The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-09 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE AT SYDEIY.

The results of the extraordinary activity with which
the works at the Crystal Palace have been prosecuted
for the last few days were yesterday made strikingly
perceptible by the beautiful appearance of the interior.
The decorations of the industrial courts are nearly com-
plete, and in the nave of which they form the lateral'boundaries, Sir Joseph Paxton has so arranged his
exotics as to give to this portion of the building the ap-
pearance of a magnificent conservatory. The public will
be rejoiced to learn that Sir Joseph has almost entirely
recovered from his indisposition, and fully expects to
complete ail his arrangements by the opening day. The
ethnological models are all grouped in their proper locali-
ties, and have been scrupulously draped in obedience to
the mandate of the Church. It is not, we regret to add,
the general opinion that their appearance has been at
all improved by the grotesque arid incongruous garments
in which Dr. Latham has been obliged to swathe
them in order to remove the objections of the clergy.
As the works are going on simultaneously in every
quarter under the hands of thousands of workmen,
the remarkable progress made may be noted whichever
way you turn. The refreshment tables are all arranged
in the large and beautiful quadrangle at the south end,
and the ovens which are to keep them supplied will be
all at work today. The attendants, 80 in number, were
all mustered yesterday, and instructed how to form a
portion of the great tableau on Saturday, by appearing
in white dresses with the distinctive badge of a blue
ribbon. The testing of the building was repeated on
Wednesday, in a much more derisive manner than on
the first occasion. Four hundred of the metropolitan
police were brought down by special train on the Crys-
tal Palace line, under the command of Superintendent.
Lund, and were made to march in a body round the
first and second galleries. The greatest deflexion under
this severe test was not more than the sixteenth part of
an inch, while with irregular walking there was no de-
flexion at all. The men subsequently collected in the
orchestra, and completely established the fact of its per
feet security. Captain Galton, who was again present,
expressed his entire satisfaction. Yesterday the orchestra
was subjected to another test by the presence of the whole
of the instrumental performers, who attended for the pur-
pose of a rehes,al.l The National Anthem, the Hun-
dredth Psalm, and the Hallelujah Chorus were suc-
cessively performed, and the effect was pronounced by'
Signor Costa to be perfectly satisfactory. Some of the
listeners were of opinion that in the reverberation the
piano passages were lost, but it is expected that whets
the chorus singers add their voices to the instrumental
music the effect of the whole will be sufficiently grand.
and imposing. It is singular that while some portion‘
of such a vast body of sound as the playing of the full
orchestra were lost, the playing of one of Collard's pianos
placed in the nave could be heard all over the building.
Signor Costa was apprehensive that his immense army
of musicians, vocal and instrumental, would convert the
Crystal Palace into a second Jericho by bringing down
its walls with their music, but Sir Joseph Paxton has
given the whole choir full permission to sing their
loudest, assuring them that their harmony will escape
quite harmlessly through the louvres. The demand for
season tickets yesterday was so great as to exhaust the
printed supply at an early hour, and 10,000 more, which
were got up under extreme pressure, were bought up et
• the different offices in a couple of hours. Extraordinary
exertions are being made to meet the demand which ill
expected on this the last day before the opening.

SAFETY OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
Lord Palmerston has just forwarded to the directorg
of the Crystal Palace Company a copy of Capaiat
Galton's report on the safety of the building. Thie
report is very satisfactory as to the safety of the struc-
ture. The Captain makes the following suggestions eS
to the admission of visitors on Saturday :
" I am informed that all persons to be admitted to the
galleries will be provided with special tickets, and ail
arrangement of this sort is easily made at the time of ad-
mission, by providing tickets of different
.colours or nunir
hers, each colour or number representing a particula
locality, and the number of each such set of tickets being
limited to the number to be admitted to each part. The
policemen at the entrance would then be furnished with
these tickets, to be given to all persons as they pass in
and others of the police should be then stationed in such
manner as to prevent any person from proceeding to ash
other part of the building than that designated by
th
ticket abovementioned with which he will have been fur-
nished."

THE IRON TRADE.—BIRMINGHAM, Wednesday.--Sao
has been the advance in the price of pigs, and
the
that scarcity of first-rate iron-stone, combined with the
price for bare hoops and sheets has, in the South SW'
fordshire districts, during the last few days risen 11- Per
ton. The advance has been avoided, until the iron.
masters have been compelled by absolute necessity to
adopt it. Iron, at the present rates of the raw materi4
could not, with profit, be made at last etuarter-day Pricen6li
FOREIGN RATES OF EXCHANGE.—The quotations
the rates of exchange from the continent generally 013("to
no alteration. From St. Petersburg the letters ars 0
the Ist of June, but they merely mention that exchaeg"fo
and stocks were very firm, and that tallow continued
of
be purehlsecl to be sent to Memel. In consequence.
l
the rre,,,tng demand for China, whence the t
xic elegrltl`"s,
a
quolr;tiai a the rate of exchange by the overlabd. 1:1,
id again inifavourable, the Mean dollars brougin id,
the last West India steamer have been sold at 014,
per ounce, being an advance of The bar eilVer
. been diopogied of at the former price of Gad.