The Express.
London, England, 1851-10-16 00:00:00

FINAL CLOSING

OF
THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

PRINCE ALBERT'S ADDRESS.

Yesterday was played the last great scene in the
splendid spectacle of the Crystal Palace. The Great
Exhibition has now to be numbered with things past.
Its vastness, its glitter, its wonderful variety, its
proofs of man's ingenuity and the world's wealth are
no more. The elements of which it was built up now
return to their original places and owners, and
the wondrous vision melts away under the unpo-
etical hands of carpenters and carmen. The busy
industry that reared it with such wonder-work-
ing skill is at this moment intent in undoing the
marvellous work it had made, and in a space of time
even less than it took to raise the world-startling
show, it will be gone.
Language has for months past been taxed to the
utmost in a thousand attempts— in newspapers,
in books, and in conversation—to do justice to the
- lnd its -gents. When the Paxtonian

glass palace conk
structure —tho glittering and successful rival to
bricks and mortar—first began to display its intended
form and other characteristics, its novelty and fitness

for the purpose recalled Soutl;ey's dreamy sketch of
a scene of Eastern power and splendour. The dream
became a reality. The visitors to the real Crystal
Palace, in matter of fact Hyde-park, were counted
in tens of thousands till their numbers rose to the
wonderful total of more than six millions. The na-
tions that sent their wealth sent their wonderers
also, and the universal verdict seems to be that
the Great Exhibition has, in the grandest of all
senses, fulfilled its promises. It has, in truth, been
au assembly of the industries of all nations; a con-
gress tending to promote peace and the progress of
the arts—an arena where the ingenuity of races,
heretofore often in deadly conflict, have met in
friendly competition beneficial to all— a gathering of
the nations of the earth, each learning an advanta-
geous something of the rest, and all feeling a kindly
desire to promote general " peace on earth and good-
will amongst men.'
When it became known that yesterday was
really to be the final day, the feeling of almost all
seemed to Lc one of deep regret that a reality so bril-
liant should be dissipated. To carve a -beautiful
statue only to crush it, or to paint a masterpiece only
to burn the canvas, seemed things to be named in
the same day with that when the fiat went forth
that the Exhibition should bo broken up. But it
has been done ; and if the old truth that tells how
all bright things must fade receives in this instance
another verification, it at least brings with it the
consolatory feeling that though the Crystal Palace
be closed, the influences born within it will en-
dure. The exemplification of the triumphs
awaiting industry; the feeling that the cultivation
of taste diffuses a high and moralising tone capable
of extension through whole communities ; and above
all, the holy belief in peace—the proof that the true
interests of nations lie in anything rather than war
—these are the greatest and truest fruits which the
world has won by the meeting of the peoples and
the industries of all nations.
_ _

Before speaking in detail of the events of vester-
day, a fact or two of earlier date may find place, if
only to show that the Exhibition had curious and
surprising things, not named in catalogue or seen
in the collection itself. These things were facts
peculiarly its own, and belong, indeed, to the
private history of its five months' life. Here is a
specimen not hitherto made known relating to the
money portion of the subject. In England, when
an affair of business is concluded, the balance
sheet is scanned to see what kind of story it tells.
The balance sheet of the Crystal Palace offers some
curious particulars. . . _

Alto,zether more than half a million of money has
been received by the Exhibition authorities, the tl
exact sum being 503,107/. ss. 7d. This amount in- i
eludes some very curious items. More than four
hundred pounds were paid for the use of the washing
places, and no less than 2,4271. on account of other
essential conveniences attached to the building. The
small fee exacted for taking care of sticks and um-
brellas produced 831/. 3s. 3d.; the royalty taken upon
the shilling catalogues turned 3,2001. into the
Exhibition exchequer; whilst a still larger sum,
5,500/., resulted from the sale of the privilege to
feed the visitors with buns, pound cake, ices, ginger
beer, and the other dainties of the refreshment
counters. Of the money received at the doors,
273,000/. was in silver, and 81,000!. in gold. The
weight of the silver coin so taken (at the rate of
2S lb.. per 100'.) would be thirty-five tons, and
its bulk nine hundred cubic feet! The ra-
pid flow of the coin into the hands of the
I money-takers prevented all examination of each