The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-19 00:00:00

THE NEGLECT OF SCULPTURE IN ENGLAND.—
Would it not be wise in the Government of the country to
sustaitvand draw out the capabilities of artists? There are
pedestals erected in Trafu!gar-square which are naked, and
perhaps only awaiting some dead hero to immortalize a living
genius. Suppose 10,C00/. were annually given to revive (or
originate) a taste for sculpture, would not the country profit
by its humanizing influence? At present there is little more
acumen amongst the multitude on the subject than might
suffice to discriminate doubtingly between the group of the
Princess Charlotte's tomb at Windsor and the statue of
George the Fourth at King's-cross, or of Queen Victoria in
Pimlico, if some horror-stricken dilettanti, on discovering the
barbarism of the two latter examples, had not removed them.
There are, at this moment, mouldering in the studios of
British artists, splendid models that would do honour to any
age or nation, but which are unnoticed or- unknown, because
sculpture is-not fashionable—and there stand in the hall of a
millimilaire in the west-end but plaster casts of ancient
masters; and not a single product from the chisel!! The
year 1851 may infuse a spirit for excellence in this art; but
if the:avlbject be indifferent to the Government, and they
withhohl tho legitimate support, this branch of the fine arts
must 'become extinct, and will not easily be resuscitated.—
fbeilrie.4

Ar.mtug —Mr. Dowling, the chief-super-
in' eadent of the Liverpool police, has at 'present in his poS-
3e=sione an ingenious and simple contrivance fir alarming the
•'cuMnte of houses in case .of burglary. It consists of a
rattle,..which is sprung by the gravitation of a weight at-
tached' to a wheel, by means of a cord. The alarm is in-
tended to be fixed on the attic floor of the house, so that the
weighVnay fall the whole depth of the house, between the
banistearie and keep up a continuous alarm. The fall of the
weight upon; the pavement or boarded floor makes a great
noise, and is alone sufficient to arouse the household. The
process-by which the rattle is set going is very simple. When
the cord is wound up,abe weight which is attached to it ie
suspended on a thick piece of wire, which passes through the
mechine, end is connected at the other end with bell-wire,
communicated by means of c,ninke end punka to the doors
and windows of the licuse. The moment any of these are
opened the wire on which the weight bangs is drawn out,.
and the result is a most terrific alarm, which could be heard
in tha remotest part of a large dwelling-house, but more
espeeiallv in the sleeping apartments. Mr. Dowling has
had one of these machines fitted up at his office; and we be-
lieve he will be glad to show its operation to any gentlemen
living in the outskirts of the town, and who may desire an
inexpensive and efficient protector daring the winter months.
—Liverpool Albion.
FATAL ACCIDEXT.—A fatal accident happened to
Mr. James Gravener, an attorney of Dover, while following
the fox-hounds on Friday last in the vicinity of that town.
It appears that the unfortunate gentleman was cantering up
to a corner of a wood whence the hounds were breaking
cover;and on coming up to a narrow dyke, over which a
person might easily have stepped, his horse made a sudden
Jump, and deceased lost his seat and fell. Mr. Beattie, a
surgeon, who was near the spot, hastened to render assist-
ance, and found the deceased insedsible and- blood flowing
from a severe wound on the temple—caused, it is supposed,
by the horse kicking him while falling. He was removed at
once in a carriage to the Bell Inn at Lydden, and died at
half-past four o'clock in the afternoon.