The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-24 00:00:00

THE EXHIBITION BUILDING.

Mr. Hunt's report, explanatory of the estimate of the
cost of completing the Exhibition building at Kensington-
gore, has.just been published. It is dated 19th June, 1863,
and gives a general outline of the nature of the works com-
prised in his estimates and specifications. After mention-
ing the substantiality of the picture gallery, and the plan
to make it fire-proof by Fox and Barrett's principle, he
states :

" The remainder of the buildings are partly permanent
and partly temporary in their construction. The iron
columns and girders and the iron trusses of the roofs will
remain permanently, with some adjustments and modifies-
tlons. The timbers of the roofs, as well as the skylights,
are, with the exception of the roofs over the nave and
transepts, of a temporary character, and it is proposed to
remove them, substituting new timbers with a cover-
ing of slate of marine metal The skylights will be entirely
new, and the glass in them will be of the quality known as
the 21-ounce sheet. The roofs over the nava and transept
will be slated, All the gutters throughout will be lined
with lead ; and the skylights, frames, ridges, and hips will
be covered with lead. The joists and floorboards of the
galleries will be removed, and substantial new floors will be
substituted. The whole of the ground floors throughout the
entire building will be removed. A layer of concrete 12
inches thick will then be laid over the whole surface, and a
new floor constructed with new materials. The joists will
be of the best fir timber; the sleepers will be of oak, on
p.oper brick walls, built on the concrete platform before de-
scribed, and the floor boards will be 11 inch thick, planed,
and put together with iron tongues. All the ceilings
throughout, except the nave and transept, will be plastered,
as will also all the brick walls within the building. A com-
plete system of drainage,was constructed when the buildings
were erected. They will, however, require to be repaired,
and in parts relaid.

"With regard to the domes it is proposed to build piers
of brickwork, upon solid concrete foundation's, and to con-
struct brick arches, springing from these piers. The lower
pot tion of the domes will then be filled in with brie kwork,
oovered externally with lead, and the upper portion will be
glazed with thick glass. "-the interior parts of the brick-
work, including the piers and arches, will be plastered. It
is not proposed to remove the ironwork, but to build it in
with the brickwork."

Regarding the exterior of the building on its three sides,
he proposes that the existing outlines should be preserved,
with such an amount of decoration introduced as may be
consistent with the purposes to which the building is to be
applied. The material to be employed to be Portland
cement. TheFe, he says, are the most important works,
but there are others of a minor description, the cost of all
which, however, is covered by his estimate, and he has a
confident belief that the estimate for the warming and ven-
tiiating apparatus, which is only approximate, will not be
exceeded.

Mr. Roebuck's Interview with the Emperor.

The Paris correspondent of the Times writes
" Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Roebuck came over to Paris
on Monday morning. They proceeded forthwith
to Fontainbleau. Mr. Lindsay asked for an audience
for himself and Mr. Roebuck. It was instantly
granted, and both gentlemen were received by his
Majesty most graciously. The conversation lasted
some
time, and the Emperor declared in the most
formal manner that he entertained the same views
as before with respect to the civil war in
America; that he was desirous again to inter-
pose his good offices, and equally desirous that
England should join him ; that he believed the
joint intervention of France and England would be
attended with good results; and that, in again pro-
posing to England to act
with him, he was moved
by no unfriendly feeling towards the North—quite
the contrary. His only motive was to put a stop to
the horrible carnage in America, the more so as it
was productive of no results; and the more to be
deplored as there was no chance of restoring the
Union.

" A statement made many months ago to the effect
that the Emperor had proposed to England to join
him in mediation between the belligerents was con-
tradicted, and, if I am not mistaken, in Parliament.
I may now mention that the Emperor, in his con-
versation with the two gentlemen yesterday, com-
pletely corroborated that statement. He declared
that he did propo_e mediation at the time specified;
and, perhaps, I am not going too far in saying that
Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Roebuck have authority for
declaring in Parliament that what was then stated,
respecting the offer of mediation, was perfectly
correct, and that he felt much regret it was not
acted upon. Such is, I have reason to believe, the
substance of the conversation that tcok place yes-
terday at Fontainbleau."

TIIE MARRIAGE OF THE Duc DE CHARTRES.—
The annexed letter, in reply to an address of con-
gratulation, to her Majesty Queen Marie Amelie, from the
inhabitants of Esher, on the occasion of the marriage of her
grandchildren, the Dac de Chartres and the Princess Fran-
coise d'Orleans, has been received:—" Edinburgh, June 15,
1863.—Sir,—Words can hardly express deep emotions, Let
me nevertheless send you these few lines of broken English,
and try to tell you the gratitude of my wife and myself for
tue kind feelin,:,7 evinced in so many ways by the inhabitants
of Esher on the occasion of our marriage. The citizens of a
free countrywill never understand what exile is, You cannot,
therefore, know how truly such demonstrations of cordial
regards have g••no io our hearts. I beg you will accept for
yourself and those around you this impression of our grati-
tude, and believe me, sir, ever truly your,., ROBERT
D'OL.LnAlcs, Due de Chartres.—To W. G. Brett, Esq.,
Sandown-house, Esher."