The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-04-24 00:00:00

'HE NEW PALACE FOR THE PEOPLE.

Some weeks past we had occasion to observe that
there was no reason why the new Peoples' Palace Com-
pany should not prove another monument of the com-
mercial enterprise for which this country is so remarkable ;
that the plan was in the hands of the public, by the
public it would be judged, and by the public its. success
must be determined. 'l'o a considerable extent our pre-
dictions have been realised, the public voice has been
raised unmistakably in its favour, and the more
familiar we become with the details of the
plan, as it is gradually and surely matured, the more
easily can we understand the very sanguine views of the
directors as to its commercial success. Nothing can be
more foolish and more unjust than the attempts to
describe the People's Palace as an antagonism to its
elder sister at Sydenham. There is ample room for
both, and in place of endeavouring to decry the one at
the expense of the other, let the only rivalry be to
endeavour to give the best eutertainnieut to the public
at the .smallest cost. We fully believe that the idle
pleasure-seekers of the lower orders aloe° arc suffi-
eient• to support both palaces: But the lower orders •
must be shown that this is the palace of the people
—that here a. poor man may inspire health-giving
breezes, may have food for the mind, and, -lastly,•
refreshment for the body. He must be shown that
all this is obtainable at no greater outlay than is usually
expended on the questionable beer and gin of the
suburban tea gardens, where tea is the last beverage
thought of. All these points are being well digested by
the directors, and we may expect in a very short time to
see crowds of our Poorer brethren invigorating their
frames by athletic exercises, and afterwards with their
wives partaking of wholesome food, such as theycould
get at ordinary eating-houses. The directors of the
People's 'Palace profess to make the undertaking what
its name imports. They doubt the wisdom of " special"
occasional displays, which rarely defray. their cost.
They are determined rather to devote their energies to
perfecting their exhibition in all its branches, -and
to make a place wheie the inhabitants of London, as,
well as the occasional visitor, may be certain to find
a permanent source of interest. Tlie immense increase
of the population of our northern suburbs is one of
the points most worthy of cousideratiom in estimating
the prospects of success of the new palace, and re
believe when • the network of railways now in pro-
gress is completed, and fairly in waking order, the
facilities for speedy transit will be so great that the
number of visitors will exceed the computations of
the directors. The profits to be realised from the
sale of surplus land should be steadily kept in view ;
and we may fairly assume that no unwise baste will be
Manifested by the directors in "realising," the increased
value of property at Sydenham showing how valuable a
neighbour the Palace proves. We understand the public
will soon have an opportunity of seeing how the directors
are carrying out their promises, as the building is to be
commenced immediately. We wish the new People's
Palace suecess.—Obscreer.

The Pest remarks that, indifferent as the country is to
Reform, yet it will not be content to have the question
shelved. No Government that refused to bring it fOr-
ward in some shape or other could live through the
parliamentary storm that would be kindled.
A meeting of merchants and bankers was to be held at
the London Tavern yesterday, to impress upon Govern-
ment the paramount importance of hastening the pro-
gress of the Bankruptcy Bill. A 4 apprehension exists
that the bill may be delayed, so as to be thrown over to
another session, through Ministerial weakness in not
checking the waste of public time in the House of
Commons.