The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-10-01 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

LIVERPOOL EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.

We obtained a cursory view of the Annual Exhibition
of the Liverpool Academy on Saturday, prior to its being
opened to the public,—(yesterday when our time would
not permit us to attend)—and from what we have already
hastely seen, we are inclined to pronounce the collection
en masse to be one of the best, if not the very best, that
has yet courted public attention in that school of art.—
The pictures too, appear to us to be very judiciously and
impartially arranged, and in this respect great credit is
due to the committee, whose endeavours to do justice to
all competitors for distinction is, on every such occasion
difficult and onerous. Our space precludes us from enter-
ing into details for the present; but we cannot do less
than point out some of what we considered the most
talented productions.
Over the entrance door of the principal room, is a large
picture, (No. 1,)—" Lady Jane Grey summoned to Ex-
ecution," by Leahy. The figures are as large as life.—
Lady Jane is kneeling before a crucifix with uplifted eyes,
and behind her are numerous attendants—her faithful ad-
herents, and the gruff armed officers and others who are
to drag her to her death. The conception, drawing, and
colouring are all good, verifying the passage in Knight's
History from which it is taken,—" In countenance no-
thing cast down, neither her eyes anything washed with
tears, although her gentlewomen wonderfully wept.
Handed from a kingdom to a scaffold, she suffered for the
faults of others, having overcome all the frowns of adverse
fortune by her constancy and innocence."
" Mount St. Michael," in Cornwall, (49,) by Stanfield,
is a fine large sea view, with the remains of the wreck of
a ship in the turbulent waters in the foreground, sur-
rounded by boats. The marine and land portions are
both ably wrought out. (By A. Elmore.)
"Rienzi in the Forum," energetically addressing his
followers, is another fine picture, which, we believe won
the prize at the Royal Academy. The figures and group-
ing are peculiarly striking, and the colouring chaste and
admirable :
" Then turn we to the latest tribune name,
From her the thousand tyrants turn to thee,
Redeemer of dark centuries of shame,—
The friend of Petrarch—hope of Italy,

" Rienzi! last of Romans." Byron.
Endymions s Dream," (21,) by our townsman West.
Cott, is worthy of his talents. It is a large and well-
finished picture.
" Windermere," (50,) and (53,) the " Head of Loch
Lomond," are two beautiful small landscapes, by A. Hunt.
" A Warrier Knight," of the olden time, by Etty, (with
a turbanned figure behind,) is one of the finest produc-
tions in the rooms. The head, beard, and armour of the
knight. are deeply shadowed, and the countenance strong-
ly characteristic of indomitable manhood and firmness
of purpose.

Ttie Madness of Hercules," (destrosing his wife and
children,) by Patten, is highly artistic, and will doubtless
add to the fame of that favourite painter.
" Shrimping on the Sands of St. Michael" by E. W.
Cooke, is a creditable effort, and forms a pleasing sea-view.
" Dinner Time, in a Franciscan Convent at Florence,"
(209,) by S. A. Hunt, R.A., is a letting out of "the
s?crets of the prison-house." The friars are devouring
large basins of what may be supposed to be anything but
soup meagre, and each has allotted to him his large de-
canter of wine! The figures and the perspective of the
Refectory are well managed, as are the lights.
Burrowdale, (226,) is a clever sketch, by Mrs. W.
Burnett. No. 116, a Girl and Butterfly, by Miss E.
Hunt, is also beautifully coloured, and both highly cre-
ditable to the fair artistes.

Ansdell'9 picture of the "Board Room of the Blue
Coat Hospital," attracts much admiration. The portraits
art all striking likenesses, but there is rather a sameness
(as we have before noticed) or rather an over ruddiness in
the countenances. This time may subdue. 143, 106,
62, 142, and 123, are all, we consider, well executed small
pieces ; 177, a large sea-shore fishing scene, is also good.
A cottage scene, 168, also struck us as meritorious, and
166, " moonlight."
Poole. the author of the Plague Picture, exhibited last
year, has treated us to another of his " horribles,"—the
sacking of a Moorish town,—many of the figures lying
about dying or dead, from famine. We took it for ano-
ther " plague," and though it exhibits great talent,—a
plague take him, we say, for putting us to pain while we
must admire genius! He has partly redeemed himself,
however, by contributing a beautiful rural piece,—" a
female crossing a river with a child on her back,"—very
sweet, soft, and beautiful.

Landseer has contributed one piece—the head and fore
part of a deer-hound—with rough bristly-looking hair,
very admirably executed.
From Havell we observed Nos. 76-303, a scene with a
gipsy patty, and another landscape, all beautiful, espe-
cially in the fine thin blue haze of distance, and rays of
sunlight, which this artist manages so exquisitely.
No 275, a scene from Gil Bias, by T. M. Joy, is ex-
tremely happy in conception and execution. Christ at
the tomb of Lazarus, (by another,) is a fine scriptural
piece, as is one near it representing the lion, the lamb,
&c., in peaceful proximity. No. 264, a scene in a Kent-
ish Hop Ground, by Roods, is a fine spirited production.
The Italian Boy, with his Guinea-pig, (238,) by, (we be-
lieve,) Gamberdella, is one of the clearest, roundest, and
most pleasingly ex2ressive portraits in the exhibition.
There is a large picture of Jacob exhibiting the bloody
garment, by Hurlstone, and a good scriptural piece, by
Huggins, of this town.. In the same room is a beautifully
executed landscape, with anglers near a stream, (N 0.340,)
stated to be by J. B. Pim. Amongst the others of merit
which we noticed are " Wreck of a sloop," (44,) by E.
W. Cooke ; 87, 97, Oysters, Nuts, &c. ; 11, " The High-
land Lament," with a tag-piper, followed by mourners
through a mountain pass, by H. Johnston ; 225, " Scene
on the Nile," by Muller, &c. The Eglingtons and Col-
lingwood and Lee have all contributed fine pieces, but
we cannot at present further particularize. There are
many good portraits of natives of the town and others ;
including an excellent one of our excellent nautical friend
Lieut. Parsons, R.N. by Beattie,—one of E. Rushton,
Esq., another of Mrs. Jackson, of Birkinhead, and
_several others.
. .

We had not time to inspect the water-colour drawings,
many of which, however, looked beautiful at a hasty
glance, and we can but add that the whole collection is wor-
thy of the highest commendation, and ought to be visited
by every person of taste in the town and neighbourhood.

FEMALE ORPHAN ASYLUM.—This Evening the claims
of this deserving Charity will be advocated in a Sermon
at St. Michael's church, by the Rev. Hugh M`Neile.
The Mercury is mistaken in saying that " the Grand
Master of the Orange Lodges sits as a member of the
Watch Committee." The Grand Master of the Order
is a nobleman of as hieh and illustrious rank as any
which graces the British Peerage, and we may as well
enlighten our contemporary a little further by saying that
it is not Lord Kenyon who holds such office.

CommumENT.--Yesterday, at the Police Court, two
girls, Margaret Smith and Margaret Evans, were charged
with having stolen two shawls, the property of a Mrs.
Jones. The complainant said that the prisoner Smith,
who had lived in Greenland-street, had entered her ser-
vice on Thursday, and bad left on the same day. The
articles being missed, she was searched for and appre-
hended, together with the other prisioner (Evans) who
was supposed to have had something to do with plepging
them. The latter, apparently a fine modest girl, told h
very simple and affecting story, to the effect that the other
girl had come to her when on the eve of going to service,
stating that she had absolutely nothing to eat; that to
procure some money to relieve her necessities she had
pledged her mother's shawl, and given her a shilling, on
the faith of the other's promise that she would, on going
to her place, find money to redeem it; that her mother
wanting the article before the prisoner made good her pro-
mise, she was obliged to take a blanket to pledge to redeem
it, lest her mother should beat her, &c., and, finally, that
she had no knowledge when she pledged the articles for
the prisoner, to recover the blanket with part of the mo-
ney, that they were dishonestly come by. This prisoner
received an excellent character from two parties in court,
and Mr. Rushton stated, that he believed her story, and
immediately discharged her. Her mother, a respectable
woman, who was present, but not required to give evi-
dence, cried "Thank you, sir!" and immediately after-
wards fainted, and was carried out of court in that
state. The prisoner Smith was committed for trial.

THE CIVILIZATION OF THE INTERIOR OF AFRICA.—
We noticed, some weeks ago, that Mr. Jamieson's
steam-vessel, Ethiope, after having sailed for Africa, on
a renewed attempt to establish commercial relations with
the interior, by the Niger, had put back from stress of
weather, but without injury. She sailed again about ten
days ago, and, though too late for the Niger this season,
will visit some of the other rivers on the coast. Notwith-
standing previous disasters to former expeditions, there
are strong grounds to hope that lids will eventually be
crowned with success. Upon the discovery, by the
Landors, in 1831, that the Niger, or Quorra, flowed into
the Bight of Biafra, several Liverpool merchants sent out
a vessel to prosecute trade up that river; but sickness so
reduced the ship's company as to deter them from further
proceedings. Mr. Jamieson, who was no party to this
adventure, but who had acquainted himself with the geo-
graphical and commercial situation of the country deter-
mined to renew the enterprise on a limited scale, and, in
1840, the Ethiope, Capt. Becroft, manned chiefly by
Africans, was sent out. She reached the Niger, penetrated
higher up than had yet been done, remained seven months
in the river, and held friendly commercial intercouse with
the natives. At liabbah, the largest town, Capt. 8., was
paticularly well received, and the king, in taking leave of
him, expressed a wish that be would return, and bring
with him " some brass cannon for defending his town ;
two sofa beds, and a large trunk." The expedition of
the " African Civilization Society " followed in 1841 under
Captain Trotter and Captain Allen ; and, from fever and
want of a matured plan, was most disastrous. But for
the aid of Captain Becroft, who rendered them every as-
sistance, the fatality would have been greater. The object
of this expedition was to introduce an improved system
of agriculture and commerce, christianity and civilization.
They proposed a model farm on a larger scale than that
at Sierra Leone, at which they pointed ; 'o as to induce a
traffic in produce in place of in human beings. Mr.
Jamieson came forward at the time with his views, which
were different. His principle was that they should first
show that there was a demand for the produce of the
land, (without which no one would set about raising it,)
and that the required commodities could be got
in exchange for it. He also proved that there was
no slave trade on the coast—our preventive force
having broken it up, and that a commerce much
more valuable, in palm oil, &c., had grown up in its place
near the Niger, and chiefly with Liverpool. The society
have virtually acknowledged their error by many of their
leaders now supporting the plans of Mr. Jameison. On this
subject the Scottish Guardian from which we condense
some of these particulars) says, " This is a gratifying
testimony to the excellence of practical over theoretical
views, and to the sound judgment and genuine philanthro-
py in which these (Mr. Jameison's) plans are conceived.
On reviewing the whole subject, we consider it one that
well deserves the encouragement and support of every
benevolent man."

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE SAILING MACHINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

shall be extremely obliged by your inserting
the following correction of a trivial error or two in your
recent notice of the model of a Sailing Carriage, now in
possession of John Grantham, Esq., which is there stated
to have been invented by Sir James Oxenden, of Sussex.
The machine in question was invented by Sir Henry
Oxenden, in Kent,—and by him used for very many
years, both in Kent and elsewhere.
Those which I have built myself, after the same model
and plan in all respects, have been constantly used by me
every summer, on some one or other of the large plains
of England—including Newmarket—but never at Ascot.
I am now building one of somewhat larger dimensions,
which I expect will sail about forty miles an hour,—at
which great pace, twenty seconds, or twenty-five seconds
will suffice to bring her to a dead stand still. This I
mention io shew the ease and safety with which she is
managed.
Up to sixty miles an hour there is no difficulty what-
ever in increasing the speed, but there is great difficulty
in finding safe and ample sailing-ground for these high
velocities.

Your insertion of this explanation will oblige
Your obedient servant,
G. CHICHESTER OXENDEN.
September 28, 1844.

THE CALOTYPE ART.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

Srß,—ln your paper of the 10th current, a copy of
which has just reached me at this place, where it has
followed me from Edinburgh, I observe, in a flattering
editorial notice of the exhibition at Mr. Grundy's, of a
collection of sketches by means of the photogenic process
ealled the calotype, that you have made the mistake of
attributing the discovery of this art to Mr. Adamson, of
St. Andrew's, by whose chemical manupulations, under
my artistic superintendence, these sketches have been
produced. The discovery of this very beautiful and most
valuable art the world owes to an English gentleman—an
eminent and well-known prosecutor of science—namely,
Henry Fox Talbot, Esq., of Lacock Abbey. The dis-
covery, though vet very little known, is not so recent as
you infer, being coeval v.ith the sister art discovered in
France by Daguerre. The art is secured to Mr. Talbot
by patent, with whose approval it was first introduced into
Edinburgh about a year and a half ago, by Mr. Adamson,
who, for some time previous, as an amateur, had laboured,
with some success, in improving its processes. Mr.
Adamson and myself will feel obliged if, in your next
paper, you will correct the mistake to which I have thus
taken the liberty to direct your attention.—Yours, &c.,
_ D. 0. HILL.
_

• ---
British Association, York,
Sept. 28, 1844.
[As regards the " mistake" alluded to we have merely
to state that our authority as to the discover✓ was derived
from Mr. Grundy's printed prospectus of the intended
work, in which no mention whatever was made either of
our correspondent's name, or that of Mr. Talbot. The
mistake does not, therefore, lie with us, but we are obliged
to our correspondent for his explanation.]

SELF-SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sin,—ln your remarks upon the Design of Self-sup-
porting Institutions there are, in consequence of the de-
sultory manner in which the subject was explained on the
evening your reporter attended, some misconceptions as
to my objects and views, which I shall be obliged by your
permission to correct.

In the first placc, I am endeavouring not to raise funds,
but to excite attention to a general principle of economy,
in the hope that others more competent, especially among
the intelligent and enterprizing residents of Liverpool, so
distinguished for the number and munificence of its be-
nevolent institutions, may form a better modification than
that which has been devised, and issue a prospectus of
their own.

Neither is a " reconstruction of the fabric of society"
one of my objects, for that implies a previous dissolution,
but rather to leave all the institutions of society undis-
turbed, and to form establishments of 300 families each,
and composed of one class only.
It would, indeed, be chimerical to attempt to amalga-
mate different classes almost as much opposed in habits
and feelings to each other, as the inhabitants of civilized
and uncivilized countries. When it is conceded that the
design " might do for those who have been long destitute
or unfortunate, such might there find a happy asylum,"
all is admitted that can be desired, for who should be
first attended to but the destitute? and, 1 trust, that you
will press upon your readers the urgent necessity of ex-
amining, and ultimately applying this practicable remedy.
I should be quite willing to leave the " doctrine of non-
competition" to be decided by the test of experiment.
Let two establishments be formed adopting professedly,
as we have done before, the motives inculcated by reli-
gion. The love of God with all our hearts, and the love
of our neighbours as ourselves; superadd in one of the
establishments the stimulus of competition, and there
would soon be found less manifestations of talent, of
genius, and even less of wealth and enterprize, than in
that establishment recognizing and appealing to the more
exalted motives only.

For the sublime Epic of Milton, and for the Principia
of Newton, we are indebted- to -loftier aspirations than
competition will ever excite.—l am, sir, your most obe-
client servant,

J. M. MORGAN.

15, Rodney-street, Liverpool,
September 28, 1844.

[We assure our benevolent and polite correspondent
that, our reporter had no intention to misrepresent his
views, and that he stands corrected on the points alluded
to. He was, however, drawn into the belief that the ob-
ject was eventually, if not now, to reise funds for a model
institution, from the conversation that took place relative
to the funds required, &c.,—of which a sort of prospectus
appears in our correspondent's pamphlet,—and it appears
to us of little consequence whether the money be raised in
shares, by his individual exertions, or the office of doing
so fall into the hands of some of our townsmen. In the
hasty paragraph of our reporter, tbe words "reconstruc-
tion of the fabric of society," should properly have been
substituted by " 'reformation' of society ;" but the alter-
ation is, we think, of trivial moment. The principle is
everything. This, our correspondent would, he says, ap-
ply to "one class only ;" and this, we presume, is the
rural class, in districts remote from towns; but our cor-
respondent must be reminded, that, on a question being
put to him as to the practicability of his plan as regarded
seafaring men and others, he expressed an opinion that it
would be equally applicable to fishing coasts or villages.
We have the misfortune still to differ from him on his
advocacy of " non-competition ;" but we repeat that,
lamentinng the existing evils of society, we should re-
joice to see one institution on his plan fairly put
to the test ; even with (as he proposes) one class.
Even with such a circumscribed latitude as this, we
had so much doubt of its success, and, at the same
time, so strong an assurance of his open-hearted and
truly philanthropic views, that we should exceedingly
regret his adventuring any large amount of his means in
such a speculation.—Edit. Standard.]