The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-18 00:00:00

GREAT EXHIBITION OF THE
INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS.

MEETING AT THE MANSION-HOUSE.
A very interesting and important meeting was held
yesterday at the Mansion-house, for the purpose of
receiv:ng a deputation of the Council of the Society
of Arts, which had been instructed by his Royal
Highness Prince Albert t) ascertain the feelings of
the inhabitants of the city of London with regard to
the proposed exhibition of arts and manufactures ;
and to take such further steps as might be deemed
advisable for promoting that object. Some members
of the deputation have already visited most of the
large towns of England, Scotland, and Ireland—and
have received a very general assent to the principle,
all parties appearing to concur in the great value and
importance of such. an exhibition. The meeting of
yesterday took place in the Egyp' lan Hall, and
shortly after twelve o'clock several hundreds of the
leading manufacturing and commercial inhabitants of
the city of London were assembled.
The Lord Mayor, in whose name the cards of in-
vitation has been issued, presided; and amongst the
company present we observed the Governor of the
Bank of England, the Deputy-Governor of the Bank
of England, the Chairman of the National Bank
of Ireland, Deputy-Chairman of the London and
.ACioausntetyrinaßna,nEk,sl., Joi‘sel.,p.p Hume, Esq., M.P., John
the Worshipful the Lord
Mayor Elect, Sir G. Carroll, Sir Henry Pelly, S.
Jones Loyd, Esq., John Dillon, Esq., I'. Hankey,
q., William Hanbury, Esq., Admiral Dundas,
M.P., S. Gurney, Jun., Esq., J. Dundas,
Esq , W. Cotton, Esq., --Freshfield, Esq., Dr.
Buckland, Rev. Thomas Harrison, Roger Cunliffe,
Esq., E. Maxon, Esq., C. Hodge, Esq.; Aldermen
Hooper, Sir Peter Laurie, Moon, Musgrove, Salo-
mons, Carden, Copelaad, Gibbs ; Mr. Deputy Har-
rison, Mr. Deputy Leake, Mr. Sheriff Nicoll, Mr.
Under-Sheriff Wire, Mr. Under.sheriff Millard,
&c. &c.
The following gentlemen composed the deputation
of the Society of Arts :--Vice-Presidents—Baron
Goldsmid, W. Tooke, Esq., B Rotch, Esq., T.
Uwins, Esq., R.A., T. Webster, Esq., M.A. Mem-
bers of Council—ll. Cole, E. W. Dilke, J. H. Bowen,
J. Bell, and S. Winkworth, Esqs.; Professor Wood-
croft, J. Scott Russell, W. Tite, A. Pellatt, P. L.
N. Foster (treasurer), G. Barclay, Little,
13rett, T. R. Crampton, C. Cole, A. Symonds, G. H.
Drew, G. Drew, C. Barlow, C. W. Wass, Captain
Boscawen Ibbetson, and Digby Wyatt, Esq.
Letters of apology were received from many gen-
tlemen who were unable to attend, but all of whom
expressed their hearty concurrence in the objects of
the meeting. The following is from Mr. Moffat,
M.P.:—
"My Lord,—l greatly regret that an unavoidable
absence from London will preclude my attendance at
the Mansion-house, on Wednesday, to aid in the demon-
stration in support of the proposed grand exhibition in
1351.
"I believe it would be difficult to overstate the mate-
rial benefits likely to accrue from such an exhibition, not
to this country alone, but to the whole world.
" It is scarcely possible to conceive a more interesting and
useful combination than that in view. England is at this
moment to a large extent practically ignorant of the arts
and manufactures of other countries—other countries
,equally uninformed as to those of England; and the whole
world must gain by the diffusion of practical information
consequent upon such a gathering as that now contem-
plated, which I trust will have the hearty and entire
support of the city of London.—l have the honour to be,
your faithful servant,
(Signed)
" Right Hon. the Lord Mayor."
At half-past twelve o'clock the Lord Mayor, the
deputation, and the gentlemen who took a more im-
mediate part in the business of the day, entered the
hall, and were loudly cheered. On taking the chair,
The LORD MAYOR said it would not be necessary
for him to occupy much of their tune with any ob-
servations of his own with regard to the occasion of
bringing them to the Mansion-house that day. He
would observe that he was merely the organ of the
gentlemen who were present as a deputatien from the
Society of Arts ; for, although the cards had been
issued in his name, he had placed them at their
disposal, as he was anxious at all times to make such
use of the Mansion-house as would be most beneficial
to his fellow-citizens and to the public.—(llear,
hear.) On the 12th September last he had received a
letter, which he held in his hand, from Colonel Phipps,
private secretary to his Royal Highness Prince Albert.
The letter was as follows :
e My dear Lord,—You will probably have heard that
his Royal Highness Princo Albert is at present engaged
in causing inquiries to be made with regard to the pro-
bable success of a great exhibition of the works of in-
dustry of all nations, proposed to take place in London
in the year 1831.
" The result of these inquiries, so far as they have
proceeded, has hitherto been most favourable, and I have
now received the command of his Royal Highness to
introduce to your Lordship Messrs. Henry Cole, Fuller,
and J. Scott Russell, three members of the Council of the
Society of Arts, who have been actively engaged in pro-
secuting these inquiries and in endeavouring to promote
the success of the proposed exhibition. These gentlemen
will be prepared fully to explain to your Lordship the
objects and nature of the undertaking and the progress
that has as yet been made; and the Prince has com-
manded me to assure you of his Royal Highness's con-
viction that your Lordship will be disposed to afford
these gentlemen such assistance as may b. your
Lordship's power towards the formation a City com-
mittee for the purpose of inquiring into and promoting
this great plan.—l have the honour to be, my dear Lord,
very faithfully yours, " C. B. PIIIPPS.
Osborne Cottage, Sept. 12, 1849."
The present meeting had been convened with that ob-
ject, as he thought it desirable to ascertain, so far as he
could, what were the feelings of the citizens of London
with regard to the views taken by his Royal High-
ness for having a large exhibition of the industry of
all nations, to be held in London in the year Itisl. He
had been at the same time favoured with a book
showing him what had been the opinions expressed
in various large towns in the kingdom, and he had
found that all the public authorities and others had
most cheerfully given their signatures in the book as
expressive of their approval and support of the views
of his Royal Highness.—(Hear, hear.) Although
the city of London had come last, he was sure that it
was not intended to be less respectful to it than to
any other part of the kingdom, but that the object
was, having had before them the evidence of the
general feeling of the country, that that would be
confirmed by the approval of the city of London. It
was not necessary to detain them by any lengthened
observations as to the advantages likely to be derived
to nation at large from the views and suggestions of
his Royal Highness. They were all sufficiently aware
of the blessings they enjoyed from the maintenance of
a long peace, and there could be, in his opinion, no
course more likely to consolidate the blessings they
enjoyed from it than the inviting all nations to bring
the products of their industry in arts and manufac-
tures to that g-reat metropolis for exhibition.—
(Hear, hear.) No doubt the metropolis itself would
be greatly benefited by the circumstance of so many
strangers coming there from all parts of the world
upon so interesting an occasion. But although he
would rejoice at the metropolis deriving all possible
benefit from such a meeting, he could not forget that
there were still higher objects to be gained, and still
greater advantages to the country, by a large exhibi-
tion, which would enable them to show how much
the country had improved in arts and manufactures,
and how well able it was to stand in competition with
the rest of the world.—(Cheers.) He would merely
add that, having the honour to see there several gen-
tlemen connected with the Society of Arts, he could
assure the meeting that they would much better ex-
plain the objects in view than he could, and supply
any omissions he had made. He was satisfied that
that respectable meeting, comprising, as he saw it did,
so many gentlemen of station in the city of London,
would be the best evidence of the interest they took in
the object his Royal Highness had in view, and of
their anxiety to promote the welfare and honour of
the country.—(Cheers.) With these observations he
would call on Mr. Cole, a member of the Council of
the Society of Arts.
Mr. Hs:4;Kr Conn said—Before he submitted the
outlines of the proposal which his Royal Highness
had charged them to communicate to the city of Lon-
don, he wished them to bear in mind that these pro-
ceedings were strictly preliminary. His Royal
Highness wished them not to take anything as abso-
lutely settled, beyond the mere fact that it was in-
tended to have a great exhibition; and his Royal
Highness wished that he should lay before them some
details of the scheme, which he would do with all the
brevity he could, in order that, at the proper time,
they might he prepared to bring their counsels and
advice in aid of his Royal Highness, if they so
thought fit to carry the proposal into effect. The
matter had been under the consideration of the Society
of Arts, of which his Royal Highness was president,
for at least five years. But during the last two years,
his Royal Highness had been watching the symptoms
of public feeling on this question, and the members'
of the Council well knew that on all occasions he had
taken an active interest, as president of the so-
ciety, in further educating the public to appreciate
meetings of this kind. This year, at the institu-
tion, they had had the finest exhibition of
precious metal work that had ever been seen
in modern times. The chief specimen was sent by
her Majesty herself; gad upon the whole it WAS COL-

" GEORGE MOYIPAT.

sidered that so great a point was made at that exhi-
bition, as to warrant the Prince in considering that
the time was arrived for maturing the preliminaries
towards this great exhibition. Accordingly his Royal
Highness commanded the attendance of some mem-
bers of Council and the secretary at Buckingham
Palace, when h's Royal Highness went over with
them the details which he considered ought to consti-
tute the chief features of the proposed exhibition. On
that occasion his Royal Highness directed minutes to
be kept ; and the minutes both of that and of subse-
quent meetings were seen, revised, and approved of
by his Royal Highness. He thought it right to
mention these matters, to show that his Royal high-
ness took a direct personal interest in the question,
and that he was not acting merely in an official man-
ner as President of the Society of Arts.—(Hear, hear.)
In the course of the observations which he had to
address to them, they would see that his Royal
highness had himself worked out many details as
far as they had yet proceeded. It would, perhaps,
conduce still more to the understanding of the subject,
if he were to read some extracts taken from these mi-
nutes. At Buckingham Palace, 30th June, 1849, his
Royal Highness communicated to the members of
Council his views as to a great;collection and exhibition
of works of art and industry, to be held in London,
in liisl. On this question, the first point for con-
sideration was whether the exhibition should be
limited exclusively to the productions of this country.
Perhaps he might be allowed to say that the para-
graph he was about to read was one which the Prince
himself had inscribed on the minutes. "It was a
question whether the exhibition should be exclusively
limited to articles of British industry; whilst it would
be an error to limit an exhibition of articles of ma-
chinery, science, and taste, which are of no country,
but belong to the whole civilized world, considerable
advantages would result to British industry from its
being exhibited in open competition with the products
of all other countries."--(Bear, hear.) That seemed
to be the fundamental principle on which the Prince
acted; and with this Meling all the meetings he had '
addressed were in absolute unison. There was only
one gentleman out of GOO or 700, whom he had con-
sulted, who thought that in the first instance the ex-
hibition should consist of British industry ; but when
that gentleman Caine to see his own opinion put into
print for the Prince's perusal, it seemed to be so sin-
gular, that he requested it might be cancelled, and
stated that in the course of six weeks he had totally
changed his opinion. Mr. Cole having read
the opinions of various parties in Scotland
and England on the subject of the exhibi-
tion, stated that he thought the citizens
of London would as well as the parties he
had quoted agree with Prince Albert, that
the exhibition should be open to all nations.
The next point was the subjects which should
be comprehended in the exhibition. His Royal
Highness considered that it should consist of the
following divisions :—raw materials, machinery and
mechanical inventions, manufactures, sculpture and
the plastic arts generally. Now, they would bear in
mind that this would not be an assemblage of ordi-
nary productions, but the best works in all the classes
which the world could furnish. One great feature
in this exhibition would be that they should see there
the best of what every land could do. There would
be raw materials—animal, vegetable, and mineral—
whether produced in the earth, or on the earth. In
animal productions, for instance, they would have
enormous elephants' tusks from Africa, with their
conversion into Sheffield handles. They would have
leather from Russia and Morocco; beaver from
Baffin's Bay; wood from Australia, Thibet, and
Sussex; silks from Asia and from Europe; and furs
from the Esquimaux. They would, perhaps, have
some valuable and hitherto unknown manufactures
from the East Indies ' • for he was happy to tell
them that the Court of Directors intended to exhibit
the beat of everything that India could furnish.
They had reason to think also that the Australian
and other public companies would not be backward
in aiding them on this occasion. With respect to
vegetable productions, they would have the cotton of
Asia to compare with the cotton of America ; they
would have corn from Poland, Russia, and all
the English counties, as well as from what he might
call the virgin soil of Connemara. They would then
have cora from the Baltic and from England—they
would have spices from the East—Kent and Sussex
would send their hops—Malabar its raisins, and the
Pyrenees their olives. The exhibition, therefore,
would be of universal interest to all who cultivated
the soil. With respect to minerals—there would be
gold from California and from the East Indies, silver
from Mexico and from Russia, iron from Wales, from
Wolverhampton, and perhaps from Tonbridge Wells;
for perhaps the meeting did not know that the iron
rails round St. Paul's Church were manufactured at
Tonbridge Wells from ore found in the neighbour-
hood. They would have clays from Bideford, from
Truro, and perhaps from Putney; for the meeting
might recollect that close by Vauxhall-bridge there
was an enormous manufacture of certain d•scrip-
tions of pottery ware carried on. They would
have steam-engines in endless variety, and
in all their applications, with machines of
all descriptions, including the most ingenious
invention of Messrs. Whitworth, of Manches-
ter, which would enable those who desired it to
measure the 50.0Q0th tart of
An inch mt _ „uuku
have looms from Dacca to contrast with the last new
powerloom, and the old spindle, that was still in use
among the Egyptians, to be placed side by side with
the modern flax-wheel from Belfast. They would
have paper machines 'of every description; and one
eminent manufacturer had said to him, that if it was
practicable, and he thought it might be, he would
bring up a machine where a bundle of rags was put
in at one end, and twenty feet farther on a large sheet
of elephant drawing-paper would be produced. In
printing presses, they might expect Mr. Applegarth
to produce his machine by which 10,000 perfect
copies of the Times newspaper were completed in
one hour. With regard to manufactures, he need
hardly detain them with the details of what was ex-
pected in that class. From India they would have
manufactures of which they knew nothing. The
nankeens of India were hardly ever seen now; for
the Indian consumers found it more profitable to send
the raw material to this country to be spun and woven
here, than to do as they had been accustomed to do,
make the fabrics themselves and send them to this
country to be consumed. But still there remained in
India, as in other parts of the world, various in-
digenous manufactures, which might furnish hints
to the manufacturers of this country. In the de-
partment of plastic art and sculpture there would be
an exhibition of all articles relating to the building
art and architecture, to ornamental metals, and to
bronzes. He now came to the question of a site for
this exhibition, for which, at least in the first instance,
the buildings must be temporary. Government had
offered the area of Somerset House for the site of the
exhibition ; or, if that should not be considered de-
sirable, on any other ground of which they might have
the disposal. His Royal Highness had suggested a
piece of vacant ground on the south side of Hyde-
park, running parallPl with what was called Rotten-
row. The particular advantage of this site, in the
eye of the Prince, was—that for rich and poor it bad
an equally good access—that whether a visitor rode
in an omnibus or drove up in his private carriage, he
would be equally well off in the approach to the
ground.—(Hear.) The next point to be settled was
as to the expediency of giving large prizes. Foreign
Governments were accustomed to do so, and it was
deemed necessary to give large prises in order to in-
duce the manufacturers of the world to enter
,
into the competition. He should say that
20,0001. would be offered in prizes on this
occasion ; but how it was to be apportioned
would be matter for subsequent consideration. It
was proposed to organize an executive to arrange
matters, with the co-operation of the Government, and
all details would be settled by the executive. The
next question was, how the funds were to be pro-
cured? A good deal of trouble had been taken to
investigate that question, and the result had been, that
it was thought better for every one to pay what he
pleased, than that the expense should be taken com-
pulsorily out of the general taxation of the country.
In other countries, no doubt, Governments were
ac-
custorned to do these things ; but other. countries_e
were accustomed to do a number of things which. h ,
for one, believed Englishmen were in the habit of
(Loud cheers.)
doing much better for themselves.—(Loud
He believed that no Government works were ever
completed so perfectly as our countrymen were in the
habit of doing them for themselves. Throughout Eng.
land he had found there was a unanimous feeling that
the Government should not be called upon to pay any
part of the expense, but that everybody should
pay his half-crown, or what he pleased, towards
the exhibition. There was a little mixed
feeling on the subject in Scotland.—(Laughter.)
One gentleman, an eminent manufacturer in Paisley,
whose name he would not mention, said he consi-
dered that this was a great national work, to be car-
ried on for the national benefit, and therefore he
thought that Government should bear a moiety of the
expense ; and he carried a number of gentlemen with
him in a resolution that it was expedient to ask the
Government to pay one-half the expense. He (Mr.
Cole) did not think such a proposition had yet been
made to the Government, and therefore he could not
say how it would be received; but the feeling of the

SUPPOSED CASE OF CATALEPSY.
BRISTOL, 0cr.15.---A most extraordinary instance,
as connected with the present visitation of cholera,
has just occurred here, and which, however the in-
vestigation to be instituted may ultimately end, can-
not fail of proving of the greatest interest to scientific
men and the public generally. On Friday morning,
at half-past nine o'clock, Mr. Byron Blythe, residing
at Orchard-street, in this city, son of a gentleman of
independent property residing at London, and ne-
phew of Mr. Blythe, of the firm of Blythe and Green,
the celebrated shipowners, of London,was apparently
taken with cholera, and the disease, in spite of medi-
cal aid, soon assumed a most alarming appearance,
and notwithstanding the unremitting attentions of
Dr. Green, Dr. Wallis, and Mr. Kelson, he gradually
sank, and about half-past two o'clock on Saturday
morning it was supposed that he had expired. When
Dr. Green left him late on Friday night he considered
that there were exhil,;tV • ...••
.de kne turfy our of six o clock on Satur-
day morning he got up for the purpose of visiting him.
On his way he was met by a person who told him that
Mr. Blythe was dead, but that if he wished he could
see the body. Dr. Green was rather surprised at the
suddenness of the occurrence, and on examining the
body he found that it was still warm. He, however,
at the time did not think much of this, and gave a
certificate that the supposed deceased had died from
the effect of malignant cholera. He added that he
would call on the following morning. He did so, and
found that in the interim the body had been screwed
down' but as the carpenter was present he insisted
upon having him unscrewed. The body was covered
with sawdust, on the removal of which there were no
traces of decomposition, and it was still warm. Dr.
Green accordingly ordered that the body should not
be interred till he had again seen it, and he proceeded
to Dr. Wallis and Mr. Kelson, and informed them of
the circumstances of the case. All the medical gen-
tlemen again saw the body at nine o'clock on Sunday
morning, and appointed another meeting for twelve
o'clock, in the meantime directing that the funeral
should not take place. At that time they were accom-
panied by Dr. Gillow, of Clifton, and Mr. James
Ford, merchant, of this city, with whom the
deceased had been placed for instruction. Mr.
Gore, the celebrated galvanist, was likewise
present. The body was still warm, and they
accordingly resolved to make some experiments
upon it. They first injected the veins with warm salt
and water, but without producing any effect. They
then subjected the body to powerful galvanic shocks,
which had the effect of changing the colour and ren-
dering the hands snore supple. It likewise produced
a frothing at the mouth, but there were no other per-
ceptible signs of life. The body was then ordered to
be laid out in the usual manner out of a coffin, and
without any sawdust or anything about it. After
lying the whole of the night up to the hour at which
I write (five P.m.), this day (Monday), the extraor-
dinary appearance of warmth still remains, and, con-
trary to the ordinary appearance of a body deceased
of cholera, there are not as yet any signs of decompo-
sition. The body will be removed this evening to the
Cholera Hospital, at St. Peter's, when some further
experiments will be instituted. It is a somewhat sin-
gular fact that about a fortnight since the deceased, if
deceased he be, in conversation with the landlord of
his house, said, " that if he died of cholera he should
like to be stabbed in the heart, so that he might, be
certain not to be buried alive." This case exhibits
peoerrdh,aps an
ds some of the m
the
e results
uaroes t singular no
l ookedforwpahredtmoehnea on
withre-
cord,
relatives
en g r w
of
fs
Mr.pt haet
chdis-
hiegdh
teos tLionj2t
de roens
t. Aton c qsupaeicnita 1 t hmee
Blythe with his supposed death, and they have since
arrived at Bristol.

BRISTOL, OCT. IY.—AII doubts as to the fate of
the unfortunate young man, Mr. Byron Blythe, are
now set at rest, decomposition having set in. To the
surviving relatives it must be in the highest degree
satidactory to know, not only that the utmost medi
cal skill of Bristol has been employed, if it were pos-
sible, to preserve the vital spark. By direction of
the coroner, at the request of the friends of the de-
ceased, an inquiry into the circumstances of the case
was commenced this day at the Albion Tavern,
Princes-street. No evidence was taken, but after the
jury had viewed the body, the inquest was adjourned
for some days. For the convenience of inspection,
the body had been removed to Lewis's stables,
Middle-avenue, Queen- square, leading to Princes-
street, and on viewing the body, which was laid in a
coffin dressed in the cereclothes, the head and face
were found to exhibit signs ofdecomposition ; the
arms also were quite blue, and the body presented
traces of decomposition. The undertaker, who was
present, by the direction of the coroner, ripped up the
cereclothes, so that the arms might be distinctly vi-
sible. The body will be interred to-day in the ce-
metery. As some valuable medical testimony will be
adduced at the approaching inquest, it would be pre-
mature to enter into any" explanation of the causes
of the somewhat singular phenomena which have
been exhibited in this case. It is stated that a
poet mortem examination will be made by four me-
dical geutlerneu prior to the interment.