The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-16 00:00:00

THE FRENCH EXHIBITION.

A dinner was given on Friday at the Palace of
Industry by the Secretary-General of the Imperial
Commission and the Commission-General to the
commissioners of the foreign Governments and.
some of the representatives of the foreign press.
From 40 to 50 guests sat down to dinner. M.
Arles-Dufour, the Secretary-General, presided.
The Emperor's health was proposed by Mr.
Henry Cole, the commissioner for England. Mr.
Cole, who spoke in French, and at some length,
was frequently interrupted by applause.
The health of his Imperial Highness Prince Na-
poleon was proposed by M. do Viebahn, the Prus-
sion Commissioner, and was warmly responded te.
" The Press" was given by M. Delamaro, director
of the Patric. _ .

So far as the exhibition itself is concerned it is
but doing justice to the French Commission to say
that, whatever may have been the defects when it
opened, they have amply made up for lost time
during the last month or six weeks. The change,
indeed, is surprising ; order and regularity have
succeeded to chaos, and the apathy and neglect of
some exhibitors have disappeared before the menace
of immediate eviction. The central building, the
rotunda, and the great gallery of machinery which
runs along the quay now offer attractions of a varied
description. At the same time other buildings have
been erected, and even before their completion every
square foot is distributed to the competitors for
.pace. No small share of this alteration is to be at-
tributed to M. Le Play, the French engineer, who
has been placed at the head of the Imperial Commis-
sion since the Ist of June, and whose untiring
energy has been productive of the greatest benefit.
He has been thoroughly supported in his endea-
vours by Prince Napoleon, who may, indeed, claim
a good share in the changes and the progress for
the last six weeks. The Prince passes several
hours almost every day at the Palace of Industry,
in order to ascertain with his own eyes whether
the measures agreed upon are really and fully ear-
-1 ried into operation.
The Commissioners for foreign Governments at
the Exhibition, thinking that it was their duty to
thank Prince Napoleon, the President of the Im-
perial Commission, for the manner in which he has
accomplished his important mission, a deputation
of them proceeded the day before yesterday to the
Palais Royal, and presented to his Imperial High-
ness the following address :
"Monseigneur—The commissioners of foreign powers
only fulfil a duty in offering to the President of the
Imperial Commission the homage of their admiration
for the striking manner in which the work of the Univer-
sal Exhibition has just been accomplished. The grand
idea of the Emperor has been realised. Let thanks
be given for it to the kind efforts of your Impe-
rial Highness, to the constant solicitude which you
have shown for this great work, and to the power-
ful impulse which you have imparted to it. The
Exhibition is now the great attraction of the Capital
of France, to which it adds fresh lustre. It presents
a picture of all the productions of nature, supplied
by Providence, and of the transformations effected in
them by man ; it will powerfully contribute to the pro-
gress of the fine arts, and of manufactures and to the
'prosperity of commerce, which have constantly been the
object of the most lively interest of the Emperor. In
coming forward to-day, Monseigneur, to express to you
the sentiments with which all the Commissioners are
penetrated, and in presenting to you a copy of the de-
claration which they adopted at their last weekly sitting,
they embrace this opportunity of renewing to your Ilia-
penal Highness the assurance of their respectful homage.
—Paris, 12th July." (Here follow the signatures.)
Prince Napoleon replied
"I thank the Commissioners for the address which
they have just presented to me ; I accept it with grqi-
tude, in the name of the imperial Commission ; it
"tat::
noblest recompense it can receive for the difficult
which it has had to perform under my Presiden y.
kind enough, gentlemen, to convey my t-arikB to Beh c
different countries which you represent.
which has
with pleasure the good understanding
and you may
never ceased to prevail between us,
to
be assured that I will constantly endeavour
t task still remains
maintain and develope it. A gree-g the recom.
mention
for us to accomplish—that of
shall thus
with the most scrupulous impartialty
then idea of the Emperor,
show forth in a striking manner
Uiversa Exhibition of
penses. We shall do it in the strongaew.starsprrwit spirit equity and
the idea which presided over the
the constant object of all my
1855, and which has been
to tighten more the bonds
efforts and of all my
of nations by bringing
easures of reception and in-
stallation
wishes,together the works of their hands,
the
mof the arts and manufactures
extending
of
theeq
recompensing with equal justice
to all nations, and by
of
by
the useful and remarkable works all the nations which
have taken part in this grand competition of universal
Labour. ms__
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