The New York herald., 1850-12-26

The AMERICAN ART UsIos.-The objects of this
institution are praiseworthy, national, aud good.
The mar ner in which il is managed has given rise
10 complaint from year to year; and it is argued
that, under better regime, its affairs would be in
a more fourishing, healthy condition, and both
the artists and the public would derive far greater
benefit from it,
One cause of complaint, and il seems to us, just
one, is that the seliconsututed managers appear to
have installed themselves for life at the head of
the institution 1t is true, there is rule that seven
of the committee shall 60 out every year, and
seven subscribers shall be elected in their stead or
the old members shall be reelected. The farce of
election takes place, but it is done with all the
pdity of legerdemain, and before the audience are
aware, the seven members whose turn it was to go
cut are reelected without casting of votes, and by
the decision of the President alone. The idea of
officers being elected by such an assembly as filled
Tripler Hall on Friday evening, is preposterous.
1t consisted of men, women and children, and a
large number were not subscribers, but were at
tracted there by curiosity. How was voting on
such an occasion practicable =? No doubt many
persons woald propose different set of men for the
management, and insist upon the votes being taken
on the question, but from the papable impractcabi-
lily Of the thing and no man will venture to delay
an audience, including ladies, full of anxiety for
the result of the drawings from the wheel of for
tune, by proposing anything that he knows and
every body knows, cannot be accomplished. Even
when the proceedings allowed to go on smooth
ly and without opposition, they occupy six or seven
hours, and man would make himself rather un-
popular that would do aught to protract them to a
more advanced hour. Thus, khe evil has been al
lowed to grow from year TO year.
Now, this ground of complaint can be easily
removed, and if the managers are disinterest-
ed, they will readily consent to the following
proposition LET the practice pursued by the
Mercantile Library Association be adopted, and
let an election of officers take place by ballot,
on the day before the drawing of the prizes,
or on the same day, closing at sunset, and
let tickets be made out, containing the most
eligible names If there be no opposition, and
there be but one ticket, why let il be unanimously
eected but il there should be opposition, and that
there are better men than those whose names ap-
pear on the ticket of the old administration let the
opposition have fair play, and have an opportunity
TO test the feeling of the subscribers This course
would give universal satisfaction. But as the mat
ter now stands, all is dissatisfaction and dstrust.
In public Institutions, opposition is necessary to
keep them pure and preserve them from corruption;
and where on opportunity is never given for op-
position TO deveope itself, there is room for susp-
cion, and public confidence will be withheld.
But it may be replied that, in point of fact, the
managers are deserving of public confidence, and
that they have done everything to promote the in
terests of the institution. If they have, then why
ale they afraid TO appeal to the ballot box Let US
iuEf Wv he'll fhpr all
satisfactory as they pretend. Is it satisfactory to
have only 500 prizes for l6, 900 subscribers, giving
only one chance in 800 to each Is it satisfactory,
with this pauciy of prizes, to invest thousands of
dollars of the subscribers in the accumulation of
property? What has the investment of $1,000 in
real estate to do with such an institution as this 7
To whom does the property belong The sub
scrbers of this year not the subscribers of the
next, and neither have any legal right to it. 1t
is foreign to the design of the institution and highly
improper TO invest the money Of the subscribers in
the purchase of buildings. 1t ought to be applied
to the purchase of pictures, in order to give more
extensive encouragement to artists and TO give the
subscribers a greater chance OF drawing prize.
The sum OF $4,000 per annum is rather too much
money TO be placed at the absolute disposal of men
who are not responsible for the manner in which
they expend it, and who act as II they did not re-
cognize any kind of responsibility. If the nstitu-
ton should continue in existence for ten or twelve
years more, and the receipts of subscriptions should
average the same amount as In the past few years,
the committee will have received the enormous
sum of one million Of dollars! Exhibiting lump
sums in treasurer's report, is not enough. 1t is
very important TO know the details of this vast ex-
penditure.
We might point out other Objectionable things,
but tins is sufficient to justify the subscribers TAX
ing the management into their own hands, and
elecing their own officers in future. We trust
they will do 30 next year, and that the usefulness
of an institution important and 80 valuable, will
not be marred or impaired by the selfshness and
vanity of few individuals.