The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-12-30 00:00:00

I. W. TURNER, R.A.

The grave lies open for one of the oldest, perhaps the
greatest, certainly the most remarkable, of the English
Academicans. His death, although he had ceased for
some little time, owing to increasing infirmities, from the
practice of his art, deserves more than ordinary notice;
for he fills, and will hereafter fill, we believe, to a greater
degree than he does at present, a different place in the
history of art from that obtained by any of his contem-
poraries. The son of a small barber in Maiden-lane,
without education or advantages of any kind, he made
himself a name which will last as long as English art, ac-
quired, when very young, a position amongst the English
academicans, and created for himself a set of disciples and
admirers, not large, perhaps, in number, yet remarkable
for their ability and refinement, and for their enthusiastic
and almost unparalleled admiration for the object of their
homage. His life, like that of most successful artists,
was uneventful. It presents the ordinary picture of a
clever boy whose drawings attract observation ; who is
sent to school who makes a livelihood by executing
cheap and slight works for persons who could discern
something good about him (be executed hundreds, we
believe, at three and sixpence a piece), who gets employed
by publishers as an architectural draughtsman distin-
guished for the unusual care and elaborate finish of his
work, and who goes on slowly and gradually discarding
one convention after another as he feels his strength, and
by ceaseless labour matures his powers, till, from the ac-
curate architectural draughtsman of 1790, he grows to the
grand and imaginative landscape painter of the last twenty
years. For a long while he carried the public with him,
but at a certain point, about twenty years ago, he out-
lawed the critics ; the public took part with the latter,
and for many years it has been usual to regret his eccen-
tricities, and accuse him of unnatural and extravagant
colouring. All the while, however, his transcendant
genius has been admitted, and his engravings, his draw-
ings, and his Liber Studiorum, have been always followed
by great popular admiration.
All this shows greatness ; the height to which he at-
tained; the steady laborious work by which he attained
it ; the great, perhaps too entire contempt he evinced for
popular opinion. He was not a man who said great
things. Shy, awkward, and eccentric, his ordinary con-
versation with ordinary persons was exceedingly disap-
pointing; full of unmeaning banter and a kind of small
shrewdness. Yet it was not always so. To intimate
friends, and on particular occasions, he showed his genius.
Now and then he said a great thing or a good one.
" Know what you have to do and do it," was, as Mr.

PREVENTIVE AND REFORMATORY SCHOOLS.—A de
putation on the subject of Preventive and Reformatory
Schools, appointed at the late conference at Birmingham,
had an interview with Sr George Grey, at the Home-
office, on Saturday. The deputation consisted of David
Power, Esq., Recorder of Ipswich ; the Rev. J. Field,
chaplain of Reading Gaol ; the Rv. Sydney Turner,
Red-hill ; the Rev. Thomas Carter, chaplain of the
Liverpool Borough Gaol ; Mr. William Locke, of Lon-
don ; Mr, Joseph Adshead, of Manchester; and Mr.
Joseph Hubback, of Liverpool. We understand that the
interview with the Home Secretary was very encouraging
as to the success of this philanthropic movement.
A WELL-KNOWN GENTLEMAN.—On Saturday, at the
Police-court, James Quinn, a man as familiar to the
police force as " household words," was brought up be-
fore Mr. Mansfield on the charge of having obtained a
Christmas supply under the following circumstances :
On Monday night the prisoner went to the shop of Mary
Ann Spencer, provision-deale*, St. John's Market, and
there obtained £5 4s. worth of " nete's" tongues, under
the pretence that he had a shipping order. The contract
was to be " money down." The goods were delivered at
the prisoner's office, in Duke-street, the bill presented,
and patronizing party consulted ; the prisoner disputed
the bill, and the man hastened back to his mistress, and
told her his tale. She directly went to the office of the
prisoner and induced from him the trifling sum of £1 65.,
leaving a commercial balance of £3 18s. The residue not
bring forthcoming when expected, Mr. Clough advised
Mrs. Spencer to have the case brought before the magis-
trates. Several other most flagrant, though ingenious,
tricks were urged against Quinn. It appeared that, on
the 23d instant, he went to the shop of Mr. Jas. Brad den,
provision-merchant, North John-street, and, in the
absence of the master, bought 4 cwt. of hams and 3 cwt.
17 lbs. of butter, representing that he had a shipping
order, and directed them to be sent to his office, in Duke-
street, when the cash should be paid. The porter took
them down, when Mr. Quinn, by a trick, induced him to
leave them, saying his cashier was not in. The said hams
and butter, the same day, found their way to Mr. llill's
auction-rooms, in Paradise-street, who gave an advance
of £9 upon them. The prisoner had also obtained from
Mr. Billington, of 25, Mill-street, a suit of clothes, giving
him to understand that he was a coal-merchant, in an
extensive way of business. There are several other charges
against the prisoner. In the course of the inquiry it
transpired that an intended victim arrived in town about
a quarter to eleven o'clock, on Saturday, to apprentice his DREADFUL DEATH.—Mr. Duncan M•Lachlan, of the
son to a clerkship in this celebrated merchant's office, firm of Wilson and M`Laohlan, ship-chandlers, of Orford-
having, by correspondence, agreed to take and make him street, met with his death, early on Friday morning, in a
a proficient clerk, on the condition that his father paid singularly shocking manner, by a fall down stairs, in
down £4O, as a guarantee for the faithful performance of which be broke his neck. The deceased gentleman resided
the apprenticeship duties. Luckiiy, the father of the boy in Parliament-street; he was very generally known and
called at the Central Police station to inquire relative to universally respected. An inquest was held on the body
the character of Mr. Quinn. He was then in custody. on Saturday. and a verdict of " Accidental Death"
The prisoner was remanded for seven days. returned,

Ruskin tells us, his precept to an artist. you
wish you could ?" was his answer to Constable, who told
him he had never seen nature like one of Turner's pic-
tures ; and other things of the same kind might be re-
nded. So too as to his affections and generosity. Or-
dinarily he was called cold and mean, insensible to affec-
tion, and avaricious to a fault. his ordinary manners
and his immense wealth appear to bear out the accusa-
tion. Yet to some men, and at certain times, he showed
a depth and warmth of feeling very surprising, and occa-
sionally (too rarely certainly) he performed acts of great
and graceful generosity.
As an artist his powers were in his day confessedly
unrivalled. People have disputed as to his application of
them—none denied him their possession. his tenacity
of memory was wonderful. He never forgot a thing that
had once struck him. Years afterwards a feature would

" Pon't

be reproduced as accurately as if he was drawing it on the
spot. The universality of his mind is proved by theLiber
Studiorum. In that single volume there is nothing,

from an alp and a thunderstorm to a cart-wheel or a
dunghill, that does not come within the scope of his
genius. His power of intense and concentrated applica-
tion was quite astonishing. From early morning to late
at night, a long summer's day, while there was light,
Turner would work at a picture. One of the best pieces
he ever exhibited at the Academy was painted in three
days. These things are undisputed ; and we believe it
will soon be as universally admitted that among the
painters who have best represented nature in all her
aspects, her glory, her majesty, her terrors, her loveliness,
the grandeur of her forms, the beauty of her colours, the
abundant and exhaustless varieties of her expression—
who have raised and purified the heart and intellect by
such representations, and given us new thoughts about
creation and the Creator—the strange but gifted man who
has just gone from among us is entitled to a high and dis-
tinguished place.—Landon Guardian.

CHESHIRE AND WALES.

The Independent Chapel, at Wilmslow, Cheshire, bas
been duly registered for the solemnisation of marriages
therein.

ODDVELLOWSHIP.—The anniversary dinner of the
Laurel Wreath Lodge was held on Tuesday last, at, the
Liverpool Arms, Birkenhead, when the members of the
lodge and their friends, to the number of about fifty, par-
took of a sumptuous repast.
THE JEWS.—The Rev. H. S. Joseph, chaplain of
Chester Castle, has just published a synopsis of prophe-
cies relative to the second Advent of Christ, but with
more immediate reference to the restoration and conver-
sion of the Jews. Biblical students will do well to con-
sult this tabular view of unfulfilled Scriptures.—Chester
Courant.

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic for the
week ended 21st December, 1851 :—Chester and Holy-
head Main Line : Passengers, £917 7s. 7d. ; parcels, H.
C. and D.. £76 Is. 7d. ; goods, cattle, &c., £5BO 17s. ld.;
mails, £575.—M01d Passengers, £3l 12s. ; parcels,
£2 3s. ; goods, cattle, &c., £lO2 19s. Bd.—Steamboats :
Passengers, £343 14s. 10d. ; parcels, £l3 17s. 8d.—
Total, £2.443 13s. sd.

TARPORLEY.—On Thursday last, the annual meeting
of the Tarporley Ladies' Bible Association, in connection
with the B-itish and Foreign Bible Society, was held in
the Public Hall, and very kindly presided over by John
Tollemache, Esq.. M.P.. who opened the meeting by'
reading the 19th Psalm, and the Rev. Gerard Smith en-
gaged in prayer ; and addresses were delivered by the Rev.
C. Needham, Mr. J. Bateman, Revs. G. Smith, J. R.
Tucker, Dr. Harding, and R. Knill. Tne noble cause
was ;yell advocated, and the meeting highly interesting.
There was collected £l6 3s. 6d.

THE GREAT RAILWAY BRIDGE AT CHEPSTOW.-It
was stated, at the late meeting of the Swansea Towa
Council, by Mr. Vivian, M.P. for the borough, that there
is every probability of the large railway bridge and viaduct
over the Chepstow river being completed at an earlier
period than was anticipated. The probable time of the
completion of this necessary link in the chain of commu-
nication between London and South Wales will be from
six weeks to two months, should nothing unforeseen hap-
pen to delay the progress of the work. Some difficulties
had occurred with respect to the erection of the supporting
cylinder to which the roadways are braced for support, but
these impediments have been overcome.
POULTON-CUM-SEACOMBE.—Mr. Robert Rawlinson,
the superinten ing inspector under the G3neral Board of
Health, who lately held an inquiry into the sanitary con-
dition of Seacombe, has just published his report. He
considers that the parish of Wallasey and the town of
Poulton-cum-Seacombe are not so healthy as by proper
sanitary works and recommendations they might be made;
and as there is a deficiency of local power to grapple with
all the evils which exist, he recommends the application
of the Public Health Act to the district now formed and
under the powers of the Commissioners of Wallasey; and
that the local Board of Health to be elected shall consist of
twenty-onemembers, one-third togo out of office each year.
SUTTON.—A tea party was held in the Presbyterian
Chapel, Sutton, on Monday evening, the 22nd inst. Dr.
Crichton, of Liverpool, occupied the chair. Dr. Eadie
and Dr. Aspinall, a clergyman of the Church of England
resident in Liverpool, were the principal speakers. The
Rev. S. Towers, of Birkenhead, and the Rev. J. Galloway,
of Sutton, also addressed the meeting. Mr. Jas. Smith,
of Chester, gave a concise history of the difficulties which
the trustees had met with, in endeavouring to sustain a
preacher in the village. Several gentlemen from Chester,
Dr. Davies, Mr. Sumner, Mr. Smith, &c., were present,
and not a few Liverpool gentlemen, some of whom reside
in the locality. A collection was made during the evening
which realised £l9.

THE. HON. MR. STANLEY AND THE REPRESENTATION
OF CHESTER.—" An Elector" recommends that Mr. Ro-
bertson Gladstone should be invited to replace Mr. Stan-
ley. That gentleman was invited to appear in July, 1850,
when the city was embarrassed for a suitable candidate--
but he declined coming to the rescue, but for other reasons
than those now assigned. Of course it is the great object
to " bring trade and commerce to Chester;" but would
turning out Mr. Stanley and substituting Mr. Robertson
Gladstone for him effect that desirable end ? Would the
latter come and reside in Chester, and transfer his busi-
ness, his ships, and so forth from the Mersey to the Dee ?
We have the highest respect for him ; yet, we may ask,
what practical good could he achieve that cannot be as
effectually promoted and realized by Mr. Stanley ?
Chester Chronicle.

THE BIRKENHEAD PARK LAND. —The commissioners
held a special meeting on Tuesday evening, for the pur-
pose of taking into consideration certain resolutions of
the Finance Committee, and also a letter from Messrs.
Watson and Webster respecting land purchased by the-
commissioners for the purpose of forming part of Birken-
head-park. Richard Bryans, jun., Esq., occupied the-
chair, in the absence of John Laird, Esq., the chairman
of the board ; and there were also present, Messrs. Thom-
son, Pike, Barbour, Graham, Watson, Tyler, Webster,
Lightbound, Rae, Bailiff. Greene, Gough, and Stevenson.
The proceedings of the Finance Committee contained a
letter from Messrs. Watson and Webster with respect to
the land sold by Mr. John Laird to the commissioners,
suggesting, among other matters, that the question of
the value of the land, if now sold, according to the plan
of the commissioners and the present value, with the re-
strictions imposed by the deed of conveyance, be left to
arbitration, the increased value, if any, without the re-
strictions, to be divided between the commissioners and
Mr. Laird. Mr. Watson moved, and Mr. Thomson
seconded the confirmation of the proceedings. Mr. Rae
proposed an amendment to the effect that, as Mr. Laird
had rejected the proposition confirmed by the general
board, negotiations be opened with the existing purchasers
with the view of ascertaining whether an arrangement
cannot be entered into, either by exchange of land or
otherwise, in order to settle this vexatious matter. Mr.
Gough seconded this proposition, and an angry discussion
succeeded, at the close of which Mr. Rae's amendment
was carried by seven to six votes.