The Sun.
London, England, 1811-02-19 00:00:00

BRITISH INSTITUTION.

In conformity to 'our promise we resume our no-
tice of this Institution, convinced as we are that it
has been greatly instiumental, not only in thele-
neral improvement of the Arts, but in bringing
forth juvenile talents that will hereafter be Orna-
mental to their country. First, however, 'we find
it necessary to correct an error which
,we fell ioto
on Tuesday list, in stating the premiums for nest
year, instead of those for the • present. The pre-
miums for. the present year, on the subjeas which
we before stated, are 200, too, and .50 guineas, ac-
cording to their adjudged portion of merit. We
understand also that we were wrong in stating that
the adjudication had already taken Owe.. It is pro-
per.to add, that the Artists who gain the premiums,
retain their property in their pidtures, and that' they
are permitted to place those pictures ler sale in the
, Gallery, it their merit should nvt hive secured them
private purchasers. Mid now we shall say a few
words respecting some of the works of the present
year.
We have alrrady noticed HILTON'S "Entombing,
of Christ," which is a produCtien
ability ; and we twist again draw the attention of
the amateurs tQ CULLINSII " Young Fifer," and
" Tempting Moment.". The cunning wantonness
and waggeri of b r are well charaalerizod is theSe
works, and they are•Ftinted 'with great neatness and
beauty. Both of these Artists, we understand, are
very young men. , DAINE'S picture of the " Negro
and Buffalo," though well executed, is by no
means so creditable to his taste and imagination as
his" Andromache and Ulysses," and it i 4 lobe hoped
that he will chiefly direct his powers to subje:its of
a poetical and historical description. v nots has,
tio.menns been so successful in his " Romeeand
;Juliet" as he was in his Dentotur," which pro-
cured hint the first prize of last year. We must
again mention the two small pictures of "-Loch
Caturin," by furies, not only as the scenery
rendered interesting by,
.the poetry of WALTk.ii
SCOTT, but as they display great,taste.
The tncli.~it-
light scene hag swine touches in the style of WU-
son, and both et and us comjunion rxliibithaturo

k% it() grace and truth, and excite a sentiment ut
plealtlg solemnity in the spectator. We hope the
several Artists will exert themielves more for ho-
nour than the prizes ; for if they do not advance,
they will assuredly recede and sink into dull ^and
hopeless niediocrity.

Ai ERICA N CO ArCRES,(:,

SENATE, DEC. 31.

The Senate rewriter! the consideration of the
ri,xtending the laws now in force in Orleans territory
to the Perdido, 8.7 c.

Mr. PicKERO4O cotnnieneed a speech, in which
he proceeded about an
_11.,13r; wben be read, as an

evidence in support of his argument against the ii,le
of the United States IQ Louisiana or Florida between
the Mississippi 4114 Perdido, a ,leitt:r from Charles
Maurice Talieyrand, the French Minister for Fo..
.rein Affairs, dated the gist of Dec. 1804, to Gen.
Armstrong,. cur• Minister at Paris, on the subject of
certain overtures which had been made by otir-Mi-
nisters in Spain, for the aid of France, in piocnriliz
a cession to the United. States of one or both Fii,ti-
das. The purport of Talleyrand's letter appeared to
be, a denial that the United, States had acquired, by'

the. treaty of 1803, anyvitle to Lonisiana east of
the Mississippi, or some statement to that etlea.—
When Mr. PICK ERI NO had concluded- the readitig
of this letter—

Mr. Smmt (Md.) said, he wished to inquire wile,.
her the paper, which the Gentleman had just resod,. •
lad ever been publicly communicated to the Semite ?.
Mr. PICKKIUNG saki it had been couununicatedi

not indeed as a ptiblie paper—but for what reason
had it beep communicated confhlentially ? Because

by a publication of it at the time, injure might hate
been done to our Minister's nr our aa,rs ahrtiad.—
There was, however, now no r(-ason why the v.4hOle
truth should nut be known. They weie about tak.
ing a step which was one of peace or War, and it
Was iMpOr3lll that every thing in ratiio:► to thi:t
sub_ jet %hoold b disulostd.
Mr. SMITH ( NL) said, that whenever 'papers were
communicated to the Senate coniidvondlly, bet Ore
they could be read publiey in this body or any other,
it was necessary that the permission of the Senate
shOuld be obtained; which, no doubt, if aSked in
this case, would have been granted. But if ihig
proceeding were pertnitted to pa<s tincotired, any
individual might have, the power to do the grratlit
injury to the nation, as his lionione tnzht thin*
-.him. He apprehended the proceeding w.is a iong. ;
but Gentlemen older in the Senate than he wt+si
,could perhaps better decide..
On the suggestion of a Member, the galleries ware
cleared. 'The Senate sat with *dosed doors for au
hour.

Mr. CLAY submittedi',-the following res9hrion,
which lies on the iablecf course:
" Resolved,—That the public perusal in the Se-
nate of certain parrs, with open galleries, by the
Gentleman from Massachnsets (Mr. Pickering) in
his s..,at, without. Special order et the. Senate, re-
moving, the injunction orsecreey, which papers hlvd
been confidentially communicated to the &matt, by
the,presidebl ot the United States, was it payable
ot the rules of this body."
The. Senate then adjourned to Wednesday.