The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-19 00:00:00

2HE AWARD OF 7'HE JURIES AND 7HE

GREAT EXHIBITION.

The following correspondence has been forwarded
:o us for publication :

" Crystal Palace, Sydenham, Dec. 18.

" Sir,—The attention of the Directors of this company
has been called to your letter, which appears in the news-
papers of this morning, in which you announce that the
Royal commissioners for the International Exhibition are
compelled, with much regret, to decline the gracious offer
of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to preside at the
ceremonial of distributing the prizes to the successful ex -
hibitors, because the Exhibition Building cannot be lighted
and warmed.
"I am directed most respectfully to point out to you that
in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham these two important re-
quirements are fully supplied. The building can be warmed
to any degree necessary and is briliantly lighted. In the
centre transept and its immediate vicinity from 20,000 to
30,000 persons can be seated with comfort, in fall view, and
a very large portion within hearing, of the proceedings on
the great orchestra.
"You are of course aware that there is a line of railway
from tom the city and the west end, and as tho approwohoa
from the atation to the Palace are all under glass, the visi-
tors are protected from the weather from the moment they
take their places in the train at the terminus until they
arrive in the centre transept.
"The general manager of the company has already, in
his communication of the 2d of May, with reference to the
distribution of the awards of the juries, pointed out to the
Commissioners how well suited the Crystal Palace is for an
occasion such as the one in question.
"Of this communication I enclose a copy, and would
point out that the arguments therein urged are now in-
creased in force by the circumstances which have given rise
to your letter.

In addition to the considerations before referred to, I
am directed to submit that as the ceremony cannot be held
in the International Building there appears a peculiar ap-
propriateness in its taking place in the Crystal Palace.
"The building is in many respects identical with that in
which the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851 was
achieved.

" It has been repeatedly honoured by the presence and by
the gracious interest of her Majesty the Queen and the late
illustrious father of the Prince of Wales. It is, although
the property of a public company, generally regarded as a
national institution, and it has frequently been proved to be
admirably adapted to ceremonials of a national character.
In support of this, I need only refer to the inauguration of
the Scutari Monument by her Majesty and the Prince Con-
sort in 1856, and the distribution of the prizes of the Na-
tional Rifle Association by his Royal Highness the Duke
of Cambridge in the present year. On the latter occasion,
you will remember that the Prime Minister attended and
made a speech, which was received with enthusiasm by an
audience of 20,000 persons. _ _

. _
" On these grounds the directors hasten to place their
building at the disposal of the Commissioners, in the hope
that they may thereby be relieved from a serious difficulty
and enabled to carry out the promised ceremonial, without
which the Exhibition of 1862 will lack its intended and ap•
propriate conclusion,— I have the honour to be, sir, your
obedient servant,

" GEORGE GROVE, Secretary.

" P.S. I have been directed to send a copy of this com-
munication to the newspapers in which your letter appeared
this morning."

" Crystal Palace, Sydenham, May 2.

" Dear, Sir,—llaving noticed the announcement of her
Majesty's Commissioners that it is intended to publish the
awards of the jurors at an early date, my attention has, not
unnaturally, been directed to the possibility of the Commis-
sioners effecting their wish on an adequate scale in the Ex.
hibition building itself, during the progress of the Exhibi-
tion.
"Looking to the vast numbers of persons whom it is
most essential to interest in such a solemnity, all of whom
will be anxious to be within sight and hearing of the pro-
ceedings, it is no disparagement to the International Build-
ing to say that it cannot be held there.
"If it was difficult yesterday to make due provision for a
large assemblage, that difficulty must be greatly increased
as the Exhibition progresses, and every available spot of
ground becomes occupied with additional objects of interest.
"At Paris, as you are aware, the jury results were pro-
claimed and the medals distributed after the Exposition ter-
minated. With some trifling exceptions that was certainly
the finest great public display I ever witnessed. It was only
accomplished, however, by sweeping out the contents of the
main building and re-arranging a few cf them as trophies
and as part of a special display. This cannot be done during
the progress of the Exhibition.
" Knowing a good deal of the feeling of the exhibitors
generally, it may, I think, be fairly said that the Commis-
sioners' plan for announcing the awards at a comparatively
early date is a great improvement on the 1851 arrangement.
It is also sf equal importance that some ceremonial, the more
public the better, should accompany the publication of the
awards.

" As this, it is evident, cannot be held in the Exhibition
Building, I beg leave to suggest to you the desirability of
holding it here.

"I know well that at first sight this suggestion may moot
with an expression of discouragement from a not unnatural
disinclination to have such a solemnity away from the Ex-
hibition itself. I think, however, such advantages present
thunselves for carrying out such an under taking here with
the greatest possible convenience and eclat, coupled with
economy and even good pecuniary results to the Commis-
sion, that I do not hesitate to ask you to afford me an op-
portunity for entering into, full explanations on the subject.
"My views of the number of persons who should be in-
terested in a great public display of this character are large,
very large.

"As, however, at the end of June,we shall be prepared to
seat comfortably some 30,000 people in our Great Transept,
ali in view, and I fully believe all in hearing, I am tho-
roughly certain that advantages may be offered hero quite
unattainable elsewhere, and all that can be desired may be
successfully accomplished.

"I will only add that I named to Mr. Farquhar, the
chairman of the company, the purport of this letter, and he
permits me to say that he will be very happy to aid me in
any way in his power to render the Crystal Palace avail-