The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNES DAY MORNING, APRIL 17, 1844.

certain feelings might be excited, which he was sure the
Right Hon. Baronet would be the last person 'to treat
with disrespect ?—(Hear, hear.) If these buildings
were thrown open free of charge, and the Govern-
ment would take steps to preserve the necessary order
"and decorum, he firmly belioved that the rpeople
would soon become their own police.—(Hear, hear.) He
knew from his own experience of continental churches,
that those great evils which were anticipated from the
common participation of such advantages occurred much
less often when the admission was free than when it was
not free.—(Hear, hear.) They had every reason to be-
lieve that the,people of England were as fit to go and
enjoy themselves—and, he would add, to improve them-
selves—in Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's, as a French-
man in Notre DA ne, or an Italian in St. Peter's.—(Hear,
hear.) With respect to the character of these monu-
ments, he believed the chapter of St. Paul's had lately
come to a decision not to admit any more monuments
which had heathen subjects, and he believed they had
only acted in accordance with public opinion. The
question of removal was a very difficult one, and.required
grave consideration. If they decided hastily for re-
moval they might take away from these buildings
their national character as Pantheons, if he might
so express himself, or representatives of the tastes
of the different ages in which the monuments were
erected. There were, in fact, evils on both sides.
He hoped the Right Honourable Baronet would with-
draw his opposition to the resolution. He had all pos-
sible respect for the religious services performed in these
edifices, but he thought that every effort ought to be
made to open them to the present generation, and he
hoped that they would not suffer the stigma to remain
that the English were. the only people who were unable
to obtain free admission to their national cathedrals.
_ _

Sir R. PEEL said he had had opportunities of ivfiness—
ing the result of free admission to works of art and
monuments of antiquity, and he saw no reason whatever
to retract the opinion he had expressed on former occa-
sions. —(Cheers.) He thought every facility which could
he given for admission to the cathedrals of this country,
consistent with the preservation of the works of art and
monuments which they inclosed, could have none but a
good effect.—(Hear.) He thought that the moral effect
would be good. Admission to these ancient buildings,
which were recommended by their venerable appearance,
and afforded proofs of a pious disposition on the part of
the founders, and instances of the devotion of great
skill and great science to religious purposes, must tend
to excite emotions which could produce none but the
best results. His Hen. Friend, the Member for the
University of Oxford, had said, and said truly, that
there had been periods in which great refinement and
civilisation had existed, concurrently with great profli-
gacy. His Hon. Friend also said that there had been
Instances of persons of great intellectual acquirements,
who were not deeply impressed with the importance of
religion. All that was perfectly true ; but it seemed to
him (Sir R. Peel) to be entirely beside the question.—
(Hear, hear.) The question was, whether or no the
emotions which would probably be excited by free ad-
mission to edifices of this description were likely to pro-
duce a good effect on the minds of those who enjoyed
this advantage.—(Hear, hear.) If his Hon. Friend's
argument had any foundation, it would go much further
than he carried it ; it would go to show that admission
to such places must have a tendency to check civilisa-
tion.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He thought, how••
ever, that the emotions likely to be excited were emo-
tions calculated to wean from vulgar habits, and from
debasing pursuits, and to refine and improve the mind.
He did not contend that they would necessarily, in all
cases, impress the parties who contemplated these
edifices with the great truths of' religion ; but was it
possible that the emotion produced could have other
than a good effect? Could they do otherwise than civi-
lize and refine?—(Hear, hear.) If they did not create a
religious character—if that must be derived from other
sources—if the good were not complete and perfect,
still let them derive as much benefit as they could from
refinement and civilization. So far as public and politi-
cal results were likely to arise from them, he:certainly
thought, that by leading the working classes of this
country, those who deriyed their existence from daily
toil, to these buildings, they would be teaching them to
regard with veneration what came to them associated
both with religion and with a long existence. Therefore,
so far as public and political considerations were concerned,
he could see nothing but good for the Constitution as
likely to arise from encouraging feelings of this descrip-
tion. So far as moral and social results were concerned,
he should contemplate, with great satisfaction, the free
admission of the humblest classes of society to the
cathedrals of the country. It was his opinion also, that
this admission might be granted without incurring the
risks which were sometimes apprehended. At present,
liberal provision was made in Westminster Abbey for
the admission of the public, not only on Sundays, but on
every day of the week during the performance of di vine ser-
vice. But they said that if the public wished to enter at any
other time they should pay a certain sum for admission.
What was this but encouraging those who might have
come from religious feelings to attend Divine service, to
devote the time to the contemplation of works of art?-
-(Hear, hear.) He had the strongest impression that
if, on certain days of the week, they gave an unrestricted
right of admission, the public would not avail themselves
of that right to an inconvenient extent, but would act
on a principle which very much governed themselves,
who,,knowing that they had the opportunity of seeing
very many curious and distant countries, were very well
contented to stay at home.—(Laughter.) He thought the
public would use the advantage, but not in
such a manner as to interfere with the safe
preservation of anything that was valuable
He thought that nine-tenths of those who were admit-
ted to view public exhibitions of works of art were led
by a real desire for knowledge and improvement. The
experiment which had been made of the admission of the
public to exhibitions of works of art had been highly fa-
vourable. There had been certainly one case of a per-
son injuring the pictures in the National Gallery.
But that was done by a person who was proved
to be of obscured intellect ; and the same thing
might, have occurred if the price of admission had
been sixpence.—(Hear, hear.) He was in
favour of the fullest freedom of access to all exhibitions
of public monuments that could be afforded with due re-
gard to the preservation of monuments. He believed
that the persons who had the charge of preserving the
cathedr4l monuments were willing to give every, facility
to public access. A resolution of the House of Com-
mons would not compel them to depart from their own
regulations. It was by far the best course to leave it to
those persons themselves. There was, a few nights ago,
an attempt made to put down duelling by an Act of Par-
liament. He amongst others was opposed to legislation
on the subject; and he considered that this also was one
which had best be left to the persons in whose hands the
institutions of the country had placed it. A resolution
such as the Hon. Gentleman proposed would have the
effect rather of raising opposition to his views than of
promoting them.
Sir R. INGLIS said that his Right Hon. Friend had
entirely misapprehended him. He had not denied that
there was a moral tendency in exhibitions of works of
the fine arts. He had only protested against the state-
ment that such exhibitions were alone sufficient to
Christianise the people. The fees must be paid some-
how, and by somebody ; and he had not absolutely ob-
jected to the reduction of the fees from a shilling to six-
pence. •
Mr.rel to WeAx
pßrTesssaain o
d thpaintitolnie
oofbjthecet
Hofotubsee,
and motion
nowt to
force it upon the ecclesiastical establishments. He meEsup-
ported the motion. The Right Hon.: Baronet had not
answered the question whether or not he was willing to
appoint a commission for the conservation of public mo-
numents.

Sir R. PEEL said that he was by no means prepared
to say that he would appoint a commission on the
subject

Sir WALTER JAMES said that he had seen in the
newspapers a statement that, on Easter Monday, 41,000
were admitted to the British Museum, and 25,000 to the
National Gallery, whereas only 200, on the same day,
were admitted to St. Paul's. As a religious man, he de-
plored that freer access to the great churches was not
given to the public, andihe regretted that the Church so
much neglected • its own interest as to shut the
doors of the cathedrals against the people.—(Cheers.)
He should always wish that the religious character of
the edifice should be impressed upon the minds of those
who visited it, and therefore he would rather that the
public should be admitted to these cathedrals on a
week day, because he thought that there would be great
crushing and crowding on the Sunday if the public were
admitted indiscriminately. Some observations had been
made as to the propriety of removing what were called
heathenish monuments from the cathedrals. He ad-
mitted that some of the monuments which had been
erected in the days of Anne and the Georges exhibited
somewhat of a heathenish character. He did not, how-
ever, object to the emblems of war being placed on the
monuments of soldiers, because he thought it very pos •
sible that a soldier might be a good Christian.
Mr. PETER BOTHWICIC concurred in the object of
the motion, and was glad to find that there was scarcely
a dissentient voice in the House on the subject. They all
wished that the cathedrals should be opened, but the
difficulty was how they should convey the wishes of the
House to the Church. This was one of the difficulties
which arose from their not permitting the Church to
control her own affairs.—(A laugh.) They threw
blame on the Church for not doing that which they
prevented her from doing; they tied the hands of the
Church, and said, Why do you not • act ? They
gagged her and said, Why do you not speak ?
(A laugh.) The monuments in some of the cathedrals
were most incongruous. The monnment of Dr. Johnson
in St. Paul's, looked like an overgrown Hercules, placed
there after he had rested from his labours, to grow to
the monster which he was there represented to be.
He must also censure the placing of guns and bayonets
on the monuments of warriors. What we in our pre-
sumption called " the dark ages," had also their war-
riors, but on the tombs of the heroes of Cressy and
Agincourt. we read the words " Non nobis Domine."—
This was a proper inscription ; but the inscriptions on
the monuments erected to the memory of the heroes
of the present day, would lead the reader to forget
that there was a God who directed their valour, and
saved their country. It was monstrous, that under any
circumstances, and at any time, a fee should be de-
manded for admission to our cathedrals. Not that he
thought that they ought to be made mere sculpture gal-
leries ; indeed the taste of the public would not be
improved by looking on the monuments in our
cathedrals ; but undoubtedly they ought to be open from
sunrise to sunset every day. If the House divided he
should vote for the motion, but he believed it could not
be carried out without the assistance of the Convocation
of the Clergy, and therefore he hoped that that day week
all who supported this motion would vote with him in
support of the address he intended moving, beseeching
her Majesty to restore the Convocation of the Clergy.
Colonel WYNDHAM said the debate had now lasted
since half-past six o'clock, and they were all agreed that
the public ought to have access to the cathedrals. He
was of- that opinion, but as he did not think that the
House of Commas had any 414 to interfere with the