The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-06 00:00:00

elavniun

LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 1852.

Another epoch in the history of the Crystal Palace
attached a remarkable interest to the proceedings of
yesterday. It will be recorded in a supplement to
the annals of the Great Exhibition, that on the morn-
ing of Thursday, the sth of August, the first pillar of
that celebrated structure was raised upon the new
site, among the green trees and the meadows in the
vicinity of Sydenham. Unlike most repetitions—the
present is manifestly destined to evidence a very ex-
traordinary degree of improvement. Beautiful as the,
fairy edifice was when first completed, it will be
yet more beautiful on the occasion of its second
.in-
auguration. It must be remembered that when the
isspplheenred so ,u
building was raised: in Hyde-park as a receptacle for ,
t_hee contributions of art and industry from both
edifice--an
ritowr absriclonananttructed simply as a temporary
htivra.e edifice peculiarly characterised by fugi-
escence. Under pre-
even .
sent circumstances the case is cllfferent. The ree
erected 1
pluace will be raised in the neigh-
bourhood of the°f the thmetropolis 83 a perma-
saost glorious because
the most peaceful
illustrating the happy re'
and humanizing triumph
'l3n of
will be more than this Queen Vic
TOn lA. It
—le
the skill attained by the existing generation. It will
attest to after times the capacities in .
vogue at the
middle of the nineteenth century '
in England It
will demonstrate in a signal manner th ' .
at we appre-
ciated in this age of spinning jennies and steara-e -
not merely the comforts of utilit n
gines y, but the
charm; cf the beautiful. Posterity—that -dim and
symbol of the great national
unimaginable legatee
will recognise in the fairy structure adorning the
- r the lovely village of Sydenham, an
green glades near
exquisite testimony of the tastes of the existing mul-
titude. From the splendour of the undertaking, it
may be thus long remembered how various and re-
markable were the abilities concentrated upon the
creation of the Industrial Palace; firstly,
in Hyde-
park, and, secondly, in Perge-park • ' firstly, in
the heart of the capita!, and, secondly, in
its immediate vicinity ; firstly, as a temporary
receptacle for the artistic and industrial products of
all nations, and, secondly, as a permanent receptacle for
all that is noble, or curious, or grand, or exquisite, as
the fruits of human ingenuity. Subsequent eges
will still be enabled by this means in some measure
to understand the scope cf the different powers em-
ployed in the first building of the Exhibition. Sub-
atial evidence will remain
to them of the
unusual talents possessed in
wtheir several capacities
by 4 -tr jos •
Cat
1 AuLEs Vo
kru PAXTON the designer, by Sir
Fox the builder, by lir. OMEN
i Jonas th®
decorator, by Mr. DIGRY WYATT the se-
cretary, and b., biiSAMUEL
J r. LAING the chairman of
this extraordinary and interesting enterprise.
Everything, We
day to adnairationrejoice to observe, went off yester.
So far the progress made ap-
pears to be in all
E. Pattinttlar •
I in the highest degree
fill6piCiollqi X tom SO fortunate a commencement a

SUN,

happy conclusion may be safely predicated. For the
Crystal Palace Company itself the result can scarcely
be otherwise than satisfactory. For the Croydon
Railway it must, consequently, be a source of emolg-
ment and gratulation. For the inhabitants of the
metropolis it must, moreover, be a very singular and
indeed unprecedented advantage. Situated es the
site is at a distance in all respects peculiarly conve-
nient, it must be found sufficiently accessible by the
aid of steam, and sufficiently removed from the
grimy scene of the great " brick and mortar invasion,"
to be almost sylvan, and certainly picturesque. It
must have been a source of unalloyed sa-
tisfaction to Mr. LAING, the distinguished chair-
man of the company, and recently invested with
the dignity of a legislator by the electors of the Wick
Burghs in Scotland,
to assume by right of his offi-
cial position the agreeable responsibility of presiding
over the initiative proceedings of yesterday. He
can scarcely call those proceedings to remembrance
henceforth without feelings of a somewhat enviable
character. Neither could he have been altogether
ssithcut some such emotions of honest pride when
depositing
under the first pillar of the Crystal Palace
the glass vase, not merely containing the coins of the
realm, but bearing the inscription that the "first sup-
port" of the new edifice—

"A Building of purely English Architecture destined for
the recreation and instruction of the Million,
Was erected on the sth day of August, 1852,
In the 16th year of the reign of her Majest,y
Queen
Victoria,
By Samuel Laing, Esq., M.P.,
Chairman of the Crystal Palace Company."
When completed—as the building will be
before
many months have advanced—the advantage secured
by it to the people of the metropolis is
almost beyond the reach of calculation. IMP
pily the attempt of the Sabbatarians to
close the Crystal Palace on Sundays is certain of
being worsted altogether. The citizens of London
and Westminster will not then be precluded from
participating in the forthcoming feast of innocent and
intellectual enjoyment. On the contrary, we may
now confidently anticipate that when once the pro-
posed scheme has been carried into active operation
the day of rest will be peculiarly dedicated, after the
hours of " Divine service," to the visiting
(by the la-
bouring classes of the capital) of the princely gardens
and palatial structure now being summoned into ex-
istence by the genius of Fox, and JONES, and PAXTON,
by the activity of WYATT, by the presiding abilities
of LAING, and by the munificence of the Crysta`
Palace Company, among what are still in some mea.
sure the verdant solitudes of Sydenham.

The intelligence from all parts of the United
Kingdom in reference to the prospects of the potato
crop is of a very gloomy character. It is said that
unequivocal indications of the formidable disease
which has occasioned such fearful misery and suf-
fering to the less wealthy classes are already per-
ceptible, and that—more especially in Ireland—no
ccrophol y wpirlol
sbpee
et, totallyrecio
ilroisntg. t
bTaht i s indeed, a melan-
choly can exist but that a large proportion of the
tion should be taken while there
every possible precau.
trheuml results
satlemr
ioosut s a
vs
sdeplorableof
laBs those which followed
itis yet time to prevent
i
es
6
or 1847.
We would not, however, while urging the neces-
sity of the utmost vigilance and the adoption of
suitable remedial measures, have it supposed that the
danger is quite so imminent as his been repre-
sented, or that, even if such were the case,
the consequences could be so fatal as on the
former occasion. We must, in the first place,
make ample allowance for the tendency to
magnify existing dangers without any deliberate
intention of exaggeration or misstatement. Those
who have sustained heavy pecuniary losses will be
easily frightened, and matters which would have been
disregarded, or treated as of trivial importance, a
dozen years since will now be regarded in a very
different point of view. " The burnt child dreads the
fire,"
and the Irish farmer or the Irish landlord may
well tremble at any appearance of a blight. The
first symptom induces many to try to dispose of
their produce at any price, while it is yet fit for
consumption, and serious damage is occasioned by
the very panic produced by the alarmists.
It must not be forgotten that a much greater ex-
tent of land was planted this season than for several
years, so that even if a large quantity should be lost,
much would
have
had still remstaaitnemea
nvatsilabllueiteforagsenearlaalrmuinseg.
We
in 1849, 1850, and 1851, C 3 to the appear-
ance of the terrible epidemic, and yet, al-
though the disease was unquestionab!y in
existence, and portions of the crop were destroyed
and rendered valueless in each year, there was abun-
dance remaining for the wants and exigencies of the
people. We may then still enyteearrtsab,ienanad
if larger reasonabletthhaatnbi
be
hope that, although the alarmists are earlier in the
hfiaesldb,etehne
dpurorpinogrtithoneolfaslotstsbwreiell not

the case we may encounter the difficulty without any
undue appr,%enOons.

—But, even if the destruction be so complete as that
' of 1847, we are now so far prepared, that we
could meet the danger without anything like the
injuries formerly sustained. The poor-law has been
brought into practical operation, and there is now in
every district an organized staff, by means whereof
the necessary relief could be administered. It is also
a melancholy fact that the classes who might require
assistance are greatly reduced in numbers through
the combined operation of famine, pestilence, and
emigration. There must, therefore, be much less to
do,, and• better means with which to do it. And
we say it advisedly, that it is utterly impossible
that the fatal scenes of 1847 could again be paral-
leled, or that we could now have a monetary con-
vulsion similar to that which occurred in that fatal
year. There are now no less than twenty-two millions of
pounds sterling in the coffers of the Bank of England,
besides a much larger sum in general circulation.
Even if eight or nine millions sterling should
be abstracted from the amount, it could not lead to
the lamentable deficiency in the currency
which formerly paralysed the national in-
dustry, and rendered the circulating medium inade-
quate to the wants and exigencies of the community.
The supply from Australia and California would
speedily fill up the vacuum if any should arise
There is, therefore, no prospect of a monetary panic
such as that which produced by far the larger pro
portion of the mischief of 1847.

There is; therefore, nothing to fear; but
the Government should closely regard the pro•
gress of the disease with a view to alleviat-
ing its consequences as much as practicable.
Let them consider how far the steps teken by Sir
ROBERT PEEL mitigated the evil in 1846, and be
prepared to follow the example set by that great
statesman, if the necessity for so doing should
unfortunately arise.

DEATH OF MR. GRANGER, M.P. FOR DURHAM
CIICT..—It is our melancholy duty to record the death of
Mr. Granger, the valuable Member for the city of Durham.
Dods-
Worth, The melancholy event took place in York, yesterday
(Thursday) very suddenly. The Hon. Member had been
on the northern circuit at the Durham assizes, and arrived
in York on Saturday evening. Feeling himself unwell, he
resolved to remain quiet in the ancient city of York for a
few days, hoping that a relaxation from the excitement of
business would be beneficial. He consulted Mr. B. Dods-
, a surgeon of considerable practice, and he continued
_arMprove under his treatment until Wednesday, when a
inaboa
me4ekxedneeeriheannege
de for the
physician,w orsewparses ecnatleleddi itself. Dr.
butD rt.h Se i
diseasemp son,
counsel, a beneheel
no_.tfr.ye effort, and yesterday morning, at eight o'clock,
the
the borough to the bar in
the raillw:l oa__her breathed his last at Scawin's Hotel, near
Parliaments, hay'
Granger ,ivfisZ station, where he had taken apartments. Mr.
1847, and a third,
intebrme
of du of the Inner Temple, and Recorder for
1830. He was a Queen's
candidate at the el cl,'?
11. He has represented Durham in three
been elected in 1841, and again in
e in 1852. He was an unsuccessful
of the Hon. ArernebeTne in 1835 and 183 i. The remains
of
EtAhLisaliconmpCnooMyr,tativ .h
(Friday) morning, forwlll
Yorkenrettredthefmvmaults
Temple Church.
Yesterday the annual
House, Broad-street Building3s—
meNetiEnwg
i
sided. • The object of the meet' •
(eld at tbe New Zealand
eorgs Lyall, Eq., pre-
•
actions of the ordinary annual 'bring:4l.n-
-from the Committee appointed to ne";ollsa.
Government as to the mode in which% addition tohe trans-
twas to hear a report
e with her 11Ljesty's
sum of 2r0,000/. due to
the company should be repaid, as the corn , • •
of windinn•
in process .-,. up; . •, to hear steps had
i
taken place for the liquidation of the debts incurred onbe-
half of the Canterbury Association by the New Zealand
i
The chairman said the director •
Company. s were
engaged in
endeavouring to get the company out of their unhappy posi-
tion, were nearly at an end u tion, and their labours . e thought
there ought to be a larger attendance of proprietors to hear
negotiations with the Government the report and the
resent season could be expected at the present ; and, therefore, it
Was deemed advisable to ..
propose an adjournment of some
weeks, when the report would, no doubt, be complete, and
the shareholders be enabled to see the exact position of their
affairs. He moved a resolution to that effect. Mr. Currie
seconded the proposition ef the chairman, and it watt a mas.
11°4'47 agreed to. -The nieetthg ow planted. 1

LONDON, FRIDAY