The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-25 00:00:00

further evidence to prove that the prisoner is
the guilty party P Cook--No, Sir, not at present.
The officer produced several pieces of chalk he had
found in the prisoner's coat pocket. Witness added
that he and Dr. Bachhoffner had compared some
letters found on the prisoner, and the writing closely
resembled that which had been chalked upon the
pedestal and base of the statues of the Queen and
Prince Consort. Mr. Long inquired if there was
any further evidence, and it was stated that no
more could be adduced. Mr. Long told the pH.
soner that if he had really done the damage he had
rendered himself amenable to a severe punishment.
Prisoner—l have never written anything obscene ;
the Government have plenty of my writing in black
and white, and I hope they, will hear of what has
taken place to-day. I'm not the man who damaged
either of the figures. Mr. Long gave him to under-
stand that if lie did do the mischief he was, as he
before observed, liable to be punished; but as he
had not been proved to be the guilty party, he
must discharge him, but the constables must keep
a close watch upon him.

IIBETING OF THE BAKING TRADE AT
HAMMERSMITH.

An association of journeymen bakers of Ham-
mersmith having invited the central committee of
the Baking Trade Reform Association to meet
then at the Albion Tavern, Albion-road, Hammer-
smith, the invitation was responded to on Saturday
evening last, and about 150 West-end journeymen
bakers accompanied the committee. The chair was
occupied by E. Landells, Esq., who spoke in flat-
tering terms of the Conduct and management of
various bakers' meetings which he had attended.
He thought that while other operative classes had
progressed since the opening of the present
century, the bakers had retrograded. He
judged that the public were not acquainted
with the extent of the misery and degradation
under which journeymen bakers laboured, or
ere this 'their emancipation had been perfected.
He could tell them that they might depend on the
assistance of the press. Mr. E. Stevens, master
baker, in moving the first resolution, declared his
conviction that the prevailing system of the prac-
tical operations of the baking trade was repugnant
to civilisation and obstructive to the general pro-
gress of the operatives engaged. Mr. Blackmore,
journeyman baker, in support, argued that the
manual operations of the baking trade were incom-
patible with the system laid down by Christianity's
great founder. After freely expatiating on the
evils of the present system, he advised his fellow-
workmen not toilet slip any opportunity for making
the public acquainted with their unfortunate posi-
tion. Other speakers followed in support, and the
resolution, was unanimously carried. It was in the
following words :—" That this meeting being deeply
sensible of the evils resulting from the existing
mode of conducting the practical operations of the
baking trade of London, considers it highly requi-
site that an organisation of the journeymen bakers
of the metropolis should be forthwith effected, that
thereby measures adopted in the spirit of good-will
may be entered upon for the purpose of perfecting
an arrangement between masters and journeymen
for the abolition of night-work, and the limitation
of the time of labour to twelve hours per day ; so
that the opportunity may be afforded for recreation,
for mental cultivation, and the elevation of the
moral sentiments." Another resolution, pledging
the meeting to support the central committee, was
also carried, and a vote of thanks to the chairman
closed the proceedings.

LARGE OPEN-AIR MEETING OF
COLLIERS.

The Barnsley mining district continues in any-
thing but a settled and satisfactory state, and the
feeling between masters and men is far from being
what could be desired. About 12 months ago a
union was formed amongst the miners, but as an
opinion began to preVail that the union was losing
ground, it was resolved to call a public meeting of
the colliers of the district. Accordingly a meeting
was held on Friday, in a field near to the Oaks
Colliery. ,The attendance was large, and comprised
workmen from all the neighbouring collieries, who
were accompanied to the place of rendezvous by
two bands of music.

Mr. R. MITCHELL (secretary of the Miners' As-
sociation) was called to the chair, and, in opening
the meeting, said it was well known that the miners
produced a great deal of the wealth of the nation ;
but out of every twelve hours' labour, eight of them
went into the pockets of the capitalist. Before the
workmen could elevate themselves they must be
better informed. The wealth produced by the
miners was enormous, and it was well known that
they were not sufficiently remunerated for their
labour, nor were they properly treated by their
masters. It was labour that produced capital, and
the reason that the workmen have not possessed
capital was because they had not sufficient know-
ledge, were not properly informed.
Mr. DAVIES proposed the following resolution—
" That it is the opinion of this meeting that a firm or-
ganisation should be maintained by the different mining
districts in the kingdom."
He said, in order that their union might prosper they
ought to combine with each other, and endeavour to
put a stop to the tyranny that was practised upon
them. There was one system practised by the em-
ployers which he would like to see removed, and
that was the truck system. In order to put them-
Selves in a position to get better remuneration for
their labour, they ought to organise ; and if they
only organised and were men of principle, they
might adopt means to enable them to obtain and
maintain the rights of labour.
Mr. THOMAS FORTH seconded the resolution,
which Was carried unanimously.
Mr. GEORGE ADCROFT moved the next resolu-
tion :

" That it is the opinion of this meeting that making our-
selves working capitalists by mutual co-operation is the
only means by which the full reward of our labour can be
secured or enjoyed by us."

The speaker showed that though the miners of this
country produced wealth in abundance, they were
in a most deplorable condition, and something must
be attempted and carried out before their position
in life could be elevated. He was not one who
railed against the masters, because if they were in
the same position and had been brought up as they
had, they would just have the same ideas, and carry
out the same principles. He, however, wished
workmen to act in co-operation with each other,
and then they would soon be enabled to be masters
themselves. The speaker next dwelt at some length
upon the evils which existed in this conntry, and
said they must be removed before the country could
be in a flourishing and happy condition. He was
opposed to strikes, and contended that they were
never of my ,h benefit.
After some remarks from Mr. S. Woffendale in
seconding the resolution, the chairman put it to
the meeting, when it was carried unanimously,
The meeting then separated.

- -
THE HANDS IN PICTURES.—In looking, the other
day, at a ;choice collection of engravings of the works of
Michael Angelo, Raffaelle, and other masters of a great
period of art, we were struck by the numerous instances in
which marvellous expression of the passions was given by
the disposftion and character of the hands of the figures—
a matter which has been too little attended to by Eng-
lish painters. The practice cf using the ordinary artists'
models for the hands by some portrait-painters has led to
several inconsistencies between the hands and countenance,
which cannot fail to strike those who do not observe very
closely. All observance of nature, as it may be noted in
the figures which are presented in every-day scences, shows,
in general circumstances, the somewhat firmly-clasped
hand of the man of intelligence, its slow but impulsive
working, which, if even the face were not visible, would ex-
press so much ; contrast with the listless and distended
fingers of those who are without intellectual ideas or edu -
cation, or the claw-like expression of the miserly man.
When walking in the street the palms of some hands are
presented on the line with the face, in others the reverse,
and in these varieties it will be found that the same pecu •
Rarities of the hands are connected with certain physical
and phrenological developments.—The Builder.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.—The National
Portrait Gallery now includes a portrait of John Hunter,
which, although irtthe 'first instance only a copy, has re-
cently and most unexpectedly acquired something approach-
ing to the value of a unique picture. The original by Sir
Joshua Reynolds, stillin the Connell-room of the College of
Surgeons, Lincoln's-inn-fields, and universally known by
William Sharpe's admirable engraving from it is fast de--
caying. Within the last few years the whole picture has
been deepening and assuming a monotonous dingy hue. At
oven
nfeowf ;heftergsenloenraglerfho 'ands
cthane pbreesetnrateteitTel,vitihndeceedri leailnittty.
A all will have disappeared. These misfortunes,
ever, arise, net from want of care on thepart of thoseow-
ap-
pointed to guard it, nor from, as far as we know, any
in-
judicious treatment which may
ayhave befallen it since
quitting the easel, but simply from the fatal tendency
which the painter had to make - experiments of his best pic-
tures, and from the injurious nature of the ingredients
in-
corporated with ;his colours. . Jackson, who understood
Reynolds better thin any other artist—Northcote not even
excepted—was fortunately no experimentalist; ho painted
fairly and solidly, and, while Sir Joshua's picture was yet
brilliant and apparently sound. produced a copy which now
may be regard as the only satisfactory substitute. This
the trustees of the Portrait Gallery have recently obtained.
•It belonged to the late Sir Charles Bell. A very poor copy
from the Reynolds picture was made for the College of Sur-
geons, and a favourable transcript of it hangs in the board-
room of St. George's Hospital, where Hunter died. Another
portrait will be exibited to the public on Monday next; it
is a foreign work, and at first sight, of no very attractive
character, although highly valuable as a careful study of a
well-known countenance. It is a life size study of the
head of Lord NeliCin, taken from a diflerent point of view
front those 'portraits with which we are familiar, and
painted under peculiar influences of colour, light, and shade.
This curious record -*as taken by Fuger, the Director of
the Imperial Academy of Vienna, when Nelson passed
through that city on his way to England in 1800. • It was
recently the property of Herr Moritz von Tschoffen, who
had it from the son of the painter. Nelson was. then (Sep.
tember, 1800) accompanied by Sir William and LadiET
ia-
milton and the Queen of Nap,lea, The. Germ,
papers of
the day menoQll,alt@ cil9V0004:::11.16 sitting to Fagot,
4 11 a