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    460 THE LEAD E JR. [No. gTg^ SATURDAY ,

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    THREE VISITS TO THE MANCHESTER ATtr TREA...

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    Imperial Parliament. —«—Monday, May 11th...

    legislation for the last thirty years . —Mr . Williams and Mr . Dkummond objected to throwing the expenses of the polling on the counties and boroughs . —On the House dividing , the motion was carried by 151 to 58 . „ COURT OF CHANCERY ( IRELAND ) . Mr . Whiteside moved for leave to introduce a bill to make provision for the appointment of Registrars to the Masters of the Court of Chancery in Ireland ; also for the safe custody of title-deeds and documents lodged in the said court ; and to amend the practice . He entered into various details to show the necessity that exists for the bill . —Mr . J . D . Fitzgerald ( Attorney-General for Ireland ) , though regarding the measure as unnecessary , did not object to the bill being laid upon the table . —Leave was then given .

    THE MEDICAL PROFESSION . Mr . Hkadlam obtained leave to introduce a bill to alter and amend the laws regulating the medical profession , the object and provisions of which he briefly explained . The measure , in its main , features , is the same as that which had been before the last Parliament . The House adjourned about five o ' clock .

    Thursday , May 14 M . THE OPIUM TRADE . In the House of Lords , the Earl of Suaftesbury asked the Lord Chancellor what progress had been made by the law officers of the Crown in the inquiry into the legality of the opium trade in India?—The Lord Chancellor replied that a case had been drawn up by the legal advisers of the Board of Control , which was about to be submitted to the law officers of the Crown . ALLEGED INJUSTICE OF AN ANGLO-INDIAN MAGISTRATE . The Marquis of Clanricarde moved for a return of the appointments held by Mr . Thomas in the civil service of the East India Company , in the month of September ,

    1854 , and of the appointments he may have since held , up to the date of the latest accounts , distinguishing judicial from other appointments ; also copies of any correspondence that may have taken place between the Governor , or other superior authorities , at Madras , and Mr . Thomas , relative to the case of Bhawanny Lallah v Thomas , and the judgment delivered thereupon in . Supreme Court of Madras by ChiefcJustice Sir Christopher Rawlinson . His Lordship then proceeded to state the facts of the case , according to which , Bhawanny Lallah , a wealthy merchant and tradesman , was taken into custody , kept fourteen days before his examination came on , and then charged with being instrumental in collecting a mob on the 30 th of September ,

    1854 , during some religious ceremony . He denied the charge ; but was bullied by the magistrate , and told to hold his tongue . Next day , the depositions were read over to him , and he was called upon to sign a paper , purporting to be a statement of what he had said ; but he refused , because it was not a true account , and he offered to produce a witness to prove that he was not at the riot at all . The magistrate insisted that he should sign the paper ; and , on again refusing , he was sent to gaol , with orders that he should be locked up all night without food . He was brought before the magistrate the next day , and , as he still refused to sign the document , the magistrate said , " Very well ; you shall have solitary confinement for twenty hours more , with of starva

    nothing to eat . " The man , under that threat - tion , at length consented to sign the paper , and was then told he was to deposit 10 / ., or give security . He offered to pay the money ; but the magistrate said , " I know you are a wealthy man ; I will not take the nloney ; I will remand you . " For seventeen days and eighteen nights , that man was kept in gaol without trial or any legal charge being made against him , and without being convicted of any offence at all . At length , he was admitted to bail for 10 / . The case was afterwards brought before Sir Christopher Rawlinson , when a verdict for 1000 rupees was obtained by Bhawanny Lallah ; but , a point having been raised , the injured party had not up to this time got any redress

    whatever . Earl Ghanvillb said the case waa not yet ripe for discussion , and he therefore begged Lord Clanricardo to withdraw his motion . —This was agreed to , after a few remarks by Lord Campbell , to the effect that throughout the great area of the Indian Empire justice ig unsatisfactorily administered . The Queen ' B Courts in Madras , Calcutta , and Bengal , are exceptions , however . The Houao adjourned about six o ' clock . NOTICES OF MOTION . In the House oit Commons , Mr . Roebuck gave notice that on that day fortnight ho should draw tho attention of tho House to tho state of our relations with Brazil , and move for a select committee to take into consideration thoao relations . Sir Ciiablkh Napier gave notice that on that day fortnight ho should move for a committee to inquire into the Board of Admiralty ; with a view to render it more efficient . , Mr . Mackiunon gave notico that on that day fortnight ho should move for a select committee to consider tho expediency of adopting a more equitable division of the land , tax , and of allowing a further reduction of tho samo . BMIGltATION OF OHINE 8 ID COOLIES . Mr . Dunlop put a eorioa of questions to tho Colonial

    Secretary , in reference to the overcrowding of the John Calvin , and the consequent disasters of the voyage from Hong-Kong to Havannah . —Mr . Laboucheeb said the questions related to a subject which had lately very anxiously and painfully occupied the attention of her Majesty ' s Government—namely , the emigration of Chinese coolies to Cuba . The John Calviu left Hong-Kong with a cargo of Chinese coolies , and , though the number was much greater than she was permitted , after

    inspection , to carry , it was much less than she was authorized to carrv in reference to her size . There was , therefore , some doubt whether the letter of the act , though there was no doubt that the spirit , had been violated . He should consult the law officers of the Crown whether a prosecution under the circumstances would probably lead to a successful termination , and , if so , he should take measures to enforce the act . On the other hand , if there was a defect in the law , it would be his duty to see it rectified .

    GUANO . In answer to Mr . Baxter , Sir Charles Wood said there was no intention of sending vessels to search the coast of Africa for guano . THE PEACE AMNESTY . Mr . Dcncombe asked why "William Cuffey had not participated in the general amnesty granted in the spring of last year by her Majesty to the political jirisouers ?—Sir George Grey said the name of "William Cuffev had been included in the general amnesty ; but , perhaps , at the date of the hon . member's advices , the list had not arrived at Hobart Town .

    EDUCATION . In reply to Mr . Slanicy , Sir John Pakingtox said he did not intend to move for leave to introduce any Education Bill this session , because he thought it would be quite useless for any independent member to attempt legislation on the subject at that period of the year . But it was his intention to call attention to the present state of popular education in England , and to move resolutions on the subject .

    MARRIED WOMEN AND THE LAW OF PROPERTY . Sir Ersicine Perry sought leave to introduce a bill t < J " amend the law of -property as it affects married women and their separate earnings . He observed that the state of our law on the subject is an anomaly and a ^_ departure from the law of all other civilized nations . A wife- by the common law of- England has no property -whvrtever ; and cases of great hardship arising out-ofthis are of frequent . occurrence . —The motion was seconded by Mr . Dbujimond , who , however , doubted whether the measure would be effectual without greater facilities for divorce a mensa et thoro .

    The Attorney-General said it was not the intention of the Government to oppose the introduction of the bill . But it must not be forgotten that the laws relating to married women are intimately bound up with our social institutions , and he doubted the advisability of making a woman stand in the strong-minded position of being independent in all her acts , and responsible for them . He would say , however , let personal property bo placed oa the same footing as real , with regard to the husband : and he would make thisenjoj-mentof the wife ' s

    property conditional on the discharge of his duty to maintain and protect hid wife : if this duty were not discharged , the property should revert to the wife , (// ear . ) As to tho earnings of tho wife , courts of equity already recognise her separate property in them . There is a third class of property belonging to the wife , namely , that acquired by her after marriage by gift or bequest ; and this the law ought to secure her without an expensivo application to Chancery , giving the husband the rents only , and on the condition ho had named .

    Mr . Bj & lcesfoud Hopis objected to tho bill ; Mr . Monckton Milnics thought moro discussion was needed , us it is notorious that cases of greut hardship to tho wife occur ; and Mr . Malins assented to the principle of tho measure only so far as it relates to married people under legal or voluntary separation , not while they cohabit . — Leave waa then given to bring in the bill .

    CONTRACTS FOR THIS PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS . Colonel Boldero moved for a select committee to inquire into the principle adopted for making contracts for tho public departments , and tho effect which tho present system has upon the expenditure of public money . —The motion was agreed to . ministers' monjkv . Mr . Fa < , ian moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend tho Act 17 th and 18 th Victoria , chap . 11 , with a view to tho abolition of Ministers' Monoy in Ireland . —

    In reply to Mr . Stafford , Lord Palmkrbton said that , us far as regarded tho principle of this bill , tho Government is prepared to concur in it . —Mr . Disraeli observed that tho principle struck at tho root of all Church proporty . If that were approved by tho Government , tho meaBuro should bo brought forward , not by a private member , but by Ministora , who wcro bound in fuirnotm to take cure that tho House should havo an early opportunity of expressing its opinion upon tho nubjoot . —After some furthojF discussion , leave was given to introduce tho bill . Tho Houao adjourned at twenty minutoa to seven o ' clock .

    460 The Lead E Jr. [No. Gtg^ Saturday ,

    460 THE LEAD E JR . [ No . gTg ^ SATURDAY ,

    Three Visits To The Manchester Attr Trea...

    THREE VISITS TO THE MANCHESTER ATtr TREASURES EXHIBITION . ( From our Special Correspondent . ' ) II . * - - CHAOS OR COSMOS . Our contemporaries Jiave' so th oroughly exhausted all the statistics that can be given in connexion with the Art Treasures Exhibition that nothing is left for us to glean after them upon that ground . Doubtless our readers are by this time perfectly informed as to the length , breadth , and altitude of the building , its cubiccontents , the superficies of glass in the roof , the gross weight of iron , the sum total of planking , manv pipes there are in the organ , how many persons pas ' s through the turnstiles per hour , and how many ladies are admitted through the entrance which has been constructed for the special benefit of crinoline : all these are valuable facts , and more , must be by this time stored away in the note-books of nine-tenths of our readers and we do not entertain the slightest doubt that thev have given them a very clear idea of the Exhibition- ^ - as far as they go .

    A few figures may , however , be useful in order to give some notion of the extent of . the collection . The catalogue divides the mass of articles exhibited into ninv great families : —1 . Paintings by Ancient Masters ; 2 . Paintings by Modern Masters ; 3 . British Portrait Gallery ; 4 . Historical Miniatures , 5 . Museum of Ornamental Art ; 6 . Sculpture ; 7 . "Water Colours ; 8 . Engravings ; 9 . Photographs . Of these the catalogue specifies the separate items of Nos . 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 , and 8 , and these contain a grand total of 4975 articles ; how many separate specimens are contained in the collections of Historical Miniatures and Photographs we cannol state precisely , but the ( so-called ) Museum of Ornamental Art consists of about 10 , 000 objects , which havo been furnished by about 350 contributors . The general result is , that the collection brought together in the Art Treasures Exhibition contains altogether about sixteen thousand separate articles .

    To arrange such a mass of materials in a proper manner , so as to make it useful to an educational end , required , it must be admitted , a systematising power of no mean order . It was for this purpose that the Manchester Committee obtained tlie assistance of several gentlemen from London having _ some reputation for skill in such matters—Messrs . Scharf , Cunningham , Holmes , Egg , Waring , Redford , ' Dudley ; Chaffers , Plauche , Dehmotte , and Dr . 'Royle . These gentlemen divided the work between them , according to their specific qualifie ; rtions ; Mr . Scharfe taking the Anaient Masters ; Mr . Cunningham the Gallery of British Portraits , theUCollection of Historical Miniatures , and the editing of thu catalogue ; Mr . Egg the Modern Masters ; Messrs . Waring , Redford , Dudley , and Chaffers , the Museum ol Ornamental Art ; Mr . Redford the Tapestry and ( in

    conjunction with Mr . Dudley ) the Sculpture ; Mr . Planche the Armour ; Dr . Royle the Indian Collection : Mr . Holmes the Water Colours and Engravings ; anil Mr . Delamotte the Photographs . It is necessary U > state this division of labour , because it involves also a division of responsibilit } ' , and if the work in any of tin departments has been executed more or less "well or ill . there should be a fair distribution also of the praise or blame . Thus it would be very unfair to bring Mr . Egg to account because the arrangement of the Ancient Musters is anything but satisfactory , or to accuse Mr . Redford because the Collection of Historical Miniatures is rendered all but useless , or to make any but the ri ^ person responsible for the terrible want of editing which lias spoilt every page of the catalogue Every shoulder must be made to bear its own fault , as well as every

    brow its proper laurels . We havo indicated that the arrangement of tlic Collection of Old Masters ia anything but satisfactory . In tho first place , as it is at present catalogued , il i > almost impossible to determine with certainly tin identity of any particular picture . Considering thai the pictures have been previously very well known , unil , for tho most part , have been selected from celebrated collections , wo do not understand what was tho diflieulty of ticketing them off properly . Yet some of the pictmvare without any numbers on tho walls , and others aru without any description in' tho catalogue ; upon oth « ri throe or ovon four numbers ( which havo been previously affixed ) confuse tho inquirer . Thus wo find a lino olil portrait ticketed 20 li ( which stands in tho catnlotfuc us a'Judgment of Paris '—G . Giorgione ) , U-10 ( which " a described as a ' Venus '— G . Guido Reni ) , «»<• lul' - ' . which happens to be the right number . Tho pl »» "'

    dividing tho numeration of the pictures into aopnriitc classes is , in itself , very inconvenient ; for , if they »( boon simply ticketed from 1 onwards , as they were 1 - coived into tho building , nothing would havo boon . uns u than to havo divided them afterwards into schools mm subdivisions ; an index being added , consisting "" f ^ "' tho liumos or the masters and tho numbers of tho l " ' tU 11 "' in order to show at a glance how many specimens ol 01 painter thoro are in tho Exhibition . But , oonluwnff «» ' arrangement which has been adopted nocostmnly »» , ' rondored still moro so by tho want of udiioroiioo to ' plan such , as it is . Thus , when wo refer to >>« " « magnificent ' Bull , ' tho catalogue tolls us to look lot in Vestibule 1 ; but , after searching for it thoro in >"" it turns up uuoxnoctodly in Vestibule 0 ; thoii nS " " '

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 16, 1857, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16051857/page/4/