The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-19 00:00:00

IMPERI

Among :it the members of thi Deputation, we per-
ceived Lord Viscount Ranelagh, Sir James Hamilton,
Bart., Doctor Holt Yates, Mr. Charles Cochrane, Mr.
Holmez, Mr. Dixon, Mr. J. E. Panter, Doctor J. B.
Thompson, Do;tor Broinit, Mr. Mivart, Mr. J. S. Buck-
ingham. Mr. Robert. Harvey, Mr. O'Callaghan, P.c. &c.
Tlr.! LORD MAYOR hiving in the most courteous mare-
ner T.; c :ived the Th-putation,
!Mr. C. COCHRANE stated that the object of the deputa-
tien in waiting upon his Lordship was to read to him the
s ibAance of resolutions which had been passed at a.
meeting at the Hanover-square Rooms. relative to the
immediate employment of the able-bodied poor, in the
hope that he would:assist by his powerful cc-operation in.
atteomplishing an o).;ect calculated to do the most impor-
tant service to the physical arid moral condition of the
pirblic. Mr. Cochrane then referred to the leading facts
connected with and in favOnr of keeping the streets free
front mud and dust, according to an experiment which
bud been most succe-:sfelly tried in Regent-street and.
Oxford-street; and expressed the persuasion of the Corn -
reiltee, that, as his Lordship's efforts had already con-
siderably improved the streets of London as to cleanli-
ries, he would most readily aid in a great plan for more
completely carrying out the intention he had expressed
at the commencement of his m;yoralty. The cleanliness
of the thoroughfares, would, it was needless to say, lead
Co the moral, healthful, and as the Bishop of London
had stated, to the spiritual improvement of the people.
The experience the Committee had had convinced them
that the most effective way of keeping the
streets clean was to prevent the accumulation of
dirt, by removing the manure immediately it was depp-
sittd by the passing cattle. Hundreds and thousands of
able-bodied labourers would tint; be employed, and the
pauper would be converted into an independent work-
man, :and the losses to which shopkeepers were sub-
jected from the masses of mud and dust would be im-
mensely diminished by a comparatively insignificant out-
lay. The shopkeepers of the two great thoroughfare
at the West-end, to which lie had alluded, embraced
with delight the proposition, and the efficacy of
.j.t far
exceeded their expectations. To obtain the co-operas
tion of the authorities, of the City, of London to
an object so advantageous to. the community would,
of Course, be: the most 'desirable of all things, and
the Committee would most willingly guarantee the pay-
ment of the expenses of the experiment if it should be
found not to meet with the approbation of those who
were best qualified to judge. The cleansing of the
streets of the City cost, according to the statement of the
Clerk to the Commissioners of sewers, about 4,0001. a-
year. The plan the Committee recommended_ would,
with all its incalculable advantages, cost no more
from 2,000/. to 4,0001. more than that sum: -
The LORD MAYOR agreed with the Committee that
the subject was, one which deserved the most attentive
consideration. The- public suffered great injury, in
ways which did not occur to a passing observer, from
the- accumulations of mud and filth with which the
streets were so frequently choked up, and he should feel
the highest gratification in lending his assistance to the ;
removal of so hideous an evil. Nothing could have been
worse than the condiiion in whiCh the streets were when
he- publicly noticed - the intolerable nuisance; and if the 1
winter had been severe in frost and snow, they would
no doubt have been wholly impassable. He should
with the greatest pleasure do all in his power to
remedy the evil, which produced such injurious conse-
quences, by joining in the views of the Committee, or in
any other course likely to be beneficial ; but the diffi-
culty in the way was that the City was bound by a con-
tract. He had strongly advised that the authorities
should cancel the contract, in consequence of the neglect
shown by the contractor to perform the office of cleansing-
the streets ; but it was supposed that litigation might;
arise from pursuing that advice. At the close of the!
present contract, it would, no doubt, be a question
whether some very different plan should not be adopted,l
arid a public meeting to take the matter ititti considera- 1
tion would be held. :
Mr. COCHRANE said that the Committee were mos' I
decidedly of opinion that, if a public meeting werr
called forthwith, at 'which his Lordship should' preside 1,
their proposition—attended, as it had hitherto been, wits
such complete success in the grand experiments alread'
made—would meet with the most powerful support.
The LORD MAYOR, after some observations from othe
gentlemen, 'said that, in his opinion, the most advisabl p
course would be that he should communicate with th
Chairman of the Commissioners of Sewers of the Cit. r
upon the subject of making an experiment on the pia)
adopted in Regent-street and Oxford-street, and after'
the experiment should be made, if it should be found t'
,be successful, that he should call a public meeting, -wit h
the view of carrying it generally into effect all ove
the City.
Some of the Committee seemed to entertain a doubt r if
the acquiescence of the Chairman of the Commissione rs
of Sewers in the City in a proposition which involved a
question of the efficacy of the system upon which th at
body acted ; but
The LORD MAYOR said, he had every reason to b e-
lieve that the Chairman would not hesitate, on such tin
occasion, to sanction an experiment.
The suggestion of the Lord Mayor was then thankful ly
adopted by the Deputation, and they retired, his Lord-
ship having stated to them that he should communion te
to them, as soon as possible, the result of his intervies
with tire Chairman of the Commissioners of the Cit)
Sewers.
Lent

THE LAST or THE STUARTS.—The remains of thil I
extraordinary man were on Sunday last consigned to the,
tomb, their last resting-place, in Tweedmouth churchyard.
The funeral was attended by an immense concourse of people,
considerably more than 1,000. James Stuart was born on
December 25, 1728, at Charleston, in South Carolina, United
States. His father, General John Stuart, was a near relative.
of the Pretender Prince Charles. James Stuart left Ame-
rica when seven years of age, and was a spectator at the
Wilde p( Prestonpans, and witnessed the death of Colonel..
Gardiner ,and the flight of Johnny Cope.— Ho beheld the
tspr ofif,l,l;tiiienocef Charlescuno denh.itosEtudainrtb,uvvrgihie,nanacbl.oNurtas2(s).
ie4c4t3aPtc? A7e
years of age, 'enliated in the 42d Highlanders, in .which re -
giment re remained about seven years. He was an Ensigi
Py general Wolfe's army, and fought at the battle of Quebec ;
After ti* war he sold his commission, but very soon afte r
he again entered the army, and served during the Ame- •
rican war, #.19,4 was at the battle of Bunker's-hill. Aftei •
this he entered tliS navy, and served under Admiral Rodney
He was also for several years a sailor on board of merchant
yessels. About sixty years ago he settled in Berwick-upon- I
1...4ed, or rather in 'rweedinouth, and during that period he
has tti.y.elled the borders as' a wandering minstrel, scraping
upon a wretched violin. He has had five wives and twenty—
seven children. 'lea of his sons were killed in battle—five
inw
the East Indies, two at Trafalgar, one at Waterloo, and two
at Algiers. Stuart was short in stature, but of remarkal-
strength ; he is said upon one occasion, about thirty yea rs
4go, to have gone beneath, a cart loaded with hay, and carrh
it as his hack for several yards. lie was able to follow hi'b
wonted avckcation until a few months ago, when he waal
time i n
oi ef
hiss ncloeng whicha
almost
.entirey gonguted to his house. A fund was raised.
some.
eventfulenabled thefe in
old
comparativeman to spend
.ease
atnhde,.
evening.
comfort. He said a feW weeks- ago that he." hadna been
sae weel aff this hander year." His death was caused by a:.
slight accident, which he received on the hip joint from a fall'_
on the Thursday preceding his death.

" Treasury, April 12, 1844.
" SIRS,—I am commanded by the Lords Commis-
sioners of her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you that
an institution called the Art-Union of London, having
for its object the chance distribution of Prizes of Works
of Art, has been brought under the notice of their Lord-
ships,-and that they are advised that it is illegal ; and I
am also to acquaint you that the further continuance of
the same will render all parties engaged in it liable to
prosecution.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" W. R. REYNOLDS.
" To G. Godwin and Lewis Pocock, Esqrs.,
4, Trafalgar-square, Charing-cross.'
The Committee immediately met, and a memorial
was addressed to Sir Robert Peel, as First Lord of
the Treasury, setting forth the nature of the Asso-
ciation, the sum of money which through its means
had been expended since its establishment in the
promotion of the fine arts—the fact that the arrange-
ments for the distribution were com plete ; and that,
if stopped at this moment, great loss would be occa-
sioned to many artists, and praying that assurance
might be given that no legal proceedings would be
commenced with the sanction of the Government
in the event of the general meeting . being
held, as already arranged. The memorial was
accompanied by a letter from the Honorary Se-
cretaries soliciting the serious attention of the
Right Hon. Baronet, and asking for an interview.
Sir George Clerk, Bart., on the part of Sir Robert
Peel, having appointed to receive the Committee
yesterday (Thursday), Mr. George Godwin and Mr.
Lewis Pocock, Honorary Secretaries, with Dr. Dick-
son, Mr. Gaskoin, Mr. W. Donaldson, Mr. Noble,
Mr. A. Tooke, Mr. Troughton, Mr. Morant, Mr.
Atkinson, Mr. Morris, Mr. Hayward, Mr. Collard,
1 and other members of the Committee, attended at
Downing-street. ,
Sir GEORGE CLERK said Sir Robert Peel had
placed the memorial in his hands, and that he should
be happy to hear any observations which might be
offered.
Mr. GEORGE GODWIN, on the part of the Com-
mittee,_ then made the following statement :—The
Art-Union of London, since its establishment in
1837, (in consequence of the opinion published in a Re-
port of a Committee of the House of Commons on arts
and manufactures, in that year), has distributed about
36,0001., independently of the present year's receipts,
in the purchase and preparation of works of art, and
has put into operation painters, sculptors, engravers,
medal-die sinkers, modellers, and artists in bronze (a
branch of art up to this time much neglected
in England), to say nothing cf the branches of
industry encouraged by it, as paper-makers,
printers, frame and glass-makers, &c. As an in-
stance of the magnitude of
_their operations in this
latter respect, Mr. Godwin stated that 300,000
sheets of paper had been used for the series of out-
line. desigps about to be distributed to the subscribers
tof the present year. The Association had corre-
, spondents not merely throughout. the United King-
dom, but in our Indian possessions, Nova Scotia,
Hobart Town, Mexico, and New York. Mr. God-
win contended that to bind together a large number
of individuals by a common interest— an interest in the
arts ofpeace—was of itself an important result, tending
to good. A reserved fund had been .put by without
interfering with the subscribers' rights, and promised
to produce speedily permanent funds for the advance-
ment of the higher branches of, art. The Society had
now been in operation for eight years, increasing in
usefulness, and the_ Committee were confirmed in
their views of its legality by numerous facts. 'Her
Majesty the Queen was patron of more than one such
association, and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
had very recently expressed to the Committee of the Art-
Union of London through Mr.Eastlake, R.A; his appro-
bation of its objects. Among the Vice-Presidents of the
Irish Art-Union were several of the judges ; his Ex-
cellency Earl de Grey was a subscriber. The Com
mittee of the Edinburgh Society included numerous
;advocates, and, in addition to these points, the High
Chancellor of Ireland, Sir E. Sugden, Mr. Fitzroy
Kelly,, Mr. Cs Clarke, and others had stated their
opinion that the Art-Unions, properly so'called, were
sl ,rictly - legal. The Committee now found
themselves 'with 14,000/. in their hands, a.
11 age increase over the subscription of any
fi easier year, on the very eve of the distribution.
1.11 the elaborate arrangements consequent- on the
li .rgeness of the body acted for had been made ; ar-
tists had filled the exhibitions about to be opened
4 iith their works, and, in the majority of eases looked
b ) the funds. of the-Association for a return for their
s kill and labour. The effect on these of suddenly pre=
a enting the application of the funds provided for their
4 ncouragement would be disastrous in the extreme;
nor was it simply as concerned the funds of the Art-
-pion of London that the artists would be affected ; he
would speak within compass if he said that 40,000/. or
60;0001. were in the hands of Committees throughout
the kingdom to be applied in the way alluded. to;
the point then was, -whether without their entering
;into the question of legality, the Committee might
'proceed with the distribution, and wind up the pro-
s eedings of the year. He would maintain that the
Art-Union of London was not encouraged through
ithe ' spirit of - -gambling; and would prove it,
by showing that, with the exception of his Royal
'Highness the President, and men known to be patrons
of art 'and above suspicion, the subscription was uni-
formly of one guinea,_ for which every man' had his
worth in the shape of engravings, the ;panted report,
t admission to the exhibition, and other pleasurable and
1 wholesome excitements. 'lf they were prompted by
a spirit of gaming they would be found risking their
five guineas or their ten ' guineas. The chance ,of
obtaining a prize was too remote to be a leading
motive. For the opinion entertained of the Asso-
ciation by the artists, he would appeal to resolutions
of confidence passed at a large meeting of artists, held
at the Freemasons Tavern, last year, and ta the fact
that Sir Martin Archer Shee, the present respected
President of the Royal Academy, had been a sub-
scriber -from the foundation of the Society, and had
been found at all times ready to give them
.his advice. The exhibition of prizes Would,
he was sure, seem to Sir George Clerk,
who, he was satisfied, regarded the fine arts as im-
portant civilizing agents, to be of great service. Last
year the exhibition was open four weeks; part of the;
time to the public without any limitation, and was:
visited by about 200,000 persona-. The fear of the
printsellers that the Art-Union of London interfered,
with their trade, and which had led to the present
steps on the part of the Government, Mr. Godwin could
not think well founded. Prints had been distributed
by the Society in quarters where prints had never
before been seen : the taste thus inculcated would make
buyers; -when one print was hung up another was
_speedily.required. That the printsellers themselves
were favourable to the Art-Union was proved by the
fact that they attended the Committee of that sAssociae
tion before transmitting the memorial, and stated that
they had specially excepted it in their prayer. The
question then was, are the efforts now making by the
Committees of Art-Unions throughout the kingdom
to be stopped ? If the Government think that specu-
lators avail themselves of the existence of Art-Unions
to injure legitimate trade, will her Majesty's Minis-
ters bring in a short Bill to place them on a more
assured and permanent footing ? The immediate
point, however, (continued Mr. Godwin,) is, can the
Committee of the London Art-Union complete their
arrangements on Tuesday, as announced, or must
the artists of the United Kingdom suffer the
sudden deprivation of the means of remuneration
which had - been offered them, and for which
they had been at work all the past year ? The
question was one of -great importance, and he
trusted they might receive such an assurance, as
should, enable them satisfactorily to keep faith with
the public, and avoid the threatened injury to a large
body of meritorious men.
Dr. Drorsorr, Mr. HAYWARD, and others, followed
in confirmation of Mr. Godwin's statement.
Sir G. CLERK, who had received the Deputation.
with great courtesy, said that the attention of the Com-
missioners of the Treasury having been directed to
the subject, they had submitted a case to the
Attorney and Solicitor-General, and that, in their
opinion, the whole of the associations referred to were
illegal, and that it was thought due to the Committee
to give them early intimation of the fact. Sir Ro-
bert Peel could not interfere in the matter—all he
could do was to inform them of the law. He-(Sir
George Clerk) was himself a subscriber, and so were
many others connected with the Government ;
still, for the Treasury to give any sanction to
further proceedings, although be fully admitted the
difficulty of the position in which the Com-
mittee found themselves,' and the loss which
would result to artists if the proceedings were stomd,.
was quite out of the question. If the opinions of the
gentlemen were such as was stated, they could of
course act on theirs if they pleased. The most pru-
dent course, he thought, would be to postpone the,
meeting, giving the subscribers notice to that effect,
and suspend proceedings until it Could be ascertained
whether or not the Legislature would protect that
and similar societies.
The Deputation then withdrew. .
As will be seen by our advertising columns,
the Committee have determined to postpone the
meeting for the present, and it remains to be seen
what steps will be taken by the artists out of doors, to
strengthen the hands of the Committee. Whatever
may be the result, the rise and progress of . this- Asso-
ciation will form a most extraordinary page in the
history of the arts.

HOUSE OF LORDS, April 18,
Their Lordships assembled at the usual hour.
Messengers from the Commons brought up several
Bills, which were read a first time.
The Duke of WELLINGTON and Lord KENTON pre-
sented petitions from Dover and Bolton-le-Moors,
against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill.
The Earl of MORLEY presented a petition from
Devon, against any alteration in the corn-laws.
Earl CAWDOR presented petitions, praying for
an alteration in the new poor-law.
The Marquis of NORMANBY presented petitions
for and against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill from va-
rious places in the north of England, and in doing so,
the Noble Marquis stated that on the whole his opi-
nion was favourable to the Bill ; at the same time he
thought there were great difficulties to contend with
in legislating upon this subject.
The Bishop of LONDON presented a petition from
the minister and elders of a Presbyterian congrega-
tion in Ireland against the Dissenters' Chapels Bill.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from the
north of Ireland, praying that Presbyterian mar-
riages might be legalised ; also, from an Episcopal
congregation who concurred in the prayer. The No-
ble Lord also presented a number of petitions against
the Dissenters' Chapels Bill.
Lord LYTTELTON presented a petition from a
congregation of Protestant Dissenters in Dublin, in
favour of the Dissenters' Chapels Bill. The Noble
Lord said that the petitioners represented themselves
as the lineal successors of the original founders of the
chapel, and said that they had been buried in the
burial-ground of the chapel all their time.—(Great
laughter, in which all their Lordships joined.)
DEBTORS AND CREDITORS.
Lord CAMPBELL said he begged to lay on the
table a Bill for the purpose of allowing proceed-
ings to be brought against British subjects resident
abroad, where cause of action had arisen within this
country. He hoped that he should not be suspected
of any party purposes in introducing this Bill ; but
notwithstanding the many imputations which might
be groundlessly brought forward against him, he
should continue to use his humble efforts for the purs
pose of improving the institutions of his country.
Some years ago, when a Member of the House of
Commons, he had brought forward a Bill to
abolish imprisonment for debt, both upon mesne
process and upon execution. A part of that
Bill was adopted, while the rest was dismissed in
empty air. But great improvement took place
through the preventing of imprisonment for debt
upon mesne process, and at the same time giving a
more speedy and effectual remedy to the creditor
as regarded the property of the debtor. He must
own, however, that one thing was overlooked, viz.,
that great facility was given to the fraudulent
debtor to leave this country, and reside abroad,
where he could set his creditors at defiance.
It had been found by experience that this
facility had been taken advantage of to a
very great degree. Power, indeed, was given in
the Bill to arrest a person who was in medi-
tatione fuge ; but if a man had a fraudu-
lent intention he would keep it to himself,
he would not suffer his creditor to learn his secret.
He crossed the Channel to Boulogne, lived there very
luxuriously, and set his creditors at defiance. Their
Lordships were aware that, as the law now stood,
no action could be brought in any Court in Eng-
land, unless process were served within the ju-
risdiction of the Court, and if a debtor went
out of the jurisdiction of the Court, there were
no means whatsoever of obtaining judgment against
him. If a man had landed property, or property in
the funds, or personal property to a large amount,
and he owed 1001. in England, he could go across
the Channel, and there he could not be reached
by any means- whatsoever, except through the
precarious process of outlawry. Even if the outlawry
were regular, the personal property being forfeited to
the Crown, the creditors derived no direct advantage
from it. The drily course which he could pursue
was -fo petition the Treasury, as representing the
Crown, that a sufficient part of the property for-
feited might be allotted for the payment of his
debt ; but this mode of proceeding was found in
practice to be wholly unavailing. There wa:: an-
other most grievous inconvenience—viz , that the
statute of limitations was in the mean time running.
If a debtor went abroad and remained there for six
years, the debt was satisfied; there was no remedy
to recover it. The creditor must sue out writs and have
them returned by the Sheriff of Middlesex ; but that
was such an uncertain, fruitless, and expensive
proceeding that it could hardly be considered a remedy
at all. There could be no doubt in fact that great
abuses at present existed, that fraudulent debtors were
encouraged, and creditors grossly defrauded. What he
proposed by this Bill was, that, with the concurrence
of the Courts of Westminster Hall, when a cause of
action existed against a debtor whe was abroad, pro-
cess might -be served upon him in a foreign country,
ample time being given to him to make his appear-
ance, .and his defence, if he had any to make;
and that after it had been proved to the satis-
faction of the Court that he had been served
with process abroad, the action should
proceed against him as if he had been
served within its own jurisdiction. - TherNoble Lord
then read a statistical statement as to the number of
English subjects resident in France on the Ist of
January, 1844, making a total of 66,000. In addi-
tion to the nujnber of • residents in that country, it
was calculated
.that there were 50,000 persons who m
were there merely for some temporary pur-
pose. The expenditure •of English residents in
France exceeded it appeared the annual sum of
5,000,0001. sterling. Now he did not contend that
all those persons were fraudulent debtors, but he
believed that a considerable proportion of English
subjects resident in France were there to set their
creditors at defiance, and if there were only one hun-
dred who had left this country with, such an object
in view, he thought the Bill which he proposed to
introduce would be a salutary measure, and, under
these circumstances, he begged to move that
the Bill be read a first time, and printed.
The Noble and Learned Lord gave notice that on
Friday se'nnight he should move the second reading
of the Bill which he had introduced respecting writs
of error.
Their Lordships then adjourned. •

HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 18.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
The Birkenhead Improvement Bill was read a third
,ime and passed.
NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY BILL.

On the motion for bringing up the report on this
Mr. LOCKHART moved that it should be post-
poned until that day six months. This Bill could
not possibly be of any service to Scotland. Al-
though fifty-six miles long it only came sixteen
miles southward. As a local measure it pos-
sessed hardly any recommendations. The railroad
would go along the sea-side the whole &stance.
Another objection to it was, that it would pass close
under Holyrood Palace, and would therefore intrude
upon the privacy of her Majesty. It would have to
pass a strong arm of the sea, and could not therefore
be continued with benefit to Scotland. Aline had lately
obtained the sanction of the House, running from
Lancaster to Carlisle ; and there would, therefore, be
a direct line of railway from Euston-square to Aber-
deen. A number of lines were projected, which
would ultimately turn out to be competing lines.
Under these circumstances he hoped the House would
not sanction this measure. _ _ .

Mr. P. M. STEWART said it would require strong
nerves in any Hon. Member to stop the Bill before
the House in its present stage.—(Hear, hear.) A
few years ago a Commissioner was appointed by Go-
vernment to report on the best line of communication
with Scotland, and that Commissioner reported strongly
in favour of a central and objecting to the
one now before the House. As the Caledonian line
had not only the sanction of the Government, but the
support of an overflowing body of subscribers, and
therefore might be considered as a competing line,
he wished to express a hope that that
line, whenever it came before the House,
'should not be prejudiced by allowing the Bill now
before. them to pass through its present stage. He
claimed for Scotland a fair consideration for every
line of railway that might come before the House ;
and that should ohe or two lines be brought forward
next session they should be • opposed (if opposed at
.all) on other grouiids than that this line had been
already sanctioned by Parliamen't.;=--(llear, hear.)
Mr. H. HINDE hoped. the -ll6use would accede to
the present motion, but must say that nothing would
give him greater pleasure than to see other lines in
connexion with Scotland brought before the House.
Mr. GLADSTONE was not quite confident he
should be acting right in saying anything on the matter
before the House, but as he had been appealed to, as a
Government CoMmissioner had reported upon the
subject, and as he perhaps might save the House the
trouble of a divisiou, he would venture to express an
opinion. He thought there was no doubt, if there were
to be only one line to Scotland, the House considered
that line should be a north-western one. Whatever
I was done now, or whatever had been reported by the
Commissioners, ought not to prejudice the fair consi-
deration of any future line. He quite agreed
with the Honourable Member for. Lancaster (Mr.
Stewart), that any line that might hereafter
be brought forward ought not to be resisted by those
who now promoted-the one then under consideration.
—(Hear, hear.) Any opposition that should be at-
tempted would not, he was sure, receive_the counte-
nance of the House.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.")
The amendment was then withdrawn by consent,
and the report was received. .
On the motion of. Mr. HARDY, the Northern
Coal-mining Bill was read a third time.
Mr. WATSON presented a petition against the
ahorehum and Christchurch Rail well,.