The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-09 00:00:00

No. 1,547.] [No. 33, EXHIBITION EXPRESS.]

THE

EXHIBITION
EXPRESS,

FOR THE WEEK ENDINQ
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9.

Titr, course of events within the Crystal Palace
itself during the last few days has been of a re-
markably even Valour, and the incidents by which
the week has been distinguished from its immediate
predecessors, arc marked by little either of variety
or interest. The attendance in point of magnitude
has not yet given symptom% of any diminution, the
number of visitors on each of the shilling days in
the present week being on the average 63,000. Of
these enormous assemblages a largiroportion, if not
an actual majority, was composedof visitors from
the provinces, and the great railway lines musr, in
consequence, have reaped a rich harvest lately
from their ex curs ion trains, notwithstanding
the thuliariisat of the fares. Oa Tuesday
the eras visited by several thou-
sands of ettotallers, who had thronged from
all parts of. England to the metropolis, for the pur-
POW of hexing part in the great temperance demon-
stration at Exeter liall. It was rather a curious
dream stance connected with the visit of the teeto-
tallers, that soon after their arrival the fountains
stored, in consequence of sonic accident to the
ppea, and a deficiency of the beverage in which
Total Abstinence delights was apprehended. Ulti-
mately, however, a sufficient supply was obtained.
One of the most interesting features connected
with the uttendance during the week was the
arrival, on several days, of numerous troops of
children from many of our suburban and provincial
charity schools.
It is stated that the Imperial Austrian Com-
mission has proposed that the rich collection
of minerals ut present in their department
should ronain in this country they re-
ceiving in exchange such of our minerals, especially
our carboniferous products, BS are of little value to us,
though possessed of great interest for them. As the
period advances when the contents of the Palace of
Industry must be again dispersed, propositions like
the foregoing, which have a tendency to fill a blank
that at present seems all but unavoidable, arc de-
serving of consideration and respect. We have no
doubt that a well-digested plan for the reciprocal
interchange of national products and manufactures
would receive public support.
Amongst extrinsic matters of interest connected
with the Great Exhibition, the reception given by
the municipal authorities of Paris to the Lord Mayor
and the royal commissioners the foremost
place. Referring to tho ample of these
must interesting proceedings which are contained in
Our pages, it will be enough here to state that this
magnificent series of entertainments has been con-
ducted to a close, crowned throughout with "mea-
sureless contentment" to all who had the good
fortune to participate in the splendid and character-
istically tasteful, and refined welcome provided for
them by glorious Paris. Looking at this great
rt'uninn from a utilitarian point of view, it may be
regarded as calculated to effect inestimable good, by
adding the silken fetters of social amenities to these
influences which are bringing France and England
close together in the bonds of pence. The Jags says
in reference to this demonstration :
This is inflecd a tine .le, not happily that of n party,
or even that of a nation, but the fee of an age, of that
grand age which we too often slight, and which, through
all its storms, marches forward to an immense object—
the unity and fraternity of men and potions. Such, in
our eyes, is the character of this frie for which Paris
displays all its marvels. We rejoice to see in it a sym-
bol of that great .scrap reconciliation which is the dearest
object of our wishes. And, we ask, where reconciliation
could he made with more dignity, sincerity, and efficacy
for every one than in labour? What is labour, if it be
not the natural bond and the imprescriptible charter of
that association of intelligences and of minds of which
Christianity is the divine espression fur us, anti the sub-
lime one for all the world ? Is it not by it that man has
triumphed from isolation to arrive at social power ? Man
is now sovereign, not only in political order, but also in
material order; and there are no other bonds to his
sovereignty thin where natural order commences—that is
to say, where God fixes the limit which neither genius nor
science can pass. • • • This is not the first time that
England has come to France. She has come there at other
periods, to humiliate us and to avenge herself. She now
comes to glorify and enlighten us. Why this difference ?
Why fines turd Granville propose a treaty of alliance,
since the Duke of Wellington st It lives, since the govern-
ment is a republic, since the thief of that government bears
the name of Bonaparte, and since the monument which
reminds us of our defeat still stands on the field of
Waterloo ? Why ? The reason is very simple ; it is be-
cause France, from a nation of conquest, has become a na-
tion of peace ; it is that the fruitful emulation of labour
has replayed the hanen enthusiasm of war; it is that the
false glory of battles has given place to the true glory of
liberty. France is no longer only France ; she is civilisa-
tion aid humanity. That is why she receives the visit of
England.
At the public banquet given at Derby on Tuesday
last to Mr. Paxton, and at which nearly 300 of Hie
principal gentry of the county were present, and of
which a full report will be found elsewhere, he took
occasion, on returning thanks for his health having
been drunk, to enter into a statement of many in-
teresting particulars respecting the Crystal Palace,
and he set at rest the vexed question respecting the
original invention of the circular-roofed transept,
which has been currently attributed to Mr. Barry,
by claiming it entirely for himself. lie was cor-
roborated m this statement by Mr. Henderson.
Independently of the presentation of petitions in
favour of the retention of the building, the affairs of
the Crystal Palace have been mentioned on seve-
ral occasions during the week in the House of
Commons. On Monday Lord John Russell read
her Majesty's answer in reply to the address of the
house, praying that she would be pleased to take
steps fur the preservation of the building until the
Ist of May. It was to the effect that it would be
necessary to consider carefully the engagements of
the royal commissioners, and that her Majesty would
direct an inquiry, not only into those engagements,
but into vunous matters of detail, which must be
considered before any decision can to made on the
subject.
On Thursday Colonel Sibthorp brought before
the house the subject of the admission of persons
on the Sabbath-day to the interior of the building.
Mr. Labonehere, in explaining the circumstances
under which these admissions were permitted, said
that the Executile Committee thought that it would
be extremely desirable to preserve a record of the
principal articles, particularly those of art, contained
in the Crystal Palace, by means of photographs, and,
therefore, a gentleman was permitted to go in ou
the Sunday for this purpose. It appeared that
it was necessary to have this experiment tried
when the btalding was empty. The light was
not favourable for the experiment when the public
were admitted, and under these circumstances the
Executive Committee thought themselves justified in
allowing this gentleman admission on the Sunday.
Her Majesty's Speech on proroguing parliament
(gib rag in yesterday's E.rprfo) also contained the
following significant allusions to the Exhibition and
its effects:
It has been very gratifying to me on an occasion which
has brought many foreigners to this country, to ob-
serve the spirit of kindness and good-will which so gene-
rally prevailed.
It is my anxious desire to promote among nations the
cultivation of all those arts which are fostered by peace, and
which in their turn contribute to maintain the peace of the
world.
In closing the present session, it is with feelings of grati-
tude to Almighty Oud that I acknowledge the general
spirit of loyalty and willing obedience to the law which
animates my people. Such a spirit is the best security at
once for the progress and the stability of our free and happy
inititations.