studies with the double interest of a devoted
wife and an enthusiastic artist, she learnt to apply
to the antique that rare faculty o f rendering the
thoughts of great minds which till then she had
deciphered by means of the works of the great
Italian masters. How thoroughly she had ac-
complished the latter may be illustrated by an
anecdote, honourable alike to student and master.
When Ary Scheffer saw a small copy she had made in
the Louvre of the beautiful head, commonly called
Raffaele',3 " Fencing-master," but moreprobaabslyana
work of the elder Francia's, he took it to his atelier,
and, holding it up to his assembled pupils
example of what a copy should be, and of what ha
had never succeeded in getting from their labours
in the Louvre, asked them how they liked to be ex-
celled by a young English 'lady. Mrs. Newton
executed on a large scale a great number of draw-
ings from the finest antique sculptures and vase
paintings of the Museum as illustrations of her hus-
band's lectures. These drawings have been pro-
nounced by very critical judges unsurpassed for
truthfulness and for their rendering by equivalents
of the untranslatable and inimitable qualities of the
finest antique art. There is the same rare quality
in her drawings from the sculptures discovered by
her husband at Budrun and Caidos, which are pho-
tographed in his history of these discoveries. In oil
painting Mrs. Newton was labouring energetically
up to the time of her lamented death. And though
her style in this difficult branch of the art was not
yet fixed, and her command of its materials and
methods imperfect, the portrait of herself exhibited
at the Royal Academy two years ago, and a large
half-length subject of Elaine, hung the same year,
but too high for fair appreciation, showed how
much of power, beauty, and sentiment she had
already qualified herself to express through this
medium. This notice is necessarily confined to
what the arts of England have lost in this gifted
woman. What her husband and friends have lost
in her is not to be touched on in a record meant
only for the public,

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At the meeting of the Geographica f. y a„--t,i,
terday evening Lord Strangford presidedid A _
.ii T(
tralia formed the subject of the papers read. The
chairman, in introducing the business of the meet-
in;, alluded to au expedition which has been under-
._
taken in Australia
.to search for Dr. Leifchardt,
whose explorations of the interior had added so
t• •
much to our knowledge of that continent. A sensa-
tion nearly similar to that which prevailed in this
country
_with respect to the search for Sir John
Franklin, he said, now exists in all parts of Australia
to ascertain what has become of the explorer, of
whom nothing has bean haard since he started with
the intention of penetrating the interior in a fresh
direction. Large sums had been contributed to fit
out the expedition for the purpose, which had already
left Melbourne. The council of the Geographical
Society have contributed £2OO towards that object,
and a public subscription has also been commenced
in this country.
The first paper, contributed by Mr. J. Jardine,
described the district round Cape York, the most
northern point of Australia, where a settlement has
been made to form a harbour of refuge for ships
navigating Torres Straits. The country was repre-
sented to be rocky, sandy, and barren, and the
natives the most degraded of any Australian tribes.
Except for the purpose for which the settlement was
made there is no inducement to colonise the district,
which lies within the tropics in about 10 degs. of
south latitude.

The second paper related to the north-west coast
of Australia, and was contributed by Mr. Jams
Martin. He gave an account of a coasting expedi-
tion undertaken by him in 1863 to the Glenelg dis-
trict, and of his discovery of the mouth of Glenelg
river. A fine expanse of water, called Doubtful
Bay, affords a good anchorage for ships, but the
coast generally is very rocky and forbidding.
The shores are covered with mangroves, which in
many places obstructed the attempts made to ascend
the rivers that flow into the bay. One tract of
country that was discovered, to the extent of about
a million acres, seemed capable of cultivation and
of depasturing sheep, and Mr. Jardine reported
favourably of its capabilities as a place for settlement.
The temperature never exceeded 98 deg. in the shade,
but the thermometer rose as high as 130 deg. in the
sun, and the mosquitoes were abundant. There are
two rainy seasons in the year, during which much
rain falls, and the heat did not seem oppressive. In
the night time, indeed, during the cooler season,
the covering of a blanket was required.
In the discussion of the papers, Mr. Cranford re-
peated the opinions he has before frequently ex-
pressed, that sheep cannot thrive in the tropical parts
of Australia, and that one-third of that continent
is altogether unsuited to occupation by Europeans.
Sir C. Nicholson stoutly combated that opinion, and
said it was as contrary to fact to assert that wool
could not be profitably grown in the tropical part
of Australia as that potatoes could not be profitably
grown in Ireland. In the course of the discussion,
the failure of the attempt to form a colony at Cam-
den Bay and at Adam's Bay was alluded to, the
former project being strongly condemned by Sir C.
Nicholson as well as by Mr. Crauford. Lord
Strangford read a note received from Admiral
Stokes, in which he expressed the opinion that sheep
would not thrive in the Glenelg district ; and his
lordship attempted to reconcile the conflicting
opinions of Mr. Cranford and Sir C. Nicholson by
observing that, though unquestionably large quan-
tities of fine wool were grown in tropical Australia,
yet it was found necessary to frequently introduce
rams from more temperate climates to keep up the
breed of sheep, and that the fleeces were light.
The meeting then adjourned to Feb. 12.

HER MAJESTY'S SHIP BULLDOG.—The crew of
the late vessel Bulldog were paid off yesterday at Devon-

port, on board the Port Admiral's ship Royal Adelaide.

ALLEGED MURDER IN LIVERPOOL.—On Sunday
week a man and woman, named Nixon and Quinn, who re-
sided in a court in Blackstock- street, Liverpool, quarrelled
with a man named Michael Smith, residing in the same
house. They threw Smith violently down stairs and
kicked him so brutally that he died on Sunday morning
from the injuries ho had received. Nixon and Quinn will
be brought up at the Liverpool Police-court to-day.
IRON SHIPBUILDING IN SOUTH WALES.—The iron
shipbuilding trade has of Late become an important addition
to the prosperity of South Wales. It was not till recently
this comparatively new branch in the maritime act was in-
troduced into this district, and since then great progress
has been made at the several ports where iron shipbuilding
yards have been established. It has been proved beyond
a doubt that the district is capable of producing iron-plates
suitable for first-class ships, and that iu the course of a few
years the prlnciptlity will be a strong competitor with the
North of l',ngland in the building of iron vessels. In addi-
tion to the ships already launched a fine iron bark has just
left the stocks of Messrs. Batchelor Brothers' yard, Cardiff.
The bark is the property of Messrs. Cory, of Cardiff, and
is destined for the copper ore trade. Her length is 140 ft. ;
breadth of beam, 24ft.; depth of hold, lift. A large iron
I vessel is about being built at the East-yard, Newport, by
Mr. Spittle, and there are also iron ships on the stocks at
Cardiff and Llanelly. This indicates that the advantages
of tho district for iron shipbuilding are being gradually ap-
preciated by capitalists.

NAPOLEON'S DIFFICULTY WITH AMERICA.—The
ruler of France may be pleased with the reflection
that he, a creature of the Revolution, has flung one of the
richest territories of the world to a Prince of the House of
Ilapsburg-Lorraine ; but this is a satisfaction which is
very vulgar in its essence, and must be very fleeting in its
duration. And, putting this aside, there is really nothing
to compensate him for the mistake he committed in going
to Mexico. It has perpetuated the financial disorder of
France ; it has displeased some of the stanchest and most
sagacious of his supporters ; it has irritated afresh the
enemies who were beginning to relent in their opposition,
land it has raised up a spirit of resentment in a country
which has cherished an alliance with Franco ever
since the days when Washington and Lafayette
fought side by side the battle of independence. The
intervention in Mexico was a mistake, though we
are precluded from condemning it loudly. Our own
Government was ill-advised enough to concur in the
moderate attempt at first suggested, and we can only con-
gratulate ourselves that it had the discretion to retire as
soon as it could with decency. It ought to have been
seen from the first that it would be impossible to restrict
the movement to its proposed dimensions, and oven were
it possible the movement would still be impolitic. The
practical question is, however—What shall the Emperor
do ? Luckily, it is not our function to determine his
future policy. There are some situations in which it
seems equally impossible to advance or retreat. The
Emperor may, however, persuade himself that he must
either advance or retreat ; it is impossible to do both, as
so many people would willingly do, and it is equally im-
possible to stand still. if ho retreats, ho exposes himself
to tho imputation of failure, and must run the risk of the
disfavour which the French are very apt to feel towards
anything like a want of military success ; but lie would be
relieved from considerable expense, would mitigate some
domestic opposition, and would appease the American
people. If he persist, he must be prepared for growing
embarrassments and must bravo American resentment.--
Times.

LIEUT.-GENERAL GRANT.—'rhe New York cor-
respondent of the London Standard writes of Gen. Grant :
—" The Radicals have opened an attack upon Lieutenant-
General Grant. The General's indorsement of the Presi-
dent's statements has stirred up a great deal of wrath in
Radical minds, and certain Congress men have already
announced that they will endeavour to defeat Mr. Wash-
burne's bill for the establishment of the military grade of
General. This bill has direct reference to Grant. Some
of the Radical journals are indulging in criticisms upon
Grant's generalship ; one (the Chicago Tribune) has asserted
that it will never be known how much or how little the
country owes to Grant—whether ho is or is not a mere
accident. The slander set afoot by Butler, that Grant
was and is too fond of the intoxicating cup, either for
his own good, or that of the country,' is repeated by many
newspapers. In short, the Radicals are ready to pronounce
their late hero a drunkard and a blunderer. Unfortunately
for their designs such attacks on the Lieutenant-General
will only recoil upon the instigators. Grant is an object
of popular homage, and whether ho is or is not, as Radicals
assert, an ' accident,' it is sufficient for his own well-
being that ho is considered by the majority a great captain.
Mr. B. F. Butler will deliver a speech in Lowell, Massa-
chusetts, to-day or on Monday ; and it is supposed that
the disgraced ruffian will attempt to reply to Grant's
charges of cowardice and incompetency. It may not be
generally keown that General Grant is a very poor man,
but such is the fact. His friends in New York are quietly
working to raise means to remove the mortgage upon his
house in Washington. The General's pay would bo suffi-
cient for his maintenance as a private citizen ; it is grossly
inadequate to the support of the establishment he is com-
pelled to keep up as our highest military officer. He has
lived plainly, but he found it necessary, snore than a year
ago, to mortgage his house. Some $50,000 or $60,000
have been obtained hero by subscriptions, and if a sufficient
sum is accumulated, the general's house will be restored
(and a substantial additional gift tendered) as a 'New
Year's Present. "

HIGH WATER. AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tins DAY.—Morning, 6h. -28m.—Afternoon, 6h. 50m.
To-Mounow.-Morning, 7h. 16m.—Afternoon, 711. 42m.