The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-27 00:00:00

The Crystal Pa ace.

The thirteenth season, commencing on Mayday'
is one of great promise. During the past six mantm-
greatear
the number of visitors has been considerably
than in any former year. Taking the whole peri°,
during which the Palace has been open, these
months have, as compared with the same period 01
previous years, shown an excess of more than 68
per cent., thus showing how much recent additional
facilities for reaching the Palace are rendering it
available as a place of winter resort. The seas°
tickets also show a large increase.
The programme of the new season, commencing
on the Ist May, comprises an unusually varied list
of special attractions. On May-day a great concer
of 5,000 voices will be given by children and otber!
connected with the metropolitan schools, conducted
by Mr. G. W. Martin. Ethardo will also re-appear'
his lofty pole for the nonce being converted inte3
gigantic May-pole. On the following day Air' c
•
Dickens has kindly undertaken to give a reading
" Little Dombey." Other specialities intervenet
and on the following Saturday, May 5, the concere
season will be inaugurated by a great performancd
on the Handel orchestra of Handel's " Aeis
an
Galatea Mdlle. Titiens, Signori Gardoni 3"
Stagno, with Mr. Stanley, being the principal
vocalists. The band of the company, largely reli"-
forced, and a chorus of nearly 1,000 careful*:
selected voices, under the direction of Mr.
will, it is anticipated, present this favourite seren.%.
of Handel's in a manner worthy of the occasion
Eight other opera concerts will follow on Saturdal'
Seven of these will be supported by such a care
fully-selected arrangement of artistes of Iler ~n.,
jesty's Theatre, and by solo instrumentalists (I'l,ll
eluding Madame Arabella Goddard, &c.) as Nvi„
render each concert of this series specially interest
-
111 g.
The Great Flower Show of the Season will be held
under the most favourable auspices on SaturdaYt
the 12th May. As a feature of additional interest,
and to afford additional accommodation, the beau-
tiful gardens of Rockhills, adjoining the Palace, 3110
the residence of the late Sir Joseph Paxton, will
thrown open to visitors. As in front of the surrounut
ing verandah there is growing one of the largest
trees of Wisteria Sinensis in the country, and as.:
the time of this great show it will be in full beauty'
such an opportunity affords additional interest s
the great show of the coming season. These gardel3nt
will be again thrown open on the day of the Gre-
Rose Show, Saturday, June 23. Col-
The revels on behalf of the Royal Dramatic
lege will also be held early in July ; but, preba"-L'e
the most popular day (or rather evening) will be t.
11
great display of fireworks, and grand illunain3tl°r-
of fountains, water temples, and temples, and CF.
dens, on Thursday, the 17th of May, the daY rus
lowing the Derby race at Epsom. Prepar3t'%),
have long been making for this event, and it 1-
excite no little sensation.
Many other concerts and fetes, including thoe
ty j
archery fête, great gymnastic gathering of nn
interest, great meetings of various sorts, will -
to swell up the numbers. in
At no time have the palace and grounds been
31
better condition, nor have more objects of spec'
interest been accessible to visitors. The placingof
all these specialties within reach of a guinea se3soa
ticket has been attended with complete success, sole
as the High Level Railway—actuated byehe !oil
liberal views—grant the Crystal Palac o'lao
ticket holders the privilege of an annual first-e
railway ticket from either Ludgate or Victoria,
ible
Crystal Palace may now be considered as accesso,
as a concert room or theatre in the heart of Lel/ Itir
combined with the finest site in the world for 110
c. ful recreation and enjoyment.

OVERLAND ROUTE.—We observe that the CO'
pany which was formed for the purpose of eStabl,,iS,
ing hotels in India and China, and elsewhere on the 1.-0
between England and the British settlements in li'dia:ts,
China, have just completed the first of their establishloe-ii.
which is to be opened at Point de Gallo imoledlabt,eolll
Another is in course of building at Cairo in EgyPt• et"
of those will, we have reason to believe, have everY "°ooo
fort and convenience of the best English hotels. telo
who has been along this route must feel how mud' '''c'ta!
the
fthis description are required, and we only till
"
success which there is every reason to exPec
c, to
attend the first efforts of the company, will be such aot
induce them gradually to extend their system over Vg:.Joi,s ;
India, and China, in all of which countries hotel 3c'Aai
modation suitable to the requirements of the present
"
is so much wanted.
'lO
THORNTON AND WILBERFORCE.—It was a curse f
spectacle to watch the two menwithiu the 11°110,t;y,
Commons. The member fore o
tall aDd „ea
sat listening attentively to the debate, weighing *3.100
word, and arriving at length, after a full hearing at ti ictieg
decision. Wilberforce, eager, lively, restless, was wr-
notes on the debate ; now dipping his pen in the tr ttir
sputtering it, as he handled it awkwardly, °ve,,L OS.
P
Thomas Baring's nankeens; then jumping u is uw-r:
and dancing round his friend with oed
to set the house in a roar; then seated again, he re° old
his attention, followed the arguments, whispered 112'°.0.1th
Bankes's ear a witty sally, which convulsed hi 10.,„; "S'
laughter; then, attracted by some speaker on the ."-,-,01,10
terial bench, he nodded assent, and smiled, and 111°1.e', I;er
head and body in curious contortions ; but wheog' s.ll,elasf4'
rose on the opposite side, ho lifted up his oY°' till
watched him, and followed attentively his word °
caught by some
subtlei,o rd sophism
hismPeotfy b l'ooCgr°l:it:
clever statement of
feel doubtful and embarrassed. Musing over tlro
observing how much was said on both sidnbell
wavers and cannot make up his mind. Thus Per.'" the
he begins to ask himself how he should vote. UP o,le:erf
eye-glass; he scans the benches till he discovers '-';,,able
Thornton in his seat. Away he darts, all eagerness, /31-f b°'
as a boy, but anxious and full of scruples, seats Illr6se-ges"
side his friend, and pours out his doubts. He itrglies;:tecl
ticulates, and inquires, in an eloquent torrent of iv°r-, 'OO
thoughts. Tho answer soon comes, short and clear,'e et°
case stated with a lawyer's astuteness, the argili;ffleet
summed up with a judge's discernment, the itlixliiber'
luminous as a sunbeam. Delighted and satisfied, "noi7
force returns to his seat, settled and at rest.—C°l4
Book on Wioerforclandltio Friends.