The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-17 00:00:00

No. 1,475.] [No. 21, EXHIBITION EXPRESS.]

THE

EXHIBITION
EXPRESS,

FOR TILE WEEK ENDING
SATURDAY, MAY 17.
Already the practical character of the people or
this country is being brought to bear upon the Om*
Exhibition of Industry. Already people are begins
sing to ask how this great bazaar may be turned to
immediate and profitable account. The show is
allowed, by every visitor, to be unparalleled in the
history of commercial enterprise ; but having paused
awhile to admire the magnificence and the glitter,
practical Englishmen begin to ask whether some
sound lessons are not to be immediately derived from
it. It is suggested that engineers should take their
pupils into the machinery rooms ; that the stu-
dents of schools of design should be lectured
to upon the patterns of all nations ; that
weavers should investigate, under learned authori-
ties, the relative excellences of foreign fabrics; in
short, that each department of industry should be a
echoed-room—a gnat school-room for these young
people who intend to live by following the industry
of which it contains specimens so various. It is
thought that in this way the exhibition may be
turned to the best account, obvious as it must be to
most people that the meaning of collecting the in-
dustries of all nations under one roof can be no other
than that of an endeavour after mutual industrial
improvement ; there are not wanting nevertheless per-
&NM who will strongly object to lectures upon
the merits of the 'Exhibition. It will bo
said again, as it has already been said,
that public comparisons of the relative merits
of British and foreign productions must be dis-
couraged, as tending to excite bad feeling among
rival exhibitors and create national jealousies of a
must uadesiruble nature. If this assertion hold,
gold = if we are to have an exhibition of the indus-
try of all nations, collected fur the notorious purpose
of general industrial improvement, simply used IN an
opportunity of exchanging vapid compliments with fo-
reign merchants and manufacturers, then quarrelsome
people may ask, what is to come out of the hubbub?
But the wholesome tendency to learn and digest the
contents of the Exhibition—go evolve some great and
definite ideas from the colossal bazaar—is happily
apparent already. Already teachers arc being sought
—Unction who, without prejudice or ill-nature, will
lead students of industry to the truths and the
principles which lie developed it the great glass
palace.
Rumours of the most absurd and ludicrous descrip-
Hon continue to fly about London, and ()suasion*
to find their way abroad. For instance, in more
than one town of the continent the fact is confidently
circulated that bread has reached a famine price in
England, and that beef and mutton are luxuries o
which see can only dream. In other localities it is
whispered "on undoubted authority" that the doors
of the glass palace are closed to all who cannot ap-
proach them with three guineas in their hawk
Again, mysterious people of a nervous temperament
have had "certain information" that the Chartists axe
maturing a nefarious plot for the subversion of order
and the establishment of democratic tyranny; while
the catholies have been busily engaged undermining
portions of the great transept for the convenient
packing of barrels of gunpowder. Some people
know positively that all the members of the
ex cutive committee are to be knighted; others have
received certain information that no honour short
of that of baronetcy will satisfy these gentlemen.
As for the Mem Palace, it has, according to foreign
rumour, been pulled down, bought tiff the nation,
made into a winter promenade, a botanical museum,
and a national casino. Messrs. Fox and Henderson,
to the certain knowledge of thousands of people, have
received NUMs for its construction varying from
lotstaitit to half a million sterling: poor Mr. Paxton
has been made a peer. a baronet, a knight, a mil ion-
air:: the main avenue has been taken from hima he tran-
sept has been given to him ; he has owed the idea to fifty
dithrent people; he is the steward, the cousin, the
relative by marriage of the Duke of Devonshire; he
is short, tall, stout, lean, old, young, handsome, and
ill-favoured. Rumour has nut been less busy among
lodging-house keepers. Ten pounds have been ob-
tained fora garret. and not an extra lodging has
been let ; London has never been so full and never
au empty as at * present time. Throughout the
week the glass pace, according to rumour, has been
at the same eminent crannrwd to suffocation and de-
serted us Sahara. In short, so excited is the public
mind on this matter that the most extravagant
stories are admitted without question, since people
begin to think that nothing can be said to be moos-
table now that the Great Exhibition is a tangible
reality.
Already between two and three hundred thousand
people must have visited the building, and yet not
for one moment has inconvenient crowding been
complained of. So excellent arc the police arrange-
ments about the exterior, that thousands of cabs de-
posit their loads at the park gates daily with the
quietude of one. Up to the present time about
thirty thousand 9111,1011 tickets have been sold, and,
inasmuch us the sale of them goes steadily on, it is
probable that at the end of another month, not less
than fifty thousand will have been issued altogether
to the public.
Sincere expressions of popular pleasure have been
everywhere indulged in at the frequency of the
thietais visits. and the earnestness with which
her Majesty appears to have systematised her exa-
minations of the various departments.
The first of the anticipated series of entertain-
ments which are to enliven the great " jubilee of
industry," has already been publicly announced: it
is to be an entertainment given by the English Ex-
hibition Commissioners to the foreign commissioners.
This courteous advance on the part of the English
authorities will open the exhibition season grace-
fully. During the week a considerable number of
the (Ater' of Customs have left the building. their
duties (which consisted in opening and examining
the foreign packing-eases) being over. Only a few
officers now remain in the building, to receive the
foreign goods which have not yet arrived. Even
now many of the foreign departments of the Exhibi-
tion are tar from a state of completion. Turkey,
France, and Russia. are the three most conspicuous
defaulters. The great case erected along the southern
gallery of the foreign department is still empty;
and in every part of this gallery, except in that al-
lotted to firitish exhibitors, matters progress but
A summary of the experience's of the week should
conclude, undoubtedly, with congratulations. Every-
thing hiss gone on preeperously and quietly. Loii-
don is as orderly as usual ; and, for the sake of in-
tending visitors. from all parts. it may be well to
state that bread can still be procured at something
under one shilling ter loaf; that occasionally a few
stray sheep do still find their way to Smithfield
:SLAM
hi conclusion—as an instance of the increase of
public interest in the Exhibition—it may he stated,
that on Thursday ten thousand persons paid fur
admission ut the doors.
The receipts for admission upon each day have
been as follows :
May 2nd, at 1/ £s6o 0 0
May 3rd, at IL 482 0 0
May Sib, at 54 1,362 10 0
May 6th, at Sr.. 1,458 10 0
Dlai ith, at Si. 1,790 15 0
May Bth, at ss. 2,018 0 0
May 9th, at sa. 1,824 10 0
May 10th, at ba.
May 12th, at to.
Mai 13th. at 5..
May 14th, at ss.
May 15th, at Zia
May Nib, at ss. y 2,554 0 0
Total £22,72110 0