The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-17 00:00:00

(111.

M(N

T. HE GREAT EXHIBITION.

Y a iterday the sum of 3,008/. Os. was taken in
Ts at the doors, and 1/. for the sale of a season
-=l u' The number of visitors according to the
I.;c 3
returns was 62,622. It will be seen that the
near approach of the time when the Exhibition is to
be el osed begins to tell upon the masses, and before
the j
of
othfengexretamt odnistphlaiyt is expected pbece
teddemthoantsttrhaeted in larit~P°Pu;
mane er the most unmistakeable and impressive. The
sensat ion of freshness and the first delightful feelings
of novelty have gone, but a general conviction appears
to be E. ntertained that the Exhibition cannot termi-
nate i an unworthy or undignified manner, and that
that E ent will be celebrated by a ceremony which,
if not equal to the opening, will at least be worthy
of and ;in perfect harmony with it. In the mean.
time ti a, a sale of season tickets continues, founded
in all ? robability on the strength of that impression.
everyT e eat method of appropriating the surplus is
lay becoming a mutter of greater interest,
and mu re keen discussion among the leading men
connect e d with the Exhibition. Upon one point
all the •ojectors seem :4gr,,ed—namely, that it should
be fund .e d for future emergencies, and that the inte-
rest Orel: should be considered available for such
schernea ,als it may be deemed expedient to carry out
in the ne ,antiree. This is an important matter on
which to secure ureseiteity;
for if, after a given
number of years, it is found desirable to have another
Great Exhi Wition, by a prudent economy at present
we shall la:ut the means of doing so on a worthy
scale secured to us. There is something also in the
character of this surplus, coming toit.h;iem the Royal Com-
mission alma st like a supernatural
gift from good
genius of th s Crystal Palace, which forbids that it
should be ea:pended on schemes of a hazardous and
doubtful ch; ',meter. If they let it slip through their
fingers the y will not easily get such a sum of
money for the promotion of industrial exhibitions
again collected. It would be folly to rely on Go-
vernment fi it assistance, and the public might not be
disposed tr• support so warmly a second time with
their subscriptions an undertaking in the first in.
stance reconnmended by its novelty and by the direct
patronage of the Crown. Industry and provident
habits should go hand in hand, and the Royal Com-
mission cannot do wrong in funding the surplus.
The urxanimity that prevails upon this point is a
pledge that it will be so, but, before it is done, there
are; certain debts of honour which the Commission
have to discharge, and which it is in every way
desirable that they should meet in a liberal spirit..
When the plan of a great exhibition was still in em,
bryo, its expensiveness certain, and its emcee".
doubtful, it was prudently determined to keep tie.°
outlay incurred within the strictest control. A scale
of salaries and remuneration was, under the cir-
cumstances, laid down, totally inadequate to the
services to be performed, and so far was this carried
that some of the most important and indispensable
labours of the Exhibition have been discharged with-
out any recompense whatever. To specify names
would be invidious where so many have been pe-
cuniary sufferers, by an undertaking which their un-
tiring exertions and ability mainly brought, to a tri-
umphant termination. The Commission, however, are
quite aware of the facts. To stop short in the midst of
a man's regular pursuits, and to devote many months
entirely to an. episodical scheme like the Exhibition,
is no ordinary exercise of self. denial and risk for a
public object,. To do this, and to be shabbily paid
for services of the most arduous and responsible
character, 'would, with a large surplus in hand, be ta
case of extreme hardship and injustice. If th
Commission chose to stand upon the strict letter .ef
the law, they could saddle the contractors with a
heavy loss for having dared to build the Cry stal
Palace ; they could dismiss Mr. Paxton wifts an
empty expression of thanks for his brilliant dosign.
They could quietly overlook the claims of suc.'a men
as Professor Ansted and Dr. Lindley, bringing to
their gratuitous labours the highest scientific attain.
merits. Even their Executive Committee might be
coolly set aside, with one of its acting -members,
entirely unrewarded, and another with his previous
position unimproved and his paramount claims unre-
cognised. The public do not feel as much at present
as they will do when they have had more time to con-
sider how the praises, the honours, and the rewards
connected with the origin and fulfilment of the Great
Exhibition should be apportioned. Their eyes are
naturally drawn to the formal and official heads of
the undertaking, and the merits of those who have
worked under them and been content to veil their
exertions under the shade of a subordinate position,
have been concealed from view. These .things, how-
ever, cannot always remain unknown, and as it is one
of the most conspicuous features of the great indus-
trial display in Hyde-park to raise up obscure talent
and proclaim excellence from wheresoever it comes,
we trust that the Royal Commission in dealing with
their staff of officials will set a worthy example of the
principles they recognize. They did not originate
the scheme of the Great Exhibition—they did not
watch over it during its precarious infancy—they
did not get the Prince to stand godfather to it, and,
with a boldness unusual among Royal personages,
pin his name sad reputation to its success. The un-
dertaking had been well developed, and taken a firm
hold upon the public mind before the Commission
existed—nor will it escape observation that the list
of Commissioners does not contain one individual
except the Prince whose name can be considered as
largely mixed up with the Exhibition from the out-
set. This is not said in disparagement of their use-
fulness, fur that has been undoubted. They concen-
trated an immense amcunt of favourable influence
upon the undertaking. They raised it above soy
suspicion of jobbery or partiality, and they gave it
that prestige of high supervision to which in this
country so much consequence is attached. Individual
members, especially Lord Granville, rendered most
important services, and the proceedings of the body
have, on the whole, beers characterized by great
judgment and good sense. Still it is necessary to
bear in mind that the chief credit and éclat of the
Exhibition do not belong to them. Upon this state of
matters comes the question of remuneration ; and, as
the surplus is a fair fund upon which to draw for such
a purpose, the distribution of rewards which must take
place may easily be managed in such a way as to satisfy
every reasonable expectation. The Commission seek
to propitiate exhibitors and jurors by an extensive dis-
tribution of medals, certificates, and reports. Their
staff of officials is more under their control, and less
likely to be obstreperous, should the claims of its mem-
bers be overlooked. We cannot, however, suppose
that as a body the Royal Commission can be capable
of such ingratitude as their legal position enables them
to practise with impunity. They have not yet, it is
true, shown any decided inclination to lay the honours
and praises which have been heaped upon them at the
feet of the subordinates, but perhaps they are reserving
their acknowledgments for the close of the Exhibition,
and are preparing to publish the awards to their staff
contemporaneously with those of thej uries to exhibitors.
Two additions have recently been made to the
United States' department which are well worthy of
notice. The first is the Maynard primer, a substi-
tution for the percussion cap, which is simply a coil
of paper, at intervals in which spots of detonating
powder are placed. The action of the doghead car-
ries out from the chamber in which it is contained
this cheap and self-acting substitute for the ordinary
guu apparatus, which is a vast economy in expense as
well as in time. In its character the invention is one
easily adapted to every de-
scriptionrearmeng
siat present commonly in use, and
which admits
of
fitfis of b
dm
that at a trifling cost. Another remarkable addition
to the American department is a service of gold
plate, presented to Mr. Collins, of steam navigation
celebrity, by the city of New York, and the metal
composing which was, only three months ago, still
lying undiscovered in the diggings of California.
Within that wonderfully brief period the gold has
been found, brought to New York, and manufactured,
without alloy, by Messrs. Ball, Tompkins, and Black,
into a series of articles highly creditable to their good
taste. There is nothing in the Exhibition at all corn-
parable to the auriferous brilliancy of colour which
this Californian plate possesses, and for that reason,
alone it is well worthy of inspection. One of the
patent bank locks which Mr. Hobbs recommends le
at present in the hands of an expert English mechanic,
who is endeavouring to pick it. Mr. Hobbs has, it
is said, afforded to our countryman every facility
that was at all reasonable, and has even handed over
to him another lock exactly similar to that on which
he is operating, in order that be may have the most
complete means for examining the principle on which
it is constructed.—Morning Paper.

THE FATAL FIRE AT ROTHERRAIII.--Mr. Badger,
the coroner, held an inquest on Monday, on view of the
bodies of Ann Nicholson, aged 82, and Jane Taylor, her in-
fant granddaughter, whose deaths were caused by the con-
flagration which took place at the Black Horse, Rotherham,
on Sunday morning: The calamitous circumstance has

made a deep impression on the engrosses-publicmind,andii a great degree of attention from the fact of Mrs. Nicholson's
grandson, Joseph Nicholson Rave, being suspected of hay-
ing designedly set fire to the house. He and his grandmother
have frequently quarrelled about money matters. 101. in
cash, and a number of silver spoons, are missing from a chest
in an upper room. Mrs. Harriet Taylor identified the bodies
of her mother and daughter, and stated that her mother and
Kaye (witness's own sun by a former husband) had fre-
quently quarrelled about money, and some property that had
been left to Nvitness by her brother. Kaye had also wished
to know where deceased kept her money. Police-sergegriet
Hudson said he had caused the rubbish in the kitcheneto b
riddled, in seareh of the old woman's valuables, but
oily found 2s. in copper and three oFfour
the silver
inquest was
After some further evidence had beener
adjourned to Thursday week, in o_uring other important
have ample opportunity of proc police might
I evidence. d taken,
that tba

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