The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-17 00:00:00

THE PROPOSED PEOPLE'S PALACE.

The proposal to. erect " The Palace of the
People" at Muswell-hill, in Middlesex, however
startling at first sight, deserves the careful exami-
nation of every true friend of popular education,
and especially of those who reside during any
portion of the year in this great metropolis.
It would be superfluous to dilate on the advan-
tages and attractions of the Crystal Palace. They
have been felt and appreciated by millions of our
own countrymen and by numbers of foreigners.
The practical question to consider is, What opening
remains for another institution of the same charac-
ter, and what are its chances of success ?
Now, amidst the bewilderment of the fairy
scene at Sydenham, it has often struck us that the
design which is embodied there, viz., the combina-
tion of instruction and amusement, admitted of
great expansion and of more systematic arrange-
ment. The founders of " The Palate of the
People ° propose to accomplish this—with what
success time only can show; but, if we are not
mistaken, they have touched a chord which will
vibrate throughout the country, by placing in the
foreground that most national of all topics—
English History. What an abundance of rich
material must now be scattered through the private
dwellings and collections of England which is
comparatively worthless in an isolated form, but
which, when well grouped together and chronolo-
gically arranged, would constitute a pictorial
history of 'England for ages to tome. -We cite
this merely as a proof of the goodness of the
design if carried out with honesty and ability.
Other subjects will, of course, commend them-
selves to those who make them their special study.

As respects the locality, the case presented by
the " Palace of the People " seems irresistible.
We do not so much allude to the beauty of the
situation, although that is of no mean importance,
as to the fact that the Palace will form the centre
of a population within easy walking or riding dis-
tance, four times as large as that which surrounds
the Crystal Palace, and amounting in the aggre-
gate to one million and a-half of souls. For the
whole of this district there is poSitively no institu-
tion of a similar character which is readily accessi-
ble; and when to this mass of ordinary customers is
superadded the visitors from the country, by the
Great Northern, Eastern Counties, London and
North-Western, and Great Western Railways, it
appears to us that the undertaking can never
lack support, if it is only worthily organised and
maintained.
The last question is, " Will it pay P" Now,
although the foregoing remarks go far to furnish a
reply, we should view with some apprehension the
application of an equal amount of capital to that
expended at Sydenham. But we are assured by
, the promoters that all their design can be accom-
plished for less than half the capital of the Crystal
Palace, and that there will remain at the disposal
of the company 300 acres of building land for re-
sale, whose value must be greatly enhanced on the
opening of the Palace. This needs no demonstra-
tion after what has been experienced by land-
owneis at Sydenham ; and, all we can say in con-
clusion is that, if the company, when duly organised,
can give sufficient. pledges for the- realisation-of
what is put forth in the preliminary announcement,
they will have established valid claims to the
support not only of the friends of popular education
and innocent amusement, but to those more cautious
members of society who weigh well the merits of
-an investment.—Morning Paper.

WAREHOUSEMEN AND CLERKS' SCHOOLS.—The
fifth anniversary of this useful and highly prosperous insti-
tution was celebrated yesterday evening, at the London
Tavern, under the presidency of the Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor. Dinner was laid for 200, After the close of his
lordship's address the subscription lists wore read, and a
collection announced 'amounting in the whole to £1,152.
The health of the Lord Mayor was proposed by Mr. Samuel
Morley, and duly responded to by the chairman, and some
other toasts having been disposed of the company sepa-
rated.

SUICIDE OF A LICENSED VICTUALLER IN HAT-
TON-GARDEN. Yesterday morning Mr. Brent, deputy
coroner for West Middlesex, proceeded with an inquiry at
the Globe Tavern, corner of Charles-street, Hatton-garden,
touching the death of the late proprietor of that house, Mr.
John Draper. The deceased's remains, • yhen viewed by
the coroner and jury, presented a shocking spectacle,. from
a severe gash in the throat, and a gunshot wound in the
head.—Joseph Skidmore Draper, son of the deceased land-
lord, who was convulsed with grief, found his father dead
between ten and eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. He
knocked at the door, but receiving- no answer he and his
brother forced it open, when they found the deceased lying
on the ground in a pool of blood. They sent for Mr.
Gibson and Mr. Pollock, surgeons. Two barmaids slept in
the adjoining room, but never heard the slightest report of
the gun. Witness saw the deceased on Saturday night in
his usual health. He had taken a house at Barnes and
was going to take possession of it on Monday.—Mr. R.
Gibson, surgeon, said ho was called at half-past ten
in on
Sunday morning, and found him lying on the ground a
pool of blood, from five cuts in his throat, and a gun-shot
wound under the chin, with a razor lying by his side.—
After other corroborative evidence had been given, the
coroner briefly summed up, and the jury returned a verdict
of Temporary Insanity.
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOIY.—At the election of
Lord Rector, on Monday, the candidates brought forward
were Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Lord Shaftesbury, and
Mr. Charles Dickens. The vote stood as follows :
Bulwer. Shaftesbury. Dickens.
Natio Glottiana
Natio Loudoniana
Natio Transforthana 27 29 7
Natio Rothesayana 46 45 14

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