MR. COWPERsaid, he rose to move for an Address for Copies of all letters and memorials addressed to the Committee of Council on Education or the Trustees of the National Gallery with reference to the admission of the public in the evening to the Turner and Vernon Galleries of Pictures, and of the answers thereto. Three collections of modern pictures had lately been given to the nation, and policy as well as gratitude required that they should be made accessible to all classes. The 609 Sheepshanks' collection which had been entrusted to the Department of Science and Art, was placed in a room well adapted for exhibition by night as well as by day; but the Turner and Vernon collections were placed by the Trustees of the National Gallery in rooms where no provision was made for exhibiting them by artificial light. It was especially incumbent on that House, when a generous boon had been conferred on the public, to see that the wishes of the donors were faithfully carried out and that the public were insured the enjoyment of it to the fullest possible extent; and he contended that a picture gallery, to be really enjoyed by the public, must be accessible in the evenings. Largo numbers of people were in the habit of visiting the Sheepshanks' collection in the evening,— probably as many as 200,000 in the course of a year. These persons, and especially artisans and workmen, would be prevented from seeing pictures which were visible only during working hours. Busy people worked in the daytime, and sought their recreation in the evening. Persons visiting the metropolis on business had no other time than the evening for visiting these galleries. One reason assigned on the part of the Trustees of the National Gallery, for not opening the Vernon and Turner Galleries in the evenings was, they must follow the same rule as the National Gallery. But the desired similarity might be secured by opening all, as well as by closing all. He did not believe, in the present state of science, the slightest risk could arise from lighting the National Gallery with gas from the ceiling. The House had only to lift their eyes to the ceiling above them and see how easy it was to light a lofty and spacious apartment without any of the products of combustion entering into the room. Such an arrangement, applied to the National Gallery and to the Turner and Vernon Galleries, would, no doubt, involve some additional expense, but he was sure the House would find no difficulty in devoting a reasonable sum of money to secure to the public the benefit of a full access to them. The advantage of thus diffusing a taste for beauty of form and colour, and of providing gratuitously a rational and elevating amusement would be quite worth the cost of the gas. The Trustees of the National Gallery were persons eminent for love of art and liberality of feeling, and he could not believe they would advisedly exclude the working classes from the enjoyment of these pic- 610 tures. They had probably not fully considered the reasons for departing from the old customs; and if these papers were laid upon the table the attention of the Trustees would be specially drawn to the injudicious manner in which the trust confided to them was being discharged.
§ Motion agreed to.