§ The DUKE of CAMBRIDGEpresented 969 a petition from the Members of the Art Unions, praying that an Act might be passed to legalize and protect Art Unions. The illustrious Duke observed, that he thought that the House would do well to assent to the prayer, as he believed that a great deal of good had been effected by the establishment of these associations, particularly by the encouragement which they afforded to young artists.
§ LORD MONTEAGLEsaid, that he wished to call the attention of Her Majesty's Government to this petition, which was the first of a series that would be presented on the subject representing the feelings of not only the artists of the country, but the great body of those who were interested in the fine arts. The Committee of the House of Commons, appointed in 1835, had made inquiries which showed that Art Unions had been attended with the most beneficial consequences wherever carried out. The amount of capital which had been devoted to the purposes of art by the Art Unions exceeded all the votes which Parliament had ever given for that purpose. They had done more for the promotion of art than the Legislature ever had done. They had applied their encouragement to every branch of art; they had given prizes, as Government had done, for the best designs; they gave prizes also for the best productions in stone and marble. They had extended, too, their association over the greater portion of the earth, and a letter had been received that very day from China, giving an account of the establishment of a branch of the Art Union in that Empire. It was scarcely to be believed that, in defiance of all the experience which they had had on this subject, any doubt should exist as to the desirableness of legalizing Art Unions. A Committee had been appointed by Parliament, who had laboured sedulously for two Sessions, and they had reported in the most unqualified manner that these associations should be legalized. It appeared that the Art Unions were as anxious as any society to prevent abuse; they did not wish to encourage lotteries, but they prayed their Lordships to give their sanction to a Bill authorizing the Crown to grant a charter, subject to such conditions as might be proposed. That was the utmost extent of their request, and when their Lordships considered that they had released parties from debts contracted at race courses and gambling houses; and when they considered that they had, in the couse of last year, interfered to protect a 970 great body of the people—those connected with the newspaper press—the artists of this country were not asking their Lordships too much, to afford them a similar protection.
LORD BROUGHAMsaid, that he was grateful to his noble Friend and to the illustrious Duke for having brought forward this subject, for he believed there never was a grosser delusion than that which people entertained, namely, that because exemption was to be given to Art Unions, a similar exemption ought to be given to other tradesmen, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, &c. The fact was this, those tradesmen dealt in articles which were always in general and effectual demand, but articles of taste seemed to require some extraordinary encouragement. We had already founded the Royal Academy for the purpose of giving encouragement to the arts. No doubt the Royal Academy had been of much use to the fine arts. Perhaps it would have been of more use if it had been a little less exclusive, and if a greater encouragement had been given to those who were not members. He believed that these Art Unions had been the means of expending far more money in the encouragement of the arts, than had ever been given by the munificence of the country.
§ The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEpresented a similar petition from certain artists of the United Kingdom: amongst the names he saw those of Eastlake, Roberts, Ross, Landseer, Westmacott, and Barry. He thought that the time had now arrived for some permanent legislation on this subject. That question ought to be kept entirely separate from the question, whether such a description of rewards tended to affect in any way the higher branches of art. That question was one which might safely be left to the discretion of individuals to decide. Parliament ought only to take care that these societies did not for the purpose of profit establish lotteries. He believed that it would be easy to frame a Bill prohibiting these societies from entering into such speculations. He concurred with his noble Friend, that authority ought to be given to the Government to grant charters to those societies after a full preliminary inquiry had been had in each particular case.
§ Subject at an end.