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do we find ? That a genuine Michael Ajjtgei-o was rejected when more than the sum demanded for it was paid for a forged HoiBEitf . One such fact would suffice ; but this is only an example . There was a picture « Susannah and the Elders' — offered for 7501 ., 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 1200 Z . for the bargain . This has been the regular practice . A pseudo-TiTiAu it
. « The Tribute Money '—was in London , was to be purchased for 1200 Z . ; no bid was made ; an agent was then seat to Paris authorized to offer 3000 ? . for it , and it was eventually added to the Trafalgar-square collection for 2604 / . At the same time a Paima Vecchio was purchased for 168 Z . —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 Palha Yecchio 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 CAifAiettos , Poussins , and Gttercinos , utterly defaced and defiled by , < the sacrilegious industry of the scrapers and varnishers . Claude , it was said , dissolved into ViRHET , 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 Nationai Portrait Gallery . But next year the question will have ripened , and a motion will be made , not only to jmrify the management , but to rescue the edifice in Trafalgar-square from the opulent Forty . It is true that poor Sir Maiitin Archer . Shee was accustomed to say that the Itoyal
Academy was of more importance than the National Gallery , inasmuch aa 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 K . A . ' s and their disciples . But Mr . Dandy Seymour 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 ia essential , and it will bo the duty of the liberal and economical members of Parliament next session to insist upon it .
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THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER . Tub 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 tho Judicial Committee . On Thursday evening Mr . Coningha . m gavo notice of his intention early next week to call tho attention , of tho House to the report of the Judicial Committee appointed to investigate Mr . BianxoTiAOOi ' 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 Fitzroy Ket / ly . 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 ; 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 j 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 .
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THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS . On Monday a deputation is to wait upon the Government to obtain explanations with respect to the Australian mails . ¥ e 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 tho 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 the Australian Company . What interest had the public in granting the enormous sum of 910 , 000 ? . to amalgamate two companies , neither of which , had been very successful ? In tho case of the West India Mail Company , their contract had been granted without being put up to competition , while tho Australian Company ' s contract was tho highest which had been offered . Neither 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 . The honourable gentleman
concluded by deprecating the granting of contracts without public competition . Now the West India Mail Company are contractors for the conveyance of mails to and from tho West Indies and 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 Egypt . With tho former company a contract was made in 1851 for cloven years , at an annual payment of 270 , 0002 . ; with the latter tho contract was jnndo in 185 G for five yenra , at an annual payment of 180 , OOO £ . Both tho companies have failed to work their contracts ; the postal communiontion with Australia is suspended ; and tho companies have
agreed to an amalgamation subject to the proviso that Government will grant ' an extension 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 th < Government to the Monday deputation .
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A CITY AUDIT . Three gentlemen were lately appointed a £ auditors of a great metropolitan bank-r—to execute their duties as defined in the chartei of the corporation . They . instituted a full and searching investigation of its aflairs ; 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 to the Times from Brussels , under date August 13 : — " 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 Ostend , 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 in 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 tho 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 phenomena of the present Bummer , such as the tropical heat ; the varying gales , which have blown , not horizontally , but slanting , or in undulations ; ( . ho immense size of some hailstones which fell in Holland on the 6 th of July , and which were larger than pigeons' eggs ; the presence of waterspouts , &c .
Opening op ' The Prcorus's Park , ' Hamfajx . ;—Mr , Frank Crossloy , M . P ., presented , on Friday week , to the corporation of Halifax , as trustees for tho inhabitants , a large and beautifully ornamented plot of ground , to be called ' The People ' s Park . ' Tho park , which extends over an area of between twelve and thirteen acres , is situated on high ground on tho western side of the town . Tho purchase of tho ground and tho expense of laying it out have cost Mr . Croasloy about 80 , 000 / ., and it ia presented to the corporation on certain bo
conditions , the chief of which are that the park shall opened all the year round , including Sundays , free of charge , but shall only bo used aa a promonnde , the holding of public meetings nnd anniversaries in it boing prohibited ; that bands of rnuaic shaH not bo allowed on Sundays , and that no dnnclng shall bo permitted at any time , nor refreshments sold within it ; that tho corporation shall spend not lean than 315 / . per annum In koopinu it in order ; and that , on their fiillluff to Ailfll these conditions , tho park is to revert to Mr . C ' rousley or nia
T « ADn with Grkkhlanj * . — Tho Board of Prado have given notice that the trade and fisheries of Greenland are not open to British vessels , being exclusively reserved to tho ships belonging to tho Danish crown .
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No 387 , August 22 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER , 809
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 22, 1857, page 809, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2206/page/17/
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