The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-13 00:00:00

THE EXHIBITION OF MI

The see OM Ttles of the last few days have played
alit havoc with the glazing of the (lonics, atiol
workmen are busily employed in tilling in the
hone relate in the glass, which iu some places am
several yards low 4. It would be a hippy aecielcut
for the interests ot art if some teuiptmt *old.' carry
away the whole of the sash-ban, whew lines,
imetesel rumiing iu harmony with the dome
ribs up to the apcz, cut into the sake of their
stouter companions, and Pet.Ul to push hanl to win I
a front position iu the raw. :Co one who looks at
theme heavy domes with their mean glazing, and
the coat tea-canister and towers, would believe
that they sprang from a school of art which aspires
to teach pod taste and sound principle.* of design
to a benighted country. That Kell-confident edu-
national state department at South Kensington,
which tries to make us believe that no flimflam-
turer knew how to combine colones or use forms
until it WAS e.tablished, can now book out from its

aide windows oissi its own solid temple of horrors,
and te.ich its impels from its owe works what to
avoid. The Bronipton boilers were ugly and
elteap—built purposely on a bare economical plan
as the thin end of the great South Kensington

scheme for swallowing np;ill existing exhibitions—
but the Great Exhibition building, in its external
features particularly, is ugly and dear. Sixty thou-
gaud pounds sterling for these twohugedornee, which
cannot he seen from the month front, and can only
be seen tine at a thee from the east and west front'',
is a very large sum to spend in a clumsy attempt to
adorn what baa been called a common-sense build-
ing It is within 20,000/. of the whole amount
demand...l by Messrs. Fox and Henderson for
raising the Cry --Lel Palace of 1831. Their original
contract gave them fid,oool. for covering nearly
twenty acres of ground, though they got 28,009/.
more upon certain representations to the commis-
sioners, and luckily mold the materials of the
building to the Sydenham Company for another
20.11004. 'The present building, with its substantial
brick picture-galleries forming the south front, and
its brick work o•ii the north Ride cut into window/ awl
door holes in the centre, until it looks like a row of
badly-built houses, only covets 211 acres of ground,
and is not to; Iso given up by the contractors with-
out a payment of 43040048. The present Commis-
sioners are to ray Messrs. Kelk and Lucas 200,0001,
as absolute rent for the use and occupation of the
building ; if the receipts reach 400,000 i. then the
coatnictors are to receive another 100,400 i. ; and
the centre acre of the permanent building in the
Cromwell-road is to be given up to the Society
of Arts ; amid finally, the contractors are hound to
sell the whole structure for another 130,000/. Cap-
tam F..wkes's original estimate, which included a
large hall and dome in the place of the present flat
southern rood., was 500,0001., ne more than seven
tames the original estimate for the Exhibition
Insatiate; of 1861.
M-srs. Fox and Henderson began their work in
August, 1860, and though the autumn and winter
months were against them, they handed over the
palace substantially perfect on the day fixed,
February 12, ISM. Means. Kelk and Lucas
bettor
their work on the lst of April, 1861 ; and with
long summer and one of the most favourable Eng-
lish winter, ell record, the most we can hope for us
that their task will be thoroughly finished by the
sod of March, or six weeks after the contract ;late.
The backward state of the building and the official
arrangements has cosonnuicatnd a lethargy to the
British exhibitors. They have not sent in twenty
awes up to the present time ; and so many of them
are dec.ining to exhibit every day, that no one can
tell with any certainty whether this department
of the Exhibition will include 4,000, 0,000,
or 8,101 exhibitors. Of course a few of the
most prominent articles have been secured,
seek as Mr. Bell's monolithic granite obelisk, a
trophy of small arms from Birmingham, the Arm-
draw and Whitworth 100-pountler guns ; the flax
trophy from Belfast ; several large organs, a chim-
ing peal of bells, some gigantic lighthouse lenses,
and other objects before evildoer:Awl—but the rank
and tile of British exhibitors, the broad represen-
tative. of our national industry, have as yet given
are substantial proof that their goods are ready.
Much letter-writing awl letter-receiving is going
ea in the office lung after such work should have
weed, and we are requested to tell the exhibitors
that no letter can be attended to which is not
headtsl with the number of the class in which their
gouda are to be shown. We willingly chronicle this
llell.luncratent, sod hope that no parlenishle feel-
ing of irritation will prevent the home exhibitors
follow nog the example of the colonists, and doing
justice to themselves and theircountry. The holes
su the walls are now knocked out to admit large
awl heavy goods ; planks awl iron tramways are
laid down to secure their safe passage over the
'knot; r flosor ; the main building, and all the tran-
sept.. the exception of the north-east
are noes Wearied over, and as the l2th of March
has no :art% tsl—a date one month after that ori-
;instil% Axed for the first reception of goods--there
t. iso reason why the anxiously expected supplies
should not be at once poured in.
The western annexe, ordepartment for machinery
is looei.on, though more backward than it ought to
be in it. 4rueral arrangements, is about two-thirds
comp...AA. Two thousand feet of steam piping
have Iseu laid dope iu a bricked subway, and about
a houtolnool iron Tuscan columns have been rained to
support the shafting. Foundations have also been
teak for many more columns. France, Austria,
Belgium, the Zollva•rein, Switaerland, Denmark,
Italy, Norway and Sweden will exhibit in this de-
partment. having secured one-half of the space ; the
other half being given to British exhibitors. Some
of the foreign machinery has arrived, but the deli-
very of the home articles has not been encouraged
by Mr. Clark, the superintendent, because of the
sodiaished state of the 11110e110. ill this department
many of the very heavy goods which arrive are
delivered, and are unloaded by two; steam cranes
capable 01 lifting five teens each. The steam power
supplied here will be from four to five
hundred horses, and the six boilers are now nearly
built in at the Kensington-road end. Two pumps will
be pl-. 1.11 in this annexe to work the two great
fonnta'us that are to he exhibited in the Horticul-
tural Gardens, and' there will be a travelling crane
=rage of lifting twenty-fire tons. The largest
steam engines will be in the French aection, where
the foundation* are laid for two of sixty-home
power each. The processes of manufacture which
are to Ins exhibited here will not be as numerous as
the Commissionets wished, but there will be a din-
play trAer this head that cannot fail to prove into-
redit.r. Needle making will he shown in at least
three plates ; medal striking in ono ; gold chain
tanking in one ; type casting iu two places ; type
printing by hind in three ; lithographic printing in
two ; topper-plate printing in ono ; porcelain
ei
print-
ing in two; and the process of wood carving.
will a:,,0 be a putter's wheel ; and four or five
places where brick and tile making may be seen in
101 l operation. Mr. Ariliton's ingenious steam-
winch—like a veteran worker who has earned an
honourable place—will be exhibited in this annexe.
The transept set wink for the colonial depart-
spent is still the meat backward part of the build-
ing, but this week an attempt is promised to mark
out some of the spaces at the side where the floor-
ing is laid down. The roof in painted, and some
odd mistakes have been made ill spelling the names
place.lou each spanner. Britieli Guiana is turned
into Guinea, and other painter's errors have
been nobs' iu different parts of the building. There
Lave been no arrivals of pools in this department,
mad the superintendents are now employed in put-
ting together their catalogues as far as they can go,
and in sending circulate to each colony asking it to
war its jurors
In the French industrial court the carpenter, are
holy in erecting high wooden partitions, to enclose
this section ; and although this plan gives more
vertical space, it cuts up amid destroys the general
effect of the buildiug. The foreign goods come in
very slowly—the Zollvervin contribution being the
latest addition.
The Brazilian goods hare arrived in forty-eight
packages—two a which, containing valuable gold
sod diamonds, are at present deposited at the Bank
of Ragland. The Imperial tovernment has spared
so empties to make this collection large and per-
fect, and it has given instructions to the swots

here to get a special report drawn up upon it by
some eminent scientific writer. The collection will
include oils, a great variety of native woods, vege-
table products,including the celebrated patchouli ; a
tine selection of minerals from the Imperial Mu-
seum, with photographs, oil paintings, silver
work, and watchwork.
In the hardware department the first case made
to plan was fixed on Tuesday ' • and on that day, we
are sorry to say, another death occurred amongst
the workmen. A labourer fell about one hundred
feet while at work in cutting down part of the
scaffolding of the eastern dome, and was killed on
the spot.
The managers of the International Agency, which
we hare before alluded to, have taken the old rail-
way station at Battersea, for storing exhibitors'
cases, in addition to Swan Wharf, Chelsea. The
sheds on the latter wharf are being erected by
Messrs. Druce and Sons, the proprietors.
The Brompton-road, we are informed, is to be
widened by the patriotic exertions of the inhabit-
ants of the district, who are subscribing largely for
that purpose. Although the Commissioners of
1851 are mainly interested in the formation of good
roads throughout this district, and although those
already made by them are notably unfit for busy
traffic, they have not as yet offered the slightest
help in this matter.
About the end of the week, the official staff ex-
pect to move, for the second and last time, out of
the picture galleries, into the permanent offiees
prepared so slowly for their reception.
The refreshment saloons in the centre arcade of
the Horticultural Gardens are not yet finished, but
the French and English contractors have each
obtained possession of &short strip of side arcade—
the first at the east end, the second at the west-end
of the building. Here refreshments are served to
exhibitors, visitors, and others, and the beer served
seems to be highly popular with the two or three
thousand workmen.

COURT OPALDNIIIIRN.-PAOPOSED ABOLITION
OP QUERNS BENON PRISON.

A Court of Aldermen was holden on Tuesday at
Guildhall ; the Right Hon. the LORD MAYOR is the chair.
The Lord Mayor aonouticed to the court that he bad '
oeived a letter from Sir Henry Muggeridge, dated 3rd '
'larch, in which be tenders his resignation se alderman of
the city. The resignation was formally accepted, and the
Lord Mayor informed the wad that he had fixed Thursday,
at font o'clock, for the samiaatioa of a soonsmor to Sir
Henry. His lordship thee informed the court that he had
received a latter from White H. H. Waddington.
The letter ma ac follows :—" My —As there appears
TRYON RR Wimp, after inquiry into subject, that the
debtors' prison in Whitecroeintrest, will, under the altered
state of the law of bankruptcy, afford ample smemmodation
for the confinement of all debtors La Leedom and Middle-
sex. I am directed by Secretary Sig G. Grey to inform your
lordship that it is proposed to brkag a bill into parlia-
ment for the abolition of the Quota's Prime, but that be-
fore say proemdinp an takes for the prpor. he would
invite the City of Landon to state what mYlm, if any, apes
the government it h conesived the City wall be estltld to
make, and I have to nquid to he favvered milli as early
reply from your lordship.—l ramie, dn., H. WADDING-
TOL" The letter, after being read, was referred to the
General Purposes Committee. • report was brought
en from the General Purposes Committee an the
reference to consider as to the powers of the
*Vices of the Clty of Laudon with respect to committing
hop to mforenatoriss end industrial schools, and as to the
bed melded exercising each powers. The committee having
conaidered the subject, recommended that an arrangement
should be made with the manager of the reformatory at
!Whinl upon the terms referred to in the report of Mr.
Martin, vie., at an expense mot to exceed 2e. 6& per week
an each °geoder sent by the magistrates at the justice rooms
at the Mansauediouee and GuildhalL With regard to the
other portion of the reference which relater to industrial
schools, they proposed making farther inquiry. Mr.
Alderman Copeland moved that the report should be agreed
to at ono,. Mr. Alderman Lawrence thought that
although the system was a very good one, it was oee which
might easily be abused. Stepfathers or stepmothers who
wished to get rid of their children might encourage them
is conic fur the purpose of getting them into a reformatory.
sad he moved se an amendment that the report be agreed
to but that the court were of opinion that no such juvenile
offender should be sent to a reformatory, except by two
magistrates. After some &amnion, the amendment was
agreed to. Mr. Aldermen Salomon moved, " That it be
referred to the committee of the whole court far general
purposes, to consider and report whether the provisions of
the act sth sod 6th William IV., cap. 62, substituting
declaration indeed of oaths, might not be advantageously
extended to many cams in which oaths were now taken in
this court." The motion was agreed to, and the court ad.
journed.