Star.
London, England, 1830-07-31 00:00:00

THE KING AND THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

His Majesty has, we understand, commanded the President of
the Royal Academy to inform him, after due consideration, " How
the Fine Arts may be most effectually promoted." To this end,
Sir Martin has called a Council—the Council of du Royal Aca-
demy—to advise ! Rare councillors these on such a subject ! but
Kings, in all matters, are proverbially happy in their advisers;
and if his Alajesty acts on the suggestions of those who are
truly represented as "revelling in a lucrative monopoly," which
they preserve by every conceivable illiberal artifice, to the sup-
pression of art in its noblest form, and against aU artists of any
independence of character, he will rivet the chains which it is
clearly his gracious intention to break. Seek the advice of the
forty R.A.'s in council ! As reasonably might the removal of
the Bank and East India Company's Charters be determined by
the advice of their respective Directors.
We have over and over again pointed out and enlarged on the
manifold abuses of this body, so inimical to the promotion of art,
and so humiliating to the spirit of its professors. The cause has
since been taken up by several others. The Times has judiciously
recommended the erection of a new Gallery, on a different con-
struction ; than the present none can be much worse. "In shape
it should resemble the Louvre. lighted, however, not laterally, but
by a continuous skylight; and the first law of the establishment
should enact that no picture should be hung so far either above or
below the eye, as to prevent its being commodiously seen." The
receipts of the Academy, which tt stales as 5,11001. or 6.00C1. but
which have been as high as 7,0001. or 8,0001. and might, in a
new form and under a more liberal direction, amount to much
more, it proposes to appropriate in part, during a given number of
years, to defray the expense of the building. This is well as it
regards the shell, but vain and fruitless if the nut is to remain
rotten, as it is at present. That "secret and despotic authority"
which exhibits itself without risk in the gratification of " personal
I pique, professional or insolent caprice, and persecuting malignity,"
must be reformed, or the greater means will only serve to increase
I the power to do mischief. A body of men whose minds and pur.
suits are, with rare exceptions, wholly mechanical, who have little
education, and, with the most ludicrous affectation of dignity, in-'
relints of the narrowest description. and whose loved and chosen at.
moephere is "envy, hatred, and malice," should be governed with'
an iron rod, not trusted to the fret- action of their own wills, but have
metes and bounds prescribed and enforced. As it has been said of
the Scotch—" they make very good soles, but cursed bad upper ha.
thers." Serving under a strict responsibility, touching both cash and
conduct, things may prosper ; but ruling as they have dune, and will
surely advise his Majesty to let them continue to do, there is no
hope for the promotion of any thing but corruption, and sign-postportrait paintings. Another tontcreporatry has observed that, " If
the system of inquisitorial despotism, of contemptible intrigue,
and unprincipled monopoly, with all the other enormous abuses by
which the Royal Academy is at present characterised. were fully
d. veloptd and Laid before his Majesty, we suspect that the next
Royal message to that Institution would be one of disfranchisement.
Every real friend to the art, would rejoice at seeing these arrogant
jack-dawn stripped of their ereporative importance, and sent, un-
plumed, about their business."
Nothing but the manners which is inseparable from ignorance
and the absence of every honnurahle anti gentlemanly feeling,
could induce men to avail themselves of slice an exercise of their
privileges as the Members of the Royal Academy indulge in. They,
forsooth, as we have before noted amongst their other disgraces, al.
low themselves erclusirely to paint on their own pictures three days
previous to the opening of the Exhibitinn, taking thereby every un-
fair advantage of their fellows, and often mote meritorious rivals in
the race. Front this and other dirty privileges, and still dirtier acre
that arise out of then', many aspirants of splendid talents in the Arts,
but no proficient'. in the foul and disgraceful one, are suffererers ;
many, as the genius is sensitive, broken-hearred. As things now
stand all the btu places, those within the range of the eye, are
taken as a matter of right, by the weathers of the Academy; and
as " the talent of an artist has little or nothing to do with his elec.
lion into the Academy," though degrading servility has much°, so
has the merit of his picture nu weight in its position there. An
R A. or A.S.S. may have become the merest twaddler, and paint
the vilest thing, but being an R.A. or an A.S.S. he must have the

The members ought at this hour of the day to be increased in
number—in quality, too, as well ay. quantity—which, we think,
might easily be effected; but, at any rate, there ate plenty out that
are at learn. on a par with the in, and as " many little. make a
mickle," the aggreate body would then acquire minethtng like a ie.
spec-table weight. A few well.educatcd nivn, a gentleman or two,
even though inferior in art, would be as leven to the lump. But.
&boreal), we would purify the aystem of election. !bights arc not
for lAMB strong on the wing only—vermin reach thew—we w e this
daily in better spheres. But according to the present stet mat vie
Academy the broadest pennons are impided in every way in their
flight, while creepers and crawlers with ease attain the summit

hest place: and it is thought et•.ough for rising re.e.it to let it In 7),4.
The truth is, that these R.A's walk in, and, indulrl. g in at:
luxury of narrow minds. personal pique, or profession:4 i:al,n,•y,.
place and displace, and I sue themselves just where tiny
•' And," we must say with the Clown. in Xam'e•t, apply
saying to pictures,though differing from him in another ren•e.
more pity that great folk should hare countenance in this yor:d •••
hang themselves more than their even Christian."
It is necessary that his Majesty should take all these inst.,.
into Isis consideration, if he have it seriously in eentemplati,...
promote the Fine Arts. As no den.on l:as in his ear whispe7ed
•• have a taste," he is not likely to suffer by the cajolery of wr!t.
dressed needy connoisseurs or agents, who, on a larger scale, o?..!),
differ from regular swindling picture-dealers. Unisemed In .be
interested, he will also, we hope, exercise his own sound jus:gicri
in new modelling the Royal Academy. It is a noble condeseerni..l
on Isis part to think of cleansing this stable, hut he will fail, e:.„:
egregiously fail, if he attempt to do it by means of the old ort-u
stumps and dirty brooms of the establishment.

TILE ELECTIONS

ittcrivrm Tills DAY.

ABINGDON ELECTION, FAIDAY.—Thi, day, ate, a f7titti is%
contest, Mr. Maherly was again returned to represent this ltor•og.4
in Parliament. The numbers are as follow :
Mr. Maberlqr 159 I Mr. Maitland .... rt
Majorit 7
Sournwartc.—At four • clock last night, the state of th•
was announced as follows :

For H. Harris, Esq
C. Calvert. Et.q.
-
Lieut.lieneral Sir R. IV
SOUTHWARK ELECTION, SECOND DA Y.— SIMI
the Poll—Ten o'Clock:—Harris, 91 I Calvert. 91 1 Wilso.,. til.
Eleven o'Clock— Harris...l34 I Calvert...l22 I Wilson.. 110
Twelve o'Clock— Harris...2ol I Calvert. .197 Wi150n...134.
Sir Hobert Wilson was canvassing the Borough in per.on thtt
day:

.6XFOLD CITY ELECTION.—State of the Poll for the City
Oxford Election (First Day), Friday, July NJ.
W. Hughes Hughes, Esq. 209
Joseph Haughton Langston, Esq. .. 1611
John Ingram Lockhart, Esq. 1O
CATITERSTRY.—Siate of the poll at a quarter to three :
Mr. Watson
Lord Fordwich
Mr. Daring .
CITT or NORWICII.—State of the poll on Thursday esering,
July 291h:—.

Gurney
Grant .. 196.1 Ogle ...... . 1560
Majority in favour of Gurney. 340; Grant, 266.