The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-15 00:00:00

rally, the persons who showed the cathedrals Ivo-
in such a manner as to give to strane—
a favourable opinion of the nn.ytlilug but
•
things were
,_conduilt4 -.;gletrZkViln\vl;iiovpliectiiiteh-e,
Right Hos-
Jittt orret alio_ the itig•ht lion. the Chancellor
the Exchetin W,Ald use their influence with the
Chapters ti prevent these abuses, It. had been
o'bjettea to him that he would,tnr a the 'cathedrals into
show-houses. The fact was flip 13i-'esent system did
that; it turned them slow-houses for money. The
Museum •at the ilaq India House had been opentd
tip tYir IYuhlic once a week. The Society of Arts
had thrown open their museum, and many uthei• in-
stitutions, both in t and country, had also been
thrown open. In N't Wcastle, the institution had
been thrown open to the public with the
greatest advantage. There was a gallery of
pictures at Dulwich, which had been 1:11 to
the public. He was sorrt hi S'aV that he had
not been able to intlut'A the'lVarden of that College
to throw the gall'ory open to the public. Persons de-
sirous of seeing the gallery, were obliged to pro,.!ore
tickets from some booksellers in tendon l 'and ninny
poor persons were unable to prOcure admittance, in
consequence of being obliged to obtain these tickets.
There was the Royal Academy, which had cost the
nation a large sum of money, and it dill nothing in
return for the people. They Wight to recollect that
they had the mealts a supporting that institution from
the people; rind he would only ask whether it was
not fair that the people should share the benefit?
All he asked was that the public should have
a week to see the Institution, or one day in the week
for that purpose. He had patiently and persever-
ingly brought this subject before the ITouse, and
he would continue to do so till fie succeeded.
He was glad that in several parts of the country
institutions and Museums were springing lip.
The Hon, Member concluded by moving " An humble
address to her IVlaesty, praying that she will be gra-
ciously pleased to give directions to the Trustees of the
British Museum and of theXational Gallery, to the au-
thorities having dnu-ge of the armories and jewels of
the Tower of London, to the Commissioners of Green-
wich Hospital, and to all other persons having the
management or direction of public edifices and cathe-
drals, for the adoption of those facilities and improve-
ments recommended in that Report."
EWART seconded the motion. A Commission
had been appointedin France, by M. Guizot, to inspect
and report upon national monuments; he was of opinion
that such a Commission would be very advan-
tageous to this country. Every national monu-
ment presented a spectacle at once interesting
and useful to the historical student. On the tomb
of Edward the Confessor were facts which had been
mentioned by no historical writer. He was glad to ob-
serve that the monuments and statues in Westminster
Abbey were much more carefully kept than they had
been formerly. He thought they were called on now,
more than at any time, to regard with attention these re-
cords of former days. In addition to the suggestions of
his Hon. Friend, he (Mr. Ewart) begged to suggest, as
had been proposed by the Committee in 1836, that on
the pictures in the National Gallery, and other re-
ceptacles for national works of art, should be fixed such
an explanation as to the nature of the picture, with the
name of the painter, when he was born, and the school
of painting in which he studied.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
that when he saw the motion which the Hon. Gentle-
man had on the paper he was prepared to anticipate the
observations which the Hon. Gentleman would make on
the subject, as he (Mr. Hume) hail in the Committee
last year brought forward all those topics into which he
had entered largely, and which had been met with per-
fect concurrence as to their general principles. He (the
Chancellor of the Echequer) had, therefore, no diffe-
rence of opinion with the Hon. Gentleman upon the
course he was pursuing, which was one of a mere
technical nature, and would not lead to any difference in
the ultimate course which might be pursued in this mat-
ter. No one more cordially concurred than he did in
the sentiments expressed by the Hon. Gentleman as to
the necessity of throwing open to the public all those ex-
hibitions which tended to elevate their thoughts to higher
objects, and all those works of art which tended to im-
prove their taste, and, by improving their taste, to' im-
prove their minds. The only question between them,
was as to the mode in which this object could be best
accomplished. He agreed with the Hon. Gentleman in
opinion, that great advantage was derivable to the people
from opening the parks in the neighbourhood of London.
The advantage thus conferred was enjoyed not merely
by the lower orders of society,, but by those in a posi-
tion above them. With respect to opening the National
Gallery on Sunday, the advantage to be derived there-
from-would not counterbalance, in his opinion, the re-
sults that would otherwise fidlow from it. He might be
in error, but he would be more likely to he convinced of
his error, by being allowed further consideration upon the
point, than by the urging of an address to her Majesty, to
use her authority for the purpose of enforcing principles
of this description. He would therefore recommend to
the Hon. Gentleman opposite not to persist in his
motion, which would excite considerable opposition from
those who, like himself (the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer) were opposed to those exhibitions on Sunday.
Those who had heard the Hon. Member's speech, would
be of opinicn that the course he (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) had adverted to, was likely to be the best
means of accomplishing its object. 'There was at the
present moment an inclination to open not only public
but private exhibitions, which it the Hon. Member had
attempted to effect ten or twelve years before, he never
would have effected. Everything would be done that
could be by those who had the guard of the different
establishments alluded to, to meet the wishes of the
Honourable Member. As to the British Museum
being thrown open on more days than at present, he was
afraid that would be attended with great difficulty ; and
the same might be said with respect to the other institu-
tions to which the Hon. Gentleman had adverted. With
respect to cathedrals in the metropolis, considerable re-
ductions had taken place in the prices of admission, and
he was happy to say these reductions had been attended
with the best effects. There was a natural disposition
on the part of mankind to resist any assumed authority;
and he thought if the House were to agree to the address,
and the Crown were to act in conformity with the wishes
expressed therein, such a course would frustrate rather than
forward the object which the Hon. Gentleman had in view.
He could assure the Hon. Gentleman that he (tke Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer), in common with the other ad-
visers of the Crown, was exceedingly anxious'to extend
the means of innocent enjoyment to the lowest orders of
the people. Having already obtained a general expression
of assent from the House to the principles of his pro-
position, he trusted the Hon. Gentleman would with-
draw his motion, and by so doing, he would best for-
ward the object he had in view.
Sir ROBERT INGLIS was anxious to express his
sentiments, because he could not agree with his Right
Hon. Friend, that the House had assented to the general
principles laid down by the Hon. Gentleman. His
Right Hon. Friend had only given a qualified assent to
the principles, and he (Sir Robert Inglis) could only
give an assent much more qualified than that
given by his Right Honourable Friend.—(Hear.)
The great object of the Hon. Member was to give all
classes in London the same facility in amusement as the
people possessed in Paris. He wished to give the people
of London that facility in entering the British Museum
and the National Gallery, that the people enjoyed in Paris
in entering the Louvre. He (Sir R. Inglis) bidieved that
no surer mode of desecrating the Sabbat's could be
adopted, than that of opening those places, which were
called places of innocent recreation, on the Lord's day.

Mr. G. KNIGHT regretted that the Eon. Member for
Oxford attempted to throw cold water on this subject.—
(Hear, hear.) He regretted that he should, at this time,
exhibit such feelings against the fine arts. While the
Hon. Gentleman was speaking, he (Mr. Knight) thought
he was listening to some holy monk—(Laughter)—who
was endeavouring to turn the country back to barbarism
and ignorance, which had always been the parent of
crime.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Montrose
having appealed to him as a member of the Committee,
he was ready to say that he would go with him to the
full extent in all his views. It was a mistake
to suppose that the fine arts had not. an influence on the
people. They went hand in hand with cozum,ree, and
flourished in the most prosperous times of the Italian
reß,hlies. They could not flourish unless the public at
large took an interest in them.—(Hear, hear.) Nothing
was :more calculated to elevate a people than the con-
templation of those sculptural resemblances of the great
men which a country produced. The arts and morality
had an influence on each other, and he hoped the House
would coincide with him in that opinion.—(Hear, hear.)
It was much more agreeable to be engaged in a debate
like the present than in one of politics, when they hurt
each other with the arrows of sharp words.—(Hear.)
But in allowing to the people access to the repositories
of science and art, they should not allow-such a privilege
to interfere with Divine worship. But to the working
classes, who had no other day than Sunday to visit
those places with their wives and families, he should be
indisposed to refuse admittance. He repeated that
he entirely approved of the proposition then before
the House.

Mr. WYSE was happy to find that the House was all
but unanimous on the present occasion. The only excep-
tion in favour of the motion seemed to be the Hon. Ba-
ronet the Member for the University of Oxford.
Sir R. PEEL hoped the Hon. Member would not press
this subject to a division, as there were strong objections
to the motion. He thought referring the Crown to a Sp-
lea Committee was not consistent with that respect due
to the Crown. It might be that the Dean and Chapter
of Westminster might deny the right of the Crown, and
then tha consequence would be to involve the Crown in a
dispute with that body. He thought great advantage
would be derived from giving the working classes facili-
ties to the exhibitions of art and the goodness and beauty
of creation.—(Hear, hear.) He agreed with the Hon.
Baronet, that to oiler these things as a substitute for
religion was most unsatisfactory, but what he com-
plained of was that when persons were anxious
to refine the people they were told that it was offered
only as a substitute fur religion.—(Hear.) It was no
such thing, but then he would admit that it was a sill,
stitute for drunkenness and vice.—(Hear, hear.) The
whole time of the people, it was not natural to sup-
pose, could be absorbed in religion. He felt convinced
that the greatest advantage would be derived from re-
fining the taste of the people, because it enlisted the
great body of the people to the institutions of the
country.—(Hear, hear.) It was true that the honours
of the State were generally reserved for the higher
classes ; but of this he was sure, that if expenditure took
place fur the instruction and amusement of the people it
was a certain guarantee for the security of the monarchy.
It showed the people that a portion of the expenditure of the
public money was for their interests, for their enjoyment, and
for their improvement ; and when they heard of the millions