The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-30 00:00:00

'centrate all entertainment in one spot. The motion before
the House was not opposed in any prejudiced spirit. He
Would rather say that any facilities which her Majesty's Go-
vernment could give towards the erection of the Crystal Pa-
lace in some such site as that indicated would he most
cheerfully and readily offered. He had been informed, on
9/hat he called first-rate authority, that the building had al-
niady been purchased, that the purchase-money had already
be en deposited in the bank, that agreements were drawn up,
and that the purchasers were now anxious to communicate
with Government as to the site on which it might be erected,
the conditions under which it was tosibe opened, and the pur-
Pose sto which it was to be devoted. He could only say that
the Government would be most happy to afford every per-
Maumee and encouragement to that endeavour, and he hoped
that the building erected on a happier site, and not tarnished
With the stigma of broken faith and violated public honour,
Would become the means of fulfilling useful purposes, and
affording innocent recreation to the people. Ile hoped then
that the House would reject the motion of the Hon. Gentle-
Titan, as a motion unnecessary in itself, and inasmuch as the
nabject which it was proposed to refer to a Committee had
already been most fully investigated, inasmuch as his object
could only be granted by a violation of public faith, and in-
,fietnuch as he believed that every good object which the
Ilion. Mover had in view would be better promoted by the
cordial and friendly co-operation of the new possessors of the
b uilding in Hyde-park with her aiajesty's Government.
Mr. D'EYNCOURT rose amidst cries of "Divide." He
aa.id that if the Government would agree to the motion, the
Promoters were prepared to take all trouble and responsi.
bility off their hands. He alleged that the evidence of Sir
J. Paxton had not been fairly dealt with. He thought the
na roes of such men as the Duke of Devonshire, the Duke
of Argyll, and the Earl of Carlisle afforded a sufficient
ge arantee for the success of the undertaking. The Right
li wl• Member, who was interrupted by loud cries of " Di-
71S'e," concluded by expressing his intention to support the
mot ions
r. LABOUCHERE said he must encounter whatever
lloropularity might attach to opposing the motion. He
looleed upon the question merely as one of good faith.—
ilentr.) The Government bad pledged themselves that the
building was to be only a temporary erection fer a temporary
objject, and that objec having been attained the pledge mst
be redeemed.—(Hear,t hear.) He was one of the
wh o had given the pledge, and he was bound to redeem it
by resisting the present proposition.—(Hear, hear.) If the
.use and the public had been unanimous in favour of
tb a retention of the building, there would not of course have
be en the same reason for redeeming a pledge with which
ta ose to whom it was given would thus have been willing
to dispense. But judging from the usual organs of informa-
ti, on, he did not believe there was anything like such a
to ianimity of feeling upon the subject.—(Hear, hear.) He
protested against the question being treated as if it were
erely one as to the propriety of promoting the recreations
or instruction of the people—the importance of which he did
Diet at all undervalue.—( Hear, hear.) And he begged the
tI ouse to recollect that the Government had shown no indis-
pc .sition to give that subject the fairest consideration. The
G ommissioners had arrived at the conclusion that the build-
in g ought not to be retained; and the House were in posses-
>n of the reasons by which they had reached that conclu-
Si( 41. In that conclusion he entirely concurred, and he should
certainly vote against the present motion, the fate of which
he hoped would finally decide the question.—(Hear.)
Mr. G. CAVENDISH said if any pledge had been given it
Vas given to the public; and he contended that the vast
'amber of petitions in favour of the retention of the building
Pt eyed that the people were ready to dispense with the per-
f4 nuance of the promise.
Mr. MACGREGOR rose amid loud cries of " Oh, oh," and
4 Divide." Whatever might be the opinion of that House,
,the opinion out of doors was that the building should not
oe taken down.— (Oh, oh, and Divide.) If the building
e* re pulled down without the consent of the people, a tres-
-11 los would be committed on the right of the public.—
( Laughter, and Oh, oh.) If the House should decide on re-
trtioving the Crystal Palace it would prove itself guilty of
011tbaric Vandalism.—(Laughter, and Divide.)
-Viscount PALMERSTON said—l am anxious to state
has reasons why I will give my vote infavour of the motion
Ivlvamy Hon. Fr.end.—(Cheers ) Sir, I think no man who
aot to see the Exhibition of last year could fail to be
stir uck, that, however wonderful and worthy of admiration
'there the multitude of objects of industry and art contained
that Exhibition, there was nothing within the building
compared with it as an object of admiration.—(Cheers.)
4Lnd I could not help regretting that a building so extra-
-0 rdinary—for there is nothing like it in the world to
ompare with. it—should be pulled down. I think that
entiment must also have inspired every man who,
Si lice the close of that:Exhibition, passed by that won-
di3rful structure. I fancy that every man must have felt
a wish that some purposes could be found which could be
eafely applied for its permanent endurance.—(Hear, hear.)
Now I must say that many of the purposes which have been
stated appear to show that the building might be converted
into a place which would benefit the community at large.
Hundreds and thousands of our countrymen enjoyed
amuse-
ment and instruction from the inspection of the articles ex-
hibited in that building, and I cannot myself see the reason
vib.y it is not possible to make it the scene of future exhibi-
tions, not so extensive, but calculated to yield the means of
instruction to the various classes of society. Ido not con-
fine myself to the humbler classes ; bat I think it might
leord amusement and instruction to all classes, high and low.
There may be difficulties on this question, and one of them
arises from a pledge given that the building should be pulled
(h)asn. Now, the Noble Lord admitted that if the demand
upon the part of the public were strong, that objection would
not have weight. Whether public feeling was unanimous or
not is a matter of doubt. Other persons thought that an-
other site would be better adapted for the erection of the
building. That is a matter for inquiry. Therefore it ap-
Pears to-me that not only those who spoke in favour of this
Th°tiol2, bat those who spoke against it, all tend to the same
e
raolasion, viz.—that the subject is of sufficient interest to
tjustify Inquiry, and therefore that the proper course would
ha to refer it to a Select Committee, so tha the House might
"it fuller-and more ample grounds for stdiscussion.
to this building SEYMOUR could assure the House that with regard
is building he had no other feeling in the matter than
uresire fairly to fulfil the engaement into which as a mem-
of the late Government hex had entered.—( Hear, hear.)
would not refer to the speeches made in 1810, but if he
they would show that unless a promise were given to
remove this building after the Exhibition closed, the building
itnild never have been allowed to be erected.—( Hear, hear.)
ao,. Position he (Lord Seymour) then occupied necessarily
ePticated him more than any other individual. He had an
application made to him by a body of gentlemen who had in-
veSted a large amount in house property in that locality;
and
when they told him they feared an excitement would be
got 11P—petitions being easily manufactured—and every
ee9ans used to retain the building, he (Lord Seymour) re-
glied, that they had the strongest pledge they could have--
beitYZIY, the character of the nobility, that such should not
e.ue Case; therefore the nobility, were pledged to the re-
-serval•
this. of the building. The case of these gentlemen was
it",'"-SOrtie years since, the House might remember, there
" a low range of buildings. where Prince's Gate
them,
stood. The Government was anxious to remove
4.4%1, but the cost was vary great. A number
gentleman joined with Government, and the
r)Perty 'finally purchased. Now he asked the House
2,,is it fair, after these gentlemen had subscribed some
locality, le and expended it in building and improving the
the—a"tY, that that House should turn round and block up
se- very houses?—(Hear, hear.) Such a transaction
r.duld be decidedly dishonest, and such as no individual
Member of that House would be guilty of on his own private
Property:—(Hear, hear.) He ( Lord Seymour) could not
.eratand the consistency of the Earl of Carlisle in doing
rrarectly what he did not wish to do openly.—(Hear,
the
i..r) Though the Commissioners were well affected towards
etention of the building, he yet should say they were
mush compromised by their architect and secretary.—( Hear,
e,r) Sir Joseph Paxton had sent round the entire
re) ntry a. note of alarm, in order to defeat the object of
the Commissioners' obligation.—(Hear, hear.) Sir Joseph
Paxton complained that his evidence before the Com-
tialssioners was not sent to him as in the case of others.
New` when he (Lord Seymour) saw that statement he in-
quired of the secretary what foundation there was for
it, and the secretary replied that "he could make a decla-
ration of his having sent a copy of his own evidence to Sir
Joseph Paxton."--- (Cries of " Hear, hear.") Sir Joseph
Paxton subsequently admitted that, instead of 12,000/. per
year, it would cost 20,0001. to maintain the building. He
lieetraslood now that the building was to be self-supporting.
made inquiry, and had learned from Mr. Cole that if
t.l4libuail
angiwaeeren to be selfesustaining it should' be open at
It was talked
of recreation.—(Laughter, and Hear, hear.)
tees; but were thetseintf. it under the management of trus-
fere 'with the ro parct?ees of Sir Joseph Paxton to inter-
--(1, Hear, hear.) The edification
of the people Nadalbeet, 8
anxious to promote the He (Lord Seymour) was
edification and education of the
people, and the House had
at present
evinced a similar disposi-
tion on proper occasions, but
been
that did not apply. hear.) They adreatotle tradethe
admirably adapted - for ebuielodlilnLiwenas;
but, then, these trade collections
their turn, inter-
n'enerate into bazaars, vrhich, were apt to de-
feted with shopkeepers and trades
It had been admitted by Mr. Cole that the was not
hall, but
suited for the purpose of a museum or
that it would answer as a warehouse until
could be found. Now he (Lord Seymour) objectedmg better
20 acres of the park with a Warehouse_ (Hear, to fillin
(Hear, head—and
he trusted- the House would persevere in rejecting the motion
at once, and thus settle the question for ever......(HearTrion
Mr. WAKLEY said the Noble Lord who had just sat down
appeared to be actuated by very strong feelings
on this
subject. A glass house, at all eveats, did not appear to be
fit place for the Whigs.—(A laugh.)l blla could not under-
stand why the Crystal Palace should e
nimmoral in Hyde_
took and moral in Battersea.—( Hear, a d. laughter). He
such a building could
to immorality
not conceive, indeed, how . lead
Exhibition had done
inamorality anywhere. The Great
touch to bring into harmony the various peoples of the
world who had congregated there, and he altogether depre-
cated the destruction of the building, to which they all owed
Eo much.
„lAN GEACH, amidst loud cries for a division, supported
the motion. M AN -
After afe words in explanation from Lord J.
'Sir G. PEcierne, and Mr. J. EVANS supported the motion.
t: After a few words from Lord SEYMOUR, also in explana-
IP in which he said that the inuirto which he was a
Party only dreference the applicability of the building
to a to
various purposes, and did not at all touch the question of
good faith,
until
th • ALCOCK moved the adjournment of the debate
that
week.
p°_l R. PEEL said that his opinions against the retention
o the
aid 'Juliano; had undergone a change.—(A laugh.) Ho
not think the edifice was of that lasting character which
oMl.saustify its permanent retention, but his views generally
p.nl subject had become modified. He trusted that the
e 'gated faith of the Noble Lord (Seymour) would not prove
Re, _
nous obstacle to the retention of this edirice.—( A laugh.)
t
,`,',Opalatable as might be the admission, Parliamentary
rg_ge 8 need not form any very formidable obstacle to a
be_ge
eof opinion.—(Laughter.) Pledges, indeed, might
d and fashioned according to the caprice of the mo-
'ur To show how easily • faith was changed he need
only
f p int to the conduct of the Noble Lord the Mem-
a• or London, who one day voted for and th d ano er ay
gainst the Militia(H
Was det • ermined on supporting the motion for the Committee,
ing becausethe he believed that by the maintenance of that build-
y should be promoting the interest of the people, and
°ruin them
Whicha means of social.and physical improvement
they ought as far as possible, to endeavour to secure.
WYLD,
who rose amidst loud derisive cheers, laugh-
ter, and cries
for a division, said he believed no one could
deny that it
. was desirable that there should exist in this
th'LP large edifice devoted to the reception of objects
aZtv, and of models of our mechanical skill. He hoped
an edifice weven that motion were rejected, the erection of such
ould Mr. not be lost sight of.
It was contended
replied. He thought that the pledge which
very fairly
ed had been given in that matter had been
Y dealt with by the Earl f Carlisle, who had
o
acknowledged theedg pledge, but had added that it would be
most unwise o P
it. He (Mr. Heywood)il the part of the aristocracy to insis. on
iriteretuaor should further observe, that if the
L any parties could be injuriously affected by a
rewire from that pleda
'Ag -proposed Committee road