Star.
London, England, 1826-03-24 00:00:00

SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS.

•
The splendid and admirably-constructed galleries of
the Society of British Artists were yesterday thrown
open to a priitate mew, and notwithstanding the wea•
Cher was extremely unfavourable, a great number of
fashionable visitors were presen.
It has been well observed by a contemporary writer,
that if an Englishman were asic d where the Fine Arts
were in his country previous to the reign of George 111.
he would find a difficulty in giving an answer ; indeed
from the decline of the seventeenth to the middle of the
eighteenth century, was one continued night of dark-
ness so far as regarded the Fine Ars. • It was to the
patronage of a young and munificent Monarch, his
late Majesty, that painting and all its accessories rose
into active life, and through the fostering care of his
present Majesty and his ever-venerated Sire, the Fine
Arts have risen to a lofty—we had almost said—jhe
highest eminence.
The establishment of the Royal Academy in 1768,
under the immediate auspices of his late Majesty, was
the first step to the promotion of the Fine Arts. Of
late years, a new Society—the British Institution, was
established, and it has been of signal service. Excel-
lent; however,- as both these establishments are, they
were not found sufficient to meet the vast increase of
works of Art and Artists—the Royal Academy was
too small, mid besides it is not a place for the sale of
pictures, and to this the Artisits must, in a great mea-
sure, look. The object of the British Institution is for the
sale as well as the exhibitioa of works of are, but the
time that it is devoted to the interests of native talent
is too limited.

On these grounds a third Institution was formed, not
in opposition to those already existing (though some
persons have erroneously thought so) but to aid the same
cause—the advancement of the arts and the encourage-
ment .1 artists. • Such are the objects of the. Society of
BritiskArtists, who erected an extensive range of GA.
leries for:" the ♦nnual Exhibition and Sale of the
Works of Living Artists of the United Kingdom."
,These galleries were first opened in 1824., and ii the
season of that year and 1825, the receipts at the doors
exceeded all demands of the expence, while in pur-
chases and commissions the two exhibitions produced
nearly 8,000/.

The third exhibition, of which we were yesterday
favoured with a private view, displays a most marked
improvement and superiority over the two exhibitions
that preceded it. In Landscape it is peculiarly rich ;
and Glover, Holland, and Linton, never were seen to
more glvantage. Noble, who is a promising young
artist, has two or three clever pictures in this line.
We were particularly pleased with Hofland's Halstead,
near Ullswater (No. 14); A Moonlight View (in which
he is always very hippy) of Kirkstall Abbey, and
also two Views of OrOeld, which are admirible.
Glover has several most excellent pictures, In No.
331, a• Sunset, in 238, Valle Crucis Abbey, and in
many others, he has shewn how-much real beauty a
painter who ballast° and feeling may extract from the
commonest scenes. His No. 381, The Temple of
Vesta at Tivoli, a beautiful compgsition,. is, however, a
proof that his talents are by no means confined tol
merely familiar subjects. Mattock High Tor, So. 17,
by Liston, is in the chaste correct style of that artist,
whose greatest effort is in No. 330, 4, City of Ancient
Greece—the Return of a victorious Armament. This,
picture attracted much notice.. The conception is highly
imaginative, and the execution displays consclerable
power over all that is requisite in order to excel in this
species of composition. The efEct of light and shade is
managed in the happiest manner ; the buildings are
elegant, and the,colouring perfectly correct.
In Marine painting, J. Wilson has a picture (No. 182)
reresenting the Morning after a Storm, which is remark-
ably bold and spirited in its conception and execution;
and Cartwright has one picture, No. 170, the Burning
of Adiniral Britey's Ship, L'Ursent, at the battle of the
' nrk which will enhance his reputation.
The veteran Northcote has a good historical picture,
No. 59, the Burial of the Children in the 'Tower; and
Richter, Stanfield, Roberts, and Nasmyth, have some
very clever pictures in their respective styles. In still
life there are some charming pictures ; and the whole
exhibition is one which cannot fail of proving highly
attractive.

Among the Orders of the Day in the Rouse of Com-
mons, yesterday, was she consideration of the new
Insolvent Debtors' Bill, which has passed through a
Committee with several amendments. It vill be re-
membered th 4t the Court Jo? Relief.! Insolvent Debtors
was first constituted in 1820; a Court-house was
directed to be built in Portugal-street, Lincoln's Inn
fields, by the Act of 1822, and the Commissioners were
appointed to go Circuits by that of 1824. This Court,
having been found of signal utili y, is continued by the'
present Act, with some salutary additions to its former
functions. Persons confined for contempts by non-
payment of money, may, like other debtors, petition for
their discharge. The Court is not absolutely restrained
Erse receiving petitions from personsinot within the
walls of a prison, but may, in caw of ill health, or for
other specified causes, dispense with the previous con-
finement. A discretionary power is very properly Oren
to the Court to authorise the raising tf money on certain
kinds of property by way of mortgage, where an im-
mediate sale might be prejudicial. The Court also has
power to make an equitable order in case of a lease
which the assignee declines to accept. The powers of
the assignees are more clearly set forth than heretofore;
they may make composition for debts, and submit dif-
ferences to arbitration, with the consent of the majority
in value of the creditors, who are to vote according to
the balance due to them on an account fairly stated.—
Where the insolvent is a beneficed Clergyman, the
assignee may obtain a sequestration of the living ; and
where he is a naval, military, or civil officer of Govern-
ment, the Court, on communication with the proper
department of Government, may order a part of his.
pay or salary to be applied to the use of hit creditors
The Act against secret Warrants of Attorney, is de-
clared to extend to assignees under this Act : and, on
the other hand, the assignees are held strictly to the
rendering an early account, and if they wilfully retain
money, may be charged twenty per cent. interest on it
by the Court. Annuity Creditois are admissible as for
sums actually due; and the discharge of a prisoner
operates upon these as well as other debts. In the matter''
or costs, the Court has an equitable power to order them
in certain cases to be paid out of the insolvent's estate,
and in certain other cases to be paid by a creditor, frivo-
rowdy and v. xatiously opposing a discharge. These are
a few of the most prominent features in an Act, which
cannot tail greatly to interest many classes, but more
especially the trading part of the community.

•NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PLYMOUTH, UNICE 4:50.-41W BLOND& 4G, Capt. Lord BYRON
shrived yesterday from Portsmouth, and came into harbour, to be
docked and refitted.

The Nightingale cutter, Lieut. lErrcurnt, cams, in on Saturday
from a cruise, and sailed agate on Tuesday.
Ix Hsstoasa—Britannia, Genoa, Windsor Castle, Java, Forte,
Success, Came Hon, and Bernard tender.
Ix iris Stomp—Galatea and Th►tis.

Captain .loins Mmuntam., C.B. is appointed Superintendent of
the Quarantine Service at Milford ; and Lieutenants R. Itacret and
A. %.'Dosatas are appointed Joint Deputies.
HENRY J. Lases, R►y Commander of the HinsaLn yacht. is pro-
:noted to the rank of Captain; and Lieut. limas' Hors Joust-
STOMP, of the RA lemurs, to that of CommanJer.
The Fortitude, BERCHAY, fromPlymOuth for Batavia and Penang,
arrayed at the Cape of Good Hope £7th December.