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

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 9; 1851.

lin say plans for the rooflog, and therefore they had to rely
entirely upon my experience in all these matters. They I
ventured, however, to embark their money and reputation 1
upon plans and information which no our had experience in i
except myself. They fully relict utsz me. and I must say ;
they deserve immense credit for having thus ventured their
fortunes end reputation on the faith of one man. (Loud
cheers.) If there had been sufficient time given. there
would have been no difficulty in putting up the Crystal
l'alsoe—if a year had been afforded, instead of a few
months, the accomplishment would have been compare-.:
lively easy, because the building is composed of simple
parts, and it only requires favourable weather mid a multi- I
plicity of hands to erect a building to any extent. I ought I
to render thanks to the artist who has decorated the build- 1
ing with so harmonious • colouring. I think Mr. Owen
Jones must be allowed to have exercised a sound judgment
[ in rho choice of the colours. (Cheers.) Spacious as the 1
building is, the colours are everywhere softened to the eye
by the wrial distance. You feel, in viewing the building us
a whole, that sense of repose and harmony which you do ,
I in seeing the landscape reflected in the mirror of a lake
on • bright day. I confess that I bad never dreamed
my design could have been in this respect so
• charmingly grateful to the arose. (Loud cheers.)
I My thanks are also due to Mr. Barry for his
'attains' ; and to Mr. Cochrane, Mr. Cooper, and many
• other gentlemen whose kindness I appreciate. Now, gen-
I tlemen, I wish to disclaim all part in the building that does
, not belong to me. It has been said that "it was a fortunate
I idea"—but the idea, though fortunate, was not a fortuitous
one. (Hear, hear.) It was the result of long study and
I long labour, without which no really practical idea can he
• worked out into a distinct and palpable design. The great
I experience I had in the erection of glass structures, and
i the invariable success which had attended my exertions,
, emboldened me to produce that design, because I had not
, a doubt of its practicability, if properly carried out. I had
two objects in view in offering a design, the first was —that
• my proposal would be exactly suitable for the l'.xhibition; 1
, and next, it would meet a long-cherished idea of min,, for a
t national winter garden ; so that, like Goldsmith's piece of
furniture, it was contrived
.._ ...._ ___

A double &St to pay,
ny nature Messed to-morrow,
As by art nudity.
(Loud cheers.) I have stated to you that the Victoria Begin
was the immediate cause of my sending in a design for the
Crystal Valaee ; but the Crystal Palace does not derive its
origin from the existence of that noble plant. \o: It owes
its erection to a nobler work of nature—the noble duke
whom I have had the honour and the plessure to serve for
more than a quarter of a century. (Cheers.) It is to his
fistering hand I owe all I posse.; he took me when quite
a youth and moulded me according to his wants and wishes;
he has given me all the advantages of extended travel with
himself, which could not fail to produce fruit in due
season; by his confidence and liberality I have had
placed Mere me maple means for various experiments,
and without which, detwad upon it, there never would
have been a Crystal Palace; and if there is one thing
more than another that would enhance the pleasures of
this day, it is that his grace has done me the honour to
be present to ace the Nattering tribute you have paid me.
(Loud cheers.) Gentlemen, one word more, and I have
done. You can readily believe how great the anxiety and
responsibility I imposed on myself when I undertook the
design fur the Crystal Palace; but believing that I could re-
mote the many serious objections urged against the erection
of a building composed of brick" and mortar, I considered
it a duty I owed to my sovereign and my country to waive
all personal considerations and do my utmost to e.tve so
grand a project from failure. (Cheers.) From the day I
sent in my design to the time of the successful accomplish-
ment of the Exhibition, my anxieties have been almost ,
overpowering. I felt what must be my fate if hey any acci-
dent my design should not be suecemtully carried out, and
any failure would have reflected back upon me; but
gnat as that anxiety has been, and laborious as
have been my duties even up to the present time,
this day's proceeilimpi amply reward me, and give I
a triumphant finish to the whole. (Loud cheers) It is I
now twenty-live years since I came into this county a COM.
parative stranger; you then received me kindly—that kind-
ness has since ripened into friendship, and it has, I am
thankful to say, been my happy lot to make " troops of
friends." !try public duties leave been many and onerous,
hot in the performance of them it is my happiness to know
that I have never lost a friend. (Load cheers.) The
marks of respect you have shown me to-day will sink deep
into my heart, and the recollection of it will atliinl me de-
light the remainder of my days. (Mr. l'axton resumed his
seat amidst loud cheers.) . _

Mr. ItENDERSOS.in responding to the toast of " For
and Ilendersou," corroborated Mr. Paston's statement with'
reference to that gentleman haring &signed the roof of
the transept.
The " Members for the County and Boron:ill," and other
toasts followed. Mr. Forster responded to " The Guild of
Literature and Art." and Mr. Mark Lemon to " The I
Strangers."—The company separated soon afterwards.