The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-03

| quicker facilities Of communication with their
houses on the Pacific. The oil merchant wants
to hear from his whale ships the wife from her
husband, the daughter from her lover, the Gre
ditor from his debtor-all in less time than it is
now possible to do. Steam is too slow, now-a-
days, for the purpose for which it was once con-
sdered too fast It is an "old fogy." Let us,
then have the telegraph. The HERALD wants
it, especially. 1t already pays q good round
sum for its telegraphic news, but it is willing to
pay great deal more At any rate, it is bound
| to have the news, cost what it will. The He
RAID says-Let us have the Pacific telegraph
The railroad will come in good time; but let
us have the telegraph now. The telegraph
gentlemen at Washington--the telegraph.
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON's APsLEY HOUSE
THE FINE ARTs-A HIT TO Our PRlNcELY
HoTELs.-The lovers of the fine arts, of whom
there is large proportion among the daily
readers of the HERALD, will be gratifed with
the reading Of the article we give to-day. from
the London Times. on the tri-weekly opening
of the London residence Of the late Duke of
Wellington-Apsley House-to the inspection
of the public From the description Of the fine
paintings which adorn the walls Of the ten
rooms Of this ducal residence, thus thrown
open to the people, we are quite sure there
will be no lack of visiters There isSsomcthing
inevitably attractive to the dullest apprehen-
sion, as well as to the most experienced con-
noisseur, in a good painting, or even bad
painting. 1t has been SO from the days Of the
Dboro he 10 %bo 1of
the world. We trace this universal passion
for this department of the fine arts in the tombs
Of Egypt, in the ruins Of Nimroud, in the relics
of Athens and Ancient Rome, in the subterra-
mean treasures of Herculaneum and Pompeii,
in the Autographs Of Nassau street, and in the
daguerreotypes Of Broadway.
Now, since the discovery of the gold mines
Of California the city Of New York has ad-
vanced to degree Of the most lavish extrava-
gance in the acquisitions and devices of luxury
and taste. We need not refer to the increasing
splendors of our uptown residences or our
downtown mercantile establishments. Nothing
exhibits more strikingly to the stranger from
the rural districts" the apparently mex
haustible abundance Of superauous capital here
in New York. than the new hotels of Broadway.
Ingenuity is we'll nigh exhausted upon the
most costly and luxurious notions in their fur
niture and their decorations. And yet. while
our deserving artists have been reduced to
actual want Of the daily means of subsistence
from want Of employment, or have been victim
lied by art unions and auctions, there is
scarcely painting to be found in the drawing
rooms, or ordinaries, or halls or private parlors
of our Broadway hotels. from the Battery to
Union Square, excepting few specimens
distributed through the Aston House. A
marked deficiency, in. this respect, is particu-
larly observable in several of the magnificent
establishments up Broadway. recently opened
to the public. Window curtains and hangings
of the costliest description, carpets Of the finest
European fabrics. furniture of the most exqui-
site Partisan manufacture, and q profuson Of
gigantic mirrors-the price OF a single one of
which would buy comfortable home in the in
terior-of the State meet the astonished vision of
the traveller upon ever hand. But he looks in
vain for any contributions to the fine arts, amid
all these astonishing arrangements Of modern
establishment. He could hardly expect the
ridiculous extravaganza which is required in
Europe, to secure even doubtful daub of the
old masters whose goddesses and sylphs are
modern washcrwomen CT the most robust pro-
portions; but he is fairly entitled with all the
other appliances of elegance and taste about
him, to expect a specimen or two. here and
there. of the chefs d0urres of our own deserving
and needy artists Even five or six thousand
dollars, judciously applied in this way, would
be money well expended in a modern hotel.
We might enlarge upon this subject. 1t is
attractive. But the hints we have thrown out.
we trust will be sufficient to open a vein which
| may be worked to the profit of all concerned
and especially to the encouragement and adj
\ vancement of the fine arts in the United
States
NEw YORK ENTERTAINMENTS m THE WINTER
SEAsoN.-It seems 30 us that the present winter
4 ha. been more than usually prolific in furnish