The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-09 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

The daily experience of this week continues to add
another, and that the greatest of all, to the wooden that
have distinguished the glorious career of the Crystal Palace.
Day by day, assemblages of considerably beyond 100,100
collect within its transparent walls, to prove at once its
amplitude of accommodation, and the adamantine firmness

of its apparently slender framework. Yesterday the aggro.
gate closely approached that of the preceding day, and
exhibited similar phenomena in the amount of pressure and
excitement, in the varied aspects of the visitors, and the
numerous channels from which the vast living stream was
supplied. The only circumstance that tended to
disturb the harmony of yesterday's proceedings was the
purloining of • small packet of chocolate by a
respectable looking foreigner, and the loss of two false
teeth by one of the lady visitors. In the former case the
offender was detected by the constable on duty in the act
of placing the parcel in his pocket, and so much was he
overcome by the discovery that he fainted twice on his way
to the station, and while there submitting to the necessary
preliminary investigation, the sense of humiliation was so
apparent is hie dreadfully pallid countenance as quite to
disarm all indignation at the paltry offence he had com-
mitted. In the other ease, the lady who had dropped her
two teeth amid a crowd of nearly 100,000 people, rushed
at once to the station to demand them forthwith from the
police, and was loud in her denunciations of the inefficiency
of the force, when she found that the prospect of their re-
storation was not only not immediate, but was exceedingly
problematical under any circumstance.
It is understood that the experience of the past three
days, with the wonderful development of the strength and
capabilities of the Crystal l'alace, has wonderfully bright-
ened the prospect of its retention in its present site for the
purposes of a winter garden. A feeling of sorrowing anti-
cipation at the approaching demolition of the fancy fabric

has given way to a general determination that it shall
stand; and,' further, it is most confidently rumoured that
the highest personage in the realm has expressed an
opinion in favour of its preservation so decided as com-
pletely to neutralise all the intrigues of Princes-place
or of the lords and lordlings in its immediate
vicinity. Tho attendance of schools yesterday was
unusually numerous, and comprised the following :
St. Luke's Ragged, Lambeth, 25 ; St. John-street Ragged,
20; Chelsea School, 30; Brompton, 10; Marylebone
(workhouse), 258 ; Fulham ditto, 100 ; Charter-house
Charity, 14; Training College, Chester, 77; Adelphi
Chapel Ragged, King William's Ragged, 28; Enfield
Charity, 30 ; Lambeth Ragged, 52 ; Hornsey Ragged, 51;
John-street, Old Kent-road, 42; All Saint's, Stepney, 167;
Harrow-on-the-Hill Charity, 35 ; Tower Ward, 32; Ful-
ham Union School, 101 ; Ruislip, Middlesex, National
School, 22; Hammersmith National School, 21; All Saints'

Church, Spite Melds, Sunday-school, 59; Kensington Ragged
School, 13; Neale's-yard Ragged School, 26; Episcopal
Chapel, Gray's-inn-road, 21 ; Camden and Agar Town
Itagged School, 3i ; Ilopkin's-street Ragged &hoot, 13 ;
St. John's Servants' School, New Ormond-street, 16;
Christ's Hospital School, Ipswich, 24 ; British and Foreign
School, Abingdon, Berkshire, 16.5; Nottingham Blue Coat
School, 18. The above comprised boys and girls, and were
nearly all sent in by subscription.
The police numbers were 109,;60; and the receipts,
5,2331.

THE LOCK QUESTION.
TO TOE EDITOR 01' THE ExretEss.

SIR,—By inserting the inclosed challenge to Mr.
Hobbs you will oblige, yours respectfully,
Oct. 8. J. PATERSON.

Sot,—Having seen in the Great Exhibition a challenge
offering 2001. for any person who can open your lock—be-
lieving in my own mind there is not (nor ever has been) any
lock patented which is impervious to the ingenuity of man,
however complicated the construction might be—l hereby
accept the challenge of Mr. Hobbs, and will undertake to
open it on the same conditions that you received from Messrs.
Briunah.—l am, &e., J. PATERSON,
General Machinist, 23, Seward-street, St. Luke's.
To Mr. Hobbs.

DRAMA.