The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-01 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

Only two months now remain for completing and
opening the Cry *tat Poker. l )wring the past week great
advanevs base been made in fitting up the compart-
ment% in the section of the building devoted to the
productions of foreign countries. The arrivalaof foreign
consignments also have been numerous and import-
ant, and the Custom-house officials connected with
the building have been busily eniploycd. The num-
ber of packages received has on some days exceeded
200. The principal contributing countries through-
out as week haws base: the Zullversin Customs
Union, Sweden. Spain, Mho, Germany, Holland,
and Switzerland. Goods lave have also come in
from the Cape of Good Hope, Hong-Kong, Belgium,
Canada, and Nova Scotia. The first large consign-
ment of French products arrived yesterday, and were
duly marked and registered. The Chinese contribu-
tions include a a variety of paper hangings, of highly
ornamental 'materna. From Switzerland a quantity
of musical instruments—dairy utensils—some beauti-
ful npreimens of cabinet work, and a collection of
models of the surface of the country, have been for-
warded, together with a variety of miscellaneous
products. Contributions are also rapidly pouring in
to the British portion of the building. The packages
already received from the colonies and from the me-
tropubtant district, form gigantic heaps in the hoard-
ings appn,priated to them. Some large statuary
groups and casts, contributed principally by Lon-
don artists, are deposited in the transept. In
many parts of the galleries exhibitors are
already busily employed in fitting up elegant cases for
the protection 'of the costly wares which will be
displayed in those parts of the building. Several
waggon-loads of heavy machinery have also been
deposited in the north-western division of the build-
ing, and the quantity of labour required to effect a
safe unloading of these ponderous contributions,
affords a tiini ly and useful indication of the vast
amount of skill and energy which must be expended
before they are properly set up in their several sta-
tions. Yesterday several piece* of heavy castings
and machinery reached the building from Liverpool
and "Torrington.
The painting of the galleries is advancing with
much expedition, and several of the gallery stair-
casco arc eompleted. In the western division of the
building the erection of the hoardings has been com-
menced, and as the arrivals of packages from the
provinces and colonies are daily becoming more nu-
merous, this work will doubtless be pushed vigo-
rously.forward.
An indication of the " opening day" may be dis-
cerned in the fact that the sale of season tickets has
commenced. Between two and three thousand of
these have been already sold, and amongst the very
first applicants were—fice Ererutire Committer !
After this no one can ask for free admissions.

RAILWAY TRANSIT AND LODGINGS FOR
TIIE WORKINO CLASSES.

The gentlemen appointed by the executive of the
Leeds Di►trict Ralulittlon Committee to superintend this
agency, have, we understand, liven endeavouring to carry
out the object of their appointment. Impediments, how-
ever, have arisen whirl' are not yet removed. At the
second public meeting, held in the Court-house, consider-
able doubt was t sprained as to the finality of the arrange-
ments made by the railway companies, anal communicated
to the public through the Royal Commissioners; and a
stnmg opinion was expressed as to the desirableness of an
early settlement of the two questions Of the rate of
tharee : and 2nd. of the condition on whirl, the companies
would treat with clubs, or other a...a•i*C s, desirous of
availing them.. Ives of the cheap trains. The committee
accordingly placed themselves, forthwith, in COTORIUOi.
ration With two of the companies having a terminus
at Leeds, and then learnt, to their great surprise,
that these• companies did not admit the construction
put on the circular ot• terms issued to the public by
the !loyal (Naomi...loners to he correct. namely, that
only persons assortated in clubs, would be entitled to
travel by the cheap trains." As the Leeds Exhibition
Committee had been induced to take part in urging the
formation of club., and also to connect with the lodging.'
agency an agency for railway transit, in the belief that this
emistruetion of the railway tariff was correct, they felt
at .race that it was important to have the question settled,
both for their own vindication, and also in order that
the public at large might know what the railway com-
p:4llk% really meant by their tariff. They accordingly drew
up a statement of all the circumstances of the case, and
transmitted a copy to the royal commissioners. A second
ropy was placed in the hands of a director of the Midland
Railway Company, to he laid before a meeting of repre-
sentatives of several companies in London. It was strongly
aeond upon the companies in this document that they should
at one.. set the whole matter at rest by an authoritative
declaration of the terms and conditions of transit after
July, and it was at the same time intimated to them that
the working classes considered the rarer too high. No
allylN VT having been returned to this statement, further
than a verbal toommunitation from the director already
named, that the matter was under consideration, the cons
mitt..• met on the 19th, and passed a series of resolutions,
in which the material facts of the case were embodied,
Impressing, in strong tvirms, their conviction that a good
understanding betwixt the several companies would be of
gr• of moment to the safety and convenience of the public
during the Exhibition season, and declaring their " unre-
served opinion " that the companies were bound by what
had taken place betwixt them and the Royal Commissioners
and the mashes, "to make an immediate settlement of the
tariff of prices, and the conditions on which the same will
be available to tbs, working classes ; and that further the
railway companies wen• bound to enter into some mutual
guarantee with awl other and the public, that the terms
and conditions finally announced will be honourably abided
by." Copies of the resolutions were sent to the Royal Com-
missioners, and to the directors of the Midland, the Great
Northern, and the London and North Western Companies.
Tb.• resolutions have been acknowledged by the companies,
as under ronxideration, and so the matter rest. at present.
Th.• Leeds committee feel, that until the decision of the
companies is made known, the agency has no basis, and
cannot work. What is desired is a clear understanding
what the companies intend to do, and then the committee
imu adapt the machinery of the agency so as to serve the
working classes; or if the terms and conditions announced
render it unless, they will be enabled, perhaps, to point out
In what manner the great end of the agency, namely, the
Lis ilitating of the arrangements fur lodgings and transit,
tan best be ciliated.

THE CATALOGUE.— Upwartla of 5.000 out of the
11.000 exhibitors of the Vuited Kingdom have already sent
in the regain-1.116*x, and nearly the whole of this number
iv two in type. A• the catalogue will be completed and
priatid by this I,t of M. by further delay the defaulting
miliiliitors will run the risk of exclusion from the catalogue.
An official notice will be issued, limiting the period fur the
delivery of the liqs to Wednesday next, after whirls any
returns will be cumidcrcd as too late for insertion, and can
only appear, if at all, in the succeding editions of the cats-
The compilation and translation of the French
sataloac h,.s hero a utrusted to Mr. Frank O. Dtineombe and
Mr. Vrederick M. Harman, and upwards of one-half of this
department /of the catalogue has been sent to press.
ANOTHER EXHIBITION PRIZE ESSAY.—A prize of
one hundred guineas has been offered by the Rey. Dr.
Ent.. nun, Hanwell College, Middlesex, for the best essay on
the moral and religious welfare of mankind in its relation
to the gnat Exhibition.