The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-14 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

A flower show, announced to be the show of the
year, and one of the most prominent events of the London
season, was held on Saturday in the Crystal Palace. Not.
withstanding a most un-Maylike day, nearly 15,000 persons
were attracted to the palace, and they were rewarded by
seeing a large and rare exhibition of floral beauty that
could not be dimmed even by the brilliant competing colours
of that millinery display generally understood to be
one of the chief features of Etch a gathering.
The disposal of the stands was superior to that of
any former occasion, sad the greater breadth allowed
for the passages between the rows, in addition to
the freedom of movement it afforded to the
visitors, enabled the plants to be seento the best advantage.
The entire length of the building, including a portion of
the tropical department, was set apart for the exhibition,
and the charming view alone either nave from the centre
transept was worth travelling a long distance to see.
Towards the afternoon the flowers ware partially hidden
behind the throngs of people inspecting them, but at the
unfashionable hour of noon there was little to interrupt
the unbroken line of rich unnumbered hues. The showy
azaleas, with their pyramids of full.blown, delicate,
blossoms, were placed in the foreground to give the visitor
entering from the transept doors a foretaste of the treat
in store. Never was it more apparent that there is no place
in the country so suitable for a flower show as the Crystal
Palace, where, instead of the usual canvasbackground, there
are choice works of art, and rare trees and shrubs on every
hand to heighten the charms of the flowers, and increase the
effecton the beholders. Agood deal depends upon the artis-
tic talent displayed in the general arrangements, and much
of the success of Saturday's show must be attributed to
the able manner in which everything was managed. There
were about thirty classes of flowers, with four prises
offered for each, and the competition, as before, was
equally divided between nurserymen and amateurs. The
I existence of so many first-class nursery gardens within an
leasy distance of Sydenhanr renders it not very sur-
prising that the nurserymen, both in the qua-
lity and quantity of their productions, won
I a victory over the amateurs. A succession of sharp
' driving showers sweeping over the grounds in the
afternoon prevented the promenade which was to have
taken place in the late Sir J. Paxton's gardens, at Rock-
' hills, which were thrown open to visitors. There
was, however, ample room for promenading under the
palace roof, and that enjoyment was increased by perform-
, I ances from the bands of the Ist Life Guards, the Crystal
i Palace Company, and the Coldstream Guards. At four
o'clock the combined bands played from the Mendel or.
cheats, their first piece being a military march in D,
; arranged from Beethoven by Mr. A. Manna, the conductor
of the Crystal Palace band, and performed now for the
first time. Later in the evening Mr. J. Coward played
' half-a-dozen pieces on the Handel Festival organ. On
- Thursday next—a fete day of unusual grandeur—the pro-
gramme is to include fireworks and illuminations on •
scale not before attempted.

I -----
MESSRS. METZLER'SCOPYRIGHTS.—ThiIIaaIe,under
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY, REGENT'S PARK.—A
the direction of Messrs. Puttiek and Simpson, of Leicester-
meeting of this society was held at the Gardens, Regent's-
park, on Saturday, Lord Tredegar in the chair, when the &rare, extended through the whole of last week.
following joined the society :—Lady Clifden, Lady THE May. CHARLES KINGSLEY AT WESTMINSTER
Nicholson, Sir Joseph Russell Bailey, Rear-Admiral Minn.—The announcement that the Rev. Charles Kings-
Boaanquet, Lient.-Col. Wrn. K. Lloyd, H. W. J. Bolekow, ley, professor of history at Cambridge, would preach in
F. Wilkinson, Mrs. Chas. Piffard, Geo. J. Drummond, the nave of the Abbey last evening attracted an overflow-
Mrs. W. H. ('ook, Geo. Carey, James Graham, John IN; congregation. Indeed, the crowd was so great that ten
Mason Stead, Thos. D. Murray, Dirs. G. Roos, Edward minutes- after the doors were opened the specious edifice
Hatton, Mrs. Horsfall, Mrs. Palmer, Fred. D. Hartland, was
operamed, and, although the service did not commence
Wm. Henry Cole, Mrs. Ludlam, James Lees, Mrs. Alfred until 'clock, at a quarter of an hour before that time •
Smee, Thos. Wilkinson, S. J. Brown, John Agelaston, NV. notice board outaide conveyed the unweloome intelligence
S. Collard, Mrs. Mayne, Mrs. Edwd. Grubb, J. Fergusson, to expectant hundreds that the Abbey was fulL Within,
Mrs. Palling, S. P. Moore. 1 hundreds had to stand during the whole of the service,
morning draughts that swept around them from all quarters.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER AND THE I while many sat upon the floor regardless of the keen
Berixiturrer AMENDMENT Btu..—On Saturday
1 lessons for the day were read by the Very Rev. the Dean.
the Bedale Merchants' and Tradesmen's Association re- Prayers were intoned by the Rev. Flood Jones, and the
ceived the following letter from the Chancellor of the
the
a merry noise," most efficiently, and the vast asseui-
chequer respecting some objectionable clauses on the I The choir rendered the popular anthem, " God is gone up
' bly joined in singing a hymn, a copy of which, printed in
Bankruptcy Amendment Bill : " 11, Downing-street,
Whitehall, May 11, 1866.—Sir,—The Chancellor of the
Exchequer desires me to acknowledge the favour of your . Inr'gf.(Ype, hung from each of the pillars.
letter of the 9th, relating to the period allowed for the i WESTMINSTER ABBEY.—The cloister and west
consideration of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Bill, and doors of the Abbey will be opened at half-past 2 p.m. on
to state that the Attorney-General has every wish to Wednesday the 16th inst., the fundspoied for the Spe-
allow sufficient time for this purpose, and that Mr. Glad. I Mal Choral Service in aid of theof the National So-
stone considers there need be no apprehension on this sc. j Many. The Bishop of Lincoln, as has already been an-
count—l am, sir, your obedient servant, W. H. GLAD- ' nounced, will preach the sermon ,• the Very Rev. the Bean
arose. James Fletcher, Esq." I will read the lessons, the Rev. S. Flood Jones, minor canon
TRENT ANCHOLME AND GRIMSBY RAILWAY.— ,of Weatminster, will intone, and Mr. Turle will preside at
This line TRENT,
been opened for goods traffic, and the organ. After the sermon and before the Blessing the
traffic ia expected to be commenced in a few days. be Hallelujah Chorus will be sung.
line is expected to prove a valuable feeder to the Man- ' GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY.—The directors of this
cheater, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire as regards Esinsral company have appointed Mr. H. W. Davis engineer, and
traffic. , Mr. S. W. Johnson locomotive superintendeut.