ROY&L SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER-COLOURS. I To THE EDITOR
OF TEE " SPECTATOE."1 Sra,—Mr. Quilter will excuse me if I point out to him the fact that, in his criticism of June 12th, be did not speak of " the fact of the associates of the Society having no share in its govern. ment." He did speak of "the restriction of elections and govern- ment of the Society's affairs to the members." My reply was that I thought he was unaware of the fact of there being no limitation to the number of associates, or he would have seen that equal voting or other powers with those of a strictly limited number of members were out of the question. I abstained from touching on the question whether a very considerable increase in the powers and duties of the associates might not be of the highest advantage to the Society.
The quotation from the Atheuceum. which Mr. Quilter intro- duces contains a statement which is, in my belief, quite untrue. The statement is this,—" The associate exhibitors" [the title, let me say, is no longer used]". have no other advantage than the exhibition of a certain number of their works in inferior places." The italics are mine. Nothing can be more unfair than to make or to import assertions like this without proof.
With respect to the second point, namely, the "vexatious rule" as to submitting drawings, &c., I can only repeat that the laws of the Society do, and have for years permitted candi- dates to stand on their professional merits, and that this per- mission has not been unused,—a. fact which any artist might
learn from the Secretary.—I am, Sir, So., R. W. S.
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