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Leader (1850-1860), 6th October 1860, Edition 1 of 2, Page 845

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  • Departments (2)
    • THE SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSELWI.
    • THE WINE QUESTION: * THE TEETOTALLERS AND THE DEAN OF 330WN. wine license scheme
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      Untitled Article

      diffuse and oracular on the questions of education and punishment ; and Lord BitoTJGham , like a roving bee , flitted from topic to topic with delightful inconstancy ; but the roostpractical and useful address of the whole sitting-Was that delivered . by a Glasgow . y / orkman , Mr . Fawcett . who is described as '"' a young man , and blind . ' ' The subject of Mr . Favtcett ' s address w ; is the co-operative piijieiple , to which we referred in a recent article . -We are glad to *< : <; that his views received the connuendation of Lord BKOi . Gir . 4 M ; and we also derive some satisfaction from the fact that M . Louis Br-ANc 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 . v «/ . vr » . v and fine spoken social regenerators , a lesson . The days lmvc conic when the hocus-pocus of philosophical teaching 1 must be laid aside . ¦ . The gibberish of high-sounding 1 words and unmeaning 1 phrases ' must be consigned to the limbo of unexploded shams . The savcrn 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 they are uot performed " by magic .

      Untitled Article

      ME . William Co . vixgham , M . I * ., has published some '" Observations in reply to tlic report of the Select Committee on the South Kensington Museum . " - The subject of his strictures , which assume the form of a searching criticism of this institution , in all its phases and details .-it ? one of very great public importance , both as regards the general principle involved , and a . s regards the question of practical art-administration . We subjoin the following extracts : —'" The . history of tlie Broinptqii boilers , the . annual cost of which in coal alone is admitted to be ' monstrous , 'is briefly told . Founded by the ( ireat Exhibition Commissioners of 18 ol . repudiated by Sir Bex . ta ^ i . v Hall on behalf of the Board of Works , erected by ' orders' from Sir William Cubitt , the IBroinpton boilers were built of corrugated iron , and it .. is now admitted on all hands that ever since thoir erection they have been a- Nuisance to every one connected with them . Impossible to be warmed in winter with ever so monstrous' an amount of coal ! leaking , ' everywhere , ' and at an original cost to the _ State , of £ 15 . 000 , with ¦ prospective illimitable expenditure hi ftduru , the boilers were ultimately handed over to the Department- of Science and Art . " . . . "The constitution and pretensions of the . Kensington . Museum are exceptional , and its assumed functions . entirely differ from those of the National Gallery and the British Museum" which appear to bo limited to the public exhibition of works ' of- :- < 'ion « .- <\ of art . ami of literature , . or at all cvrji 1 : i . to a proper conlm ! and dirfclion in ( heir use . The Kensington Muslim , on the wnlr-siry . i » rnfc :- ; , ., < v < 'to superintend , to direct , to teach and give prizes , of which it ik . at second hand , the nnnuiliicturcT , to compete with the general frailer in his own special business ; in short , to interfere hi'every ]) ossil ) U : nianuCr with all that concerns the art and . scientific , schools connected with the department . It i » , moreover , a scarcely disguised advertising * centre for all inventors , traders , and manufacturers , and an active competitor in an artistic branch of industry j and thus the department has come into collision with the private and legitimate trade of the country , which finds ilself crushed by an instrument , to the production of which it has been compelled to contribute , in the form of imperial taxation—a system calculated to ssip public morality and the independent spirit of the people . The sum of money in question lnay 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 nil , is it expedient for the Government to trench upon private enterprise either in the tunning and education of the people , or in tho tru < le and manufacture of the country ? " . . . . " The Kensingtun Museum system , in mv opinion , contains "within itself flic germ of almost every objectionable . form of Government interference with private enterprise , gradually substituting 1 , 011 ^ a coIowmhI scale , tho unhealthy and exploded principle of protection for Mutt of salutary competition and free trade , " . " Tho annual expenditure of the Kensington Museum amounts to no less than . 1 ( 50 , 415 ; of this sum £ 33 , 075 , or more than , half , is devoted to the salaries of officials . " It lTiust bo remembered thnt the South Kensington Museum forms part only of the " Fino Art Administrative Iloforni" question ; a question " , by tho way , in which Mr . Coninohahi hnw bIig . wu that ho takes a lively interest . " Within its ncope are the various dopiirlmnnts , of which tho Nntiomil ( iulloryund J ? ritinh Museum may bo signalised as tho chief . These institutioiis , liko all institutions whatever , ns wo remarked in our recent article , " Xteforui , Social , and I \> Ktioal , " have g-rown up misiHtomaticall . v , und nt random . Thorp is no unity of ulnn ; no symmetry of oo-ortlinution . Liko the clothes of a man who bus never been provided "with a uew tmifc since ho was a boy ; nil our iiwtitutioiiM , the undesigned fortuitous products of circum-HtimceH undirected by a controlling intelligence qualified by oxporionco , digested into a scientific rationale , have to bo continually cut open to enlarge t'lioin , and patched up , and vamped up , and dimied , to hold them together , and ¦ botched , and repaired , and transformed , lind altorod ' , tu fty tho . growing- exigencies of tho great innovator , thno ; until they got to rcsoinblo tho llrst Pitt ' s patchwork and tosselatod ministry , an described by Bckke , or Ovio'h doHcription of chaos . ' NulH fiua forma manobat : Obfltabatquo aliis uliud , quia corpora in uno , Fricuk pugnabant oalidis ; humontia sicoiH , Mollia cum duvis 1 « i » o pondoro Jmbentiii pouduu "

      What we Avant is unity—uniformity of plan— -completeness of ensemble and totality , and above all things responsibility . It must be remembered that we are not . in these . remarks , discussing 1 directly or indirectly , the specific internal administration of the British . ' Museum and 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-consolidation 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 general question of " digests and codifications . " Indeed' the " observations" above cited , nay a compliment , to the

      National Gallerv , by indicating it as tlie direct antithesis of the South Kensington Museum , which it is their whole drift and purport to prove , is the verv type and symbol of mismanagement 111 art administration . On this * subject the " observations" proceed thus : — " Thisdepartment , therefore ( the South Kensington Museum ) , came into possession of the iron building-with its ' contingencies ; ' but it A-. as 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 circumstances to the pictures of the National Gallery—are absolutely essential . and exhibition

      Then with regard to the objects of acquisition m matters of art . The .. most competent authorities are for confining these to model works only , or types of classes or geiiera , the best of their kind .. Thus the ' best school * of art in all its multiform dcvelopements , would be exemplified by their representative masterpieces To sum up these brief suggestions we want unity , responsibility , and a judicious application of the principle of " artselection . " Ricbx tells us that man can only know an < t do in proportion as he observes and -studies nature , and this latter point is but an application ., by human intelligence , of Mr . Darwin s law ot " Naturul Selection , " !; just as the 'telescope . and microscope are-but artificial oves . '

      Untitled Article

      » « j { lilsidstone s uuctger ., ; nm wu «; - . . ^^^^^^ , » ,, JjJL " becoinc rniitter of history , maybe left , to the test of experience , which , ere long , must determine with unerring accuracy , alike thoir merits and demerits , their virtues and defects . In the mi-nnwhiic- we turn Jroni th < : ¦ " light wine " dubi . tes to one wjucli luunv rea'TcrH ' w ill bc < apt to regard as < he " heavy ' wme tiuestion } a tijiiii-. nevertheless ., involving ' some considerations ot interest both intcllcftiuilh" and . socially—we mean the Bible controversy , pending sideand the ab

      between tlic lovois of strong dnnik on < ho one , - stainers on the other . Many of our readers may be surprised to learn that for ten yenrs j > a » t , this and kindred topics have had a literature of their " own , industriously devoted to their discussion , nnd which , in England' and America , has secured a circulation of niany thousand volumes , and probably some millions of tracts . I he most distinguished combatants engaged in this critical < M > ntest simiear to be , on the current side of the question , in favour of Bible sanction for intoxicating liquid , Professor Maclean , of Princeton College , and Mr . Woodward , the Dean of Down ; on the negative side Professors Stuart , Nott , und Lew is , nnd Dr . I < . U . l « oes . sided

      TJio Leader will not be wu , s ]> ected of taking anyone- ; or partisan view of this question . Occupying uu entirely mdenendent position , we can report the progress of tho battle with tho most perfect impartiality 5 can dccWc the strong us well . sis the weak points of either party . In a former article , m reference to the statement that at the marriage feast in Canu , Jesus not only did not order the wine to bo removed , but went out of his way expressly to turn water into wine , wo pronounced judgment as tollown : — - w 0 have often heard this intemperate , objeotion raised—never ssitislactorilv disposed of . Four hundred Gospels would not contain a rule of life- in which all that wo may partake of , and all that we must abstain from , is set down . Tho Gospels arc not edited by Dr , Culverwell : they do not profess to toach uh ' What to cat , drink , and avoid ' Nor was Jesus the founder of a sect , but the Prophet ot Humanity . As » ueh , wo iwltod , ' Did Ho never partake 1 of the iiiicG of tire vino ? Is it presumptuous to suppose that Ho may lvavo practically taught the use , as distinct from the alniae , ot 1

      His Father ' s gilt P" „ , . , . . . lt . .. We still hold to this opinion ; for the miracle had not a clietotic but n moral nnd thoolvifical fdgnificanoe . The reason of its roproduolioiiin the lust of tho Gospels alone . towards tho oloao oi tho ilvat century , in obvious enough . Tho dunliHtw repudiation of tho iuico of tho p ™ as " tho blood of Typhon " was gx'owni ff more lirovulent , and tho spirit o ( " Ascetioism , inoludrngr tho aspersion ot inarriago as an impure rolation , was sottinjp-in upon tho onrly church Now this inirnolo won precisely fitted to oountoruot tho double heresy , and to reclaim naturo from the domain of A lu-iman ,, tho principle of evil , to tho sovereignty of tho Ono God . Thus wih it uiiderBtooa by St . Augustine . "At water turned ^ tho feo into wine , ' suith ho , " who doth not marvo f Though tho Jathoi cloth tho imino h , viiicH every year . Tho Suv our wan prosont at , th b foawt , bocauso there were to be thoso of whom the Apontle spoahfl ' aFtov ^ avda , fbrbutdiuff to iiutrry . " __^

      Untitled Article

      • / , the Principle ot TuUd M ^ tni ^ ^ or ^ A lalfor to a Friend . IJy tn « Uonu "f » ' ¦ » : ? ' %% ftVa Tho TNtfwrauco SSSSMot SnWSifigJ-Klifia ( f ; WrttivW ^ ol «« * . K . w YorK ,

      Untitled Article

      . ' ¦ '¦ ¦¦ ¦ ¦ ' ? ' ¦ ' ' . ' ; . ¦ '¦ Oct . 6 , 1860 J The Saturday Analyst and Leader . 845

      The South Kensington Muselwi.

      THE SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSELWi .

      The Wine Question: * The Teetotallers And The Dean Of 330wn. Wine License Scheme

      nwiwi THE WINE QUESTION : * THE TEETOTALLERS AND THE DEAN OF DOWN .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 6, 1860, page 845, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2368/page/5/