The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-20 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE

The summer campaign commenced on Saturday I
Let at the Crystal Palace most appropriately with a Bower
show. The spring bad been cold, backward, nipping, but
nc matter, difficulties are thiogs to be overcome, and the
difficulties of the spring had only stimulated our florists to
fresh exertion. The display was not perhaps so abundant
as we have witnessed it un former occasions, but the quality
wee superb, awl the arrangement such as to bring out in at-
tractive relief all the peculiar capabilities of the place.
TLe statues with which the Palace is so populous
wire on this occasion brought into requisition, and
tastefully set amid the fruit and flowers. We
caanot say whether among the white effigies there
was either a correct Pomona or a veritable Flora, but there
were what did quite as well. They looked very beautiful
amid the green leaves and many-tinted flowers, and nobody,
u faro we could perceive, bad come to the show with his
Lempriire under his arm. The company was exceedingly
numerous, and, thanks to the amplifications of the modern
toilette, sometimes rather obstructive. The most beautiful
specimens attracted the largest groups of ladies, and,
wherever such au assemblage took place. any idea of free
traasit fur anybody else was entirely out of the quer-
tiro). Some sumptuary law must certainly be made
for Bower-show days, or else the calceolarias and
the cinerurim will only " waste their sweetness on
the desert air" in ea far as uocriuolinel critic., are con-
woad. Of the show itself, when we could get a peep at it,
we may pronounce the roses to he magoneent. Mr. Lane's
prise pot could not be exceeded in size, colour, number of
buds, or fragrance. The judges had only anticipated the
verdict of the public in giving this beautiful specimen the
place of honour. We have seen more abundance, brighter
lustre, acd greater variety amongst the azaleas at former
shows, but then there we, the hard spring and the cutting
winds, both sworn enemies to those delicate exotica. The ,
mime observations will apply to the pelargoniums, which
also bad evidently gone through a crisis, but they survived
wonderfully, and looked very beautiful in their delicately
tinted clusters. Orchids were abundant and various, and
amongst them were some rarities which attracted the
particular notice of the connoisseur.
Of the fruits we can speak in terms of unqualified praMe,
One diah of strawberries exhibited by Mr. Smith, of Twick-
enham, were a feast for an emperor, and Mr. Hill's grapes,
from Keels-hall, Staffordshire, might be set beside them
without the slightest impropriety. Amongst the vegebtbles
were some gigantic cucumbers, which called expressively
for salmon to be eaten with, and the humbler accessories of
the dinner table were most efficiently represented. The
inspectioe was made to the inspiring strains of the bead of
the Coldstream Guards, altern►ted with the music of the
Palace orchestra, and the company seemed to experience
only one drawback to complete enjoyment, namely, the
difficulty of getting near enough to the most attractive fruit
or Bowen for minute examination.

The general arrangements of the palace continue to im.
prove. The Norwood entrance, at which the happy people
who possess equipages, and who therefore avoid the perils
of the rail and the labours of the interminable flights of
steps, net down, has been tastefully renovated, and sow
presents an elegant sail impreing vestibule. The awful-
looking mystery of beams and crass•beams which eupport
the Handel orchestra has been covered over, and the screen is
classically decorated, so that the company, when passing
through the turnstiles, find themselves surrounded by
the busts of the eminent men of all carioca. All
these improvements will be no doubt appreciated by the
Whiteuntide and summer visitors, for whom, however,
much more attractive novelties are also in preparation.
The Christy Minstrels are engaged, as also the Swiss
female singers ; and there is to be, in addition, abundance
of ballooning, archery, rifle practice, boat racing, and the
velocipede. For next mouth we are to have the wonderful
Blondin, who on the let of June is to repeat those extraordi-
nary performances on the tight rope which so astonished the
Americans, and &Wafted the special notice at the Priam of
Wales when his Royal Highness visited Niagara. Like all
the prodigies who come from that aide of the water, X
Blondio has sent on his biography is advance, and trash we
learn that this gnat proficient In an art In which we appro.
heal he will have few imitators, was born in the Pas de
Calais, in the year 1824, and that be was posted in the play-
bills as a "Little wonder " of gymnastics long before he left
Frame. On landing in America he made Niagara his own,
and by his dexterity and courage in croseng the dread abyss
acquired, ae he modestly tells us, the various titles of " King
of the tight rope," " Lord of the hempen realm," and " Em-
peror of all Manilla," all of which he intends to justify and
maintain at the Crystal Palace on the let of June next. He is,
we believe, apart from all Transatlantic exaggeration, a man
of extraordinary courage and agility, not only on the rope,
bat on terra firma, and will, we have no doubt, on his
arrival in England receive that enthusiastic welcome which
we never refuse to "pluck," in whatever form It may be ex.
hibited.

THE CHUNONJIATE QUESTION IN many.
LEMONS.

At the weekly meeting of the Representative
Council of Marylebone, held at the Court-bouse, on Satur-
day, Mr. Churchwarden FILIIIR in the chair,
Mr. GRILINWELL, the vestry clerk, brought up and read
the following petition to both house, of parliament ou the
subject of the total abolition of church rates, founded on
the resolution adopted on the previous Saturday, after •
debate extending over four sittings, by. • large majority :
"To the right hon. the lords spiritual and tempund of
Great Britsiu and Ireland in parliament assembled. The
humble petition of the vestry of St. Marylebone showeth :
That the perish church and certain district churches and
chapels are placed under the government and control of this
vestry, and your petitioners annually make and ley y a rate in
pursuance of local acts of parliament upon all the inhabitants
of the parish, which is appliedin pursuance of the provisions
of such acts. That since the year Itll upwards of :173,0001.
has been raised in this parish by means of the abovemen-
tioned rate, the annual amount levied at the present time
being about 3,5001. That the population of the parish
amounts to upwards of 160,000 persons, and the churches
benefited by the rates accommodate only a very small pro-
portion of that number. That the impost of church rates
is not only burdensome upon thou dissenting from the
doctrines of the Church of England, but also upon church-
men who no longer find accommodation in those churches
towards which they are called upon to contribute. Your
petitioners therefore humbly pray your right honourable
house that a bill for the total abolition of church rates
may be passed into a law. And your petitioners will ever
pray, dr."
Xt. NICHUL moved that this petition he adosed, and
that ft be pa-emoted to the House of Louis by Lard Lisa.
over, aed to the Commons by Lord Fermoy, and that in
the latter house Mr. Harvey Lewis, the other member for
ig should rep to uted support the ems.
arbarararr% be
seconded the resolution.
Mr. Witionno had no objection to the petition, but he
thought it perfectly useless to present it to the House of
Lon* as he had no belief that that body would ever con-
sent to the abolition of church rates :—indeed, he had so
opinion of the House of Lords. (Laughter.)
Mr. AMMAN entinll7 differed with Mr. Wingfield as to
the effect of such petitions in the House of Lords. They
were a body as sineenblit, and he believed ea susceptible to
public opinion u any other, and • little pushing them foe.
ward would no doubt do good.

CRUSTAL PALACL —Sivas SMILLLNO AND SU-
MMIT DAT.--SATURDAT, MAT lit—Fast FLowin AND
Furr SHOW.—Admissioos on payment, 6,147; ditto by
same tickets, 3,192—t0ta1, 9,339.
The Wolfram; MTN'S Excussiow TO Paste.—
The second and third detachments of the exemicsishi left
the London Bridge terminus per South &stern Railway re-
apectively on Saturday at 11 a.m., when about GOO preen-
gen started, and yesterday at 12 a.m.. when between 300
mod 400 left, making including the 1.200 who
left on Friday, upwards*( altegether,
0002 persons who bane availed
themselves of the privileges afforded by this eacurnos.
Owing to the system of registration adopted there was not
the slightest delay or confusion in the departure of the
trains. The fast return train will arrive on Wednesday
next.

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et the pit of the stomach sr between the amide% wanting
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—" We dad lithe safest remedy." Andrew Um, M.D.. P&L;
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