The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-25 00:00:00

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Now that the opening is fixed for the 10th of June,
the staff of the company are straining every nerve to
get creditably through the large amount of work which
can thus no longer be postponed. It is somewhat start-
ling to go over the place and see how much they have to
do, but what in this country must be done generally it
Cone ; and the men who have already achieved suck
wonders are not likely to acknowledge even impossibilities
at the last moment. Sir Joseph Paxton has assumed an
absolute dictatorship, and exercises summary jurisdic-
tion over everything and everybody, within and around
the building. This is the right way of going to work
in such an emergency, and, as his has been conspi-
cuously the master-mind throughout the undertak-
ing, both officers and directors will readily acquiesce
in his constituting himself pro, tern, a sort of modern
"Mayor of the Palace" at Syden ham. Already the
vast interior begins to assume a dressed and orderly
appearance. The statues, no longer herded and hustled
about, have their proper positions assigned to them, and
the general arrangements of the nave and transepts take
their final form. From the further end of the building,
to which it has for months been confined, the collection

of plants is now rapidly extending along the entire length;
ntr will the favourable anticipations that have been
formed of the delightful and refreshing effect of green
foliage heightening and relieving the general system
of decoration be at all disappointed. The etherial
architecture, the sculpture, and the plants harmonise
admirably, constituting of theinselves a display almost
fabulously imposing. At present the immense propor-
tions of the building dwarf the vegetation. Two Nor-
..

folk Island pines, the finest specimens in the kingdom,
have been placed in the grand transept, and look mere
saplings ; but we are told that they really are so,
and that a time will come when their tops, now hardly
level with the second set of girders, will reach almost to
the arched and glittering roof. Departing from the ar.
rangement of the old Crystal Palace, the central sweep
of the nave has been cleared of everything to disturb the
impression of its length and size, except the fountains ;
and the same plan has been adopted with the grand tran-
sept, which, with a few large objects at either end and
at the points of intersection, is to be left to produce its
full effect upon the mind of the spectator. Nothing more
will be attempted than to help the eye to measure the
greatness of these imposing spaces. One of the aids for
d. mug so will be Ostler's famous crystal fountain, which
is !low rising with renovated splendour in the interior,
With great propriety it still occupies the centre of the
old transept which stood in Hyde-park, and will, no
doubt, for many a long year to come, awaken remini-
scences of the service which it did as a trysting spot in
1851.

Although the Palace is about to be thrown op en in a
comparatively unfinished state, yet those people are
p
much mistaken who on that account jumto conclu-
sion
the
meantim. In
that it is not worth seeing in the
every department the work is quite enough advanced te
occupy many visits in exhausting its interest. Though
the gardens, for example, are not finished, and we •
not have the great fountains in play till next year, yet
where else in the world can one see such terraces—such
thousands of marble vases, all filled with sweet smelling
flowers—so noble a prospect—or such arrangements for
providing to the pent-up inhabitants of a great city the
blessings of fresh air and delightful country recrea-
tion I We have no misgivings as to the brilliant suc-
cess of the opening. The Queen's presence alone ia-
sures that. A grand canopied dais is being constructed
for her reception and that of the royal family in the
centre transept. Approached on all sides by a double flight
of steps, it will be placed in such a position as to be
within view, not only of all spectators in the transept,
but also of those assembled along the nave. On either
hand will be placed the foreign ambassadors and the
members of the Government—who have all been spe-
cially invited and will attend in official costume. Seats
have been reserved for peers and peeresses, and for
the members of the House of Commons and the ladies,
who intend being present as season ticketholders. The
Royal Commissioners and Executive Committee of
1851, the Commissioners who visited the United
States last year, Mr. Dargan and the Committee of
the Dublin Exhibition, the Imperial Commissioners
from France to represent the Exposition of next
year in Paris, the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of Lon-
don, the Mayors of the large provincial towns, and
the Presidents of the chief learned societies in the
metropolis will all be asked to attend. Such an
assemblage collected in the grand area of the centre
transept, with the Queen in the midst, will alone
form a spectacle of the highest attractiveness. While
the space affords facilities for vastly increased effects,
few of the formalities which attended the ceremonial of
the opening in Hyde-park will be omitted. Her Ma-
jesty will be in the morning costume, and the Royal
procession in the building may not be conducted with
such high state, but, otherwise, whatever difference may
he made will be to the advantage of the Crystal Palace
Company. A chorus of 1,000 voices will be present, to
which the harmonic societies, not only of the metropolis,
but of Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds,
Bradford, and other large towns will contribute their
best singers. In addition to the company's brass band
two military bands will be in attendance. This im-

posing body of 1,400 vocal and instrumental per-
formers will be accommodated on a platform rising
tier above tier from the ground in amphitheatrio
form, and occupying the area of the great transept
immediately behind the Royal dais. M. Costa will
officiate as conductor, and promises to give the
Hallelujah Chorus and the National Anthem with a
musical effect which has never been equalled in this
country. When the Queen has taken her seat upon the
dais, Mr. Laing, the chairman, will read an address to
her Majesty, describing briefly the objects for which the
Crystal Palace and park have been formed, and tracing
its origin to the Great Exhibition of 1851. The chief
officers of the company will then in succession present
to her Majesty the handbooks describing their respec-
tive departments. After this a Royal procession will be
formed, and the Queen, attended by the Court, will tra-
verse the entire length of the main building, taking on
her way a view of the park from the lower balcony of
the grand transept. On her return to the dais his Grace
the Archbishop of Canterbury will offer up a prayer for
the success of the undertaking. The " Hallelujah
Chorus" will then be performed. and her Majesty, hav-
ing declared the palace open, will take her departure.
The public will not fail to observe what an extraordi-
nary mark of her royal favour the Queen is thus pre-
parel to confer upon the enterprise of a private company.
Seldom, indeed, have undertakings of a commercial cha-
racter been so honoured. She has visted the works re-
peatedly in their progress, and knows more about them
than most of her subjects. A fine suite of apartments
is being prepared for her use at the north end of the
building by Mr. Crace, of Wiginote-street. She is a
large contributor of plants, and she has set everybody
who can follow it the example of how they ought to
act towards the Crystal Palace Company, by becoming
a season ticketholder. Let all those who can follow
her example. Even the directors and officers of
the company have done so. The question, whether
by the natural and healthy agency of a joint-
stock company we can do something more than
has yet been attempted to correct the sordid and lower-
ing tendencies of the age, is about to be decided. If
Sidenham does not take with the public, we cannot ex-
pect for many years to see the experiment repeated. If
the financial results justify the enterprise, it is difficult
to calculate all the advantages which the other great
towns of the kingdom, and, indeed, large communities
throughout the civilised world may derive from so en-
couraging an example. So far as success can be com-
manded by a liberal expenditure of capital in the execu-
tion of a magnificent design, all that could be reasonably
expected has been accomplished. It only remains by
judicious and vigorous management to get the outlay
that may still be necessary well in hand—to see that
every possible facility is afforded in enabling the public
to become habitual visitors—and to take such steps as
may be requisite to place the exhibition of modern in-
du,try on a level with the artistic attractions of the
sculpture courts, and the other more showy but less re-
munerative portions of the general scheme.

THE NEW SMITHFIELD MAREET.—The City Corpo•
ration are bestirring themselves respecting the new
Smithfield cattle market at Copenhagen-fields. The con-
tract for the works has been taken by Mr. Richaid
Walker, of Bermondsey, who is proceeding energetically
with its execution. The building and other erections
are to be of the most substantial character, and they are
to consist entirely of brick and iron. The bulk of the
iron work, amounting to several thousand tons, is to be
galvanised by Messrs. Morewood and Rogers under
their patent. It is, as we understand, the intention to
open the market before Christmas next.
DEPARTURE OP THE AritioAN EXPLORING EXI'IMI.
TlON.—This interesting expedition, so important to the
scientific and commercial communities, is now fairly
started, for the steamer Pleiad, by which the exploring
will be carried on, has sailed for her destination. The
Pleiad was tried on the river on Saturday week, and
attained a speed, under steam, of ten knots an hour,
thus maintaining the reputation of her builder, Mr.
John Laird. On Wednesday last she sailed for kings-
town, and took her departure from there on Saturday
for Fernando Po direct. Captain Johnston, who com-
manded the steamer Argentina, accompanied her that
far, after which she will be under the charge of Mr. Be'
croft, the British consul at Fernando Po, for the remain-
der of the expedition. The explorers are all medicalgen-
tlemen of scientific attainments. Dr. Taylor, Mr. liorthhl;
son, Mr. Crawford, and Mr. Whyatt accompaaiP the
Pleiad from this port ; and two more gentlemen 1a
Dr.
Admiralty service will join her at Fernandojbaz been
Taylor is well known in the African trade,
ulichinson has
on that coast for several years.
and is the author of a series of instructivelconternporary on the
also followed his profession in that locality fpoarpseormsewthimiche,
have recently appeared in a
local
are younger men,
subject of Western Africa.
htiutet
dneostirae
tto whit
carryless successful issue.
eldera.g er a n
d associatessc h ad d i na ,
nret
arhste oi
--rN i
phical surveys, and of
The Pleiad will exptelialoerrneeexstptbetedhTirat,hcove
for the purpose of making g g
tradee with those almost un.
endeavouring to open up
aof the crew of the vessel will
known parts. Only
be white men,
crew to work her. The so thafft°agere is little chance of the vessel
being left destitute c
personal knowledge of the places to
Laird, whose.
origi-
nator and chief promoter of the expedition is Mr. Mac-
gregort make proper arrangements
for
but the vessel is
carrying out of the scheme. The Admiralty contri-
butesthe c a ran a r g e
hehmiresuolt of the undertaking will be
3bierv.isLitaecliired,nsa.
enabled
dportion of the expense,
looked to with interest.—Liverpool Courier.
THE GREAT NORTHERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for
the week ending May 14, 1854 417,174 6 2
Correspoudiug week last yew,. 15,867 12 9
LANCIA.BIIIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAlLWAY.—Traffic re-
turn for the week ending !Lay 21,1864 £19,386 12 1
Corresponding wink last year„,„,,„‘„,, 23,11$ 4 2