The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-17 00:00:00

TEE SUN, LON DON, WEDNESDA Y MORNING, AUGUST 17, 1842.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

WMTEHALL, AUGUST 15.

The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to
be passed under the Great Seal, constituting and ap-
pointing Field-Marshal Arthur Duke of Wellington,
Commander-in-Chief of all her Majesty's Land Forces
in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

THE CARTOONS FOR THE NEW
HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

The Commissioners of the Fine Arts appointed to
take into consideration the most judicious mode for
the interior decorations of the New Buildings at
Westminster, have just published their Report. It
contains a well drawn view of the state and prospects
of the English School of Painting, by the Secretary
of the Commission, Charles Lock Eastlake, Esq.;
some very valuable and experienced opinions of Cor-
nelius, the first fresco painter on the Continent, upon
the subject, as also a body of research on this peculiar
branch of art—its method of execution and preserva-
tion from deteriorative causes—along with historical
notices of the finest specimens extant. Within the
smallest possible space, we proceed to embody the
substance of the Report :-
ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT UVON THE
PROPOSED FRESCO PAINTIGS FOR
WESTMINSTER.

THE CARTOONS AND THEIR SUBJECTS.—The Com-
mission, considering that Fresco painting has not been
sufficiently cultivated in this country, propose that
artists be invited to enter into a competition in car-
toons, and the notices,given by them on this score are :
I. • That three premiums of 3001. each, three
premiums .of
.200/. each, and five premiums of
1001. each, be given to the artists who furnish
Cartoons that shall be deemed worthy of acceptance ;
2. That „the drawings be uncoloured, and either in
chalk or Charcoal ; and, 3, That, the size of the draw-
ings-be not less than ten, nor more than fifteen feet in
their longest dimension, with the figures not less than
life;' 4. The subjects are to be from British llitory,
or from the works of Spenser, Shakspeare, or Milton.
The competition is tobe confined to- "British Artists"
.(page 7), which is afterwards explained (page 48) as
comprehending foreigners, practising the arts, who
May have resided ten years or upwards in Great Bri-
tain. ::.The. time specified for sending in the finished
Cartoons is extended from the first week in May to
the first week in June, 1843.
• WHETHER lIISTORICAL'' PAINTING IN FRESCO
COULD HP, CULTIVATED IN ENGLAND:—Mr. East-
lake takes this subject into consideratiOn, desirous of
discovering reasons for showing that if duly encou-
raged by the State, there exists grounds for hoping
that this branch of art would be cultivated and flou-
rish. He considers that its encouragement will chiefly
depend upon the efforts of the artists themselves, and
must make its way, not by virtue of a mere super-
ficial taste, but by the presence/of a vital impulse.
LARGE SPACES DEMANDED tOR THE EXERCISE OF
THE ART.—Painting in England, Mr. Eastlake shows,
has not yet been admitted into churches or in public
buildings which afford space. The Italian masters
always had this advantage. In the last century, all
the principal English artists, notwithstanding Ho-
garth's success in small pictures, painted the size of
life—Reynolds (considered as an historical painter),
West, Barry, Fuseli, Copley, Northcote, Opie, and
others.

WHY NOT CONTINUED.—REDUCED TIISTORICAL
PICTURES.—The experiment of painting the size of
life, as regards private patronage, seems thus to have
been fairly made. The gradual change to reduced
ilimensions, again appears to have been the conse-
quence of the insufficient demand for large works,
arising in a great degree from the limited size of
English dwellings, and hence the execution of small
historical pictures. In comparing the treatment of
these cabinet pictures with those other works of the
largest size, and in which the figures are colossal, the
small picture besides being executed with delicacy,
generally exhibits a certain fullness of detail, while
the large work is not only legs elaborate, but is com-
posed of fewer parts. From this it appears that the
greater space never allows the introduction of mcre
detail than the smaller, but generally, if not always,
requires less.
PLACES SUITABLE FOR FRESCOES.—It is evident
that works of the magnitude of historical frescoes
cannot be often in demand for ordinary dwelling-
houses. Those places which alone will allow its ex-
ercise and appearance will be churches, national and
municipal buildings, the mansions and villas of
affluent individuals ; all loaalities, in a word, where
painting can be displayed to the public in its highest
and most didactic form. Such was the enthusiasm
on this score in the last century, that the English
artists of the time offered to decorate St. Paul's Ca-
thedral, and other buildings. at their own expense.
FOREIGN SPECIMENS OF FRESCO.—TheSe, of course,
abound in the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and other
places in Rome. At Padua are the works of
Avanzo ; in Florence those of Benozzo Gozzoli in the
Palace Ricardi, of Angelico da Fiesole, Masaccio, and
others; in Perugio those of Perugino ; in Assissi
thcise of Giotto, all which belong to the 14th and 15th
centuries. Venice, Genoa, the works of Luini at
Saronno and Lugano ; in S. Giacomo, Spello, Orvieto,
Pisa, and Siena an immense number of master-
pieces are to be seen. In England, about the middle
of the last century slime frescoes were executed at
Wycombe Park by Guiseppo Borgnis, a Milanese,
under the auspices of Francis Lord Le Despenser.
Francia and Raphael, Andre del Sarto and Guido,
Guercino, Pordenone, the Caracci and Corregio, are a
host of first-rate names in themselves.
OPINIONS OF DIRECTOR PETER VON COR-.
NELIUS.—This distinguished artist; who has executed
so many works in fresco at Munich, as the " Glypto-
theke," the " Pinathek„' and the " Ludwig-Kirche,"
has given his statements on the proposed frescoes for
the Houses of Parliament. He considers that the
damp of the river will have no effect on frescoes ele-
vated in rooms as those in question, above the level of
the water. He lays great stress upon the particular
lime and colours to be employed, and on no point is
more decided than on the necessity of placing a given
series of frescoes under the control of one directing
artist. He supposes that London smoke may un-
doubtedly have a disadvantageous effect on frescoes,
but if after 50 or 100 years, dirt has accumulated
much, they may be cleaned with bread or a wet
sponge. Cornelius considers it time to begin the de-
signs, supposing the present building to be ready in
seven years from this time. The German artists, ex-
pert as they are at drawing, always take some years
to prepare their Cartoons. The first rough coat of
mortar alone, after being laid, should allow six or
twelve months to elapse, so that it be properly hard-
ened before it be painted on. The German painters
suffer the lime to remain for at least years in a state
of preparation before used for painting or coating the
walls. Cornelius prepared the lime for the Ludwig-
Kirche eight years before he painted there. .A great
quantity is generally kept in Munich, and might be
had, perhaps, for works in this country. The late
Lord Monson intended to have had lime from Mu-
nich for the works which Cornelius was to have done
for him at Gatton.

LIME-COLOURS AND IMPLEMENTS FOE FRESCO
PAINTING.—A brick ground, covered with the lime-
plaster, is always to be preferred where practicable;
lath walls are liable to bulge, thereby destroying the
painting, and are perishable ; the lime, having under-
gone a certain preparation of mixing with water,
and two or three filtrations to free it from impuri-
ties, is left in a pit from eight to twelve months ;
the lime, however, for the first coat, need not be
kept more than two monshs. This is allowed to dry
perfectly before the next coats are put on ; and
lastly, having been most carefully prepared, the lime
of which the intonaco, or coat of fine plaster, is laid
on. This intonaco, .on which great pahis are be-
stowed, is composed of two parts of fine sand and
one of lime; it must be perfectly clean, sharp sand,
as the presence of any earthy particles would in-
evitably ruin the fresco. Some of the old masters
used pounded white marble instead ; the surface of
this last coat is then slightly roughened, to render it
fitter for painting on. A quarter of an hour after,
painting may be begun upon it.
As no other hair resists the lime, but becomes
either burnt or curled, small pencils of otter hair in
quills are used. The colours used are chiefly white,
yellow, brilliant reds, brown, black, purple,. green, and
blue, according
.to-.` certain admixtures mentioned.
Others, such as vermillion and chrome yellow, have
been tried, but not found to stand. Colours prepared
from animal and vegetable substances cannot be used
at all, as the lime destroys them. It is the opinion of
some of the Munich professors that frescoes thinly
painted are least liable to change.. The frescoes by
Paul Veronese; in the Alorosini Villa, near Castel
Franco, were removed by Count Balbi - a few years
since, and several of these 'works when re-transferred
to canvass were sold in England in 1838.
Barsrot. LIME RECOMMENDED FOR FRESCOES.--
The finest limestone used at Rome has always been
the Travertine; the. ancients and all the great artists
of the 16th century painted on it : the lime it fur-
nishes is of the purest whiteness. From analysis, it
appears to contain in every degree of 100 carbonate of
lime to the number of 99.4. The limestone, however,
of Bristol, Durdharn-down, appears to be finer still,
and is equal. or even superior to it, since it contains in
every 100, 99.7 of carbonate of lime.
DR. REID'S OPINION OF TUE PROBABLE EFFECTS
or GAS ox FRESCOES.—Dr. Reid considers that, gas
will not he at all injurious to frescoes in apartments
ventilated as the present Houses ,of Parliament are :
the noxious sulphur and anntonia contained by it,
being carried off by the air-drains made for ven-
tilation. With 'regard to cleansing frescoes, Professor
Hiss, on being consulted on this point, remarked that
if frescoes were painted in the ',pen air in London, the
rain would he the best picture-cleaner.. The obser-
vation is important as it assmnes the possibility of
washing frescoes freely without injury to the colours.
A snonc.Te and soft water only has been used to clean
the 'frescoes at Bath • at Genoa they are .cleaned with
vinegar, and Carlo Maratti used wine to wash those of.
the Vatican.

W e .notice amongst the arrivals by the Acadia,
from Boston, Prince 'Murat, tire.
• of th-e: former PIE of
Naples, and nephow iffe'tippito,F ;Calaeon• Th'e-
'officers of "the spe'rik of 116'.
with great respect. We lindershiiidthArbe' proceeded'
to Londou on Saturday .evening.--Liverpool Times.

THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
"England expects every man to do his duty I"

SIR,—I have been anxiously looking out, during
the past week, hoping to find the announcement of a
" great metropolitan meeting" to consider the awful
state of the country, and to declare its opinion on the
duty of the Government at the present crisis:
Staffordshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, 'Nottingham,
Derby, &c., are at this moment in a state of awful
excitement ; life and. property are endangered, not
by the exciting harangues of " destructives" or
" levellers," but by the simultaneous bursting forth
of the people's discontent, prompted by hunger and
misery, long borne in silence. Troops' are being
dispatched every hour to keep down the people, who,
goaded by. Oppression, are rendered desperate.
To me it appears criminal to remain in silence. If
I were at present in my own locality, five hours
should not pass ere such a meeting should take place.
A large metropolitan meeting at this moment
would produce an effect not easily to be described.
It is the interest of us all to maintain peace and the
security of property ; this can only be effected by
the concession of the pelple's rights, and it is the
duty of every man to declare that he sympathises
with the suffering and oppressed people, and will not
sanction, even by silence, the tyranny of Peel and his
Tory Parliament.

In thus • calling attention. to the subject, I have
fulfilled one 'part of my duty. R. K. EHILP.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sta,—Readers of Newspapers, residing far away
from the scene of the present agitation of the cotton
manufacturers, will be somewhat puzzled to ascertain
the real motives of ;the operatives in turning out for
wages, because violent party politics so warp the
judgments of Editors, that their opinions are com-
pletely delusive. The Tories and Monopolists can
see nothing in it but the work of the Anti-Corn-
law League—the Chartists, or at least their leaders
of the Press, are not a whit behind them in misrepre-
sentation and delusion. In one breath, they tell you
that the free. traders are done over, and just expiring;
and in the very next paragraph, they say " Behold
the aboMinable work of the League, and the extent
of their operations ! Half a million of people out of
employment, and all that a few bloated capitalists may
get rich out of the blood and bones of the labourers.
If the manufacturer; are the real authors of the turn-
out for wages, it seemsa strange way of getting more
riches, viz.', te giving their workmen higher remu-
neration, and consequently reducing their profits.
But, then, say some " wise-acres," " They want to
show the Government their power." Well, it is
strange that manufacturers, who are always repre-
sented by such trashy papers as the most money
loving persons in the world, should willingly, and by
design, endanger their lives and the destruction
of their property for the sake of a demonstra-
tion of power.. The truth is in none of these
assertions. The strike or turn-out commenced
with the operatives alone at Staleybridge, for the
purpose of resisting a. proposed reduction in their
wages. These hands went to Ashton-under-Lyne,
and induced all trades there to leave their employ-
ment, under an idea of having a general higher rate
of remuneration : these, combinea, went to Oldham,
Hyde, Manchester, and in fact the contagion, or dis-
position of ceasing to labour, soon spread in all
directions in Lancashire, Cheshire, part of Derby-
shire, and has been carried from thence into York-
shire. The motto was at first, a " fair day's wage
for a fair day's labour ;" but the Chartist orators
being the chief speakers at the various meetings held
by the operatives, have endeavoured to mix up the
Charter with the " Strike ;" or in other works, that
labour should cease " till the Charter becomes the
law of the land." Many of the labcurers consider
this as unwise, and ask to keep it a " wage question"
alone. A general delegate meeting is held this day
in Manchester, the resolutions of which will be of
great importance to the operatives ; and it is feared
these may have a political aspect. The repeated re-
marks in Parliament against machinery and masters;
the revival and reiteration of " Luddite' sentimentsby
the Press, and by Senators—the continuance of unjust,
anti-commercial, and self-destroying law,s, have pro-
duced that state of wretchedness and poverty, that
society may be considered as a magazine of combus-
tibles ready to be exploded by any insignificant cause.
And unwise must that Government be, that can slum-
ber and continue this state of things. Business is
entirely at a stand. All is peaceale a.s yet, but
what can hundreds of thousands do when the
shopkeepers cease to supply them ? It is really
appalling to contemplate the consequences. The
much abused middle c!ass show great sym-
pathy with the turn-outs, wishing to see them
better paid for their labour ; but will that feel-
ing he continued should it take the Chartist aspect ?
I think not ; however, time will show it. To the
great credit of the operatives
.generally, they conduct
themselves with great propriety, and show they are
worthy of the best considerations of the wise and
good. AN ENGLISHMAN.
Lees, near Oldham, Aug. 15, 1842.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
WOLVERHAMPTON RACES-TUESDAY.

The Trial Stakes of 10 sovs. each, with 25 added. Once
round and a distance. (Three Subs.)
Mr. Goodman's The Shadow, 6 yrs, 9st 21b ... (Nat) 1
Mr. Jones' Portrait, 4 yrs, Bst 71b 9
Mr. Toke's Ermengardis, 4 yrs, Bst 41b 3

Afinc

Match-50, h ft, one mile. Mr. Woodhouse's Caitiff
received forfeit from Mr. James's The Prince.
The Produce Stakes of 50 sovs. each, h ft. Once round.

(Six Subs.)
Mr. Fowler' if, by Bran, Bst 01b (Whitehouse) 1
Mr. Marshall's Our Nell, Bst olli. 2
Mr. T. Walter's Guzbeg, Bst 6Th 3

Won. in a canter.

The Wolverhampton Stakes of 25 sous. each, 13 ft, and
5 only, if declared with 100 added. Twice round and

a distance. The Second saves his stake. (Forty-two
Subs„ thirty declared.)
Mr. Bell's Thirsk, 4 yrs, Est 121 b.
Major Hay's Retriever, 6 yrS, 7st 81b 2
Major Yarburgh's Ileslington, 4 yrs, 7st 21b 3
Mr. Jones"rubalcain, 6 y-rs, 7st 81b 0
Mr. Treen's Una, 4 yes, Est lllb 0
Betting.-5 to 4 agst Retriever ;2to 1 agst Hesling-
ton ; 8 to 1 agst Thirsk ; 8 to 1 agst Una and Tubalcain.
Retriever tood a lead .of about a length, with Thirsk
second, and Heslington last, at a steady pace to the back
of the course in the second round, where Thirsk drew
upon Retriever, and Heslington took the third place. On
turning into the straight running, Thirsk challenged the
favorite, and passed him a few lengths beyond the dis-
tance post. Ileslington also made an effort, but could
not reach the leading horses, and Thirsk won a very
fine race by a neck, Heslington being at the same time
on Retriever's quarters.
The Ladies' Plate of 501. Heats, once round and a dis.
Mr. E.-Peel's Canary, 3 yrs (Nat) 1 1
Hon. F. Ougley's Roderick, 3 yrs
Mr. Spink's Margaret, 3.yrs 2

„ .
'l'h© following started, but were not placed :—Mr.
Tranter's f by Bran, out of Kaltaia, Mr. J. Carter's
Negro, Mr. I'. Carter's f by Cam, out of Lydia, and Mr.
Brooke's Caitiff, 3 yrs. WOn easy.
ST. LEGER BETTING.-6 to 4 agst Attila, 12 to 1 agst
Cabrera, 13 to 1 agst Fireaway, 13 to 1 agst Policy (t),
18 to 1 agst Cattonite (t), 20 to 1 agst Artful Dodger,
20 to 1 agst Seahorse,. 25 to 1 agst Priscilla Tomboy,
and 1,000 to 15 agst Sir Harry.

CRICKET.

THE MARYLERONE AND NEWPORT PAGNEL

CLUBS.

The return match between these clubs was played on
Thursday and Friday on the ground of the former. Each
eleven had the advantage of two professional players—,
Good and Dean for the Marylebone gentlemen, And Hill-
yer and Bayley for the Newport Pagnel. The follow-
ing are the names of the gentlemen players : Maryle-
bone—The Hon. R. Grimstone, and T. A. Anson, 11.
Kynastop, E. Bayley, —Wellesley, Hartopp, Levy,
and Quarty, Esqs., and Captain Freer. Newport
Pagnel.—The Hon. F. Ponsunby, F. Thackeray, J. Moore,
C. Sergeant. and Nethercott, Partridge, Bayley,
Rawlins, and Hayward, Esqrs. The Newport
Pagnel gentlemen went in first, and scored 73 runs. The
Marylebone Club in their first innings cleared 297. The
Newport Pagnel Club in their second got only 24. The
Marylebone Club thus won the match in one innings with
200 runs to spare.