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Oct. 6, 186OJ The Saturday Analyst and L...
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THE SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM. i%yf.R- Wil...
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THE WINK QUESTION: ^ THE TEETOTill/L-EUS...
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A Letter (u a Fi-huul, ll . v tho'lioini...
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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.
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Hard Words. Hard Words Have Been From Th...
diffuse and oracular on the questions of education and punishment ; and Lord Brougham , like a roving bee , flitted from topic to topic with delightful inconstancy ; but the most practical and useful address of the whole ¦ ¦ sitting * was . that delivered by a Glasgow workman , Mr . Fawcett , who is described as" a youug- man , and blind . " The subject of Mr . Fawcett's address was . the co-operative principle , to which we referred in a recent article : We are glad to see that his views received the commendation o . f Lord BkOVGHAM ; and we also derive some satisfaction from the fact that M . Louis
Blanc was present to hear from the . lips of an English . workman how alone the principles of communism can be carried into successful practice . We trust that this display of intelligence among so large a body of the working classes will read our savcom and fine spoken social regenerators , a lesson . The days have come when the hocus-pocus of philosophical teaching must bo laid aside . The gibberish of high-sounding words arid unmeaning phrases must be consigned to the limbo of unexploded shams . The savau must no longer go about dressed up in magician ' s gown and cap ; for we know nearly all his tricks , and are well aware that thev are uot performed by magic .
Oct. 6, 186oj The Saturday Analyst And L...
Oct . 6 , 186 OJ The Saturday Analyst and Leader . 845
The South Kensington Museum. I%Yf.R- Wil...
THE SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM . i % yf . R- William Coxixgham , 1 VT . P ., has published , some ' Obser-1 VI rations in reply to .. the' report , of the Select Committee on the South Kensington Museum . " The subject of Ins _ strictures , which assume the form of a seardhing criticism of this institution . in all its phases and details , is one of very great ' public , importance ' , both as regards the general principle involved , and as regards the question of practical art-administration . We . subjoin the following 1 extracts : — " The history of the Brompton boilers , the annual cost of which in coal alone is admitted to be * monstrous , ' is briefly told . Founded by the Great Exhibition Commissioners of 1851 , repudiated lay Sir Bunjamix HA . tj .-on behalf of the Board of "Works , erected by orders' from Sir William Cubitt , . the Brompton - . boilers' were built of corruirated iron , and it is now admitted on all hands that
ever since their erection they have been a nuisance to every one connected with them . Impossible to-be wanned in winter with ever so monstrous' an amount of coal ! leaking , ' everywhere , ' and at an original cost to tlie State . ' of £ 15 , 000 , with -prospective illimitable expenditure in fuluro , the . boilers were ultimately . handed over to the Department of Science and Art . " '' . ' ... - " The constitution and pretensions of the Kensington' -IMuseuui a-ro exceptional , and its assumed functions entirely clid ' cr from those oi tlie "National Gallery and the British Museum , u'hicli appear to be limited to the public exhibition of works of scw-nce , of art . an . cl . of literature , or . at iill events to a proper control . jukI direction in their use . The Kcn . sint » tou Museum , on tin ; cuntvary , professes to siiprrhitcnd ^ to direct ,, to ¦ loach and give prize * , <> f which it is , at second
hand , the manufacturer , to compete with tho « . ; iMieral trader m Ins own special business ; in short , to interfere in every possible manner with-all that concerns the art and scientific schools connected with the department . It is , moreover , a scarcely disguised advertising centre for all inventors , traders , and maiiufactiuvrs , and an active competitor in an artistic branch of industry ; and thus the department has come into collision with the private mi < l legitimate trade of the country , Mhich finds itself crushed by an instrument , to . the UToductioh of * which it has been eoiiipelk-d to contribute , in the form of imperial taxation—a system calculated to sap public morality and tlie independent spirit of the people . The sum of money in question may appear small in amount , when contrasted with the national expenditure , but in the consideration of this subject , an important
principle is involved , namely , ' how far , if at all , is it expedient tor tlie Government to trencli upon private enterprise either in tho training 1 and education of the . people , or in tho trade and manufacture- of tlie country ? " . . , . _ " The Kensington Muamm system , in my opinion , contains witliin itnelf tho germ of almost every objectionable form of Government interference with' private enterprise , gradually substituting , on a eolossail scale , tho unhealthy imd exploded principle of protection i ' or Hint of salutary competition and iroo trade . " . . " Tho annuul expenditure of the Kensington Museum amounts to no lens than .-fcOO . 415 ; of this sum r-fc 33 , () 75 , oi' more than half , is
devoted to tho salaries of olVicials . It must bo remembered that the South Kensington Museum forma part only of the " Pino Art Administrative Koform" question ; a ( jiieHtion ' , by the way , in which Mr . Coningham hns shown that ho tulcew a lively interest . Within its scope nro tho various departments , of which the National Gallery ond British Museum maybe signalised iia tho chief . These institutions , like all institutions whatever , ns wo remarked in onr recent nvtiele , " lleforxn , fSociul , and Political , " have grown up uiisistcniatically , and at random . There is no unity of plan ; no symmetry of co-ordination . Like tho clothes of a . man who has never boon provided with a now suit wineo ho wan a hoy ; all our in . stitutiouH , tho undesigned fortuitous products of eireiuntttimoeH undirected 1 > , y a controlling intolligonoo nimlifiod by experience , digested into a scientific ralioiuda , have to bo continually cut open to enlarge them , and patched up , and vamped up , nnd darned , to hold them together , and botched , and impaired , ana transformed , nncl alterod , to Jlfc tho growing exigencies df the groat innovator , time >' until tlioy get to roHomblo the llvst J ' nT ' ft patchwork and teaselatod lnininiry , ais desoribocl hy lii . HKK , or Ovio ' n description
of chaos . " Nulli Hua forma manobnt : ¦ Obatabutquo aliia nliud , cjuiu oornoi-o in uuo , FripWtt pugnabant epJidiB ; humontia sjesois , Moiliti aum duris ; aim womloro hnbontiu vewcluii "
What we want is unity—uniformity of plan—completeness of ensemble and totality , and above all things responsibility . It must be remembered that we are iipt , in these remarks , discussing 1 directly or indirectly , the specific . internal administration of the British Museum aiid National Gallery . It is the question of general administration we are now upon—the question of-giving-. unity of plan to the entire art department . It is in short the " Art-consolidatiQn question" that we desire to place before the public in its proper light . We do not therefore wish to be understood as criticising- the internal arrangements of the British Museum , and National Gallery , simply because it would be as much out of place as if we were to discuss the merits of a particular statute in an article
treating of the g-eneral question of " digests and codifications . Indeed the " observations" above cited , pay a compliment to the National Gallery , by indicating it as the direct antithesis of the South Kensington Museum , which it is their whole drift and purport to prove , is the very type and symbol of mismanagement in . art administration . On this subject the " observations" proceed thus :- — " This department , therefore ( the South Kensington Museum ) , came into possession of the iron building with its ' contingencies ; ' but it was opened to the public according- to South Kensington Museum rules , which are framed in direct opposition to the resolution of the Trustees of the National Gallery , ' That arrangements , for the easy and free access of the public at all times and under all circumstance ;; absolutel tial
to the picture's of the National Gallery—are y essen . Then with regard to the objects of acquisition and exhibition m matters of art . The most competent authorities are for confining these to modelwoi ; lcs only , or type's of classes or genera , the best of their land . Thus the best schools of art in all its multiform developements , would be exempliiied by tliei-r representative masteri ) ieces To sum upt 1 ie . se brief su ^ i-x-stions we want u nity , responsibilitv , and a judicious appliciiticm of the principle of " art . selection . " -Bacon tells us that man can only know and do in proportion as lie observes and studies * nature , and this latter point is but an application , by human intelligence , of Mr . Darwin ' s law of "Natural'Selection ; ' just as the telescope and microycope are but artificial eS'es .
The Wink Question: ^ The Teetotill/L-Eus...
THE WINK QUESTION : ^ THE TEETOTill / L-EUS AND THE DEA ^ OF DOWN . lk / fll . Gladstone ' s budget , and his wine license scheme , having 1 V 1 . beconi'j inatter of-history , may be left to the test oi exptirience which ; ere lonp , ' . inust . dutennine with ; unerring accuracy , alike their merits and . demerits , their virtues and defects . In ^ tlie meanwhile we turn from the " li # lifc wine" debates to one which inanv readeis will be apt to regard as the '» heavy wmc question ; a topic , nevertheless , involving some considerations of interest botli iutellectuallv and socially—we mean , the Bible controversy , pending betwoen the lov ' ora of strong drink on the one side , and the al > -
staiiK-rs uu the other . Many of our readers may be . surprised to Karn , that for ten years past , this * and kindred topics have hsicl a literature of their own , industriously devoted to tlieir discussion , and which , in England and America , has secured a circulation of nianv thousand volumes , uud probably some millions of tracts , ltie most distinguished combatants Vn «« ged in this critical , contest uunear to'bo , on the current side of the question , in iavour of I ^ ible sanction for intoxicatin }? liquid , IVofossor Miidean , of Princotou Colle « "e , and Mr . Woodward , the Deau of IJown ; on the negative side . Professors Stuart , Nutt , and Lewis , nnd Dr . 1 ' . It . I'WBsidod
Tho Leader will not bo suspocted of taking any ouo- or partisan view of this < ucstion . . Occupy "'}* an entirely mdependent position , wo-can repoit the progress of the battle with the most perfect impartiality ; can declare the strong- as veil a . s thy weak points of . cither pavty . In a former article , in relyronco to th « statement that at the marriage feast in Cana , Jesus not only did not order tlie vino . to bo removed , but went out of his way expressly to turn water into wine , wo pronounced judgment as follows : —• Wo have often heard this intemperate objection rnisod—never , satisfactorily disposed of . Four hundred Gospels would not contain a rule of life in Which ail-that wo may partake " of , and a 1 that we inuat abstain from , is set down . The Gospels are not edited by Dr . Culvcrwoll ; they do not profess to touch us ' What to oat , drink and avoid ' Nor was Jchim tho founder of a soot , but tho Prophet ot Humnnltv . As such , wo asked , ' Did Ho never partake oi tho iuvcoofdiovinc ? Is it presumptuous to suppose that He may hnvo nractioallv taught tho . mo , as distinct from tho abuse , of
Wo still hold to thin opinion ; for tho miracle had not a dietetic , but n moral nnd tJwhgical significance . The reason of its reproduction in tho hi * t of tho Gospels nlono towards tho p loso of tho first century , is obvious enough . Tho duiuistic repudiation ol thu inico of tho ' f tTiipoiw ' < tho blood of Typhon " was ffrowing moro provaJont , uncl tho spirit of Ascoticisvn , including- tho nanoi-Hion oi ninrriiiae n * « " iinpuro relation , was Ho'lting-in upon tho ourly church Now this niiraolo was proeiHoly fitted to counteract tho double heresy , and to reclaim nature from tho doman of A »»•>««» tho principle of evil , to tho sovereignty of tho One Clod . iJ j « JjJ itundorstoocl by Pit . Aupajlno . " At water turuod by the . bon into wine / ' saith ho , " who doth not muVvol . f U « o « ff" « o * ntlioi litkthAmo Uviw every yoar XhoSuv our wa- « roHO « t at U foiiHt , booitUBo thoro wen h be those of whom tlie Apostle Mpcaitri uhwxmvAa , jtti'lthhlhtft U > warri / , " ... _ . ; .. _ . ' -, —
A Letter (U A Fi-Huul, Ll . V Tho'lioini...
A Letter ( u a Fi-huul , ll . v tho'lioini uf » . •«'» ; " j' , / , / oZ , 184 . 1 ; Tho n-mfiemnoQ JlhtorkuUmtl Oi'ittmllhum' * uu ^ 'Z'T ^ , % ¦ m Jru co liy B . Nott , LL . 1 > ., ffflf & f S & SS ^ 'fel , W ftrrowWwf . H" ot br ^ k . *• w Yo * . 1807 . '
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 6, 1860, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_06101860/page/5/
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