The Express.
London, England, 1856-09-22 00:00:00

THE CPI*ST.IL PALACE.

,

EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION DRKONSTRA-

itoN.

There was • great propriety in choosing the grounds
or the Crystal Palace as the weak for the demonstra-
tion in favour of the ebires for which the Early Closing
Association is striving. The association has hitherto
met with great success, and if it shoe'd ultimately
succeed in gaining for the sons of toil • weekly half.
holiday, it will be spent by a large number of those
who live io the neighbourhood of London at the
Crystal Palm.. Sympathising as we do with the
objects of the aswicis'ion, we still think that it ad-
mits of • doubt whether a release from
labour, in the shape of a half holiday, might
not be a curse rather than • blessing, en-'
lees some ennobling, or at least innocent mode
of employing the time of leisure should be devised.
The Hagfish labourer is not, like the Neapolitan lasea-
root, able to pass whole hours of idleness in basking
in • hot sun, under a blue sky. Neither the English
temperament nor the English climate allow the doles
far nu Ale to become a notional habit. The Eoglish-
man must be busy for evil or for good, and if he can
find so innocent, or instructive, or healthy amuse-
mots at head, he will rash to those which are Tickles,
brutalisicg, and destructive.
The tt demonstration " on Saturday, if it is to be
taken as a test of the feelings in favour of a holiday
by those who are mos' interested in it, most be con-
sidered as satisfactory. From ten o'clock in the
morning until a late hour in the day, the trains,
which started at short intervals, were crammed.
At a very early period the grounds pre-
sented that beautiful and impressive appear-
ance wLich is peculiar to the Crystal Palace,
where the flowers seem to breathe • new life, the
works of art to have a deeper meaning when placed
in juxtspoeitioa with the vast rash of human vitality.
The attractions of the palace were in some degree
increased by no additional display of the fountains.
The first display took place at two o'clock; the
second at half-past five. The association opened an
archery match which commenced at three o'clock.
Great interest was excited by this trial of skill. The
Mooting was very good, and although many of the
arrows fell wide, on account of the marksmen not
making sufficient allowance for the wind, the no-
mu was beyond the average. The competitors were
Messrs. It. IV. Wartham, C. K Vivian, W. B. New-
land, W. Brown, H. Calvert, E. Pickering, J. H.
May, J. Callyer, J. Pratt, W. Hood, C. Foulkes,
W. Cutland, Mad* Peters, T. Parsee, and
the Rev. W. Hodgson. The prise, a silver suss
value 12 guineas, was awarded to Mr. R.
Wartham. One of the spectators was wounded by
an arrow which fell wide. The wonder is, not that
me was wounded, but that several did not suffer. No
persuasion could induce the crowd to withdraw
to a distance from the line of flight, where they would
be out of danger. They seemed to consider—if
they considered at all—that the target was
the place of safety, and kept continually
pressing towards it. The match excited in-
tense interest, and the picturesque archery
ground oontaired thoosends of spectatore. If a
change of costume could have been effected the
looker.on would have needed no great effort of ima-
gination to make himself believe that he was looking
upon • meeting of Englishmen five hundred years
back.

Ose peculiarly gratifying feature of the fete of Sa-
turday was the mode in which the visitors were dis-
tributed during the whole of the day. Km during
the performances of the binds, the display of the
waterworks, the strife for the archery prise
there were spectators in all the courts, the
picture gallery, and the home of the ex-
tinct animals. This shows that the Crystal
Palma is educating classes of mem to the love and
comprehension of all and earth of the various objects
of admiration which the building and the grounds
is *tale.

TM in, went off remarkably well, and it is to be
bolted will be prodeeti•e of advantage both in in-
creaming the lands and furthering the objects of the
Barly Closing Amociation.