The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-17 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PA _LACE COJIPANT.

The report of the directors to the shareholders, at the
extraordinary general meeting, which was held this day,
was as follows :
" The directors think it desirable, as the charter is
now obtained, and the undertaking is rapidly advancing
towards completion, to take advantage of the oppor-
tunity afforded by an extraordinary meeting called t°
consider an agreement with the West End and Crystal
Palace Railway Company, in order to submit to the pro-
prietors a short statement of the position and prospects
of the company.
" After the purchase of the building the first step •
taken was to secure an appropriate site. For this pur-
pose it was found expedient to purchase a much larger
extent of land than was actually reguired for the park,
in order to secure the assent of adjoining landowners,
and to effect diversions of public roads.
"The principal purchase was that of Mr. Schuster 's
park, consisting of 171 acres, which that gentleman
most liberally allowed the company to take at its then
existing market price, as determined by a valuation.
The price was referred to Mr. Daniel Smith and Mr.
Norton, as referees, with Sir John Musgrove as umpire,
and settled by them at 86,6611. 12s. Bd. The other
purchases comprised 178 acres, at a total cost of 81,0001.,
so that the company on the whole became the proprietors
of 349 acres, at a cost of 167,6611. The policy of se-
curing sufficient land before its value had been enhanced
by the construction of the palace soon became apparent,
as a portion of the surplus on the outside of the park
has been already disposed of at a large profit. An
made by Mr. Wythes, of Reigate, of 100,000/. for 149
acres of this land has been accepted, which, with some
other small portions sold, will show a profit of 51,000/,
which has been realised in the course of a few months by
the resale of land. The company still retain 200 acres'
within a ring fence, of land of the most valuable character'
" The necessary space being secured, the determina-
tion of the position of the Palace thereon became a
matter of anxious consideration, and the summit of the
hill above Sydenham was finally selected. This site,
owing to the nature of the ground, involved an increase
of expense, but t'ae advantages of occupying one of the
most commanding situations in the world, overlookini,
London, the Valley of the Thames, and the plain
Kent, were so apparent, that the directors did not he'''.
tate to adopt it.
" Indeed, they may state that throughout the w
tihe,le
conduct of the enterprise, in which they have bad '-
contend with all the difficulties and responsibilities
of an undertaking so entirely novel, the directors Ile"
steadily kept in view the principle that the first 001,;:
tion of success was to create a palace and park which
should constitute a monument worthy of the nation.
"In doing so they have striven, as far as possible,
consult economy'; but they have endeavoured to *Ow'
this object rather by avoiding unnecessary expenditl
in matters not strictly essential, than by curtailing Sp
of the leading features of the magnificent plans 01
Joseph Paxton, or of the admirable and instructive cod
lections and decorations of Messrs. Jones, Wyatt, an
others. •
" By acting on these principles they have succeeded
notwithstanding notwithstanding the adoption of extended plans, "Ti.'t
which the palace and surrounding park will be carried eee-
in all their leading features, on a scale of magnifiee%
far exceeding anything originally contemplated-;„
limiting the amount of expenditure to a sum which, ne4„
that the principal contracts are all let, may be confide°"
stated not to exceed the original limit of capital ,0
vided by the charter, viz., 500,0001. of share capital
one third of that amount, or 166,6661. 6s. Bd. 01
capital.
"The whole of the share capital of 500,000/. is sub-
scribed for and available, and there will be no ditg'„;
in raising the authorised amount on loan. The
chase money of the lands resold, amounting to 11131" i„.
of 100,0001., will be received by the company before
•
Ist August.
f the
" As regards the prospects of profit and return 0- the
capital invested in this great national undertaking,,,,,-
directors will only state that every step which has_rin
taken towards realising the general conception ha.'„.lo
creased their confidence in a successful result. -"hi.
now certain that a building—in magnitude and- arra-
tectural beauty very far surpassing the original 0- of
ture in Hyde-park—filled with unrivalled collections
art and of objects of beauty and interest, placed 1.1)11'a
commanding site in the midst of a spacious Par-'3lh
which the charm of natural scenery is combined M
ornamental gardens, terraces, and fountaine,Tht 0
scale of magnificence rivalling that of the ."'"-thee
itself, will be thrown open within every access of,
millions of inhabitants of this great metropolis. I,l'l.
8a
a
appears to be proved by the Great Exhibition of I't'oo
demand really exists among all classes of the popul ,1 0,
for a supply of the means of gratifying enlightened crto
sity and enjoying innocent recreation, healthful alil‘,e
-
mind and body, amidst objects of natural and arm.,
beauty and scientific interest, the results of such an
dertaking can hardly fail to be eminently successful.%_,,
"As the time, however, is approaching when the
results will be b:ought to the test of experielt7
the directors refrain from indulging in any a° to
pations, and will confine themselves to adverting or
one point connected with the question of call:tri,
cial return, which is no longer speculative.
advantages afforded to arasts, manufacturers, patentey:f
and others, by such an unrivalled opportunity
exhibiting their productions, have been so gene
appreciated, that they have led to numerous gig
plications for space for exhibition, at a rental
attraction
otetmpraaprerittmisoeennmot
departments,
thetyhweohfoEsxe h
iplberiaotdidoi
be paid to the company. These applications alro;''t
unit manufacturersioufnslBsfulr7 aednd thein
pdriiffneeri.eo-0..1
as the Pr°
gress of the New Crystal Palace b 111. es },otter
mr ktwnhoeNvoanspe,-
the demand for space is fast increasing.
plications already made to Mr. Belshaav, under whose
superintendence superintendence the department of British manufactures
was placed in 1851, the directors are assured•iabla
will be able not only to fill the whole of the &val.
space in the interior of the building with objects of leesip
rest, but also to realise a large return on the vamle ther
thatac the/
tal invested, from rents alone, independently of all 0
sources of revenue.
"The directors will now advert to the arrangegtot
with the West End and Crystal Palace Railwaythe
pany, whose bill has just been read a second time lf the
House of Commons, which is the special object °f
en.
present meeting. This railway is promoted by al,re,
tirely independent company, and although your ent,
tors have given it every support and encourage]; of
from the obvious importance of facilitating the Inee/Doo•
transport to the Crystal Palace from all parts °'" hold
don, they do not propose that this company 6401.
undertake any guarantee or advance of ear the
The agreement which has been entered into by
two boards, subject to the approval of th,.e.,hP it
prietors, is simply a traffic agreement, by w° shall
is provided that the Crystal Palace Company d its-
fix the rate at which tickets shall be issue", the
eluding admission to the Palace, and transport 'J., the
railway, the proceeds of which shall be divided ilicoor
proportion of four-sevenths to the Crystal Palace aid
pany, and three-sevenths to the railway compani ;loge
as the railway company are about to expend a
tight
capital, on the faith of the traffic which will be br°3,to
to the Palace, it is further stipulated—as a seew:4-dsai
them against the risk of the Crystal Palace C°l7botit
fixing rates so extremely low as to leave them w AS'
any adequate remuneration—that the proportioooll
signed to the railway company under this divote° the
not be less that Bd. for.each passenger, to and fro
the` palace.
king,
" This proposition will be submitted to the Eae;fy it,
and the directors recommend the proprietors to resin "1.4'
being satisfied that it is most advantageous for tint an
terest to secure, at the earliest possible period, stla ia to
additional means of cheap and convenient transebilal
the palace upon terms which involve no onerous
or obligation."

0001
OUR NATIONAL DEFENCES.—CONVEYANCE OF 01. e
ARTILLEHT BY RAILWAY.—A n experimental reran froo
troops and artillery took ph ce yesterday mornin„goterll,
the Bricklayers' Arms station of the South--D uiree
Railway, for the purpose of ascertaining the time reloni.
to load and unload heavy artillery with horses, 3111,.,
tion, &c., for conveyance by railway. A port4(;;0/1"
battery of the Royal Artillery, with the full cone -ore
of men, horses, guns, ammunition, waggons, Z4el CO
loaded in a train at the Bricklayers' Arms stati°ololo
veyed to Woolwich, and there unloaded—all in -mieci in
and 38 minutes, 35 minutes of which were ocenP
constructing a temporary platform to unload the 7001;
THE FATAL LOCOMOTIVE BOILER EXPLOSIOI%4OOI
MANCHESTER.—Mr. W. S. Rutter resumed his 2'00!
into the causes' of this event yesterday aftern0011000"
Waggon and Horses. Captain'Wynne, the Govelogoo
inspector, was dxamined, and stated that the eVreotir
might have resulted from the engine being out 01 „Wl'
as well as the cause to which it has hitherto beelidowfi
buted—the engine driver, Hefron, having screweude 10,
the safety valves. He would not, however, decider&
what it was really to be attributed, though he eons
the engine very much worn.
Ptil?
THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE BOLTO- f theS°
WAY.—Another victim has been added to the list ° oetei
whose lives were sacrificed by this catastroPiri-st the
M'Cartney, Mr. Barbour 's nurse, having the jrle
Manchester Infirmary late on Tuesday night.
,which
juries consisted of a dislocated ancle, to reduce wof the
was necessary to amputate a portion of the bone .3011 t.
joint. This is the sixth death arising out of the _,.,
Mr. Carati still remains in a precarious state.
OPENING. OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE ON Strialltseci tO
Last night a public meeting of young men °llpag held
the opening of the Crystal Palace on Sundaysusenc°
at the London Tavern, Mr. Robert Seely, in the ab"serfor
of the Lord Mayor, in the chair. After a few Crystal
tions by the chairman against the opening of the gr•
Palace, a resolution was moved and secondeccil'opfa;
Newton, amid a scene of considerable uproar an ..,100 01
sion, moved as an amendment, "That, in the OPlm slur
this meeting, the opening of the Crystal
days would be a religious, a moral, and a social:II as, the
tage to the community." On a show of ha-eci
chairman declared the original motion to be carri
large majority. has been
HOPS.—In a Parliamentary paper which stag
printed by order of the House of Commons, it. 7.tion
Palace
_o:ion,
that the total number of acres under the cu1ti76,5694
hops, in the year 1852, was 46,1571, of whit 000,1,
were in the district of Rochester, 10,1091 in tj4 6,00 !v,
of Sussex, 9,493 i in the district of Canterbur3\l69ll_,
the county of Hereford, 1,730:1 in Hampshire,
.I._ Stu,
the Isle of Wight, and 1,1074 in Worcesters747:o64;.
The total amount of the duty for 1852, was
Bs. lid., of which the old duty amounted to a d the t.O
2s. 4d., the new duty to 180,987 Z. 19s. 11d.ts nod. IT4
ditional duty of 5 per cent.. 21,290/. •,17,10%
49
total weight of hops charged with duty Was 80
lbs., and the amount exported duilq .the •
955,855115, .40
244,86