The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-12 00:00:00

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[PRICE SD.

her Majesty, the Queen made the following most
gracious reply:—
" I receive with much pleasure the loyal and dutifu
address which you have presented to me upon the pre-
sent occasion.
"It is a source of the highest gratification to myself
and to the Prince, my Consort, to find that the Great
Exhibition of 1851, which was so happily inaugurated
under our auspices, suggested the idea of this magnifi-
cent undertaking, which has produced so noble a monu-
meLt of the genius, science, and enterprise of my subjects.
It is my earnest wish and hope that the bright anti-
cipations which have been formed as to its future destiny
may, under the blessing of Divine Providence, be com-
pletely realised ; and that this wonderful structure, and
the treasures of art and knowledge which it contains,
may long continue to elevate and instruct, as well as to
delight and amuse, the minds of all classes of my people."
Mr. Fuller, as managing director, then had the
honour of presenting to her Majesty a fine series of
medals struck by Messrs. T. R. Pinches and Co.,
to commemorate the opening.
Mr. Laing again addressed her Majesty, and
said—
" May it please your Majesty,—Sir Joseph Paxton,
to whose genius we are indebted for the design of the
palace, park, and waterworks, will now, with your Ma-
jesty's permission, have the honour of presenting the
general hand-book descriptive of this undertaking, an
undertaking which owes its existence in so great a de-
gree to the unparalleled zeal and ability with which he
has superintended its progress."
When Sir Joseph, who was loudly cheered by
the assemblage, and favoured with a most gracious
recognition from the Queen, had presented his hand-
book, the Chairman said—
"May it please your Majesty,—Mr. Owen Jones, who,
in conjunction with Mr. Digby Wyatt, brought toge-
ther the treasures of art in this building, and who has
presided over its artistic decoration, will now, with your
Majesty's permission, have the honour of presenting
handbooks describing the Egyptian, the Greek, the
Roman, and the Alhambra Courts, and the Courts of
Modern Sculpture, works executed under his immediate
superintendence. The names of those who have mainly
contributed to the perfection of those works are recorded
in the various handbooks."
Mr. Owen Jones, having presented his hand-
books, Mr. Laing spoke in the following terms of
Mr. Digby Wyatt :
"May it please your Majesty,—Mr. Digby Wyatt,
who has shared with Mr. Owen Jones the responsibilities
of the department of art throughout the undertaking,
and whose restoration of the Pompeian-house and series
of courts illustrating the progress of Christian art are
among its chief ornaments, will now, with your Ma-
jesty's permission, have the honour of presenting hand-
books descriptive of these works. In them he has re-
corded the names of those from whom he has received
most assistance in his labours."

Mr. Samuel Phillips, in presenting his handbooks
to her Majesty, was thus spoken of by the Chair-

man :

" May it please your Majesty—Mr. Samuel Phillips,
the director of our literary department, whose name is
honourably associated with efforts for the diffusion of
popular literature, will now, with your Majesty's per-
mission, have the honour of presenting the remaining
series of our general handbooks, which have been pre-
pared under his eye, and from whose hands sonic have
proceeded.
" Among the latter may be specially mentioned a
handbook containing short biographical sketches to ac-
company the very complete series of busts of remarkable
men of ancient and modern times which has been brought
together in this building.
66 The directors trust that these handbooks will be
found to constitute not the least important of the edu-
cational means which they hope to make gradually useful
to the public."
Of Mr. Fergusson Mr. Laing said—
" May it please your Majesty,---The discovery by an
English traveller in the East of a gorgeous palace of long
forgotten kings buried under mounds of rubbish—the
identification of those kings with the race of Assyrian
conquerors mentioned in Holy Scripture—are events
which strike every reflecting mind with reverential won-
der. This palace, restored under our crystal roof in all
its ancient splendour, carries us back from the midst of
the 19th century to the days of Sennacherib.
" Mr. Fergusson, who has superintended this resto-
ration, will now, with your Majesty's permission, have
the honour of presenting a handbook, written by Mr.
Layard, in which this interesting memorial of bygone
ages is fully described."
In presentinc, Professor Owen and Mr. Water-
house Hawkins'Mr.Laing expressedhimself thus :
" May it please your Majesty,—The restoration from
a single fossil fragment of complete skeletons of creatures
long since extinct, first effected by the genius of Cuvier,
has always been considered one of the most striking
achievements of modern science.
"Our British Cuvier, Professor Owen, has lent us his
assistance in carrying these scientific triumphs a step
further, and bringing them down to popular apprehen-
sion.
"Aided by the zealous and indefatigable exertions of
Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, who with his own hand
moulded their forms, the gigantic iguanodon, the iethyo-
saurus, and other monsters of the antediluvian world
will now present themselves to the eye as they once
disported themselves and pursued their prey amid the
forests and morasses of the secondary and tertiary
periods.
" In the illustrations of geological strata the directors
have had the valuable assistance of Professor Ansted.
" Professor Owen, with your Majesty's permission,
will now have the honour of presenting the handbook
in which this department of our undertaking is de-
scribed."
The last presentations were those of Dr. Latham
and Professor Forbes, who were supported by Mr.
Waterhouse, Mr. Gould, and Mr. Thomson, and
of whom Mr. Laing said
May it please your Majesty,—Dr. Latham and Pro-
fessor Forbes will now, with your Majesty's permission,
have the honour o 1 presenting the handbook which de-
scribes the attempt made to illustrate the sciences of
natural history, comprising ethnology, zoology, and
botany, by representations of characteristic groups of
different races of the human family, surrounded by ap-
propriate illustrations of the animal and vegetable world.
" Dr. R. G. Latham has superintended the ethnological
department, and Professor Forbes those of zoology and
botany, assisted by the valuable aid of Mr. Waterhouse
and Mr. Gould, and the zealous exertions of our super-
intendent of the natural history department, Mr.
Thomson."
"While this part of the ceremony was in progress,
the vast assemblage amused themselves by watching
the manner in which the blushing authors of the
handbooks went through the difficult process of re-
tiring from the Royal presence down two flights of
steps without turning their backs. Sir Joseph
Paxton, in designing the dais, had probably not
foreseen the formidable obstacle ho was raising
in the path of loyal gentlemen unaccustomed to
perform such courtly evolutions with small swords
slung by their sides, or perhaps he intended it as
likely to afford some practical fun by way of set-off
to the chairman's speeches, which, however well
expressed and just, nobody could hear. Happily
all Caine down safely, though two or three had very
narrow escapes, and one distinct case of stumbling
was followed by a precipitate and unceremonious
Iretreat, much to the amusement of the spectators.
A procession was then formed in the following
order :

Superintendents of Works and Principal Employes.
Contractors.
Architects of Industrial Courts.
Principal Officers and Heads of Departments.
Directors.
Sir Joseph Paxton. Mr. Laing, M.P.
THE QUEEN.
H.R.H. The Prince Albert, the King of Portugal, the
Royal Family, H.R. H. the Duke of Oporto, and their
respective Suites.
The Archbishop of Canterbury. The Cabinet Ministers.
The Foreign Ambassadors and the Foreign Ministers.
The procession turned to the right, moved to
the south end of the Nave by its west side, return-
ing by its east side, and then passed, round the
east side of the Central Transept, and down the
north end of the nave by its east side, returning
by its west side to the Central Transept. The 'pro-
cession all along its route was received with loud
and continuous cheers.
The dais being again reached, Costa awakened
from the lull into which, with the orchestra, he had
fallen after the first performance of the National
Anthem, waved his baton with more than usual
energy, and the majestic music and noble words of
the Hundredth Psalm pealed through the vast edi-
fice. The Archbishop of Canterbury then invoked
the blessing of the Deity on the undertaking in the
following words :
"Almighty and everlasting God ! who Bost govern all
things both in heaven and earth, incline Thine ear, we
entreat Thee, to Thy people, which call upon Thee, and
graciously receive our prayers. Without Thee nothin,,
is strong, nothing is holy. ' Except the Lord build the
house,
their labour is but lost who build it.' And now
we entreat Thee to bless the work which we have accom-
plished in this place, and to render it the means of pro-
moting Thy glory. May those who admire the wonders
of nature which are here displayed be taught to perceive
i
n those the viaour of that creative wisdcm by which all
things fulfil the purposes which they are designed to
serve ; enable those who survey the wonders of art and
industry which surround them to remember that it is by
I Thee that knowledge is increased; and science made to
minister to the benefit and comfort of mankind .; for
the spirit of man is from Thee, and the inspiration
of the Almighty giveth him understanding ; therefore,
' Not unto us, 0 Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy
' ' name be all the praise.' While we contemplate the