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No. 387, August 22,1857.] THE LEADEB. 80...
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THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER. The abuses of th...
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THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS. On Monday a deputa...
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A CITY AUDIT. Three gentlemen were latel...
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Coloured Meteors.—Mr. T. Forster writes ...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Our Pictures. The National G-Allery Coll...
do we find ? That a genuine Michael Aitgbi-o was rejected when more than the sum demanded for it was paid for a forged HoiBBitf . One sueh fact would suffice ; but this is only an example ; There was a picture ' Susannah and the Elders '— offered for 750 Z ., it was refused by the National Gallery Trustees ; a dealer bought it , it was again offered to the nation , and the nation had to pay 12002 . for the bargain . This has been the regular practice . A pseudo-TiTiAN in Londonit
— ' The Tribute Money '—was , was to be purchased for 1200 Z . ; no bid was made ; an agent was then sent to Paris authorized to offer 3000 Z . for it , and it was eventually added to the Trafalgar-square collection for 2604 Z . At the same time a Palma Vecchio was purchased for . 1687 . —by the public agent , and for the public gallery . But a Trustee of the National Gallery saw and is said to have admired the picture , and paying the money , secured the Palma Vecchio for himself . Was this warrantable on the part
of a Trustee ? Some persons think the piece was so bad that it was determined to hide it . The whole mechanism seems one of jobbery and incompetence . Spurious pictures have been purchased and genuine pictures spoiled . The cleaners went to work , some years ago , scrubbing off the skin of Rubens ' s beauties , and leaving them in that flayed condition in company with Cana-I . ETTOS , Poussins , and Gtjekcinos , utterly defaced aud denied by the sacrilegious industry of the serapers and varnishers . Ci-attde , it was said , dissolved into Yiunet , and what could critics say more ?
" Well , the management appears not to have been improved ; the Parliamentary skirmishes of the present session have , as usual , disclosed a state of things imperatively calling for investigation ; but the routine grants have been voted , and a larger area for blundering and juggling has been opened in connexion with the National Portrait Gallery . But next year the question will have ripened , and a motion will be made , not only to purify the management , but to rescue the edifice in Trafalgar-square from the opulent Forty . It is true that poor Sir Mabtin Archer Shee was accustomed to say that the Royal
Academy was of more importance than the National Gallery , inasmuch as a garden was more valuable than a granary , and a school than a hortus-siccus of art . " Even the best works of the old masters , he said , would be intrusions in place of pictures by B . A . ' and their disciples . But Mr . Danby Seymotju once affirmed in the House of Commons , that the Royal Academy had accumulated a sum
( invested in the funds ) exceeding a hundred thousand pounds sterling , in contravention of the conditions of their trust . The Royal Academicians can afford to rent , purchase , or build a house for themselves . The nation wants more room for its pictures ; let it at least enjoy the use of its own galleries . But , more than all , an improved management is essential , and ifc will bo the duty of the liberal and economical members of Parliament next session to insist upon it .
No. 387, August 22,1857.] The Leadeb. 80...
No . 387 , August 22 , 1857 . ] THE LEADEB . 809
The Duchy Of Lancaster. The Abuses Of Th...
THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER . The abuses of the Duchy of Lancaster are not to be allowed to sleep . An appeal will be brought into the House of Commons against the judgment of the Judicial Committee . On * Thursday evening Mr . Conino-UA . M gave notice of his intention early next week to call tho attention of the House to the report of the Judicial Committee appointed to investigate Mr . Bjsktot , aoci ' s case . The evidence is now ready for publication .
" We entreat those who may be disposed to investigate this matter not to rely upon the Report , but to analyze the testimony of the several witnesses , and to bear in mind that the legal opinion upon which the extrusion of the late Auditor is sought to be justified is not worth a fig in contradiction to that of Sir Fitzeoy Kelly . Public opinion will thus be prepared for the extensive discussions which will probably follow Mr . Coningham ' s renewed movement of the subject in the House of Commons . The administration
of a public department will be ripped open 5 Parliament will be challenged to interfere ; every Liberal member , we feel assured , will be in his place to aid in doing justice to a public officer who has suffered in the performance of his duty , and whose cause is that of the whole civil service . It is not often that a functionary is too conscientious or too devoted to the interests of the public , to wear his salary like a golden gag , and submit to become the instrument of secrecy and collusion . When the motion is brought forward , it will claim the support of the independent party ; nor can we believe that the Conservative Opposition—formidable as it is in forensic authority —will resist so remarkable a concentration of
testimony . But the public out of doors has a duty to perform—the constituencies should urge upon their representatives the necessity of taking up this question , and deciding it upon its merits , irrespective of individual or departmental influence .
The Australian Mails. On Monday A Deputa...
THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS . On Monday a deputation is to wait upon the Government to obtain explanations with respect to the Australian mails . " We are deprived of rapid intercourse with our greatest colonies , and why ? Apparently , because our contract system is loose and irregular . A committee appointed to examine the subject has been sitting , and there are unpleasant rumours that two distinct cases of
bribery have been made out . The report , we sincerely hope , is ill founded . But it is difficult to get over the affair of the Australian postal service . On Thursday evening , Mr . Macartney moved the topic in the House of Commons , and Mr . Under-Secretary Wilson , after saying a few words in defence of the Government , sat down in the idea that he had put the question aside . However , the member for Brighton pitched a shell at his feet .
" He complained of the vast amount of money which was granted out of the public purse to the mail companies . He understood from the report of a recent meeting that it was proposed to amalgamate the West India Mail Company and tho Australian Company . What interest had the public in granting tho enormous sum of 910 , 000 ? . to amalgamate two companies , neither of which had been very successful ? In the case of the West India Mail Company , their contract had been
granted without being put up to competition , while the Australian Company ' s contract was tho highest which had been offered . Noither of those companies had successfully accomplished their work . The penalties to non-performance had been fixed so as to enable tho companies to execute their works slowly or rapidly as best suited their purposes . Tho honourable gentleman concluded by deprecating tho granting of contracts without public competition .
Now the West India Mail Company are contractors for the conveyance of maila to and from tho West Indies mid the Brazils , and tho European and Australian Company are contractors for tho conveyance of the mails to and from England and Australia by way . of Egyyt . "With tho former company-a contract wns made in 1851 for olovon years , at an annual payment of 270 , 000 /? . ; with the latter tho contract was made in 1850 for five years , at an annual payment of 185 , 000 / . Both the companios have iailod to work thoir contracts ; tho postal communication with Australia is suspended ; nncl tho companies have
agreed to an amalgamation subject to the proviso that Government will grant ' extensi on of two years of the present contracts with the two companies subject to such modifications as may be deemed necessary . ' "Will it be believed that , without submitting the matter to competition , and disregarding much more favourable offers from other companies , the Treasury have assented to the great proposal of jobbery ? We note the affair , at present , cursorily , but it is One to be investigated at large ; meanwhile , we await the-reply of the Government to the Monday deputation .
A City Audit. Three Gentlemen Were Latel...
A CITY AUDIT . Three gentlemen were lately appointed aa auditors of a great metropolitan bank—to execute their duties as defined in the charter of the corporation . They instituted a full and searching investigation of its affairs ; they thoroughly examined the accounts of assets and liabilities , profits and loss ; they scrutinized the Government and other securities held by the directors ; they insisted
that every record of advances by way of loan should be laid before them , with a statement of the securities for these advances ; they examined elaborately the accounts of overdue bills , and gave their opinions as to the amount of losses ; in fact , they put the directors upon their responsibility as to every item in every book , and every transaction of the year . Imagine Messrs . John Johnson , Robert Porter , and George Thompson in a public department—imagine them in the Duchy of -Lancaster !
Coloured Meteors.—Mr. T. Forster Writes ...
Coloured Meteors . —Mr . T . Forster writes to the Times from Brussels , under date August 18 : — " Monday , being the 10 th of August , astronomers were all on the look-out for the periodical falling stars . I began my watch on the 9 th , when some few brilliant examples occurred . On the 10 th they were more numerous , as . also on the 11 th ; but on the 12 th they assumed Very unusual forms and colours . Being at Oatend , I returned late to a good position above the sea , and watched them great part of the night . Many hundreds fell in various directions , but particularly towards S . W . and W ., not N . W . as usual . They did not ia general move fast and leave the white trains behind them , as is usual , but descended slowly with a bright yellow flame ; others were splendidly crimson , and some bright blue and purple . This fact is very curious , as favouring the hypothesis of ignited gases , adopted by M . de Luc of Geneva ; and it would be interesting to ascertain whether this colouration of the meteors has been observed in other places far from the influence of the sea . I have ascertained that during the whole of this month meteors have been numerous all along the Rhine and in Germany . Such numbers have not fallen since the 10 th of August , 1811 , nor have we any record of such a quantity as on the present occasion , extending over four days consecutively , and exhibiting such very brilliant and diversified tints of light . " Mr . Forster also alludes to the other unusual conditions of the atmosphere and singular plionomena pf tho present summer , such as tho tropical heat ; the varying gales , which have blown , not horizontally , but slanting , or in undulations ; the immense size of some hailstones which fell in Holland on the 5 th of July , and which were larger than pigeons' eggs ; the presence of waterspouts , & c . Opening of ' Tiik Pkoi'Mc's Pauk , Halifax , — Mr . Frank Crossloy , MiP ., presented , on Friday week , to the corporation of Halifax , as trustees for the inhabitants , a large and beautifully ornamented plot of ground , to be called 'The People ' s Park . ' Tho park , which extends over an area pf between twelve and thir ^ teen acres , is situated on high ground on the western aide pf tho town . The purchase ef tho ground and tho oxpense of laying it out have cost Mr . Orossloy about 80 , Q 00 £ , and it is presented to the corporation on certain conditions , the chief of which are thut the park shall bo opened all tho year round , including Sundays , free of charge , but shall only be used ns a promenade , the holding of public meetings and anniversaries in it being prohibited ; that bandu of music Bhall not bo allowed on Sundays , and that no dancing shall bo pormittod at any time , nor refreshments sold within it 5 that tho corporation Bhall spend not loss than MM . per annum in Keeping it in prdor ; and that , on their failinff to nilfll these conditions , the park iu to revert to Mr . Urossjoy or his TiUon ww « GttKKNLANi > .--Tlio Board of Trade have given notice that tjio trade « nd fleheriea of Qroonlund are not open to British vonsols , boing exclusively reserved to tho ahipo belonging to tho Danish crown .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 22, 1857, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_22081857/page/17/
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