The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-08 00:00:00

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DESTRUCTION OF TIL
LAND VASE. \
Shortly before the closing of Bow-street did,
man, about twenty years of age, and of delicat-1149.A
allesorsars-.t.-
was brought before Mr. Jardine, in the custody _ ~,-i
vision, and placed at the bsr, chard with wilfully n athneelßrat!rpre .24
licicionsly breaking the celebrated ortland Vase
. : ..
tish Museum.
Sir Henry Ellis, the resident librarian of the establishment,
was on the bench.
The prisoner, being placed at the bar, appall(' Ter • sullen
y
and reserved, and seemed regardless of the preferredcharge
against him.
Mr. Burnaby said—What is your name ? The ins°lle' -!.'
(in a sullen tone )—I decline to give any name or addres:* „.. Mr. Edward Hawkins, being then sworn, said, hack
hPard that the Poi tland Vase Lad been broken, and that if visitor had come down stairs since the crash was heard, h.i
went up, and finding four or five persons in the apartment',
he asked them what account they could give of the circuit.
stance. They replied, they knew nothing of it, and comity ''
to the prisoner, to whom he put the same question, he re-:
plied, in the most deliberate manner, " I did it," without
giving any reason for such extraordinary conduct. Wit.:••
ness saw all the fragments scattered about the room, and
on looking about he found a large sculptured stone oif:
the floor, with which the destruction appeared to have been committed.
Mr. Jardine—Was any attendant in the room at the'timei.:
Mr. Hawkins—The attendants were then in a small room id-
joiniog the Portland-room, in which the vase was situate. 31r. Jardine (to the prisoner)—Do you wish to say any•
thing at this stage of the inquiry respecting the charge agzsial# you :- The prisoner (in a faint voice)—No.
Mr. Jardine inquired if it was not possible that such an ne'
currenee could take place accidentally ? Mr. Hawkins; its>
plied it was quite impossible.
Sir Henry Ellis said the blow was so severe, that the glen •
shade by which it was covered was totally demolished, and .„
the vase, which seemed to have been stuck at the bottom,
was dashed to pieces.
..
Mr. Jardine, addressing the prisoner, said—Have you any
friends in London, for it is probable I shall require you to find:,
heavy bail for the offence of which you stand charged? The. '
Prisoner (in a faltering manner—done. : ,
Mr. Jardine—None at all? Prisoner—None
Mr. Jardine said it would be necessary to bring forward at . .
a future day the persons who were in the room when the oc.
currence took place. I
Mr. Hawkins said he would use every exertion to bring' ,S
forward any person who could give evidence upon the
subject. .
Mr. Jardine told the prisoner he need not make any state-'
went unless he wished, and as he thought proper to refuse"
hiss name and address, or to give any account of himself; the
inquiry should be adjourned for a few days.
~ . The prisoner was then removed from the bar.
In the course of a few minutes the landlady of the Euro-
,
peen coffee-shop, in Long-acre, entered the Court, and in- .
formed the magistrate that the prisoner, whose name 'was
William Lloyd, came to lodge at her house about two months
back, representing he was a scene painter, connected with
Covent-garden and other theatres, and came frem Dublini
where his mother and sister resided, his father being dead.
He kept late hours, and she had no reason to doubt his state-'
ment was correct.
Mr. Jardine desired she would enter the cell and satisfy'
herself she was not mistaken, and on her return she said she-
-42 had no doubt as to the prisoner's identity. . ..:
22 Mr. Jardine directed constable Neal, who apprehended the
;46 prisoner, to proceed to his lodgings, and bring any papers he,
r 42
ill could find belonging to him, but nothing was found to lead to"
87 the prisoner's name or profession.
48 Before the prisoner was removed in the van to Clerken-
14 well, his landlady had a conversation with him, and he told
9 her that he did not commit the offence of his own accord, but
I was persuaded by two others whom he would not name, as he
sdid not wish to bring them into trouble.
6 (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) •
8 Just as this national institution was about closing yester..
0 day afternoon, a miscreant seized a piece of granite front.
one of the shelves, and dashed it against the case containing ,
) 5 the Barberini Vase, better known as the Portland, from. •
its having been purchased by the Duke of' Portland for thesum of 2,000 guineas. It was deposited by his Grace in the
British Museum for security, as well as to gratify the public, .
with a splendid example a ancient art. The vase In:Sa been
dashed into a thousand atoms, almost defying the possiOlitY
of restoration.
•
The Portland Vase was discovered about the middle of th• .
sixteenth century, enclosed in a sarcophagus, within the
monument of the Emperor Alexander Severus and his mother,
Julia Mamwa, commonly called the Monte del Grano,. '.
about two miles and a halt from Rome, on the Frascati road: The sarcophagus .
itself still remains in Rome, and the vase .
also remained for more than two centuries in the Palaceiit'
the Barberiui family, in the same city, of which it was the ‘.
chief ornament. It was ultimately possessed by Sir William:-
ilarrtiltOn, Nvho about fifty years since sold it to the Duke of
Portland. It is undoubtedly the work of Grecian genitis„,
and was, up to its destruction, as perfect as when it left the •
hands of its fabricator. Its dimensions were small, being •
only ten inches high; its diameter, at the broadest part, only •
six inches. The shape was elegant. The material is a dark.
but transparent blue substance, undoubtedly a vitrified paste- • -
or glass. Upon this the figures, formed of a delicate opaque -.
white substance, are laid in bas-relief, and so firmly muted • -
to the groundwork, that they seem rather to be part of itself.
than to be fastened on by art. •
Of the scene represented, no satisfactory explanation like
yet been given ; but we may say, in general, that the gUrevir'
are fashioned with admirable grace and animation, and. are -
full of expiession in every look and attitude. Every lover.Of
ancient and classic art must regret the destruction of..thit
splendid example. ,4, ,

sf~;~

!ed

THE ROYAL VISIT to BRIGHTON;
BEIGIiToN, FRIDAY EVENING, HALP.PAST SlX.—The special
train, conveying her Majesty and Prince Albert, and the 4970
suite, was signalled as being in sight, on emerging .frein
Patcham.tunnel, at fourteen minutes to five o'clock. At this time
a large number of persons, who had been admitted by tickets, Were
assembled at the terminus, and great anxiety was displayed to,
catch the first glimpse of the royal carriage. A splendid and
spacious pavilion had been fitted up on the arrival-platform, for her
Majesty's reception, by Mr. Bridges, carriage-maker to the Londe*
and Brighton Railway Company, under the superintendence of M.
Statham, the resident engineer- The building was solidly Con—
structed the temporary walls were lined in a tasteful manner with
crimson drapery, fringed with yellow. It was lighted by an-elegant,
bronze chandelier with three branches; there were two splendid
glasses on the walls, and on a table were some groups of
flowers, executed in wax by the Misses Packham, of East-street:
An escort of the Enniskillens was in waiting at the station. The
afternoon being delightfully clear and fine, the scene at the tee.; ',
minus was most animated. Precisely at ten minutes to five the
train stopped opposite the Pavillion, over which the royal attn.
dard now waved ; and her Majesty was received by Captain Kelly.
R.N., and Mr. E. Crowley (two of the Directors), and by Mr.
Statham (the engineer), and Mr. Fountain (the superintendent ai
traffic). The engine was driven by Mr. Benjamin Cubitt
neer to the Dover, Brighton. and Croydon Companies). The ari.
rival of her Illajasty was greeted by several hearty rounds of
applause. Her Majesty in a few minutes left the station, and
the royal cortege, escorted by the Enniskillens, proceeded
at a foot pace down Trafalgar.street, and along St. George*.
place, Gloucester-place, Marlborough-place, to the northern
entrance to the Palace. Crowds of the inhabitants and
visitors lined the route, and bursts of loyal applause greeted her
Majesty during the whole of her progress to the Palace. Carriages
lined the road for above half a mile northward of the Palace-gate,
at which place her Ma'esty was received by Mr. G. Chlttenden.,
high.constable of the hundred of Whalesbone, and his head-
boroughs. The Scots Fusileers formed a guard of honour at thr
Palace gates. The moment her Majesty alighted at the station was
indicated by the hoisting of the royal standard at the terminus,
from which place the signal was conveyed telegraphically to the
various public buildings of the town. A merry peal at once struck
up at the church of St. Nicholas. In the evening, her Majesty's
tradesmen and many of the.inhabitaats illuminated their houset;
Some of the devices were very brilliant. •

THE LATE MR. STURGES BOURNE.—The deceased
was son of the Rer. John Sturges, Chancellor of Winchester.
He was born in 1769, and married, 1808, Miss Bowlee,
daughter of Mr. Oldfield Bowles, of North Ashton, Oxon<
On the death of his maternal uncle, he assumed the name of
" Bourne," in addition to his patronymic. In early life he
was educated at Winchester College, and then graduated at
Christ Church, Oxford. He was brought up to the bar, htit
retired from the profession on the death of his uncle abOve
alluded to. In 1798 he was elected representative for.
llastings. Ile was Joint- Secretary to the Treasury from
1804 to 1806, under Mr. Pitt ; but, on Lord Grenville corning
to the Treasury, he went out of office. From 1807 to 1809 be •
was a Lord of the Treasury in the Duke of Portland's Admi-.
nistration. In August, 1814, he was appointed one of the Cont..
missioners for the Affairs of India, without salary, and wad,
then appointed of the Privy Council. He became two Years.
aftere-ards one of the three salaried Commissioners, and con,
tinued at the Board of Control till 1821. In 1827 he was fot.
a short time Secretary of State for the Home Depai-tmenti.
and in July, when Mr. Canning resigned, he succeeded the
Earl of Carlisle as Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forest.,
which office he continued to hold until January, 1828. He
sat for a period of above 30 years in the Home of Commons,
having represented Hastings, Christchurch, Bandon, Ash-
burton, and Milbourne Port. On the passing of the Reform
Bill, he retired altogether from political affairs. The de•
ceased was the author of the vestry statute which bears hie
name, " Sturges Bourne's Act." He was Lord Warden of
the New Forest, a sort of honorary situation, which he hxd
held ever since 1827. He was also one of the principal meta-
hers of the Commission of Poor-law Inquiry, along with the
Bishops of London and Chester, and Messrs. Senior and
Chadwick. Of the merits of those Commissioners we shall
say nothing in this lace.
BATHS AND IVASHHOUSES FOR THE LABouRTNG!
CLAssES.—Yesterday a numerous and important meeting
of
sh o f
the clergy and influential gentry of the pan. f_
St.
the par.
cras
took place at the Vestry-rooms: Gordon-
pose of carrying into effect the establishmente,
ar
of baths and
washhouses for the labouring classes in that populous a
s and
e
extensive district of the naetror metropolis.
chair,lifr. J. Harris, o
aid amongst the
Hampstead-road, occupied th
gentlemen present we observed the Rev, W. Dodsworth, the
Rev. Dr. Stebbing, the Rev. H. Hughes,trhlßey. D. Lang,
Mr. J. P. Gibbons, Mr. E. Wilson,D ir. lifr.omowuglhistesh, Mr.
R.pj.. H. Smith, &c. A report was Presented,
pears that the parish of St. Pancras contains at least 130,000
souls, the far greater proportion of which consists of the
labouring classes ; and that in consequence of a communi-
cation having been received from the Central Society for the
Establishment of Baths and Washhouses for the Labouring
Classes, recommending the formation of a branch association
in that parish, a (committee had been appointed, who had
come to aresolution, "That the establishment of baths and
washhouses was highly desirable for the comfort
and clean-
liness as well as for the health of the labouring classes, and
they therefore cordially approve the formation of a branch
society br ch
society in the parish of St. Pancras to carryout that ob-
ject." Baths and washhouses for the labouring classes had
been already established in Liverpool and other populons
towns with most beneficial results, and there was but little
doubt they would prove equally successful in London. The
Central Society had met with very liberal support, but
when the extent of the metropolis was considered, it was
manifest that in order to obtain for any particular district
the advantages of such establishments, local exertions must
be made. The Committee, therefore, felt it their duty to
make an earnest appeal to the inhabitants to furnish them
with funds necessary for the erection of public baths and
washhouses on a suitable scale in one or snore districts of
the parish. The report having been adopted, it was resolved
that deputations should wait on his Grace the Duke of Bed-
ford, the Marquis of Camden, Lord Southampton, Lord
Somers, and other great landed proprietors of the district, to
solicit their aid and co-operation. CommitteeS having been
also appointed to canvass for subscriptions in the respective
districts, thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the meet-
ing separated.
THE GAME-PRESERVING MAMA.— Farmers are
at last beginning to speak out respecting the destruction
m e.Let
committed upon their crops by
them go on in right goodspeaktns out,
Illouj,s. the disgraceful
preserving propensity willesbee_a abated.re‘s‘t7ua
they need not fear discharges—even
upon their ow-II
bare e en
farmsgrasping u
landlords will not Like to
hands. Farmers have only to act independently to pro.
test their own interests, not only as regards the in,inry
game, but in other respects. Depend upon It they
i m
by
shake off their bondag e if they will.

Lll y
Young

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