The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-19 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

Good Friday Falls this year on the 3d of April. It is
always one of the great days at the Crystal Palace. For
the past few years the attendance has averaged between
40,000 and 50,000 on each Good Friday.
It has been the policy of the directors to make this
middle-class holiday as at tractive as possible, to those whose
avocations allow them little more than Good Friday and
Christmas Day as days of leisure during the year. A Con-
cert of Sacred Music, supported by the most talented
artistes, is usually the principal special attraction of the
day. To see the vast but strictly orderly audience assem-
bled in the Great Transept of the Crystal Palace on a Good
Friday, joining heartily, with upturned faces, in the strains
of the Old Hundredth or the National Anthem, is one of
the grandest sights which can be witnessed.
For the coming Good Friday the special attractions are
unusually varied. Mr. Sims Reeves will sing three of his
greatest tenor songs, Madame Rudersdorff, Mr. Weiss, Mr.
Thomas Harper, Mr. Levy, and other artiste; will also
take part. The celebrated orchestral band of the company,
under the direction of Mr. Matins, considerably reinforced
and further strengthened by the band of the Coldstream
Guards, will perform some of the most celebrated instru-
mental works. The concert commences at three, and
usually lasts until a little past five. This is the first Good
Friday that has occurred since the completion of the roof
of the great Handel orchestra. Those who remember what
the effect of the music was last Good Friday will be sur-
prised to find how much the roof assists the sound, and
with what clearness and ease the solos can now be heard
in all parts of the transept, compared with what they for-
merly were. The entire floor of the Palace and the first
tier of galleries will be open to the public, admitted to the
Palace at the usual one shilling rate. The front rows of
seats in the great orchestra will be fitted up as reserved
seats at half-a-crown, as will also the second and upper
galleries of the great transept. The back rows of seats on
the orchestra will be reserved at one shilling each. These
may be purchased on the Monday previous to the 3d of
April, at the Crystal Palace, or at No. 2, Exeter Hall.

The extension of the Kensington railway across the
Thames to Clapham Junction, affords facilities for visitors
from many parts hitherto debarred access to the Palace by
rail. Thus the South-Western trains now exchange traffic
at this station, and visitors from stations on the main line,
as well as on the branch line to Kew, Richmond, and Wind-
sor, can readily pass on to the Palace by changing at Clap-
ham Junction. The entire service of the North London
system, extending from Fenchurch-street by Bow, Stratford,
Islington, Highbury, Hampstead, and Kensington, &e., is
also available by the Clapham Junction. Connected thereby,
trains from the Great Western, London and North Western,
and Great Eastern, can also be carried round to the palace by
means of the Clapham and Kensington Junction. When to
this is added the direct service of two of the southern lines
running into the Crystal Palace station,viz., the Brighton, and
the London, Chatham, and Dover Companies, as well as the
service to London-bridge of the South .Eastern Company,
it will be seen what increased facilities aro now opened for
access to the Crystal Palace on great days.
Even this long list does not exhaust all the means of
reaching the palace, for besides the additional omnibuses
and other road conveyances always available on a day of
extraordinary attraction, the new route by the Metropolitan
Railway and omnibuses to the Elephant and Castle, from
thence by the Chatham and Dover trains to Herne-hill,
with a pleasant rural walk of about two miles to the palace,
will doubtless possess its attractions for the pedestrian.
As usual on Gocd Friday, the Palace will be opened at
nine in the morning, the concert will take place at three. At
dusk it will be lighted up to enable those who like to spend
a long day amid its varied attractions, returning at leisure.
As it happens to be full moon on the following morning,
t hose visitors who stay late will witness the palace by moon-
light. The palace will remain open for admission from nine
in the morning, and extra entrances and exits for excur-
sionists wil be provided.
For the Easter week a series of holiday amusements have
been provided, of which due notice will be given.

THE SOUTHERNER.—This screw steamer has been
launched from the building-yard of Messrs. Pearse
and Co. of Stockton, for the Confederates, and is the largest
iron steam-vessel launched on the Tees. The following are
her dimensions: length over all, 294 ft 9in ; breadth of
beam, 38ft tin; depth of hold, 21ft ; tonnage, upwards of
1,953. The engines of 300 horse power, constructed by
Messrs. Fossick and llackworth, are fitted by super-heating
apparatus, and all other recent improvements for economis-
ing coal. She is reported to be built for a Liverpool house,
and Messrs. Fearse have orders for 8,000 tons of iron ship-
ping, nearly all for Liverpool houses.

METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.—Yesterday a
report was made on certain improvements recom-
mended by the Royal Commissioners in connection with
the Thames embankment. The report contains several re-
commendations as to the removal of the house in Abington-
street, and the making of a street from Blackfriars to the
Mansion-house. Some of the alterations are to be defrayed
by Parliament and others of the metropolis.
AMERICAN STEAMERS—SCOTCH ENTERPRISE.—
It is a curious fact that all the steamers at present
plying between this country and America, both screw and
paddle, have been built on the Clyde, and that the steam-
vessels trading between Germany and New York are of the
same build. The greater proportion were constructed at
Greenock.

METROPOLITAN POLICE.—The annual accounts
show that on the Ist of January in this year the
force consisted of 25 superintendents, 196 inspectors, 774
sergeants, and 6,117 constables, making in all 7,112. The
expenditure upon this force, and upon the police in the
dockyards and at military stations, including also the re-
tiring allowances, amounted in the year 1862 to £567,818.
The sum of £339,895 was raised by a Gd. rate upon the
parishes, computed on a rental of £13,595,813; and the
sum of £113,298 (equal to one-third of the rate) was paid
by the Treasury. A larrce sum was also borne by the
public puree for the service of police at the dockyards, and
various public offices and establishments. Public compa-
nies and private indisiduals paid £5,943, and theatres £9lO.
The Commissioners of the International Exhibition paid
£12,600, which was half the actual expense of the police
duty. The expense of the police courts, which is rather
more than £49,000, was paid from the public purse. The
fees an twZtalties at the police courts amounted to X. 11,721
xßich wa:s paid over to the lil..eacquer. Funcral exPcZses
see charged for 49 constables.