The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-03 00:00:00

THE ADDRESS.

May it please your Majesty,—We, the commissioners ap-
pointed by your Majesty's royal warrant of the 3rd January,
IM•i0, for the promotion of the Exhibition of the Works of
Industry of all Nations, and subsequently incorporated by
your Majesty's Royal Charter of the pith of August in the
same year, humbly beg leave, on the occasion of your Ma-
jesty's auspicious visit at the opening of the Exhibition, to
lay before you a brief statement of our proceedings to the
present time.

By virtue of the authority graciously committee( to us by
your Majesty, we have made diligent inquiry into the mat-
ters which your Majesty was pleased to refer to us—namely
iuto the best mode of introducing the productinus of your
Majesty's colonies and of foreign countries into this king-
dom—the selection of the most suitable site fur the Exhibi-
tion—the general conduct of the undertaking, and the pro-
per method •,1 determining the nature of the prizes, and of
securing the must impartial distribution of them.
In the prosecution of these inquiries, and in the discharge
of the duties assigned to us by your Majesty's ltoyal Charter
of Incorporation, we have held constant meetings of our
whole body, and have, moreover, referred numerous ques-
tions connected with a great variety of subjects to com-
mittees, compeeed partly of our own numbers and partly of
individuals distinguished in the several departments of
science and the arts, who have cordially responded to our
applications for their assistance at a great sacrifice of their
valuable time.
Among the earliest questions brought before us, was the
important one as to the terms upon which artielesutfered fur
exhibition should be admitted into the building. We con-
sidered that it was a main characteristic of the national
undertaking in which we were engaged, that it should de-
pend wholly upon the voluntary contributions of the le ople
of this country ler its success; and we therefore decided.
without hesitation, that no charge whatever should lie made
on the admission of such goods. We considered also that
the office of selecting the articles to be sent should be en-
trusted, in the first instance, to local committees, to be este.
Wished in every foreign country, and in various districts of
your Majesty's dominions ; a general power of control
being reserved to the commission.
NYC have now the gratification of stating that our antici-
pations of support in this course have in all respects been
fully realised. Your Majesty's most gracious donation to
the funds of the Exhibition was the signal fur voluntary
contributions from all, even the humblest, classes of your
subjects, and the funds which have thus been placed at our
disposal amount at present to about 65,0001. Local com-
mittee., from which we have unitbrmly received the mint
zealous co-operation, were formed in all parts of the United
Kingdom, it, many of your Majesty's colonies, and in the.
temtories of the lion. East India Company.e'lhe most
energetic supped has also been received from the govern-
ments of nearly all the countries of the world, in most of
which commissions have been appointed fur the special pur-
pose of promoting the objects of an Exhibition justly elm-
racterised in your Majesty's royal warrant as an Exhibition
of the Works of Industry of all Nations.
We have also to acknowledge the great readiness with
which person+ of all classes have come forward as exhibitors.
And here again it becomes our duty to return our humble
thanks to your Majesty for the most gracious manner in
which your Majesty ham condescended to associate yourself
with your subjects lay yourself contributing sonic meet valu-
able and interesting articles to the Exhibition.
The number of exhibitors whose productions it has been
found possible to accommodate is about 1.5,1100, of whom
nearly one-half are British. The remainder represent the
',reductions of more than 40 foreign countries, comprising
almost the whole of the civilized nations of the globe. In
arranging the space to be allotted to each, we have taken
into consideration both the nature of its productions and
the facilities of access to this country afforded by its
geographical position. Your Majesty will find the pro duc-
tion. of your Majesty's dominions arranged in the west, rn
'Portion of the building, and those of foreign countries in
the eastern. 'lke Exhibition is divided into the four great
classes of—l. Raw Materials ; 2. Machinery ; 3. Manufac-
tures; and 4. ticulpture anal the Fine Arts. A further
division has been made according to the geographical posi-
tion of the countries represented ; those which lie within
the warmer latitudes being plated near the centre of the
building, and the colder eountries at the extremities.
Your Majesty having been graciously pleased to grant a
site in this, your Royal Park, for the purpose of the Exhi-
bition, the first column of the structure now honoured by
your Majesty's presence, was fixed on the 20th of September
last. Within the short period, therefore, of seven months,
owing to the energy of the contractors, and the active in-
dustry- of the workmen employed by them, a building has
been erected, entirely novel in its construction, covering a
*pace of more than IS acres, measuring 1651 feet in length,
and 4.s6lfeet in extreme breadth, capable of containing
40,000 visitors, and affording a frontage for the exhibition
of goods to the extent of more than ten miles. For the ori-
ginal suggestion of the principle of this structure the com-
missioners are indebted to Mr. Joseph l'exton, to whom
they feel their acknowledgments to be justly due fur this
interesting feature of their undertaking.
With regard to the distribution of rewards to deserving
exhibitors, we have decided that they should be given in
the form of medals, not with reference to merely indi-
vidual competition, but as rewards for excellence in what-
ever shape it may present itself. The selection of this
persons to be so rewarded loss been entrusted to juries
composed equally of British subjects and of foreigners,'
the former having been selected by the commission from
the recommendations made by the local committees, and the
latter by the governments of the foreign nations the pr.
ductions of which are exhibited. The names of these
jurors, comprising as they do many of European celebrity,
atlinal the best guarantee of the impartiality with which the
rewards will he assigned.
It affords us much gratification that, notwithstanding
the magnitude of this undertaking, and the great distances
from which many of the articles now exhibited have hied to
be collected, the day on which your Majesty has been gra-
ciously pleased to be present at the inauguration of the
Exhibition is the same day that was originally named for
its opening, thus atfording a proof of what may. under God's
blessing, be aeconipliehed by good will and cordial co-opera-
tion amongst nations, aided by the means that modern
science has placed at our command.
Having thus briefly laid before your Majesty the results
of our labours. it now only remains for us to convey to your
Majesty our dutiful and loyal acknowledgments of the sup-
port and encouragement which we have derived throughout
this extensive and laborious task from the gracious favour
and countenance of your Majesty. It is our heartfelt prayer
that this undertaking, which has for its end the promotion
of all branches of human industry*, and the strengthening
of the bonds of peace and friendship among all the nations
of the earth, may, by the blessing of Divine Providence,
conduce to the welfare of your Majesty's people, and be
long remembered among the brightest circumstances of your
Majesty's peaceful and happy reign.
To which her Majesty returned the following most
gracious answer t