The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-26 00:00:00

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No. 1,635.] [No. 31, EXHIBITION EXPRESS.]

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EXHIBITION
EXPRESS,

FOR THE WEEK ENDING
SATURDAY, JULY 26.

Each succeeding week at the Crystal Palace is
now very like its predecessor. Each circle of six
days has its tens of thousands of visitors, all coining
full of wondering expectation, and all going away
satiated with surprise and delighted admiration. In
oar reports of each day will be found a notice of
each distinguishing feature of the past week,
amongst which will be remarked the large number
of school children who have been indulged with a
sight of the great show. This evidence of kindly
anxiety on the part of school managers and masters
to give those under their control an op-
portunity of witnessing the chief wonder of
the year appears to afford general gratification.
One thing that the past week might and ought to
have produced, has not been forthcoming. there
has been no sign indicating a decision on the ques-
tion whether the Glass Palace is to stand or to fall.
A lire of letters in the newspapers, and the comple-
tion of a few petitions, seems to be the whole result
of the week on this question. The authorities have
given no indication of their intentions, either one
way or the other. The public have been told that
the decision is in their own hands—that the people
at large are to give the verdict on the point. This,
though a sufficiently broad and liberal offer, is, at
the same time, rather an unsatisfactory one, unless
opportunities are given for ascertaining the opinions
of those thus placed in the condition of arbiters.
The continued throng of thousands to the Ex-
hibition shows the public interest in it ;
within the Crystal Palace is contained the
evidence of its true character and value ;
those who walk under its noble transept and thread
its long galleries, may surely form on the spot a
better judgment of its capabilities for future public
service than they n uld do elsewhere. Is it not sur-
prising, then, that no means hare been taken by the
Executive Committee for allowing to be given within
the building itself, an expression of public opinion
upon the vital question at issue? It was suggested
in these columns last week, that tables should be
placed in the transept with petitions both for and
against the retention of the building. Those who
think the Glass Palace should stand might sign the
one, those who wish for its destruction should put
their names to the other. In this way a large ex-
pression of opinion might be obtained. In all pro-
bability thousands of persons would declare either pro
or mu every day, and in a week it is likely that
a hundred thousand votes would be known. There
is very little doubt which way the majority would
tarn, and if that majority were sufficiently large, the
affair might probably at once be settled. The session
of parliament will soon be over. The ministerial
white bait dinner, that tells of early prorogation, has
been:announced for the 2nd of August. Ity this fact
it is shown very clearly that there is no time to be
lost. Crystal Palace ur no Crystal Palace—Win:
ter Garden or No Winter Garden—is the question,
and the answer should be obtained at once.

observed that the general company now retire much
earlier then was the ease at the first opening of the Exhibi-
tion. Thanks to the press and to the previous visits of
their friends and neighbours, they have a pretty sharp
notion of where the chief objects of attraction are to be
found, and consequently get their work done earlier and go
off in the evening townie of the public amusements, which
now generally speaking draw to the satisfaction of their
proprietors. A document has been circulated in the
building by which it appears that the commissioners
have determined upon forming a collection of specimens
of all the articles exhibited where at all portable,
and of accurate drawings or talbotypes of those whose
bulk precludes collection. Price lists will be added, and
the whole, which is expected to be of great public benefit,
will be contained within a moderate-sized room. The ma-
jority of the exhibitors have already been consulted, and
have expressed their readiness to co•operate with the com-
missioner,
in this interesting undertaking. The police
numbers on Monday were 70,640.
Cash account, July 21.
Season tickets
At the doors 3,338 7 6
Total receipts
Telenet.

The concourse of visitors at the Exhibition Deems to
be a steadily advancing tide. Now and then, as 111 the case
of Tuesday week, a billow of enormous dimensions rolls in
its 74,000 spectators, and retires in the way of all billows.
But it never recedes to its former boundaries. The maxi-
mum number becomes a new standard, round which the
subsequent admissions fluctuate, until another monster day
gives a new starting point, a permanent increase being per-
ceptible in all the future fluctuations. Thus the numbers
admitted daily varied from $O,OOO to 60,000, until one day
the admissions reached 68,000. Then 60,000 became
the standard, until a week since, when the numbers
reached 74.000, and ever since 6),000 has been the
minimum on shilling days, and will no doubt so
1 continue until somo great occasion, such as the
contemplated visit of the teetotaller, who promise •
select party of 60,000, when 80,000 will probably be the
day's admission, and continue the 'Woolard until the sub
jest of thousands of bets is decided by the admissions
reaching 100,000. The number of visitors on Tuesday was
iclese upon 70,000. They were badly distributed, and the
consequence was a suffocating temperature in the more
Ifrequented portions of the building. So great was the heat
that many hundreds were obliged to leave before half their
inspection had been completed, and thus presented the
novel feature of long streams of departing visitors so early
as two and three o'clock. If something be not speedily
done with the ventilation the heat will be too great for
curiosity, and the interests of the Exhibition must
suffer in the absence of necessary precautions.
Various attempts have been made by the Executive
Committee to procure an additional supply of
fresh air. The two ends of the transept have been
almost entirely taken out, and the effect has been beneficial
in as far as they are concerned, but the naves still remain
close and sultry, and the police and others whose duty com-
pels constant attendance in these tropical regions, complain
of frequent headaches and other derangements of the sys-
tem in consequence. The ventilation is here interrupted
by the refreshment and machinery courts, and until then
latter are thoroughly opened, especially on the north side,
very little relief can be hoped for. The visitors still consist
mainly of country people, and almost all from the agricul-
tural districts. There were great numbers present
on Tuesday from almost every county in England ;
and they might be seen leaving about three o'clock
in long processions for the various railway sta-
tions at which their excursion trains awaited
to take them home. There were also some charity schools
among others the Foundling hospital, but except a general
glance at the building the children could gain but little by
their visit. They were completely smothered in the crowd
of taller people, and seemed to think the great achievement
to be to gat near a fountain mad slake the thirst which the
caressive heat was sure to create. Some new cases of china
have recently been opened in the Zollvereiu court, and one
or two ingenious pieces of clockwork ; but the gem of the
recent additions in that department is a shield in
plaster, sent by an artist named Krauts from a
village in Gotha, Prince Albert's birth-place. It is
hung up ag►inst the entrance to the court, and
being close to the model of Itosenau Castle, is constantly
passed by, for the greater attractions of the little clock-
work figures who perform an eternal village dance around
the aforesaid model. But to those who have taste or pa-
tienee to afford it • glance it well repays the trouble of
inspection. It is divided into a central and six lateral
compartments. In the centre is Gambrinus, the Bacchus
of beer, crowned with the foliage of the loop, and holdingl
in his right hand a foaming tankard of the Bavarian national I
drink. The side compartments depict various results of the

We of the refreshing stimulant. In one, a couple of hand.
some young haymakers are enjoying a cool draught after
their day's labour ; in another the sons of the forge are
similarly occupied. Lower down old age slumbers over his
emptied flagon, and opposite the hunter applies beer to the
restoration of his flagging energies. These are the results
of good beer, bat the bottom compartments tell the history
of the adulterated article. Fidler. tumble over their in-

stniments and make wry faces at the discordant music they
are supposed to make, and boon companions struggle in
fierce and angry contention. Hie satanic majesty is seen at
his legitimate occupation of adulterating the beer, while
in strong contrast is seen a smiling cherub who pours
out foaming libations of the genuine tipple. At the top is
the goat, the universal sign of the Bavarian Biertutus, and
at the bottom is the furnace upon which the national de-
coction is prepared. The whole is executed with wonderful
skill and truth to nature. The figures are first-rate, and
the expression of the countenances cannot be mistaken.
They at* full of humour, having withal a spice of that
strange devilry which forms so general a peculiarity in
German conceptions. The shield is the property of Prince
Albert, who has exhibited his usual taste in making so discri-
minating a purchase. It will please all who take an interest
in the feasting department of the Great Exhibition to learn
that M. Sallandrouze has returned from Paris, having
completed all his arrangements for the forthcoming festi-
vities. The invitations are by this time all en route, and
the invited must remember that they are required immedi-
ately to notify their acceptance by letter, directed to M.
Sallandrouxe, 12, George-street, Hanover-square. This
is absolutely necessary, in order that the arrangements in
Paris may be porportioned to the influx of company. The
police numbers on Tuesday were 68,161.
Cash account, July 22.
Season tickets E 10 10 0
At the doors 3,236 2 0

Total receipts £3,248 12 •
WZDNESDAT

The rain set in early this morning, or rather main-
tamed I,
a continuous dropping from the night before, and the
consequence was • falling off of 10,000 in the first hour's
sppbeations for admission. Subsequent glimpses of fine
weather brought up the numbers to a considerable extent,
but the day's total was hardly up to the average. One ad-
vantage of the rather slack general attendance was that the
numerous schools and parties from the country had much
greater facility than is usual on shilling days in passing
from one object of curiosity to another. The consequence
was that groups might be seen surrounding many objects,
which, although of great interest, have, from their back-
ward position, hitherto passed entirely unnoticed by the great
title of visitors. The Austrian toys had quite a number,
and their guardian, quite excited by the unusual concourse
of his visitors, set the toys all in motion, to the great delight
of the small children as well as of many of • larger growth.
Another object in the same neighbourhood which excited
the greatest curiosity, partly from its intrinsic merit, partly,
perhaps, from the existence of strong international sym-
pathy, was the Alum &min, or national cloak of Hun-
pry, which we understand is, with different amounts of
ornament, worn by all classes in that country. It is made
of the skin of the Astracan lamb, which has been nabs- I
ralised sad is herd by thousands on the banks of
the Danube, but is dressed in so peculiar a
manner, with the wool on, as to admit of the
most costly and elaborate embroidery on the oppo-
site aide. In summer weather and in rain, the Hun-
garian turns out the woolly side of his bunda, but in clear
frosty weather he turns it in, and exhibits the gay cm-