The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-09 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

(raft as Day Nam)

MIL EDGAR BOWRING might be a member of the
Fokreelern cabinet ; his dexterity in parrying
awkward questions, or appearing to tell something,
when he in reality tells nothing, would make him a
useful member of *that egregious fraternity._
ft I am directed to acquaint you," writes Mr. Eno**
BOWIINO to the secretary to the Warrington local
committee, with reference to the project for devoting
the Exhibition surplus fund to the erection of a
tsweum or picture gallery near London, "that there
hit been no declaration on the part of the commis-
sioners to justify such an opinion." AU the world
knows that there has been no " declaration ;" but all
the world believes that there is an intention ; and to
deny the existence of the "declaration" which no-
body was asking about, and keep silence as to the
intention respecting which every body is anxious to
kern something. confirms the belief that the in-
tention does exist. Mr. EnGan BOWRING has
rivalled the " ingenuous duplicity " of fakredeets,
and with the same result. Ills denial has
all the effect of an affirmation. Though the
commissioners have not yet " declared" their inten-
tion to devote the surplus fund of the Exhibition to
erect a picture gallery or museum at Kensington, it
is clear that there is no time to be lost in taking
measures to frustrate that job. Will the Commis-
sioners authorise Mr. llowitixo to declare that a
plot of ground has not been indicated in Kensington
Cardeus to which Prince ALBERT'S attention wu
directed as a lucidity for a building to rim up at the
cost of the surplus fund of the Omit Exhibition?
The commissioners " do not feel themselves in a
position to comply with" the prayer of the Warring.
ton memorial. The secretary to the commissioners
has successtully studied the diplomatic art of saying
little in many words. The mum; why they "do not
feel themselves in a position to comply," is a rare sam-
ple of diplomatic logic. In a report, addressed by the=
to her Mai r.sry, ill Nov., 1851, tt ey exprtued certain
opinions respecting the best mode of disposin of the
cc/
surplus fund; and, having once ex these
opiiiiona, they must abide by them, whatever arc&
Weep I , Mai) is. ad...need to show the propriety of
changing them. When the Kings of the Medea sal
Persians made a law, that law was held to be un-
changeable; but it was never denied that opinions
of the Kings of the Medea and Persians not yet
steicotyped into a law, might be changed. 'the IMP
mi.s..ioneN take a flight beyond the King@ d.tie
Meeks and Persians ; it would be sacr leeggg@yylbw
think, to change any opinion that the commistiMma
have ever expressed.
The unalterable opinion of our Medean and Per-
elan commissioners is, that "the surplus should met
be applied to purposes of a limited, partial, wheel
character." This is exactly what the L 1 ill NON
has advocated, and the Warrington and Bolles
bent committees petitioned for. These outs&
tees ask, out that the surplus fund sheehl
be applied to erect a museum air libelitut
Warrington or Bolton, but that it shod& be
bowel in local grunts to aid such evestimu St_
_UM=
localities scattered over the empireolbem the Chillesll
Islands to Aberdeen, and from Yemen& to Balk&
They protium that the sums contributed in umh ell
these localities to promote the GRIM MIRO= 1
of IKel,- and serer required fur else purpose
should be taken as the test of their rehabalny
as trusters fur managing these grants, and the me-
sure of the proportional share of the surplus to be
allotted to each. This would be a truly nations' up.
plication of the surplus—one not " limited, partial.l
or local" in its character. To apply it to the purpose
which the commissioners have nut ye t" declared" their
intention to apply it to, would be a" limited, youth*
and local" use of- it—an use favourable to Krieher
ton, but not favourable to Cheat Britain.
Nlr.Encaa Bunion: says " There has been no Is.
duration on the part of the commissioners to justify
such an opinion," i.e., an opinion that the sin.
plus fund is to he spent upon a museum or picture
gallery near London. Ile might have said more:
there puss been no declaration on the part of the
commissioners as to how it is to be spent. They an
ready enough to tell how it is not to be applied, but
they keep to themselves the secret how it is to be
applied. They will not give it to uphold the
Crystal Palace; they will not give it to promote local
free libraries and museums; they will not give it to
promote a central normal school of industry ; they
will nut "declare" that they are going to give it to
help in the erection of a picture gallery or museum
near London. Hero are negatives enough in all
conscience; one affirmative would be worth them all.
What are the commissioners going to do with the

mone
By y
their reticence they expose themselves to a
suspicion of contemplating a misapplication of the
fund yet more discreditable than the brick and
mortar job of a west-end picture gallery. They may
intend not to apply itin any way, but to keep the fund
in their hands u a permanent deposit, applying the
interest to remunerate secretaries and others employed
in its conservation. There is but one way of con-
vincing the public that this is not their intention;'
and that is by making up their minds, and declaring
how it is to be applied without any more shuffling or
evasion.

At this moment there is only one way of atoll
it before the public, that has so much as a
of equity and utility to recommend it ; and that is
the proposal to redistribute the guarantee messy
among the localities contributing to that hod far the
of promoting local free libraries and merest.frisPung: objection to this to tell us that the
subscriptions were " a ute and definite." They
were ; it was understood that they were in no ease
to return to the pockets of the individual subscribers;
but the individual subscribers do not ask to have
them back. They indicate a great national purrs°
to which their contributions to the guarantee fund
may be applied—a purpose identified in tendency
and sentiment with the industrial exhibition—and
to that purpose they ask that the surplus fund may
be devoted.