The Express.
London, England, 1852-05-14 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Yesterday, the bargain by which the Crystal
Palace is transferred from the contractors to its new pro-
prietors received its final ratification within the walls of the
building itself. The name' of the purchasers did not tran-
spire, but they were represented by Mr. Charles Fuller,
who took formal possession, and paid down the purchase
money, 70,000/. It is understood to have become the pro-
perty of a company, of which Mr. Laing, the chairman of
the London and Brighton Railway, is chairman; and that
the Indention is to remove it to a site near Sydenbam, a
distance of six miles from the London-bridge terminus of
the railway. About twenty-live gentlemen, friends of the
contracting parties, celebrated the last day at the Crystal
I'alsce by partaking of an elegant tkjeupier, as the guests of
Sir Charles Fox and Mr. llendereun. l'rosperity to the
new undertaking was drunk in bumpers of Cyprus and Con-
mantis ; and Mr. Scutt Unseen, on his health being pro-
pmed, drew a glowing picture of the attractions that are to
be congregated within the new edifice at Sydenhani. The
products of every land are to be exhibited growing in their
various climates, and the specimens of every art grouped
la
according to the most tasteful rules of essiticauoii.
The national taste fur the beautiful is to be re-
lined by Cants from all the famous marbles
in the world, and the great principles of mechanical emenee
are to be illustrated by working models oh every variety of
machinery. The edifice is to be large enough to contain all
our metropolitan working population, and attractive enough
to tempt (bent away from those debasing enjoyment' which
are now utmost their only resource. Refreshments abund-
ant and good will be supplied at the most moderate trier,
and transit by the rail included in the admission-
ticket. It is expected that the resuscitated building, greatly
enlarged and improved, will he ready fur a grand opening
day on the first of May neat, and it is hoped that her Ma-
jesty will bor.our the inauguration with her pretence. On
the health, of Sir C. lox and Mr. Ilendereon being pro-
posed, those gentlemen modestly recounted their respective
shares in the great achievement so soon to become matter of
history, and the former did full justice to the successful idea
of Sir Joeeph Paxton, who rendered "an impossibility
poesible," and the energy with which that gentlemen
pressed hie conception to a full and successful
development. Mr. Laing, in answer to his health, ex-
pressed einigutue hopes as to She solution of the commer-
cial question, and bore honourable testimony to the good
faith with which the contractors had held themselves
bound to a mere verbal bargain, although tempted by an
offer nearly double that which they had accepted from the
present possemors. It appears that " the word of an
Englishman," the tenure I y which Mr. Macaulay ups we
mainly rule two hundred millions of people in India, was,
in this instance, set against au advance of 50,0001., and Mr.
Fuller and his friends will, we hope, have reason to rejoice
that it has come triumphantly through the ordeal. Whatever
may be the result the transaction is highly honourable to
all parties concerned. his almost needless to mention that
the first and moot honoured toast at this remarkable leave-
taking was the " Ileulth of her Mijesty the Queen," with
a warm and loyal recognition of the aid which the royal
patronage lent to the Great Exhibition of the Industry of
All Nations. Although the rain poured down in torrent',
the building showed its excellence of construction by
scarcely admitting a drop, and it was generally observed
that it never looked better than on this the last day of its
existence.

EXHIBITION SURPLUS FUND.
MEMORIAL FROM BLACKBURN AND REPLY.
Tu her Majesty's Commis-Moms fur the Great Exhibition
of the NV tales of Indust.", of AU Nations iu
The memorial of the local committee for the borough of
Blackburn and its neighbourhood
Respectfully shovreth —That your memorialists have with
much satisfaction heard of the great and scarcely hoped for
success which has attended the Exhibition of the Works of
Industry of all Nations in INa—and that in addition to the
services which must have been rendered to the cause of In-
dustrial education in this country, and in promotion of
friendly feeling with the continental and other nations, the
pecuniary results have been such ra to allow for liberal pay-
ment of attendant expenses, and leave a large surplus to
"apply to purposes strictly in connexion with the ends
of the Exhibition," the object set forth at tho earliest
period in the "decisions' of her Majesty's commissioners.
That your memorialists have nut failed to direct their
best exertions to the fulfilment of tho recommendations of

her \lajo.ty'e commissioners that
represent the interests of their locality—encourage the
production of suitable objects fur exhibition—afford infor-
mation in their locality relative to the Exhibition—organise
and collect subscription—facilitate the means of visiting
the Exhibition "—and by every method at their disposal
to promote the eminently useful purposes of her Majesty's
commissioners as directors of this Great Exhibition.
That the borough of Blackburn and the district imme-
diately around it contributed the sum of 8201. 13s. sid.
towards the establishment of the Exhibition, at a time
when it was doubtful if means could be raised to realise the
design of her Majesty's commissioners—a considerable pro-
portion of that amount having been subscribed by several
hundreds of operatives and artisans in sums under two
'billings each. That your memorialists have remitted to
your treasurers 7101.—the balance, 1101. Is. 5d., having
been expended in the necessary expenses of the local com-
mittee, and in populatisang and otherwise promoting the
objects of the Great Exhibition.
That the number of exhibitors from Blackburn was
twelve, to four of whom prize medals have been awarded ;
and that those exhibituss defrayed all the costs of construct-
ing, forwarding, and erecting expensive machinery, fit-
tings, ; and of employing qualified persons during the
whole period of the Exhibition to work, and protect their
machinery.
That the population of Blackburn is 46,500,—a great por-
tion of which consists of operatives, artisans, and others of
tto working class, whose anxiety forobtaining opportunities
of education has een shown by their having for several
years sustained a Mechanics' Institution under the disad-
vantage of there being no building or rooms in the town
in any way suitable fur the purposes of such an institution,
and that this deficiency has materially tended to cramp the
energies and impede the progress of the managers and di-
rectors, who are convinced that if or. appropriate building
coml.' be erected lasting benefits might be conferred on the
inhabitants.

That your memorialist* firmly believe that the desire of
the operatives and others in Blackburn and the neighbour-
hood to avail themselves of accessible means of instruction
has been greatly stimulated by reason of the Exhibition and
the feeling its establishment and extraordinarily successful
progress awakened—to which your memorialists to the best
of their ability contributed; and they beg respectfully to
submit to the consideration of her Majesty s commissioners
whether the application of a portion of the surplus fund
remaining over from the Exhibition receipts to aid in the
establishment of a public library and museum in the bo-
rough of Blackburn, under the direction and control of the
local authorities, would not be in strict accordance with the
spirit and purpose of her Majesty's commissioners, as '
played and announced in their various official publications
Dtherwiie, 2nd a Of worthij7 and appropriately
• .king which
perpetuating the benefits conferred by an uaaer..—
has no parallel in the history of the world. •
Your memorialists, therefore, earnestly pray that in any
report of her Majesty's commissioners to her Majesty, as to
the disposal of the surplus fund from the Exhibition, her
Majesty's commissioners may be pleased to advise the grant
of the sum subscribed by the borough of Blackburn to the
said borough to be applied to the local and public purpose
which your memorialists have described.
And your memorialists will ever pray, ite.,
(Signed) JOHN BAYNIS,
Chairman of the Local Committee.

Palace of Westminster, May 6, 1852.
Sir,—l am directed by her Majesty's Commissioners for
he Exhibition of to acknowledge the receipt of the
memorial signed by yourself on behalf of the local com-
mittee of the borough of Blackburn, praying that the sum
et 7101., remitted to the commissioners from the borough
of Blackburn, may be appropriated to the establishment of
• public library sad museum in that town. The commis-
sioners direct me, in reply, to transmit to you, fur the in-
formation of the Blackburn committee, the accompanying
copy of a report addressed by them to her Majesty on the
subject of the disposal of the surplus funds in their
bands ; and they would more especially call the sttention
of the committee to the passages in that report in which
they refer to the announcement originally put forward by
them, that all subscriptions must be absolute and definite,
and also in which they express their opinion that the sur-
plus should not be applied to purposes of a limited, par-
tial, or local character. Her Meie.ty's commissioners,
therefore, regret that they are not in a position to comply
with the application contained in the memorial.
I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient 'errant,
EDGAR A. BOWRING.
John Haynes, Esq., Chairman of the Local
Committee, Blackburn.

EXHIBITION OF 1851.-It will hate been wen by
the Court Circular that the official preseutation of the report
of her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1861(as
far as relates to their proceedings to the present time) has
just taken place. We understand that the report was se.
eompanied by a set of the medals struck by the commis-
sioners, the official catalogues of the Exhibition, and the i
jury reports. It will probably he some time, however, be-'
hire the latter reports will be printed and ready ET distri-
bution to the exhibitors, owing to their voluminous charac-
ter. The abovementioned copy is the only one that has as
yet been prepared. As respects the report of the Royal
Commission, it will, doubtless, be laid before parliament
without delay. It is understood to be of considerable
length, and to contain in its appendices a large number of
curious and interesting returns. As this is only the ant
report of the commissioners, a further report, embracing in
all probability the question of the disposal of the surplu,
may be looked for.
AN ILLVRTRATION OF FREE TRADE.—As a proof
of the healthy state of affair. under free trade, we may
mention (says the Cheltenluou Examiner), that at the pre- I
sent moment there is rot a single able-bodied pauper, male
or female, in the Cheltenham workhouse, although the
union comprbes Cheltenham, with its 40,0110 inhabitants,
and thirteen agricultural parishes. The master of the work-
onise has for some 'line liven obliged to employ labourers
at the ordinary wag, to do the necessary work about the
Iroise end grounds, and which work, under the good old
' ayotem of protection, w s invariably don,- by the able-
: hotbed raupers. Thu present inmates of the house are 93
old and infirm men, 105 old and infirm women, and 6
women with illegitimate children, the remainder being
children and adults suf•ring front accident or sickuess.
MARL ANTONIA MAILWAI. Traffic for the
week ending April 29, 1862, 1831. 1964, 1221.