The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-19 00:00:00

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THE NATIONAL GAL,E.RY.

The Royal Commissioner.; have presented their report on
the site of the National Gallery. The report has net yet
been made actually public, hut, as its general tenour is
notorious, there can he no harm in ariti,ipating by a few
days the conclusions of a document which ere everybody's
secret. The Commissioners recommend that the National
Gallery shall be left where it is. This was the chief point
at issue. Dr. Milman was, we believe, the only diserfitient
in favour of the more courtly theory which woilia have
removed the Gallery to South Kensington. When this
question was mooted some time back—juitt before Lord
Elcho obtained the commis ion—we argued as strongly as
we could in support of the view which the Commission has
adopted. The only point which could admit of a moment's
doubt was as to whether or no the pictures. were injuri-
ously affected by the locality of the present Gallery. If it
could have been shown that, apart from defective ventila-
tion, from the imperfect construction of the rooms, from
injurious processes employed in the cleaning of the pictures,
there was really some injurious principle in .the London
atmosphere which was more or less slowly destroying
these great works of art, no doubt the conclusion was in-
evitable in favour of removal. But when it was considered
that immediately opposite the National Gallery stands
Northumberland-house and that the pictures in Northum-
berland-house have not become deteriorated in consequence
of their position, although they have remained there for a
much longer period than the national pictures on the other
side of the square, a very strong presumption arose that it
was not the general London atmosphere whieh was in fault.
It is very true that the pictures in Northumberland-
house have not been exposed to the same severe trials as
the pictures in the National Gallery. The walls against
which they are hung have not been visited daily by thou-
sands of visitors ; they have not, consequently. been
moistened with the concentrated exhalations of human
breath ; they have not been exposed to constant vicissi-
tudes of temperature which would act upon the varnish,
and so let in mischief upon the picture. All this may be
freely admitted, but the fair inference would be, not that
the London atmosphere cannot be disarmed of its terrors,
but that the arrangement of the rooms at the National
Gallery is faulty in conception and defective in execution.
This we believe to be the truth of the matter. Were th•
rooms in which they are hung properly ventilated and
maintained at an even temperature the national pictures
would suffer very little damage, if any, from the London
[smoke. Any one who visits the Gallery must be well
aware that the contrary of all this is the case. The per-
vading smell is almost as offensive as the un-Sabasan odor
which used to reign in the old Reading-room of the Mu-
seum. Now, that which affects the human senses in so
very unpleasant and painful a manner can scarcely be other-
wise than injurious to the pictures as soon as the mischief
is let in through the cracks in the glazed sat face. Apart
from these general considerations of common sense, we
believe that competent persons who have been charged with
the office of instituting chemical experiments upon the
matter have arrived at the conclusion that any deleterious
principle which may exist in the London atmosphere can-
not make its way through the coat of varnish as long as
this coat can be maintained uncracked. We take it, then,
as a legitimate conclusion that if a Titian or a Raffaelle
receives any damage at Chariug-ctoB3 it is our own fault,
This question, then, of the immunity of the pictures from
necessary damage being disposed of, we have to consider
the fittest situation for a National Gallery on general
grounds ; and there can, we think, be no doubt that Tra-
falgar-square presents the very best situation in London
for the purpose. We can to a certain extent sympathize
with the views of those who would have transferred the
site of the Gallery to Kensington gardens, converting
Kensington Palace into a fitting temple for the reception
of these glorious pictures. It is a rich man's notion, and
for a rich man by no means a bad notion. Undoubtedly,
for all persons who had time enough on their hands it
would have been well that the pictures bay been removed
from Trafalgar-square and placed among the solemn old
trees of Kensington-gardens. The lounge would have been
far more agreeab'e. Even as far as the more occupied and
humbler classes are concerned, they would have once or
twice in their lives enjoyed a run to the National Gallery
at Kensington, as they now enjoy their rare visits to the
Crystal Palace. When there their enjoyment would have
been more perfect, and there are many considerations to
be urged in favour of this view. These considerations are,
however, overbalanced by the weight of argument on the
other side. A mere romantic enlvincernent of the gratifica-
tion which dilettanti and occasional visitors might receive
from the leafy avenues with which the Gallery might le
surrounded is surely as nothing when set against the fact
that ten people would visit the Gallery at Charing-cross
for one who could afford time or muster vigour to make
his way up to Kensington. It is a most important matter
that the Gallery should stand in the most central spot of
London, anti such, for the purposes contemplate I, Trafalgar-
square undoubtedly is. It is, no doubt, a great mortifica-
tion to our national pri le that the National Gallery should
wear so repulsive an aspect from the outside. Never was
there an opportunity so completely thrown away. The
site is one of the very finest in any European town. The
building erected upon it, therefore, should form an appro-
priate termination to that street which should, and, no
doubt, will in time, be a most stately one. With West-
minder Abbey and the Parliament Houses at one end, and
the National Gall ,ry at the other, with Whitehall and the
Public Offices in e,sse and posse as con necting lieks, we surely
here have the elements of an architectural result which
should reflect credit on the nation. What Is to be done
with the present building ? If all the rooms were taken
for national purposes, and the Academy were removed
elsewhere, as far as internal accommodation is concerned
we might work on for a time • but the building itself will
never be other than a discredit to the nation. Take it
from what point you will, it is an eyesore.
Meanwhile, what is to be-done ab4ut the Turner pic-
tures ? Where are they to be placed ? We are just now
virtually imposing upon the illustrious dead. The con-
dition of his bequest to the nation was that a gallery
should be built by the nation for the reception of hie
corks. The works we have accepted, but wo have not
built the gallery. Why should England not have some-
thing at the least as fine as the Museum at Berlin for the
display, not only of our older art treasures, but. of the
works of our native artists? Were such a building in
existence we firmly believe that in a few years England
would surpass every continental capital in her pictorial
wealth. The Exhibition now in progress at Manchester
constitutes excellent evidence of the enormous mass of pic-
tures of the very highest class actually in the country.
There ia, however, little or ho inducement at present to
offer gifts or make bequests to the nation. Nowhere
would the pictures be so ill-shown--nowhere would they
be so likely to receive injury as when incorporated with
the National Collection. Still, despite of all these disad-
vantages, the names of Angerstein and Vernon as collectors,
and of Turner as -an artist, are there to show what men
would do under more favourable circumstances. Hitherto
wo have been as beggars craving for alms, and grudging
the cost of the wallet.--Times.

ROBBERY ON THE WINDSOR RAILWAY.

Yesterday morning two, gentlemen, foreigners, entered
the 10.50 train for indsor, and immediately after taking
their places in a first-class carriage they were joined in the
same compartmentby three persona of not only respectable
but of gentlemanly appearance and manner. In the pro-
gress of their journey, the three persons last mentioned
produced some cards, and used some efforts to get the fo-
reigners to join them in the game. This, however, they
declined, ant nothing bad occurred to excite the suspicion
of the latter during the remainder of the journey. -.Soon
after leaving the train, however, one of them discovered
that his pocket had been pickall of a case
.containing
301. in bank notes, and the other also found that he
hed been robbed of 50/. in bank notes. The gentle-
men so robbed at once proceeded to the residence -of
Mr. Long, the desk to the borough magistrates, and
communicated their loss to that gentleman, and also
described the persons of their fellow-travellers in the train. "'
Mr. Long at once despatched a messenger to Mr. Egar,
the superintendent of police at Windsor, requesting his
immediate attendance, and on his arrival he was informed
of the robbery. Mr. Egar said he was at the railway station,
and actually saw the five gentlemen get out of the same
carriage, and such was the notice taken of them that he
had no doubt ho should be able to recognise the whole of
them again. Lig...lilies were at once set on foot, and it
was soon ascer,,aiiied that the three gentlemen who were
" wanted" had engaged a fly to take teem to the Hampton
races. Mr, Egar, with one of his sorg!aats (Noble), and a
member of the Bucks police, at once went in pursuit of
the thieves, and on reaching 'Hampton they were not long
in finding oat the fly driver who had driven them from
Winilsor to the races, and he said he would be able to
point out the parties. Mr. Egar, in conseqUence.' took
his person with him, and while one of ihe races was going
on one of the thieves was seen in the betting-stand with
betting-book in hand, and offering to take or give the odds.
Mr. Egar approached him. and having quietly intimated
that he "wanted him" for being concerned with two
others in robbing two foreign gentlemen of -841. in bank
notes on the Windsor Railway, requested that he would
at once retire .to the back of the stand and not submit
himself to be put to to the unpleasant ordeal of being laid
hands on. The accused with the utmost coolness replied
that the superintendent must be very rauch_Jonistuklepsaost
he knew nothing whatever of the matter. H
mtrouble his accuser to lay haoHd
accom-
pany him as he requested. _Ho othnehnimaCcobnuitpsatudldth
searched, four Bank of England notes for' / each, together
cers to the police station at Hampton, w_here, on being
and numbered 4,715, and a
of Engraving, abetting
with 31 sov.erei”g
he
and to a considerable
ns
d a ll3goeorko, a° f g noise sw.oant pa": dB: ibky
maa'rsslivsee'goSki wMaatrctbin,'sw.beirnee'found on him. The " flash"
wt,hwicehrewaonreex%relvleandtoiumsistautmiosn, of those of the Bank
years of age, stout, and of
antontoeus.n
a3nBd his dress betokened a Per'
of England, and the betting-book appeared a mere blind.
man about
appearance,
son of respectability. He refused to give his name, or soy
ri:htels eprrisswo naerrthiys
account of himself, and was taken away in the °ennui et
the evening in kfiy by Mr. Edgar and his officers to Wind%
sor, there to be examined on this day before the ni4lo:
trates at that place, on the charge of having been conoer
in the robbery.

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•

iron MAJESTY'S TREATtB.
IL DON GIOVAN:s.TI.
TO-MORROW (SATURDAY), will be repeated, with
the following unprecedented cast, Mozart's chef-d'oeuvre, IL
DON GIOVANNI :—Zerlina, Mdlle. Piccolomini ; Donas.
Anna, Mdlle. Spezia • and Donna Elvira, Mdlle. Ortolaui.
Don Giovanni, Sig. heneventano ; Leporello, Sig. Belletti ;
Masetto, Sig. Coral; Il CommAndatore, Sig. Vialetti; and
Don Ottavio, Sig. Giuglini. Conductor—Sig. Bonetti.
The Minuet in the Ball Scene will be danced by Manes.
Pasquali, Karliski, Morlacchi, Marie, and Corps de Ballet.
groin respect to the grand work of the immortal composer
the following artistes of the establishment have consented to
lend their assistance to increase the effect of the majestic
finale of the first act, including the chorus, Viva la Liberta
—MM. Reichardt, C. Braham, Bottardi, Mercuriali, Kinni,
De Soros, and Baillou ; Mesdamss Poma, Berti, Baillon,
Fazio, and Ramos. _

After which, will be produced an entirely New Ballet
Divertissement, by M. Massot, entitled
LES ROSES.

Principal dancers—.Madlle. Boschetti (her first appearance
this season), Mesdlles. Salvioni, Morlacchi, Karliski,
Pas-
quaii, and Signor Baratti.
For particulars, see bills.

A limited number of Boxes in the Half-circle Tier have been
specially reserved for the public, and imp be had on applica-
tion at the Box-office, at the Theatre Colonnade, Haymarket.
Trice One Guinea and One Guinea and a Half each.