The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

,94

" Until the announcement of the recent protocol, it had
not been generally known that the institution called the
Vienna Conference still retained its existence. Of course,
however, it is not to be supposed that the functions of the
leading European Governments are delegated to their
representatives at Vienna. The armies and navies whose
movements the whole world is watching in breathless
expectancy will not be set in motion or stopped by three
or four gentlemen who meet for the purpose of reconciling
various proceedings which, at first sight, seem to have
little in common. • • • •
" The fact that the Court which is most strongly devoted
to Russia participates in the protocol under consideration
is a sufficient proof that it contains nothing definite or
substantial.

" Whatever opinion may be formed as to the utility of
the course pursued by the resuscitated Conference, there
can be no sufficient ground for anxiety or alarm in the
reference which is made to the last Vienna protocol. The
terms which were offered to Russia before the commence-
ment of the war are no longer in question, except so far
as the German Powers are pledged to acquiesce in no
additional concession to the Czar. The outbreak of
hostilities cancels all restrictions on the demands which
the belligerents may hereafter put forward, as circumstances
and their own interests may dictate. A series of Russian
successes might necessitate, and therefore justify, a recur-
rence to the statue quo ante bellum ; whilst, on the other
hand, the capture of one or two great fortresses, or the
destruction of the enemy's fleet, would entitle England
and France to impose sacrifices on their antagonist which
were never contemplated by the neutral Powers of Central
Europe. • • • • •
" Those who imagine that a partially unintelligible
protocol will hamper the operations of Lord Raglan or
Admiral I)undas must also suppose that the Emperor
Napoleon, like his celebrated predecessor of mythical re-
nown, has marched an army for the purpose of letting it
march home again. The co-operation of the two Govern-
ments is the best guarantee for the sincerity of both; and
the seeming puerility of any diplomatic formality in which
they have concurred must be attributed to a prudent re-
gard for the susceptibilities of Courts with which negotia-
tions may be pending."
The Morning Post alone adopts the view that the
protocol is decidedly adverse to Russian interests :
"The Germanic Courts, in fact, have continued to draw
nearer to the policy and course of the Western Alliance, in
proportion as the action of the latter has been bolder and
more open, and they have finally given in their adhesion
to the necessity of war, now that that war is assuming a
character of uncompromising vigour."

The Morning Herald, in a clear and energetic
article, concludes that the object of the protocol is to
open a door of escape to Russia from her present em-
barrassing position :
"We have never concealed our opinion that the main ob-
ject of Lord Aberdeen's Government has been from the
commencement, and now is, in conjunction with the
Powers of Central Europe, to find the means for allowing
the great Northern despot to escape from the consequences
of his own actions. • • • •

" For this purpose it is that the Vienna protocolising
has been recommenced, and the system has been adopted
of fighting with gloves, so that, with the appearance of car-
rying on the war, as little injury as possible can be done
by our Government to the permanent interests of the Czar.
A thousand things concur at the present moment to prove
that such is the course of proceeding determined on. The
action of our army, now arrived at Scutari, is paralysed by
the unnecessary, if not predetermined, delay of the arrival
of the artillery and cavalry, whose presence is necessary to
enable it to take the field.

" Let us turn for a moment from the acts of the Ministry
at home to the declarations of their real allies, Austria and
Prussia, and it will appear that they are in perfect accord-
ance with the intentions which we have attributed to the
Coalition. . . . None can doubt that any attempt to
extract from Russia a renunciation of treaties or a cession
of territory will be met by these Powers with the most un-
compromising opposition—in fact, that they will stand by
Russia in the re-establishment (if she can be persuaded to
secede to it) of the status qua ante. None can doubt, also,
that to this the Coalition Cabinet, led by Lord Aberdeen,
would willingly, if not eagerly, give its adhesion, and it is
for this purpose that they have 83 steadily refused, daring
the whole of the debates in Parliament which have taken
place on the subject of the Russian war, to give any expla-
nation of what are the ultimate objects of that war or of
the terms which they will be prepared to exact."
The Herald further conceives it likely that France
would stand alone among the four Powers in resist-
ing such a conclusion, and that it is part of the policy
which has dictated this protocol to neutralise the
vigorous action of that Power.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
THE approach of the opening day stimulates the
working directors of the Sydenham Palace to in.
creased exertions, and the preparations are urged
forward in every department with unremitting
activity. Sir J. Paxton has assumed for the moment
a complete dictatorship of the vast enterprise, and
his undivided authority, exercised through the hands
of several thousand workmen distributed over every
department, external and internal, is directed towards
the completion of each if not to its anticipated per-
fection, which is simply impossible, at all events to a
very respectable point of excellence and beauty.
Months or years must elapse before the gardens
will bloom and the fountains play without, or the

THE PRESS.

innumerable " courts " be filled with their industrial
marvels within. But meanwhile there will be plenty
to attract and instruct the visitors, who may probably
be even better pleased at seeing the great Exhibition
grow in some degree beneath their eyes rather than
if they were suddenly introduced to it in all its
dazzling and bewildering completeness. We have
already given from time to time some accounts of the
gradual rise of the edifice as certain stages of ad-
vance were successively reached. There are, how
ever, some new arrangements indispensable for the
entertainment and accommodation of the soon-
expected throng of visitors which it may be interest-
ing to explain to our readers. Among these are the
preparations for refreshments and stabling. In the
refreshment department Mr. Horne is erecting his
ovens and marshalling his forces. Tenders for all
sorts of provisions have been called for by advertise-
ment, and care will be taken that everything edible
shall be of the best and purest quality, and furnished
on the lowest possible terms. The Board of Trade
have enlarged the original charter, so as to permit of
the sale of wine and beer in the palace and grounds.
The management, in availing themselves of this con-
cession, have entered into arrangements with
eminent wine-merchants and brewers for a supply of
pure wine, and unadulterated beer, and the result of
the large scale upon which the thing is to be done
will be that visitors will be able to obtain a bottle of
sound claret for half a crown, and everything else
at a similarly moderate rate. No attempt will be
made to introduce the sale of spirits. M. Loysel, a
French inventor, has contracted for the erection of a
large hydraulic-machine for making tea and coffee,
by which about 1,0(X) pinta of each will be supplied
per hour during the day. Immense pressure will
be exercised to extract all the aromatic properties
out of the tea and coffee, and the hot water will be
supplied from a steam-engine outside. It was a
novelty left for the nineteenth century and the
Sydenharn Crystal Palace that tea-kettles and coffee
pots should be rated, not by the number of pints or
quarts they contained, but by the amount of horse
power with which they are kept in action. The
projector puts up the machinery at his own ex-
pense, and is satisfied with a royalty of one penny
on each pound of tea and coffee consumed for his
remuneration.

Stabling for three hundred and fifty horses is in
course of erection on Westow -hill, from designs fur-
nished by Messrs. Banks and Barry, and these, to
which are attached standings for a considerable num-
ber of carriages, will be ready for the opening day.
Another block of stabling for three hundred horses
is in progress, under the superintendence of Sir
Joseph Paxton, in Dulwich-wood, also with extended
standing-room for carriages ; but even all this ac-
commodation will fall short of the requirements if
private speculators do not step in and establish stalls
in the immediate neighbourhood.
Amongst the subsidiary projects for rendering the
Exhibition instructive as well as attractive, the
directors have determined to form a complete gallery
of naval architecture, from the coracle of the ancient
Celts to the great war-galley of the Romans, and
thence by regular gradations down to the screw line
of-battle ship of the Baltic fleet. Cleopatra's galley
will be constructed from the best authorities, the
Bucentaur will be correctly represented, and the
Great Harry will show what the British navy was
three or four hundred years ago. Application will be
made to the Admiralty for the Government models,
and the various ship andyacht builders of the United
Kingdom will be applied to by circular for illustra-
tions of their various improvements and inventions.
The department will be rendered complete by a series
of the various apparatus used in the fisheries of
the United Kingdom.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will offer a short
prayer on the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of
the palace, in order to invoke the sanction of religion
on this great national undertaking. This will be
succeeded by Handel's " Hallelujah " chorus, exe-
cuted on a scale of magnitude never attempted in
this or any other country. In addition to upwards of
1,000 performers (vocal and instrumental) from the
Sacred Harmonic and New Philharmonic Societies,
who have volunteered their services for the occasion,
a movement is in progress among the choral societies
of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bradford,
and other great seats of manufacturing industry,
where music has of late years made much progress
among the working classes, to send deputations to
take part in the performance. The company's hand,
under Mr. Schallehn, will co-operate with the above-
mentioned performers, and it is also proposed to
introduce two regimental bands. The whole of the
musical arrangements will be under the able direc-
tion of Mr. Costa, who looks forward to producing
effects of a grandeur hitherto unparalleled in the
annals of music.

THE EFFECTS OF SIR HAMILTON SEYMOI'II, accord
ing to a St. Petersburg letter of the 16th instant,
have been shipped on board a Prussian vessel.

SATURDAY,

grtlanb.

HER MAJESTY'S BIRTHDAY was celebrated by the
military in Cork, Limerick, Belfast, and the other
garrisons on Saturday, with field days and feu
de joie.
MR. COMMISSIONER BALDWIN, who in his judicild
capacity has won the esteem both of the profession
and of the public, died on Tuesday from an attatic
f apoplexy. The appointment of Chief Com_
missioner of the Dublin Insolvent Court is thus
placed at the disposal of the Government. It is
worth 2,0001. a year.

THE DUBLIN PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION, it their
meeting on Tuesday night, adopted a strongly_
worded petition against the proposed admission of
Roman Catholic chaplains into the Government In•
dustrial Schools of Iliddl6sex.

THE REV. La. NEwmAN, president of the Roman
Catholic University, according to the Limerick
Chronicle, is to be consecrated bishop in partibus
in a short time.

INFORMATION was yesterday received by the metro-
politan police of a rubbery from a gentleman near
the Amphitheatre, Liverpool, of a light leather
pocketbook containing 5001. in notes.
SEVEN PERSONS WERE DROWNED in an excursion-
boat on Sunday week. The boat held seventeen
men, principally masons and bricklayers, employed
in building a fort near Yarmouth, in the Isle of
Wight, and was overset by some larking among its
passengers. Only ten of the whole number were
saved alive.

SUICIDE WAS ATTEMPTED on Wednesday morning
by a lodger in the house of Mr. Adams, landlord of
the British Stores, in Wells street. The unfortunate
man, whose name was Jones, had practised as a
surgeon at Abergavenny, in Wales, but for six months
had lodged in the house above mentioned. The
clime was attempted by his throwing himself from a
second-floor window into the street, but, though
frightfully hurt, he was picked up and carried to the
Middlesex Hospital, where it is not expected he can
long survive the injuries be has received.
AN INSTANCE OF SUDDEN DEATH, peculiarly shock-
ing, occurred at Birmingham on Wednesday. One
of the postboys from the Royal Hotel was driving a
newly-married pair from the church to their own
home, when he fell from Lis horse and instantly
expired.
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE broke out on Sunday after-
noon in a spacious building situate in Rose yard,
Rose-street, Soho-square, occupied conjointly by
Messrs. Bevington, the organ-builders, Mr. Littleton,
music-printer, and Messrs. Hopkins and Purvis,
wholesale oil and colour men. Nearly two hours
elapsed before the conflagration could be extin-
guished. Messrs. Bevington are serious losers, as
the whole of the external fittings and carved case of
the great organ for St. Martin's Church have been
destroyed. The music.printing-machines of Mr. Lit•
tleton, on the second floor, as well as the printed
sheets of music, were much damaged by water, as
well as a valuable stock of colours belonging to
Messrs. Hopkins and Purvis. As to the origin of
the fire, not the least information could be obtained.
Messrs. Bevington, unfortunately, are not insured.
The whole of the men employed in their factory
have lost their tools.