The Express.
London, England, 1851-08-30 00:00:00

MEETING OF EXHIBITORS.

—.Ate appeared on Wednesday, by ad-
-,ments and placards, that "a public meeting of the
exhibitors of all nations" would be held last night at St.
Martin's Hall, Long-acre, " when business of great import-
ance both to foreign and British exhibiters would be brought
laniard." Accordingly, at 7 o'clock, the time appointed for
the commencement of the proceedings, about 100 persons
MOW amembisd In the ball, but as there- was no cheek upon
•fiftimiems ft was impossible to ascertain what proportion of
them came properly under the denomination of "exhi-
bitors." Placards were posted in the ball, and bills were
heely distributed at the door, announcing an " exhibitors'
grand banquet and file of all nations," to be held
early next month. At half-past seven o'clock the audi•
este, which had increased to about 200 persons, be-
eame somewhat impatient at the non-appearance of the
parties who had convened the meeting, and two of the gen-
tlemen present undertook to go in qnest of the "committee"
and ascertain the reason of the delay. On their return,
however, they reported that though they had found a com-
mittee-room, there was not a soul there, and on applying to
the officials connected with the building, they were informed
that the hall had been engaged by a Mr. Willett, and that
there was no committee in existence. This statement
excited great indignation in the meeting, and many per-
Total receipts ...... £2,439 14 0
sons lowly. complained of the hoax of which they had
The following shows the temperature, air recorded by
been the victims. Mr. Willett, the gentleman who
Mr. Bennett's thermometers, being the mean result of 100
was stated to have engaged the room, was, however, ob-
readings .-10 o'clock, 59 ; 12 o'clock, 65 ; 2 o'clock, 69 ;
served in the body of the hall, and was forthwith called to
4 o'clock, 70 ; 6 o'clock, 68 ; mean temperature, 66.2.
the chair, and requested to furnish some explanation of his
TUESDAY. objects. He said that he had called the meeting together
On Tuesday a larger crowd thronged through the to afford all exhibitors an opportunity of social intercom%
rain than had taken advantage of the line weather of the with a view to promote their harmonious co-operation. He
previous six days. thought the awards of the jurors ought to be made public
Notwithstanding the approaching period for closing the immediately, in order that the successful exhibitors might
Exhibition, many rare and valuable articles continue to be reap the benefit to which they were justly entitled. Mr.
sent in. On this day a magnificent toilet table, with Betty then moved a resolution, requesting the Royal Corn-
oxidised silver figures and ornaments, looking.glass, ac, missioners to make known immediately the names of the
on suite, arrived from the &Biro:rein, together with some, successful exhibitors. Some discussion took place, in
other splendid articles of furniture. There being no space the course of which Mr. Ridgway expressed his opinion
to place them near their legitimate position, a place will be that the Executive Committee was not composed of per-
fitted up in one of the spaces connected with the eastern son. of sufficiently high standing in the metropolis, and
refreshment court. Further arrivals from Tuscany of that their duties had been discharged in a slovenly manner.
richly gilded furniture and plate-glass also took place collie also stated that at the recent fetes in Paris, at which
the same day. A number of large packages from Calcutta 'be had been a guest, the English exhibitors had been treated
have just arrived at the East India Docks, destined for the I with the greatest respect by their French entertainers,
Indian department of the Exhibition ; their contents are while the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor of London had
not, however, yet known. I treated everybody, including his compeers, with the most
Among the many liberal landed proprietors who have disgraceful inattention. (Laughter, and • cry of " What
given their labourers the gratification of beholding the has that to do with us? ") Mr. Harris considered that the
Exhibition, is Mr. W. J. Sadler, of Bentham, near chairman and the gentleman who moved the resolution
Swindon. Wilts, one of the exhibitors. This gentleman were making fools of them, and that the meeting was a
forwarded, at his own expense, by the excursion train mere humbug in order to advertise a dinner. (Laughter
ham Swindon, on this day, the remainder of his servants and cheers.) A gentleman in the body of the hall pro-
wl labourers, who, with the number previously lent, form paled that the meeting should be at once dissolved, and
a total of fifty. They wore, as before, white ribbons in their Mr. Willett immediately vacated the chair, amid general
bats, as a token of recognition, to avoid inconvenient dis- laughter. On the motion of Mr. Harvey, the chair was
pinion in the building. In the agricultural department then taken by Mr. Payne, and Mr. Harris moved that a
trust of them were at home, and examined many of the committee be appointed to apply to the Royal C
ate for
with much interest.
' aioners for the use of a portion of the Crystal Palace for
The police returns show 51,311 arrivals.
the purpose of an Exhibitors' banquet. This motion wu
Cash account, August 26. carried, as was also a resolution disavowing on the part of
Season tickets £s 10 0
At the doors
banquet at Soyer's Symposium, announced for the 2nd
Total receipts £2,499 0 0 of September. A committee was appointed to carry out
The following shows the temperature during this day, as the " social views" of the exhibitors, and some explana-
recorded by Mr. Bennett's thermometers, being the mean skins having been given with regard to a protest to the
result of 100 readings :-10 o'clock. 58; 12 o'clock, 63; Rooyal Commissioners agreed upon at a former meeting of
2 o'clock, 6.3 ; 4 o'clock, 63; 6 o'clock, 62 ; mean tempera- exhibitors, and which, it was stated, had been placed in
tare, 62.2. the hands of Prince Albert, the proceedings terminated
at ten o'clock.

WEDNESDAY.

The Crystal Palace was thinly attended on Wednes-
day, the police returns giving but 38,228 visitors.
The great lock eontrovcrsy appears to be not yet finally
settled. Mr. Hobbs, having opened the lock of Mr.
Bramah, has now turned his attention to some articles of a
similar character exhibited by our French neighbours; and
on this day, in the space of one or two minutes, he opened
a letter-padlock in the French department, which helkad
not seen before, altered the " word," and refixed it on a
staple; and should the owner of the lock succeed in taking'
it off without being told the " word," or arrangement of i
the letters, it will not say much for the value of this sort of
lock. The following is the
Cub Account, Aug. 27.
Scums tickets
At the doors 1,898 1 0
---
Total receipts

A RARA Avis IN THE GLASS PALACE.—The at-
tention of naturalists has been recently much arrested by
two specimens of that extraordinary animal the Orcitho-
rhyncus, or duck-billed playtypus, exhibited in the west
nave (Sec. 16) of the Exhibition. It is a native of Austra-
lis, and bean some resemblance to the beaver and the otter,
with a fur similar to those creatures. The head is rather
eat, and the mouth furnished with a bill like that of a
duck ; it is, notwithstanding this marvellous incongruity, a

very pretty looking animal. When first sent to this coun-
try it iris received by zoologists with caution, amounting to
suspicion ; nor was it till one or two more specimens ar-
rived from Governor Hunter (we believe, and addressed to
Sir Joseph Hanks) that naturalists were ready to allow that
the beak was naturally attached to the body. Sir Henry
Haltord also devoted much time to the investigation of this
subject, and succeeded in establishing the fact of its reality
—a satisfactory instance of the progress and accuracy of
scientific application. The Great Ezhibition has been the
means of placing this zoological wonder before the public.
It is exhibited by Mr. 0. Ellis, of Fore-street.

The following shows the temperature, as recorded
by Mr. Bennett's thermometer., being the mean remit of
100 readings . 10 o'clock, 63; 12 o'clock, 65 ; 2 o'clock,
68 ; 4 o'olock, 68 ; 6 o'clock, 67; mean temperature 66.2.