The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-08 00:00:00

FOR TILE WEEK ENDING

SATURDAY, MARCH 8.

PROGRESS OF TILE GREAT EXHIBITION.
The lamenting% and plain fittings on the eastern
side of the building are now nearly complete, and an
opportunity is afforded of funning an approximate
estimate of the amount of the contributions received
Lam foreign countries. Many of the compartments
are, ateyet, quite empty. No arrivals from the United
States have taken place up to the present time ; and
Brazil, Mexico, and Greece seem equally dilatory.
From Norway and Sweden some small consignments
have been forvrardccl, and Russia has already con-
tributed about 230 ppaacekages. The quantity of goods
which have building itself flew Austrian
inconsiderable, the balk of the products of that country
being retained in the dock warehouses until the
spare act apart for their display is fitted up. A
number of German carpenters are at present busily
employed, and nearly the whole of the counters and
cams m that portion of the Austrian compartment
which is on the north side of the central avenue will
be constructed by them. The most copious coatrihu-
tors hitherto are the Zollverein, Belgium, and
Switzerland ; and in the Chinese compartment there
is already a respectable assemblage of canes.
France, how CWT. strange to say. is very much
behindhand. The number of packages received
from that country up to yesterday did not much
exceed 120. This unusual inactivity on the part
of our Gallic neighbours dues not, however,
arise from indifference to the result of the
friendly contest in which they have engaged.
On the contrary, they are 'deeply impressed
with the importance of the advantages which
will be obtained by theme who arc victorious in the
struggle, but certain misapprehensions respecting the
amount of space placed under the control of their
col ttttt iasionen: have effectually retarded the trams-
mine * to this country of their contributiona. The
vases assigned ta France is exceedingly ample, em-
bracing in the whole about a hundred thousand
square feet. and constituting little lens than a tenth
of the whole exhibiting space of the building. Out
of this 1410,009 feet, it was most distinctly inti-
mated by the executive committee, during their
correspondenee with the French commission,
that WOO feet should he deducted for
walks and pit It would seem, however,
that . the Freamlrlocal committees dealt with
their contributors as if the whole 100,000 feet were
available for the display of their productions. No-
tice was given to persons who had obtained gold
medals in their own expositions that an unlimited
quantity of goods would be received from them,
and silver medallists were led to believe that
their treatment would be little less liberal. The na-
tural elinsequetice of these inconsiderate proceedings
was an influx of eontributions, for the aceo 11111 l °da-
tion which the very ample space accorded was to-
tally inadequate. Upon the discovery of this unpa-
latable fact various devices were put in requisition
by the French authorities to procure either an exten-
sion of their stows, or a curtailment of the extent of
the :passages by. which they are traversed. The
executive committee, however, were inexorable.
They pointed to the fact that the original number of
British contributors was 9,000, who, by the exercise
of judicious weeding and selection by our local com-
mittees, have been reduced to 0,000; and they
called on the French commissioners to exercise a
similar system of vigorous compreasinn, and to reject
everything not stamped with indisputable excellence
of some kind. They are at present employed, we
believe, in this work of pruning, and when the
vast muss of contributions with which they have to
deal shall have been reduced within the• requisite
dimensions, the arrivals of French productions at
the building will no doubt be large and frequent.
Amongst the most interesting of the foreign arrivals
during the last few days is a coke:cud figure of a
diem in bronze which has been forwarded from Bava-
ria. and is the work of the sculptor F. von Miller.
It is upward', of nine feet high, and will form one of
the most remarkable objects in the Exhibition.
In the British half of the building the visible
signs of progress during the peat week are even
more strikiccg titan in the foreign compartments.
The stalls and fittings in the galleries are multiplying
fast. and no small advance has been made in the
adjustment of some of the heavy 'machinery which
has arrived. The gouda now pouring in are, of
course, of the most miscellaneous character. The
light spring cart conveying some delicately eon-
Km tell piety of mechanism, which is handed ice by
its fabricator with as much care and tenderness RS if
it acre a sick infant, alternates with the ponderous
waggon sustaining some huge piece of machinery
whose reluctant weight is dragged with difficulty to
its destination by the united efforts of a dozen horses.
On Thursday about five hundred tons weight
of machinery arrived at the building. Amongst
this was the celebrated Britannia hydraulic
presw by which the lifts of the tubes of
the railway bridge over the Menai were effected.
some detached portions of this wonderful machine
weigh no leas than 13 tons. Amongst the heavy
machines fixed in their places are a machine for if-
heanued printing, a Krick-making machine. an enor-
mous but very beautifully constructed and powerful
crane. and a smoke-consurning machine. 'I he foun-
dations of several ethers are in progron, and a
strenuous activity prevails in the " machinery
quarter" of the building—an activity by no means
uuealled fur, when the shortness of time is taken
into consideration, in which the fixing of the vast
tunembhige of machines, destined fur exhibition, must
be completed.
The painting of the interior of the building is now
preeeeding at a rapid rate, Messrs:, Fox and Hender-
son having entered into a fresh contract, by which
they are bound to have it completed within a fort-
night. Judging from the progress male within
the last few days, there is no doubt but that they
will assure dish the task they have undertaken. The
gallery railings are nearly all in their places, and
the 'dairy:vas um quickly approaching completion.
Carpenters are at present employed in constructing
frames which are to be em lined en testing with
allot the strength of the galleries. These frames
are on castors. and each contains an compartments
for the reception of alit shut: all moveable en
any direction, and with the necessary amount of
speed, with the greatest facility.
A misc'once'ption has crept alined respecting
the arrangements for the reception of holders of
" season " ticket.• which needs correction. It is
thought by- venue that the holders of these
pauses will' be separated, atter their entrance. from
friends who may prefer the plan of paying at the
doors. 'The sepuration, however, if it can be called
such where both parties arc within view of each
other, will only- he a very brief one. the passages for
the' two clamors into the building being quite near

together.
'lle catalogues arc progirssing satisfactorily.
Separate mcetinga of the exhibitors in cacti class
have been convened, at which the general arrange-
ments proposed, have been explained he the gentle-
-111(41 who have the superintendence of the various
departments; and suggestions made for the guidance
of exhibitora in the display and preservation of
their contributions, so as to produce the
best effect. The names of the exhibitors having
h; en called. those belonging to the different sub-
divisions of the class collected together, and discussed
the plans suggested, and considered the means most
advisable tolie adopted. At the meeting at the