The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-17 00:00:00

it! 17, 1854.

and that the conquests of islands, such, for instance, as
Jamaica and Trinidad, could not be achieved from a power
like Russia. Indeed, there are none of the possessions of
Russia which, if they were offered to us, we should accept,
and there are none which I am disposed to covet. (A
laugh.) But there is more than this. We have all vene-
rated the glories of Nelson at St. Vincent, and of Duncan
at Camperdown ; but the
. victories by which they achieved
their fame were victories achieved against enemies who
came out into the open sea—(loud cheers)—who met them
in a fair fight, and who in that fair fight were encountered
by the valour and the prowess of our admirals and our
sailors. We have now to deal with an enemy who encloses
his navy within walls of granite--(laughter)—who places
his ships behind stone walla and batteries bristling with
guns, and who never ventures to meet Dundee or Napier
in the open sea—and, if. they did, no doubt these gallant
admirals would be able, in nautical phrase, to give a good
account' of those Russian fleets. (Laughter and cheers.)
What they may be able to accomplish, as matters stand, it
is not for me, nor for any of us, to decide. All we know is,
that we have given those commands to gallant and skilful
admirals—that all gallantry and skill can do they will
accomplish—that they will prove themselves to he won
thy sons of England, and that we ought to rest satisfied
that that which can be accomplished they will accomplish,
and that that which they will leave undone could not be
done by human courage or by human skill. (Cheers.) But
we have done that which has not been usual in former
wars. We have, at the very commencement of the war,
sent a land army to the defence of our allies. We know
that our military means are far inferior to those of the
great continental monarchies—we know that we do not
call out our 80,000 or our 100,000 men by the conscrip-
tion to swell the ranks of our armies, that our armies are
slowly raised, raised from volunteers, raised by voluntary
enrolment, and therefore we never do send armies, and I
do not know that the lovers of the constitution would wish
that we should send armies, of 150,000 or 200,000 men
into the field. But even the army we have sent has
already been the means of furnishing troops to defend a
Turkish fortress which was surrendered in the last war to
the armies of Russia—l mean the fortress of Varna—and
has thus enabled the brave and able commander of the
Turkish army—Omer Pacha—(cheers )—to add a con-
siderable reinforcement to his army, which I trust will en-
able him to cope with the Russians in the enterprise they
are about to undertake. (Renewed cheers.) I have said to
you that I think it should be our endeavour to obtain a
durable, a solid, and an honourable peace.' Now, I
should be guilty of the greatest presumption—l should be
guilty of a breach of the most solemn duty—if I were to
say what are the terms which in the opinion of her
Majesty's Government would make that peace honour-
able, solid, and durable. That is a question not merely for
her Majesty's Government. It is to be decided along
with the ally of her Majesty, the Emperor of France ; it is
to be considered in conjunction with other powers, if other
powers should, as I hope, stand by our side in this con-
flict for the independence of Europe. But more than
this. The exact terms of that peace must depend upon
the fort:lnes of war—must depend upon the success with
which we encounter the embattled legions of Russia. My
hope is that that war will meet with the success which,
from its object and its motive, it deserves ; but this I will
say, that no insufficient peace ought to be made; that we
ought not to lay down our arms until we have obtained se-
curity for the future—( loud and prolonged cheering)—that,
having made the great exertions that we have done, that
having our eyes open to the designs of Russia, that other
nations of Europe having their eyes open likewise, we
should be the most silly of mortals if we were to sign an
insecure peace, which would leave it to oar present enemy
to bide his time, until by the dissensions of other powers,
until by the weakness of some of those powers, he should find
a better opportunity of accomplishing his design. (Cheers.)
Let us consider for a moment what that design is. I give
it from no unfair interpretation of that which has been
said by the Emperor of Russia himself. It is that the
principalities he occupies and Bulgaria should be held
under his protection : it is that Constantinople itself
should not be occupied either by the present Government
or by any free Government which should harbour those who
might be considered his enemies. It is, therefore, that
Constantinople should be, like Cracow or Warsaw, subject
to Russian protection and Russian influences. I say that
such a consummation would be fatal to the liberty of
Europe. ( Cheers.) I ask you to oppose such a consumma-
tion. I believe that British hearts, British courage, British
skill, and British power are equal to achieve for us, in con-
junction with our allies, and in conjunction with the sym-
pathies of Europe, and not of Europe only but of the
whole world, that success ; and I earnestly pray that
God may give the victory to her Majesty's arms for that
purpose."
The speech was followed by cheers, amidst which
the noble lord bowed and withdrew. Thanks were
as usual voted to the sheriffs for their performance
of the functions assigned to them, and the proceed-
ings came to an end.

THE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIETY.-It will be
seen from advertisements inserted elsewhere that the
Oatlands Grange, Weybridge, formerly part of the
domain of the Duke of York, some time ago pur-
chased for the members of the Conservative Land
Society, is to be allotted to the shareholders on the
21st inst. This fine estate will qualify nearly one
hundred freeholders for the western division of the
county of Surrey. A public meeting will be held in
Guildford on Monday evening, when Viscount Itane-
Imh, the chairman, and a deputation from the execu-
tive committee, will attend to explain the plan of the
society and of the allotment of the estate.

TEE PRESS.

OPENING OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

MAGNIFICENT weather added the last remaining ac-
cessory to the magnificence of the ceremonial which
was on Saturday last enacted at Sydenham. All through
the previous day the preparations were completing
with active industry, both within the Palace itself
and along the whale line of approaches. Inside
the sound of hammers and busy hum of workmen
were never silent during the night. Besides the re-
quisite paraphernalia for the inaugural ceremony, a
multitude of arrangements were made for the
comfort and gratification of the throngs whose
presence was anticipated. Among other details, an
abundant supply of refreshments was prepared, while
1,200 policemen were stationed within and around
the edifice to maintain order, and furnish informa-
tion and assistance at every need.
Enormous preparations were also made for the
transport of the thronging thousands to the scene of
action. The new Crystal Palace Railway opened
for public service on that morning, and crowded
trains ran thereon at intervals of a few minutes
from ten o'clock. By the Croydon line also con-
voys of passengers were despatched to Annerley,
within half a mile of the Palace, six times per
hour all the morning. In addition, omnibuses
from the West End and the City were started inces-
santly, delivering their passengers within five minutes'
walk of the entrance ; and private carriages, hired
cabs, and vehicles of all descriptions reduced all
the avenues from London to Sydenham to the con-
dition of the Epsom-road on a Derby day. The
whole route was thronged with a constant procession
of those who were going to the Palace and close ranks
of spectators who came merely to see them go.
The route appointed for the royal cortege was over
Vauxhall-bridge, through Sotith Lambeth, passing
the Swan at Stockwell, and thence, by Brixton Church,
through East Dulwich and past Dulwich College, to
the Penge-road. A private way, lately constructed
from this road, led directly to the entrance at the
central transept of the Crystal Palace.
Before eleven o'clock, the hour appointed for open-
ing the doors, a vast throng had collected round the
various entrances, anxiously expecting the moment
when admittance should be granted. Upon the sig-
nal being given an awful crash ensued, such as seems
invariable in England when any attraction collects a
crowd, of whatever rank, and which none of the rei
terated assurances of the police attendants, that there
was abundance of time and plenty of room inside,
sufficed to restrain. Entrance once gained, there was
another struggle and more confusion to find seats—
the holders of different-coloured tickets, after wan-
dering about in search of their allotted locality, and
repulsed by the policemen at all the barriers, settling
themselves at last not always to their satisfaction nor
in the right place. All difficulties were, however,
borne with good humour and overcome by time and pa-
tience. When seated at last, the first-corners had their
patience still further exercised during the wearisome
interval of four hours which had still to elapse before
the events of the day commenced. Meantime the
throng received accretions from all aides every minute.
Presently the actors and assistants in the great pa-
geant began to appear in their places. The func-
tionaries of the Crystal Palace, who had been bustling
about all the morning and much of the previous night
in working dresses, reappeared in court costumes.
Then came the representatives of the London and
provincial corporations, headed by the Lord Mayor,
and all in official robes ; followed by the deputations
from various learned societies. The members of the
two Houses of Parliament upon arriving occupied a
series of benches in the galleries, at two corners
overlooking very advantageously the principal scene
of action.

Beneath the centre of the transept a vast circular
space had been barricaded off, and was kept clear for
the Queen and those favoured individuals who were
to assist her Majesty in the opening ceremony. In
the midst of this enclosure was erected the dais,
forming of course the central point of attraction, and
towards which all the seats in the intersecting naves
and the galleries above were made to converge, so as
to afford an opportunity of witnessing the scene to
as many thousands as possible. The dais was octa
gonal, surrounded by a double night of nine steps,
which gave it a considerable elevation above the
flooring, and was large enough to give ample accom-
modation to the numerous royal and distinguished
personages who were to occupy it. The dais was
covered with crimson cloth, and, suspended over it by
gilt chains pendent from the very top of the transept,
at the height of upwards of two hundred feet, was a
handsome canopy. The interior of the canopy was
lined with sky-blue silk, and upon a shield were the
Order of the Garter, the royal arms, and the arms of
Prince Albert, the groundwork semie with roses. The
exterior was crimson, surrounded and surmounted
with a rich gilt cornice. Behind the dais, and rising
amphitheatrically from the front to the back of the
second tier of galleries, was the orchestra, in which
upwards of sixteen hundred vocal and instrumental
performers were seated. The instrumental per-

561

formers formed the base of the orchestra, the vocal
male singers filled up the centre, the ladies fringed
the orchestra on either side, while at the very top
were ranged the two military and the Crystal Palace
brass bands, like an edging of gold and crimson lace.
Surmounting the orchestra was a range of pennons
in various-coloured silks, a large banner of blue silk
in the centre being inscribed with the words " Honour
to Labour," and similar banners were placed at either
extremity.
By two o'clock every point of vantage from which
a view of the ceremonial or pageant could be obtained
was occupied : by this time also several of the Minis-
ters and corps diplomatique, in their state dresses,
had arrived, and were dotted picturesquely in groups
over the central space, discussing and evidently ad-
miring the brilliant scene. The light scarlet or blue
robes of the municipal dignitaries were conspicuous,
although not remarkable for the grace with which
they were draped round the municipal person ; some
of them gasping in the hot sunlight in the conven-
tional furs and ample robes, others in the lighter
and more elegant court costume ; some gallant citi-
zens sported military or deputy-lieutenant's uniforms;
anti train bands, Lumber Troopers, Royal Artillery,
City Rifle, and other nondescript corps had here
their representatives. The whole of the Ministers of
the present and late Administration and privy coun-
cillors wore the Windsor uniform ; the Lord Chan-
cellor and other law dignitaries wore black velvet
suits ; while the foreign ministers and suites wore
their tasteful, and vaned, and richly-decorated state
dresses, blazing with orders, crosses, decorations,
and ribbons. As usual, the ladies were among the
earliest and most animated of the arrivals ; they
were all attired in elegant morning costume or demi-
toilette. The heat was excessive, there being no
awning over the glass roof; and there was a perfect
canopy of parasols of every shade and shape waving
and fluttering like brilliant butterflies in the bright
sunlight.
Thus the Palace became filled and decorated until
the hour of three struck, when with royal punctuality
the approach of the Queen and her cortege was an-
nounced by swelling cheers without and a few notes
of the trumpet. The orchestra struck up the na-
tional anthem as the procession entered, and, before
the solo of the last verse had been sung by Miss
Clara Novello, the distinguished group were duly ar-
ranged upon and around the dais. The tableau thus
formed was admirably effective. In the centre stood
her Majesty, attired in a light bltie dress, an elegant
light white shawl and bonnet. On her left, In the
scarlet uniform of a field-marshal, with the riband
of the Garter, was Prince Albert; and upon her
right, in a uniform of dark blue and gold, the King
of Portugal. On the right of his Majesty were
placed the Duchess of Kent, the youthful Duo
d'Oporto, in uniform of blue and gold, and by his
side the Princess Royal, with a delicate rose pink
dress and white mantilla. On the left of Prince
Albert were the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred,
each attired in the blue and white naval dress, next
the venerable Duchess of Cambridge, by her side the
Princess Alice, in rose-pink and white, and the
Princess Mary, in a robe of more sombre colour.
Behind the royal personages were seen the glittering
uniform of a marshal of Portugal, worn by the Dnke
of Terceira, the glittering official uniforms of the
Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward, Lord Camoys,
the lord in waiting, and the other lords and equer-
ries, and officers of the household. Near them show
the varied colours of the rich dresses of the ladies of
the household (the Duchess of Sutherland, the
Countess of Mount Edgcnmbe, and Lady Caroline
Barrington) and maids of honour (the Honourable
Eleanor Stanley, and the Honourable Beatrice Byng ).
On the floor, at the left of the dais, were grouped
Lord John Russell, the Duke of Newcastle, Lord Pal-
merston, the Duke of Argyll, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Sidney
Herbert, the Earl of Clarendon, Sir J. Graham, Sir
C. Wood, Earl Granville, Sir W. Molesworth, and
other members of the Government, in their Windsor
uniforms of blue and gold ; and the Archbishop of
Canterbury, in his lawn robes. Upon the right Mr.
Laing, M.P., the chairman of the Crystal Palace Com-
pany, in the uniform of a deputy-lieutenant ; Mr.
Francis Fuller, the managing •director ; and the other
directors and officers of the company, in court dresses
or scarlet gowns. Among these the members of the
diplomatic corps were also dispersed, including the
Turkish envoy, M. Musunis, whose appearance upon
first entering was loudly cheered, and the American
Minister, conspicuous from his dress of sombre black
amid the blaze of variegated uniform, gold lace, and
jewels around him.

The ceremony then began according to the order
prescribed in the programme, which we published
last week. First came the presentation of a long ad-
dress, read by Mr. Laing, to her Majesty, and to
which the following gracious reply was given by the
Queen :
" I receive with much pleasure the loyal and dutiful ad.
dress which you have presented to me upon the present,
occasion.
" It is a source of the highest gratification to myself
and to the Prince, my consort, to find that the Great Ixhi•

1

,

562

bition of 18M, which was so happily inaugurated under
our auspices, suggested the idea of this magnificent un-
dertaking, which has produced so noble a monument of
the genius, science, and enterprise of my subjects.
" It is my earnest wish and hope that the bright antici-
pations which have been formed as to its future destiny
may, under the blessing of Divine Providence, be com-
pletely realised ; and that this wonderful structure, and
the treasures of art and knowledge which it contains, may
long continue to elevate and instruct, as well as to delight
and amuse, the minds of all classes of my people."
Afterwards the managers of the different depart-
ments and authors of the handbooks thereto were
successively brought forward by Mr. Laing, intro-
duced to the Queen in a brief speech from each,
describing the branch of art, science, or illustration
which bad been entrusted to his special care, and
then retired after placing in her Majesty's bands a
splendidly-bound copy of their several productions.
This act of the ceremony occasioned some amuse-
ment, especially among that part of the assemblage
who could see but not hear the proceedings, owing
to the narrow escape which several of the presentees
encountered while endeavouring to retire backwards
from the royal presence down an awkward flight of
stairs, encumbered with their court swords or robes
of office.

A procession was then formed and made the tour
of the building. It was headed by the superinten-
dents of works and principal employes, contractors,
architects, officers, and heads of departments engaged
upon the great edifice. Theu came the directors,
preceding the Queen, who formed the centre of the
procession. Afterwards followed the Prince Consort,
the King of Portugal, the Duke of Oporto, and royal
children. The Cabinet and foreign Ministers
brought up the rear.

The cortege wound its way along the building,
proceeding down the eastern side of the south nave,
and returning by the west. On passing round the
centre of the transept her Majesty stepped aside for
a moment into the open colonnade to admire the
grounds and terraces. As the train swept by, the
serried rank of spectators rose and acknowledged the
royal approach by loud cheers, which the Queen
continually acknowledged. When the tour was com-
pleted the various members composing the proces•
sion returned to their former position upon and
around the dais. The orchestra was then again
summoned into activity by Mr. Costa, and performed
the hundredth psalm.
The Archbishop of Canterbury afterwards read a
solemn prayer invoking the blessing of God upon the
enterprise :

May those who admire the wonders of nature which are here
displayed be taught to perceive in those the vigour of that
creative wisdom by which all things fulfil the purposes which
they are designed to serve. Enable those who survey the wonders
of art and industry which surround them to remember that it is
by Thee that knowledge is increased, and science made to
minister to the benefit and comfort of mankind Both
riches and honour come of Thee ; anti Thou reignest overall, and
in Thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all.
Now therefore, 0 Lord, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious
name, and beseech Thee to grant that the many blessings vouch-
safed to our nation may dispose our hearts to serve Thee more
faithfully, and in ali that we undertake to seek Thy honour and
glory.
Another crash from the orchestra followed the
prayer, preluding one of Handel's compositions, the
choruses being led by Lablache, Tagliafico, and
Leffler. A pause of a few moments then occurred,
during which the Marquis of Breadalbane seemed to
hold some consultation with the Queen. Then,
stepping forth, the Lord Chamberlain proclaimed
from the front of the dais, " I am commanded by her
Majesty to declare this Palace opened." This
announcement was followed by a lusty cheer, pro-
longed until it was caught up and re-echoed from the
crowd without.

The Queen then descended, and a procession
being once more formed, quitted the edifice, while
the orchestra and vocalists played and sung again
the national anthem.

The barriers were then removed, and the public
for the first time allowed to circulate freely through
the Palace. Some of the long pent•up multitudes
hastened to catch a glimpse of the wonders of the
building, but the great majority struggled at the
refreshment stalls for supplies, which their long
confinement amidst heat and crowds rendered not a
little necessary.
Since the opening day the Palace has had to
struggle against many conflicting circumstances—
the Ascot races, high prices, and wet weather; but
has been nevertheless very satisfactorily attended.
On Monday there were admitted 2,096 ss. visitors,
and 2,''85 season-ticketholders. On Tuesday, which
was wet, 1,847 Os. visitors, and 1,838 season ticket-
holders. On Wednesday, which was dry, but rather
overcast, 2,641 ss. visitors, and 2,920 season-ticket-
holders; and on Thursday, which was exceedingly
wet, foggy, and disagreeable out of doors, 1,413 ss.
visitors, and 1,229 season-ticketholders. The total
of the four days was 7,097 paying visitors, and 8,67'2
season-ticketholders. The number of season tickt ..;
sold, according to the official return, has been
20,157. To-day (Saturday) a grand fete is to be given
by the directors and shareholders to the foreign
commissioners who honoured the opening with their

THE PRESS.

presence. The proceedings will consist of a recep-
tion in the grand transept and a dijeuner in the
basement story, looking out upon the park, and
which is hereafter to be occupied by machinery.
Preparations are in progress for inviting to Lon-
don, during the present summer, the municipalities
of Paris and of the other great towns in France; a
subscription having been set on foot for the purpose
of giving some return for the hospitalities extended
in Paris to the Lord Mayor and Corporation of
London and to the Royal Commissioners in 1851.