, 1865-06-09

Iancous picture. But their exhibition put
the Directors Of the Bank Of England In a
terrible fust1atlon. and they resolEed to
make this very small game mark for the
artillery Of the laK. They called upon the
committee Of tbs West Londun Industrial
but these gentlemen, regarding themselves
as trustees OF the objects aent ii, declined to
do 80 saye upon compulsion. They offered
It is true, by way Of compromise, to hand
them over to the bank when the exhibition
closed, instead Of giving them back to their
owners; but this proposal WIS Indignantly
scoateo, and tho aggricred Directors
proceeded ct once to extrcmities.
1eld, lie Bank Solicitor % appss.ed T before Sir M
1homas Henry, and with all due eolemnity
made bis moan. &c cited The net Of 24th and
25th Vict., chap. %, sec. Is. which forbids the
making copy ofany note or any portion OF
O note Of the Bank 6f England, aud called
upon the magistrate to put stop to the fur
theF exhibition Of these painfully accurate
limitations Of corners Of such valuable secn.l-
ties. he had the letter Of the law In his fa>
Vor, and os course elr Henry Thomas could
not refuse to order the defacement Of the
three pictures by the obllteration OF those
Fo1 lions Of them which had made the tenants
9! the Bank parlor so uneasy In their minds.
Mr. Fai16el urged that hia clients could
net permit tho exposition. with however iu-
ntccnt Intent, Of evidence that their paper
could he de1tefously coun&eritited, but those
folks arc very fortunate whose painful per
tona1 appearance has not placed them above
all need Of such demonstration. He stated,
too, that their Jealous vigilance In Buch mat
tcIe WAS SO t1trt nc that they: had once COM
PEELED the suppression Of a piece Of porcelain
ulon which was painted q representation Of
bank-note; but surely this was carrying
prudence to e1cess. As there ia rease9 even
u the roasting OF eggs, - also there should
quite right that everything should be dons
to prevent limitations which may bc itaudu-
lently used. but no one Is at all likely to
mistake china dish fora piece Of bank-notc
paper. In that case, as in this, tie
acttcn Of the directors, though tech
nlcal!y correct, was morally ridiculous,
and, moreover, most oppressive. 1t would
have been Just as reasonable for the propric-
tors OF the newspapers depleted IN these
orawirgs to bring actions against the artists
for Infringement Of copyright in Initiating
thclr titles, The Bank directors have com.
PEELED Sir Thomas Henry to use the law for
the in!ltctfon ofa private injury which is not
balanced BY the smallest public benefit. No
ono IN lis senses can suppose that the Legs
laturc ever contemplated such an appiica-
lion Of the provisions Of the Statute, and
such strainlDg Of the letter Of IN enrichment
can tend only to bring the low into dlsrc.
putc. Artists had better be upon tic look
out, for perhaps 1t may be discovered bcfore
long tlat introducing into picture q repre-
senta!ion Of any Of the current money Of
thefc rtnEMs amounts to coming, and entails
penal seryitudc. This would be quite as ra-
tlonal as to hold that pen and Ink drawing
ofa fragment Of bank note on Q sheet Of
drawing p1per Is such IN Imitation as the law
intended to tnterdict. Everybody will feel
Tor the working men whose clever and Juno
cent handiwork has been thus defneed, and
opinion among folks whose 1ove Of needle
pointing does not carry them to the verge Of
lunacy with regard to this most absurd and
chfldlsl, 1cRal persecution In which the tltrcc-
tors OF the Bankof England have made them
selves the laughing stock Of scnsiblc Engliah-