The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-14 00:00:00

" Nullum tetigit quod non ornavit."

The measure, you will have seen, has been before the East
India Directors, who have resolved to watch the proceed-
ings in Parliament, for which purpose the board has
adjourned all discussion for a fortnight. The Commons,
not liking a double debate in connection with the affair,
wisely made no house on Tuesday, Mr. COBDEN'S
motion for the annexation of the Province of Pegue to
the British territories in India standing on the paper
for that day ; it was to avoid a barren discussion on the
evening of an Ascot day that Mr. COBDEN got the slip.
To be sure there was another motion on the paper, which
would have met a similar fate if it stood alone, viz., Lord
DUDLEY STUART'S motion for returns touching the
maintenance of the metropolitan police. Apropos, how-
ever, of the India Bill, leave has been given to bring it in.
But I don't refer to these questions so much for their
interest as to the means adopted to prevent a house being
made, and to point out to several generally supposed
shrewd members of Parliament, but simple-minded men,
how they literally humbugged themselves. Surely, if
Mr. COBDEN, whom I always considered a silly man on
nineteen questions out of twenty, and Lord DUDLEY
STUART, one of the kindliest-hearted men in the world,
though led by the nose occasionally, had motions to
propose, they might have entered the house when they
came down. What did Mr. COBDEN want loitering about
the lobbies, as the SPEAKER'S Chaplain went in ? Yea,
as the right hon. gentleman himself, en grand Jenne,
trainbearer, and all passed,—the sound " Make way for
Mr. SPEAKER" reverberating through every corner,—
wasit not the duty of hon. members to have followed ?
By this time it was a quarter to 4 o'clock. It is a sinful
practice to hurry over one's prayers ; we've all been
taught that in childhood. I don't say the performance of
prayers in the House of Commons is hurried indecently—
sinfully ; but I know, and Mr. COBDEN ought to have
known—he does know it by this time—that there is always
mischief brewing when Mr. SPEAKER is in a hurry to
begin his prayers. Now on the present occasion the
prayers were over just five minutes before they ought to
have commenced. There were thirty-three members
inside the house, nearly a score outside ; so here are
thirteen over and above the number necessary for making
a house. There can be no objection to the form of prayer
used—Papist, Unitarian, Nothingarian, I have seen de-
voutly join in it ; therefore, Mr. COBDEN—unless he
thought it lost time—had no objection on that score.
But here comes the cream of the joke. The whipper-in
and his aids had been barefacedly doing all they could not
to make a house, and put all to Mr. SPEAKER'S account ;
he, poor man, had been working hard, and would not
mind if no house met (sic). COBDEN knew this, saw the
SPEAKER'S Chaplain leave the house after prayers; the
doorkeeper, with his silver hair and port-wine face,
Bowed the door to swing as it listed—it closed, and re-
mained so. COBDEN had a right to go in—the keeper no
right to open and say, as the man at the show, " Walk in,
ladies and gentlemen." The doorkeeper had a " wink,"
which, time out of mind, is as good as a " nod" to a
blind horse, that " a no-house night" was wanted ; he
quietly sat in his chair, affected to be drowsy, heard
Mr. COBDEN and his friends complain, and in a minute
more all was over. The best of the affair was Mr.
SPEAKER'S telling the disappointed members that the
doorkeepers were always anxious to keep open the doors
—of course they are—with a hook. There are not two
men in or about the house whose earnest prayer more is
than another for no house, than these same doorkeepers.
Prime boys they are. I have known MAzuniaa, the
famouspolicianello, GRIMALDI, per e et fill, little GEORGE
WIELAND, the most graceful pantomimist that ever talked
the silent but expressive language of attidue fit,—l now
know and respect Tom MArrxEws, the last clown of the
artistic school,—wonderful the rapidity of their changes
in costume ; a wink, and the thing Is done. The door-
keepers of the House of Commons beat the abovenamed
great transmogrifi'ers all to immortal smash ! There they
sit in prim black and unsmirched white. Prestol you see
each in a nice cut-away coat, driving the easy-going four-
wheeler bang into Surrey, where a noble "cockie-Dork-
ing" and real dairy-fed await them for dinner. I be-
lieve one of the doorkeepers, when he is a+ 'mine, is a
large brewer, country gentleman, follows the wounds, and
all that sort of thing. Fie, Mr. SPEAKER, to say the
doorkeepers are always anxious to have a house under
these halcyon circumstances!
There have been two or three grand meetings, social
and scientific, since my last, at the Mansic?n•house.
The
banquet to the Mayors and other municipal authorities
throughout the United Kingdom, preparatory to the sci-
entific and literary conference the following morning, and
the conversazione in the evening, was never equalled for
brilliancy even in the Mansion-house. Nearly all the
guests appeared to be real judges of the goods the gods
provided, without disgusting one with brutish gourman-
derie ; there was all the taste and skill of the well-bred
gourmet exhibited. But. I pass the mere pleasures of the
table to the more spirituel proceedings of Wednesday.
The immense gathering embraced nearly all the good and
great in and about the metropolis, which means all that
were not at the DERBY Installation and his D. C. L.
Conference. The Ascot Race Meeting, according to
time-honoured custom, had Her MAJESTY, the Prince
•
ALBERT, and an illustrious line of Royal and noble
visitors at Windsor Castle ; hence the PRINCE CONSORT
and the Duke of GENOA could not come to the city as
was their intention, the Prince especially. In the morn-
ing Archbishops, Bishops, and others of the dignified
clergy, were present ; nearly all the Judges, Dukes.
Marquises, Earls, Viscounts, Barons, and Baronets un;
accountable. Science in all its branches was represented ,
here and there thinly, I admit. Astronomy, to be sure,
had Sir JOHN HERSCHEL and Professor DA MORGAN j

bu-. where was Sir JANIES SOUTH,. now nearly bent
double,—

"With study pale, and midnight vigils spent,
The star-surveying sage close to his eye

Applies the sight invigorating tube,"
sweeping through illimitable space ? Was Sir JAMES
angry, or was he afraid of having his usual squabble with
the cab and 'bus men on his way home to Kensington ?
Sir JAMES SOUTH, some years ago, attracted my attention
and regard by the apparent asperity of his manner towards
divers of the Council of the Royal Society ; the famous
Arundel MS., since transferred to the British Museum,
had long lain in the cellars of the society, under Somerset
House i • Sir JAMES denounced the desecration, and said
he could prove, by geologists, that the atmosphere of the
place would be destructive to the existence of pebbles !
Lord ROSSE, the famous astronomer, who, I really be-
lieve, wears spectacles for no other reason than because of
his attachment to the niediuln, he was also absent. I did
not see a single " Knight of the Hammer" in the throng,
but one, the Rev. Professor SEDGWICK, as great a wit
as he is divine or geologist. Prince ALBERT one day
joined a number of our geologists, Sir R. I. MuncnisoN,
Sir CHARLES LYELL, Sir J. DE LA BECHE, &C., and set
us all a-laughing by the aptness of his remark,—they
were all " becking and booing," the Prince threw down
his beaver, took up a lump of something by way of a
truncheon, and said he was always glad to meet the
Knights of the Hammer," referring to the stone-break-
ing habits of the knights he addressed. Among the ex-
judges, Lord Chancellor TRURO, once Tom WILDE,
looked very bilious,—his nose more turned up than ever.
Here is a wonderful Whig for you ; a mere law boy in his
youth,—studied a little, became attorney's clerk, then
attorney, married a rich widow—liberal soul, she died and
left him all; she could no more. TONI became a barrister,
ate his terms, but I am afraid all this time he forgot his
schooling, or rather omitted to attend a school. Though
he became Lord High Chancellor of mighty England, and
married a Prince of the blood's daughter, he is the most
vulgar speaker I ever heard ;—later for law constantly ;
" My lords, 1 am in a condition to prove that my client
was in partners with the plaintiff." These examples will
suffice. Lord TRURO'S tongue is scathing, his eloquence
fiery and fluent as red hot lava ; these and good luck have
made him what he is. At the day conference in the
Mansion House, among the mayors your own of Liver-
pool ably aided and vindicated his townsmen's claims to
honour in the cause of arts, literature, and science. In
fine, the paragraph in licit MAJESTY'S speech, referring
to the advancement of the fine arts and practical science,
seems to have an able supporter in the present Lord
Mayor of London, CHALLIS, who commenced life as a
butcher. All honour to him.

Out upon all this display, we have no artists—no, not
one. Bah ! We have artists, though many are listless,
not from will, but from want of paying employment. It
would be invidious to mention names, so I will not give a
list of thoroughly educated, travelled English sculptors,
who have all but beggared themselves by their love for
and practice of the art. I would not mention the names
of MeDoweLL, of BELL, of WYATT, or of JONES—aII
common names, though not belonging to common men.
I am not going to say whether they are busy, patronised,
or otherwise; but, as far as regards sculpture at the pre-
sent moment, I really think it is a misfortune to be either
English, Irish, Scotch, or Welsh. No ! MAROCHETTI—
Baron MAROCHETTI for ever ! 'Tis an excellent thing to
have a " friend at court." I make use of the phrase with
no ill-bred reference to Queen VICTORIA'S court, but
merely use it as a household word. The Great Exhibi-
tion contained two or three huge pieces of modelling,—
The Amazon, by Kiss, and Creur De Lion, by MAno-
CHETTI, being the chief in bulk. The latter cost the
Baron a trifle, certainly ; here and there the details are
good ; it was a large piece of stock on the Baron's hands
—filled up his studio at Pimlico. An aristocratic
friend was spoken to, straightway the affair was set
a-going ; the elite of London, all Belgravia, Pim-
lico's flash sister, burnt to give M. Le Baron a
lift ; in no time the colossal group is as good as bought and
paid for by a princely subscription, as a memento of the
Great Exhibition. Let the Baron, by all means, have
the honour and profit. Other artists are fain to dine
slenderly, with noble works by them. I could mention a
few, but wont, because the artists are not foreigners.
Baron MAROCHETTI came among us two or three years
ago, and is now a splendid example of what patronage
can achieve. Is the colossal group of Richard Cceur De
Lion appropripte as a remembrance of the Exhibition ?
The lovers of healthy literature will rejoice to learn that
Mr. THACKERAY has returned from America safe and
sound ; his lectures in the United States—thanks to the
judgment of Brother JONATHAN—produced a profit of
£3,500, which might have been doubled had he stayed a
little longer. He has engaged to write a novel, in twenty
parts, for which he is to get £3,000 ; so you see literature
is not so poor an avocation as some "dull fools" assert.—
JAMES HANNAY, a clever young man, not unknown in
Liverpool, following the course of his intimate friend,
THACKERAY, has completed a syllabus of six lectures on
satirical literature, no way interfering with the scope of
his great prototype's lectures. Mr. HANNAY commences
immediately with HoaAcE and JUVENAL, terminating
with BraoN and Tom MooRE, taking a glance at ROBIE
BURNS by the way. HANNAY is a fluent speaker—plenty
of self. reliance, and moreover a good scholar, so that there
is no fear of his success.—ANGUS REACH, the brisk, light
literature man, is now quite well ; he had an attack a few
weeks ago, entirely superinduced by hard work, and
he says he will not write so much.—CHARLES KEAN
has been busy at the printer's, arranging, altering,
adapting, and I don't know what, " Sardanapalus,"
for representation on his benefit night this evening,
and LAYARD has hurried home from Constantinople,
whither he had gone on a diplomatic mission, to have a
look at the scenery, as it is being painted from his sketches
of the monuments of Nineveh. As a grand spectacle
it will be perfect. CHARLES KEAN'S taste andpurse are bail for that. How he will enact the effe-
minate sensualist, the hero of the drama, is another
affair. MACREADY sustained the part many years
ago ; it appeared repulsive, but was well acted ; JOHN
COOPER tried it afterwards; but the play, notwith-
standing its grandeur, never held possession long.
Babbling about Nineveh, I might add that JOHN
MARTlN—great in that way—our own inimitable
Scripture artist has just finished a gigantic work,
called " The Last Judgment." I dare not attempt
to describe this painting further at present, than by
stating that the details with which the large canvass
is crowded are all taken from Holy Writ. The work
is startling—terrific in parts—relieved, however, by the
luminous portions. Wonderful work, the production of
a painter so well stricken in years. JOHN MARTIN is
still as " natty " as he was when I first knew him, many,
many years ago, and I am sure as good hearted, a trait of
which I should like to mention. A brother of the brush
—great genius, but wayward—now no more, sent JOHN a
note to his decent abode in the New-road, for answer by
the messenger : family starving—wanted the loan of a
handful of sees. MARTIN read the note :" My com-
pliments to your master ; tell him I'm painting, but will
see him by-and-bye." MARTIN continued painting till
twilight grey, then called on his starving brother artist—
found him dining sumptuously, the piece de resistance
being flanked by a pair of decanters sparkling with good i
port and sherry. MARTIN had not dined himself, so sans
ceremonie, set to, finished the wine, got merry,
and with scarce a rebuke at the starving artist,
on account of his profusion, slipped a ten pound into his
hand. The sister art, Music—for I hold with ROUSSEAU
"Le genie du musicien sournet l'univers entier a son
ART ! "—Music is supreme in the metropolis at present ;
the parterre of the Hanover-square-rooms outvies, in
brilliancy of beauty, the finest show ever given at the
Cheswick-gardens by the H. S. The members of the
Cologne Choral Union have been engaged for a series of
concerts by Mr. MITCHELL. The vocalists for the most
part are droll-looking fellows—thoroughly German. To
the lovers of this species of music— and who is not ?—these
strangers will offer a great treat ; they are perfect masters
of unison, a characteristic in which the vocalists of Fader-
land have never been surpassed. The Royal Italian
Opera is literally crammed to suffocation every night :
the QUEEN has been twice to witness the Huguenots. Her
MAJESTY looked well, she applauded much, laughed
heartily in conversation with her visitors and attendants;
among the former the Duke of GENOA was prominent ; in
the course of the opera he came into Her MAJESTY'S box ;
the Sovereign and the Duke shook hands like humbler
folks. The Duke is a fine manly-looking fellow, dark, with
a black peaked beard, nicely trimmed after the manner of
WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. Prince ALBERT seemed to enjoy
himself also ; he is getting very robust, but his hair is
thin,—thin; in this respect resembling his relative the
Duke of CAMBRIDGE, who, though in early manhood, is
as bald as a coot.