The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-26 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Six,—Many thanks to you for your able advocacy
of the cause of the Great Exhibition, the good efftects
of which will be felt long after its revilers are for-
gotten.

A morning paper, which desires to be the organ of
the Protectionist party, stated a short time since that
the expensed attending the conversion of the Crystal
Palace into a winter garden would be about three
times as much as Mr. Paxton showed would be ne-
cessary, and if this error goes forth uncontradicted
it may do a great deal of harm. Perhaps you will
do me the favour to state in your excellent journal
that Messrs. Fox and Henderson offered to glass
round the sides of the Palace, and put the roof in
perfect repair, for from 12,0001. to 15,0001., and not
32,0001., as stated in that journal, and to keep it in
perfect repair fur 21 years at 5,500/. a year, and not
16,000/., which the ingenious writer put down es
necessary for incidental expenses and Mr Paxton,
besides 30 0001., which was modesly stated as ne-
cessary for plants. Tnese misstatements show how weak
their cause must be; Equally so, in my humble opinion,
are the objections of some few tradesmen of the West
wh t aver that a winter garden will draw the
fashionables and the loungers from Regent street
mid B tod-street, and then they will not see, and of
course cannot buy, their goods so muoh, as though
they mere Confined to the ,a.hi thable streets in their
protnenides. Ibsurd as this appear., thr, I assure
you it is a fict, this rti 'tie begitottog and the end of
their argument ; they mall, hive no hind. else to
say, except a few. who, tiot:litig such arguments un-
terrible, reply—" Trade WAR very bid In months
of April and May, an't all y‘tu say shall not mike me
behove hut it was the Ex,iihition which caused i.."
Now, Sir, I would ask, are we to be deprived of a
winter warden, and that beautiful structure to be
puled down, b-cause a few rich tradesmen (.4,ht)
ought to know bettar), entertain such silly nutiona
as thes- ? When towns on the Continent have
their Winter Wardens, and our country cousins have
determined to build one for their own use, shall it
bj said that the Londoners, who want a place of this
kind more than any others—havirg a building up
sad ready for such a purpose, and money in hand to
pay for it—were so foolish as to throw the
chance away on such weak grounds as those
I have stated, or, indeed, on any others
which have been alleged against it ? The
Londoners have had the credit of being rather
sharp fellows, but if the Crystal Palace be not de-
voted to some useful purpose, rely on it we shall not
only be laughed at, but our country friends and fo-
reigners will, as the Tines justly observed, think us
stark staring mad.

A Noble-Lord is represented to have said, " al-
though there had been many petitions presented to
Parliament in favour of retaining the building, yet
there bad not been many from London." I know
there are many, like myself, who never thought it
necessary, nor never knew where to find one for
signature in Westminster, though I saw there was
one presented. I maintain that we ought not to be
called on to call meetings for the agitation of this
subject; this cannot be done without incurring great
expense. I subscribed to the building fund, and so
did many others, believing that if there were funds
sufficient at the close of the Exhibition, they would be
devoted to the purchasing of the building for some
useful national purpose. it is really too bad, after
such great success, to ask us to spend more money
for the attainment of this desirable object. Allow
me to add, in conclusion, that whatever is an attrac-
tion to London must tend to enrich her citizens ; and
the metropolis cannot have an additional palace or
museum without its being an object of great interest
and an honour to the whole kingdom.
Apologising for the length of this letter, I beg leave
to subscribe myself, yours respectfully,
COMMON SENSE.
P.S.—When the Crystal Palace is applied to somz
useful purpose, would not "National Palace" be a
better name ? 0 sly think, Sir, of a citizen of
Berlin, Vienna, er Hamburgb, asking their Govern-
ment to tall,. away their winter garden, because it
injured their trade! !!
Aug.2l, 1851.

THE DAT CF
thelil Et
stl%ro-I::::::nr)ne.onl:bit:,:n,invgPt"hrrs:ungsborriutigthhet
help themselvr, as some do, by remembering;
tell, atid by permanently
year on what day
t which agrees with
remembering the,limrt day of each t
thew ettiiimiertddiyay
aonfdt hhe,y6e air;
of Thus
augur
tthisis ptriew,rtee.htn3e•ei l‘r%,e,esbdet,g,tieaest:ki.to);e,
am are the I ith. 20th. 27th. Bs' th folluwtog l
to the inipethe inmy be kept in mind:—
&
The mt. of October, you 11 find if y u try,
The Second of Atoll. as well as July.
The third of Sep. ember, which rhymes to December,
The fou.th day of June, and no other r member,
The Nib of the leap-month, of Mach, and Novembe-.
She
i
t‘xth
he fi danit of ey ot August and seventh of May,
w
But in lea Year in the name of the day;
p-year, when leap month has been duly reckoned,
These month-dates will show, not the firer but the wand.
"a and Queries/.