The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OE THE TIMES.

Sir,—l have read with surprise the report of the Corn-
mission appointed by the Treasury to make inquiries on
the cost and applicability of the Crystal Palace.
The whole bearing of my evidence was in favour of
the plan suggested by me, and admitted by the Commis-
sion to be the best proposed, viz., to convert the Cry s-
tal Palace into a winter garden; but the only portion of
my evidence which has been adverted to in the report
is a detached sentence, the meaning of which has been
totally misunderstood.
It the opportunity which I requested, and which was
afforded to others, of making verbal corrections in my
printed evidence had been given me, I should have made
this sentence clearer; but as it stands now, the sense
which has been attributed to it arises from a strange
misapprehension. I never would have recommended the
conversion of the palace into a winter garden, if I had
not felt convinced that it was for the public advantage,
even in an economical point of view.
Though, in my opinion, the cost of a new building on
the same scale as the present might be somewhat re-
duced, and its plan considerably improved, the mere cx-
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The destruction of the building when its purchase has
been so nearly completed would, in my opinion, be a
wanton sacrifice of property, and the reference in the
report to the possibility of constructing a more suitable
edifice at a less expense than would be required for the
nPcessary outlay on the Crystal Palace, is not only a
misrepresentation of my evidence, but tends to blind
the eyes of the public to the foolish piece of
modern
Vandalism which the:yeport of the Commission sansanctions.l have the honour to be your moot obedient eery:at
JOSEPEf FAXTO

Devonshire-house, March 23.

The public were on_
building, and
THE CRYSTAL _
pALAC.E. .
preservation wereh first time, ad-
mitted without Monday, for the immense
its popula •
rity and the interest
, charge into the interior of this
taken
its
people who availed
them themselves of the privilege thus
afforded
, by the contractors. During the day there was
well illustrated by the numbers of
not less than 30,000 visitors. They belonged to every
class from the pcerage downwards, and all seemed greatly
impretted with the grandeur of the spectacle. Many
had never been there before, and their companions might
t
be heard eagerly explaining to them where the most pro-
minent objects of the Eshibition stood. The site of the
crystal fountain and of the other chief trophies of the
nave and transept were all thus carefully indicated.
Many seated themselves on bcrehes and quietly
contemplated the vast ytt regular proportions
which, cleared of all obstructions
of
the
e interior,vie,
to the w and seen in their unadorned sim-
wonderful effect. The
gPalilelietrYi'eshaanvde theeer wt ahi no
li Ye
area aveoryt the edifice from end to
end were thoroughly explored, and the troops of chil-
dren and young people playing about suggested how
easily and welt so vast a covered apace might be adaptec
for purposes of innocent recreation. Willis's grand
organ and the immense mirrors of the Thames Plue
Glass Company are now the sole remaining vestiges of
the Exhibition. The retention of the organ is likely to
prove a considerable advantage. On Saturday last it
was played by Mr. Best, and the performance drew to-
gether not less than 4,000 people, and induced a sale o'
1,200 catalogues.Nov
Now that the interior is empty, music

is heard with much greater effect than formerly, and
the performance will ba repeated on Wednesdays and
Saturdays until further notice. The public ought not
to lose the opportunity now afforded them of visiting the
Palace free of charge, and judging for themselves how
far they are interested in its retention. In a few weeks
hence, unless they bearir themselves, it will disappear
almost as suddenly as it arose, to be remembered only
as a splendid vision—the phantasmagoria of human in-
dustry in 1851.