The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-06 00:00:00

proof of labour, though as a general rule few suc-
cesses are attained without it. Certainly the Art
Treasures Exhibition has been no exception to the
general rule. What has been bestowed upon it in
gratuitous. labour alone would hive almost raised a
pyramid. Its indefatigable managers have had to
contend with difficulties of ali-kiruls--g—s' cientifie,
tural, artistic, mechanical, and, though last not least,
crochety and impracticable peeple. Diligence alone
would not have beenoufficient to vanquish all the
obstacles. To get ready the Palace by the ap-
pointed time required no slight effort, and even
those most confident in the indomitable energy of
Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Deane might have been ex-
cused for doubting its feasibility. On the very
evening before the opening sufficient remained t
be dono to dismay all but those connected with the
Exhibition. Its aspect then, compared with the
rich and tasteful appearance of yesterday morn-

ing, was quite chaotic. Masses of inlaid s'eel had
to be built up into warriors, armed cap-a-pie, with
visor down and lance in rest. Antique weapons of
eccentric form were to be placed in striking groups.
Miniatures were to be arranged, paintings hung,
gildings and rich draperies substituted for benches,
tools, and scattered shavings. Piles of wooden
cases, from out of which white marble arms and
noses peeped forth inquiringly, had still• to be
opened, and their exquisite contents placed upon
their pedestals, while the hangings, gildings, and
decorations generally required to be completed.
Almost all things, however, are possible to those
who work, as the sailors say, " with a will." The
labour proceeded amid an indescribable din of ham-
mers and saws and the sound of many voices, and
as the evening approached the great display grew
hourly towards perfection of arrangement. It was
found necessary to keep'llie men at work all night,
but with the exception of a few minor details,
all was completed in good titre. Even as
early as six o'clock Manchester began to be on the
stir for the great day. Punctuality is a virtue by
no means so much confined to Princes as people
generally suppoSe. At all events, the outdoor
sight-seers appeared determined to err on the right
side.; and excursion trains from the districts round
Manchester•began to set down their heavy loads
even before Prince Albert had quitted London.
Almost continuous streams swept along the roads
from the various railway stations, while vehicles of
the primitive description, packed like slave-ships,
turned out of every lane and byway. No cart, how-
ever ricketty, seemed to be thought unequal to the
weight of six inside. This confidence in most cases
appeared to be justified, and until yesterday we
never had a proper appreciation of what carts will
hold and horses draw.
At the Cheadle station of the London and
North-Western Rsilway as much preparation had
been made for the reception of the Prince
and his suite as was possible on a few hours'
notice. The station is at Cheadle Hulme, more
than two miles from the village of Cheadle, and at
the point of junction with the North Staffordshire
line to Macclesfield and the Potteries. It is a very
small one, and at present is in course of re-erection
after de'truction by fire ; but it was elaborately
decorated for the occasion. The offices were adorned
with evergreens, banners, and the Royal arms, and
inscriptions breathing the customary affectionate
aspirations for the health and long life of the Sove-
' reign and her family. The small covered platform
on the opposite side, where his Royal Highness
was to descend, was converted into a sort of pavi-
lion, decked with a profusion of laurels and ivy,
and with crimson and white drapery in festoons
and panels. The ground was covered with scarlet
cloth ; the air was enlivene I by a multitude of gay
streamers floating at a great elevation, and the
bridges over which the two railways cross the road
to Cheadle had put on as much of the appearance
of triumphal arches as they were able to assume in
the limited time allowed for the purpose.
- Immense crowds of people had collected long be.
fore the expected arrival, and a great number of
well-dressed ladies and gentlemen wore gathered on
the station platforms and the numerous approaches,
or in vehicles placed at every point which afforded
a view. Order was maintained by a detachment of
the Cheshire constabulary, under the charge of Mr
Superintendent Andrews, from Stockport, and they
afterwards dispersed themselves along the road by
which the Prince and his suite proceeded to
Cheadle. Au escort of the 7th Dragoon Guards,
under the command of Lieut. Dowdes well, was also
in attendance at the station. On the spot were
Lieut.-Gen. Sir H. Smith, G.C.8., commandant of
the midland districts ; Col. Taylor, adjutant-gene-
ral ; Mr. Atkinson, High Sheriff of Cheshire, and
his chaplain ; and the Mayor and Town-clerk of
Manchester. •

Tkie Royal train, which left London at 6 20,
arrived at the Cheadle station at 25 minutes
past 11 o'clock, and Prince Albert descended amid
the enthusiastic cheering of the assembled multi-

tude. His Royal Highness was immediately con-
ducted by Mr. Watts, the Mayor of Manchester, to
the carriage in waiting for him. His staff consisted
of Viscount Torrington, the Marquis of Aberoorn,
Gen. the Hon. C. Grey, Col. Ponsonby, and Cole
Seymour. The carriages were at onio formed in
procession, andstartad off at a rapid pace. A num-
ber of vehicles followed to the Mayor's residence, a
little beyond Cheadle, where Prince Albert was to
remain about an hour for rest and refreshment.
Abney-hall, the residence of Mr. Watts, is a large
and handsome mansion of red brick, with stone
facings, in the early Tudor style of architecture.
It is situated on the left or southern bank of the
Mersey, about six miles from Manchester, and
stands on a slight eminence, overlooking a richly
wooded country. Thegrounds are not large, but the
undulations of surface, the numerous plantations,
the lake, and,a rivulet crossed by rustic bridges,
present such a variety of features as gives the im-
pression of a somewhat considerable domain ; and
the house itself, with its noble conservatories and
'spacious offices surrounding a large courtyard, forms
a very extensive range of buildings. The whole of
the line of road from Cheadle Hulme to the Art
Treasures Palace preien'el a very animated appear-
ance. The numerous villages were thronged with
people, and as gay as possible with festive decora-
tions. Nearly all the private residences of the
wealthier classes displayed a flag or some other
sign of welcome in their front gardens, many of
which were filled with ladies and gentlemen anxious
to catch a glimpse of the brilliaut cortege as it shot
past them. At Cheadle the number of,banners and

s-Lreamers and the crowd of cheering spectators
made a most effective demonstration. At a little
distince beyond the entrance to the grounds of
Abney-hall was erect() l the first triumphal arch.
It was covered with coloureddrdpe,y and evergreens,
and presented a very tasteful appearance, being
surmounted with a gilt crown, a prufusion of small
and br,illiant banners, and bore in large letters on a
ground of pink the inscription, " Albert, welcome
to Cheadle." At the entrance to Didsbury a beauti-
ful rustic pirqb, composed almost entirely of ever-

greens, but decorated also with small banners, was
erected opposite the Wesleyan Co'lege. The inscrip-
tion here was "Welcome Prince Albert, to the Art
Treasures Exhibition." The long rows of c itag -s
at Barlow-moor, adjoining Didsbury, displayeA
great number of flags, and the footpaths and win-
dows were all crowded with people. He e was ano-
ther graceful arch of evergreens, in co!unins and
festoons, with the inscription of " Welcome, Prince
Albeit," and the letters " V. A." on each side.
The same design, but worked out with more ela-
boration, was reproduced in au arch at Withing-
ton. From Fallowfield, through Rustmline; to
Manchester, the road presented on ,t'ith,r side an
almost uninterrupted succession, for about two
miles, of suburban villas displaying banners or
streamers, with groups of people at every window
and on many of the roofs, all cheering the proces-
sion as it passed. The profusion of flags was ev.ery-
where very great, and at some places lines of them
were stretched across the road. Passing the boon-•
dary of the city the crowds became very dense, and
at the junction of Oxford-street with the Stretford-
road, leading to the Exhibition Palace;. the pres-
sure was so excessive as to render the preservation
of order a task of no little difficulty. The proces-
sion, which left Abney-hall about 1 b'clock, was
welcomed everywhere with enthusiastic cheers.- -It
was formed at starting iu exactly the same order as
on leaving the Cheadle station, but after crossing
the Mersey it was met and joined by the E trl of
Burlington, Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, and,
Charles Towneley,--High Sheriff of Lancashire.
"11-irprogress to the baundaay of the city was very
rapid. At that point the cortege was joined by the
Lord Bishop of Manchester, the staff of Sir Harry
Smith, and the municipal authorities, most of whom
appeared iu full official costume. In Oxford-street
the mili ary escort received a great augmentation
from the remainder of the 7th Dragoon Guards'un -
der Col. Bentinck ; and as the procession increased
in length its progress became much slower. From
Grosvenor-square to o.d Trafford--a straight line
of road of considerably more than a mile in extent
—the immense crowds of pe sple who lined each side
of the way, leaving only a narrow passage in the
centre, rendered locomotion exceeslingly difficult
and dangerous, and the cortege then proceeded at
little more than a walking pace. At various points
along the Stretford-road were stationed large bodies
from the societies of Odd Fellows, Druids, and Fo-
resters, who contributed materially towards preserv-

ingthe lines unbroken, and keeping the passage clear.
The cheering, waving of hats and haudkerchiers, the
banners and other decorations, the crowds on roots
and balconies, and immense wooden platforms
erected on patches of ground otherwise unoccupied,
formed an offering of hearty welcome such as has
seldom been surpassed. Alt the avenues lea-ling to
the Exhibition building were closely blocked ; va-
rious open spaces in the neighbourhood were com-
pletely covered with masses of human beings, and
the enthusiastic cheering of the populace when
Prince Albert at length arriVed at the Palace cer-
tified the public approbation of the important duty
which had brought him to Manchester.
The preparations which had been made for the
ceremony within the building were of the simplest
kind. The great central hall consists of a nave and
two side aisles, and is intersected near its western
extremity by the transept. A row of tall and
slender columns separates the nave from each of
the aisles, and the pillars are joined at the top by
light and open girders, which carry the semi-circu-
lar roof of the nave. The side wails are hung with

portraits of all principal personages in English
history and biography. Below them, on the floor,
are arranged in handsome cases the multitude of
objectsinivory, wood, bronze, and the precious me-
tals, which form the general museum of art. In front
of the columns, and within the nave itself on either
side are placed a double row of statues, extending
the entire length of the hall from the principal en-
trance to the transept, and leaving a broad passage
or avenue in the centre. Near the transept the beau-
tiful and elaborate suits of armour, from the Mey-
rick and other collections, are arranged in tasteful
and appropriate groups. Beyond th transept the
seats of the orchestra rise one over the other to a
considerable height above the,floor. terminating in
a grand organ constructed by Messrs. Kirtland and.
Jardine, the elegant form and elaborate decora-
tion of which fitly complete the view. For the
proceedings of yesterday a dais was erected in the
transept immediately in front of the orchestra. It
was octagonal in form, raised six steps from the
floor, and covered with red cloth. _ On the top was

a square piece of rich tapestay, and there stood the
chair of state in crimson velvet and gold used by
Prince Albert during the ceremony. A t Vene-
tian mast rose on either side, from the point of
which depended a banner, made iu the one case of
yellow and in the other of blue silk, and bearing the
arms respectively of England and Gotha, with the
mitt " Dieu et mon droit," and " Trott and
Fest." The Union Jack was displayectat various
points in and near the transept, while at the bac'i
of the dais were seen the banners of different °Jun-
tries, with the names of great painters emblazoned
on them. Behind the chair of state, and nearly on
the same level with it, a number of benches,
covered with green cloth and decorated with
fringes, were arranged in a semi-circle and re-
served fox the use of the more distinguished
among the spectators. For the accommoda-
tion of the mass the whole of the central hail,

with the exception of a passage in the centre,
the galleries round the transept, and the two limbs
of the transept itself, was furnished with rows of
benches and chairs, A broad s. rip of scarlet cloth,
ran up the centre of the great hall and 11.-ightened
the effect of the white marble statues on either hand,

throwing them out in beautiful re ief. Eleven
o'clock was the time fixed for opening the doors to
the public, but long before thathour all the entrances
were besiegedby a large number of the ra,,k, fashio
and beauty at Manchester and its vicinity. The
doors were opened gently to avoid a rush, anl
with oft-reiterated cautions from the inside for
every one to take plenty of time. To such advice,
of course, no one paid the slightest regard. There
was a good deal of pushing, and ladies scarcely got
that i oom to which they seemed to think tt,eir ca-
pacious skirts entitled them. Some iusistecl on try-
ing to move the turnstiles the wrong way, white
others in their anxiety to get good places would not
go right, no matter what amount of pains were
taken to guide them in their course. But after
the first rush all went as smoothly as could
ho wished, and showed the arrang,emen.s to have
been well planned and executed. From the moment
the doors were opened the steady influx of visitors
never ceased or slackened. Among the occupants of
the green benches behind the dais were many mem-
bers of both Houses of Parliament. Lord liroughton
wore the uniform of a Lord-Lieutenant, and Lord
Wrottesley was also in uniform. The Marquis of
Clanricarde and Earl Powia wet e also present) The
Merging of Stafford, the Earl of Burliugtou, Lord
Moho Mr. Mangles, Mr. Grogan, Mr. Hankey, Mr,
Kershaw, Mr, Hindley, and Mr. Beresford Hope,
represented the House of Commove. Tile American,
Belgian, and Haytian Ministers Yet e the t nip mem-
bers of the corps diplomtiquo present. The Lord
Mayors of London and Dublin, the former accom-
panied lay Aldermen Copeland, Salcainons, and Cu-
nat., and by Sheri& ittoehi an Keats, were there
in their robes of office., Thd Corporation of Man-
chester took a prominent part in the prooodiebe
of the clay. The Mayor of Salford, wearing a plait
but exceedingly ma,sive gold chain round his
neck, was a spectator of the ceremony. So also was
the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. The corporate
authorities in their crimson robes, and attended by
their servants in gorgeous liveries, formed, indeed,
not the least brilliant part of the spectacle.
At one o'clock the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland,
accompanied by his staff, entered the building, and
after that hour but few visitors of note arrived.
The Palace was crowded in every nook, and it may
well be supposed that the scene was most
animated and magnificent. Many of the gentle-
men wore in uniform or court dresg, wtiiit
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed with
more taste and splendour than some of the
ladies. Their dresses of the richeat„stuffs vied with
the colours of the rainbow in variety and br llianey,
making the ornaments of the walls look m an and
dull by comparison. The elegant proportions of
the building itself, its chaste and beautiful decora-
tions, the masterpieces of art scattered in rich pro-
fusion on every hand, the presence of 10,000 pet-
sons gaily attired, and the display of silken banners
and standards combined to form a pietu:o such as
has rarely been witnessed even in t!.:e metropolis.
The arrival of the Prince at the Exhibition was
announced to those within by the fit ing of a salute.
His Royal Highness was received at the principal
entrance by Lord 0 vcrstone, Pre .id ent of the General
Council ; by the Chairman and Members of the
Executive Committee, and by Mr. Deane, the Ge-
neral Commissioner. The Duke of Newcistle, the
Duke cf Argyll, Earl Granville, the Lord Lieu-
tenant of Ireland ,Lord Stanley of Alderley, Sir 8.,
Hall, the Hon. Mr. Cowper, and Mr. Massey, most
of whom wore the Windsor uniform, here joined
the suite of the Prince, who was conducted in the
first instance, amid great cheering, to the state
reception room. After the lapse of one or
two minutes his Royal -.Highness reappeared, and

~77 .0

_-~• ,~.

• advance 1 to a small temporary dais which bad
• been 'erected at the lower end of the great central
nheaallr.ly Ta ell thMe amyeotrnbo fMe
rsoafntcbheesoerrp,
narcactoi
omnr
tnhieend
abpy_
proached the Prince and read to him the following
addre-s
" May it please your Royal Highness,—We, the
Mayor, Al lermen, and Citizens of the City of Mancbes-
ter, gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded by
the visit of your Royal Highness to renew the expression
of our regard for your Royal Highness, and of our ad-
miration of the many publicand private virtues by which
your Royal 'Demote is eminently distinguished.
" We offer to your Royal Highness our mo,t hearty
congratulations on the recent sate and auspicious birth
of a Princess, arid we fervently pray that the valuable
life of her most gracious Majesty, happily preserved,
'y be long continued to be, as heretofore, a blessing to
her family arei her peorle.
" While we refer with pride to the occasion which
has induced your Royal Highness to revisit our city,
we feel imperatively call d upon to express our
warmest gratitude to your Royal Highness for having
cordially c4,nsented to honour by your presence the open•
ing of the magnificent building in which we stand, raised
by the public spirit and spontaneous liberality of our
fellow citizens for the reception of many of the priceless
treasures of ancient and modern art existing in the
United Kingdom.
" We rej Ace in thecompletesuccess which has attended
the efforts of those upon whom the responsibility of this
undertaking hag devolved—a success which has exceeded
the most Fanguine expectations, and which we attribute
mainly to the condescending 440 zealous patronage gra-
'Ciettretrextended by our beloved SOvereign.
" The encluraging example afforded by her Most Gra-
cious Majesty ano your Royal Highness in thus zealously
supporting an exhibition originating in a desire to instruct
and gratify the people has been emulated in the noblest
spirit of liberality by the possessors of art treasures
throughout the kingdom, and the promoters have thus
been enabled to congratulate themselves on the splendid
realisation of their purposes which is presented in the
imposing spectacle around us.
"As representatives of the vast population by whom
we are surrounded, we venture most respectfully to assure
your Royal Highness that we hail with the greatest joy
and satisfaction the intimation that it is the gracious
intention of her Majesty to honour the exhibition with
a R iyal visit
" We specially rejoice in the hope of this event, as
affording another opportunity of evincing the deep and
universal feeling of loyalty and attachment to her Ma-
jesty's person which prevails within aed around this city
and the'profound sense of gratitude which exists for the
care and solicitude very graciously manifested by our
beloved Queen in favour of whatever is calculated to
secure and promote the improvement and happiness of
her lVfaj,sty s subjects.
"That your Royal Highness may be long spared to
secure and increase the happiness of our Most Gracious
Queen, and to be a blessing to your children and to the
nation, is our most fervent prayer.
" Given under the common seal of the corporation
this 20th day of April 1857."
His Royal Highness. returned the following
reply :—_ _ _

Mr. Mayor, Aldermen, and Gentlemen,—l have
received with feelings of no ordinary gratification the,
address whichyou have presented to me, expressing such
kindly feelings towards myself, and professing to repre-
sent the good wishes of the vast community which is
collected in and around this city.
" It will, I are sure, be must pleasing to the Queen
to receive, from the expressions contained in the address
a fresh assurance of the loyal interest taken by her peo-
p:e in all that concerre her happiness.
" I most willingly attend here this day to assist at a
ceremony which the inhabitants of Manchester may well
witness with pride, as its object is to inaugurate an Ex-
hibition collected by the exertion of their enterprise and
public spirit, and intended, not for the amusement and
gratification of the neighbourhood aline, but for the in.
ktru cti o n and improvement of the nation at large.

" You justly allude in terms of gratitude to' hat com-
prehensive and liberal spirit which has adorned the walls
of this building with the choicest specimens of art from
so many private galleries of the kingdom. It added
much to the pleasure with which the Queen and myself
had complied with the application for works of art be-
longing to us when we found this example so generally
followed by the possessors of treasures which are, in
general, so reluctantly entrusted by their owners to the
care of others.

%ON ••.• • ••••• - •
" The Queen will, I am confident, be glad again to
visit Manchester, not only to mark by her presenceter
approval of the object and successful execution of this
great undertaking which we have this day to celebrate,
but from a recollection of the enthusiastic loyaly exhi-
bited when she had formerly an opportunity of visiting
this great centre of industry."
The Prince, •attended by those who had accompa
nied him trona Abney-hall, by Lord Overstone and
Mr. Fairbairn, by the Mayor and CLrporation of
Manchester, and by the members of the Executive
Committee, then proceeded up the central hall to
the dais prepared for his reception in the transept.

The moment the procession- began to move the
orchestra at the epposite end of the building struck
up the national anthem, and continued playing it
till his Royal Highness had taken h a place on the
dais. The effect was very powerful, although some-
what marred by the cheers which from time to time
burst forth as the procession advanced. What a
sight met the gaze of the Prince as he walked slowly
up the central hall ! Not to speak of the living
crowd by which he was so heartily welcomed, he
was surrounded on every side by the portraits of
all the most celebrated characters in British history.
On the right the heavy brewed, swarthy portrait
of Charles aspect the very reverse of a merry
monarch—seerned as if about to step from its frame
and join in the ceremonial. Around him were
grouped the frail beauties of his Court, to whom
Lely and De Grammont have given a questionable
renown. There was the Duchess of Cleveland, the
f auider of Mailhorough's fortunes. By her side
was Madame " Carweil," as the Londoners ®f that
day called the lovely niece of Mazarin, arrayed in
a dress which even improved her beauty. Near
her hung the portraits of Nell Gwyune and a host of
other less famous or rather infamous enamorata,
with Grammont himself, poor Catherine, and the
execrable Countess of Shrewsbury. Glaring from
the. opposite walls—grim, stern, and dangerous
looking men—were the leaders of the Common-
wealth, scowling upon the seductive beauties of
Whitehall. The procession passed the Museum of
Art,withall its rare treasuresof gold andailvei work,
antique carvings, gems, and porcelains. Next in
order came the Arnioury-court, grim with the pon-
drous figures of men and heroes of all climes and
age,. S me looked monstrously grotesque, others
were bright, shining, and handsome as in the story-
book ; some were of very coarse manufacture—a
mere panoply of common ironwork,—while the
suits from Venice and Milan were equisitely tem-
pered, and inlaid with the finest arabesque desigus
in gold. On the right was the complete suit of ar-
mour for man and horse which was formerly worn
at coronations by Dymoke, the hereditary cham-
pion, It is the finest suit of harness in the court.
The Prince, too, must have been astonished at the
extent and beauty of the collection of English
sculp,ure which adorns the central hall. Here, on
one hand, is Marshall's "Ophelia," and, on the
other, Spencer's " Highland Mary." Beyond is
Bailey's "Eve at the Fountain," the most beauti-
ful and widely-known of all his works. Gibson's
" Hunter " faces it, and seems in the very act of
slipping the leach that his hound may bound for-
ward on the game, so full are both of energy and
vigour. Next comes J. Westmacott's " Pen, " a
perfect embodiment of immortal grief. The "Greek
Slave," that cold prodigy of Hirdm Powers which
so nariowly escaped being the first work of the age,
F Oa I 1 greet..s the visitor. "Eve startled at the
sight et Death," one of the most ioucbing groups
is
t is
in the builaing, is on the right ; and on the e
iNtVseestemmascroetatdls3litlf
aor,fet:' so light and airy that
Arrived at the transept,
)wn the avenue up
his place ou the dais, looking a
Royal Highness took
a brilliant semicircle I-mind him, t , _l3
which he had advanced, and, his st.lib.P. hcarvehinelfroarmeerd.
rvocally, Mae.
Ulara
• Sims Reeves
.a.O.Mr.
formed the national anthemm
Novell° singing the solo,
Weiss also aking parts. The anthem having I;een
conclude 1, Lerd Overstone advanced, and in tho
name Of the General
.Council read the following
Pi
Egli:tit:
ceoßuEgt,ilv
eLpncitithi,emKni
tat.
name
addfeas to the ce
" T,Valys
ilt?..opllead:tceiHo
yul Gno Ic :Rf loosty, Tathe t
offic,:rs
,connected with the preparatory
:or.fradtbnoegf.Gtelonntethr:eiof
this
great undertaking. • I approach
your Royal Highness with the expression of our deep
sense of obligation for the coOtent interest, which your
Royal Highness has taken in tbe success of the Exhibi-
tion no* about to be opened for the gratification and
instruction of the public.
" Before, however, we enter upon the mere formal
proceedings of this day we beg to tender to your Royal
Highness our sincere condolence on the event which has
brought sorrow to her most gratOous Majesty our
Queen, to your Royal Highness, and to the members of
the royal family, and which has at the same time caused
deep regret to her M jesly's subjects, who have long ad-
mired the virtues and respected the character of her late
Royal Highaess the Duchess of Glouceste .
" In the presence of your Royal Highness among us
under these painful circumstances, and the decision of
your Royal Higness not to suspend the.cerenionial of
this day, we gratefully recognise a delicate consideration
of the importance of the occasion, and a gracious desire
not to d sappoint the vast numbers who must have
bmade
arringeweuts which it would have been irnpossi
postpone. At the same time we respectfully
appreciate
and sympathise with those feelings which cause your

" May it please your Royal Highness,—we, the
Executive Committee for conducting the Exhibition of
Art Treasures of the United Kingdom, appointed to' our
oresent.offices at a meeting of the General CJuncil of
the Exhibition held on the 20th day of May, 1856,
humbly approach your Royal Highness on the auspicious
occasion of your presiding at this inaugural ceremony,
to lay before your Royal Highness a short account of
the history and progress of the undertaking to the pre-
sent time.

" Before alluding to our actual proceedings, we would
ask permission to remark that this great gathering of
the most pr, I rery,-1..'-' ' of ...Tt in the
Unit u Kiagd.:).-2. may I:frasiderad the legitimate off;.-
spring of the happy suggestion for the instruction and
enjoyment of vast masses of our fellow creatures of all
classes and countries and for the good of all mankind,
which, originating with your Royal Highness, had so
glorious a triumph in the success of the Great Exhibition
of the Works of Industry of all Nations in 1851. Toe
interchange of knowledge which that magnificent under-
taking and its equally magnificent successor, the French
Exhibition of 1855, effected, has already proved of the
greatest value in advancing the art of design, and pro-
moting all branches of human industry. Both those
arenas of peaceful rivalry, so vivid in their contrasts to
the more exciting international contests which we have
since witnessed, were remarkaole, as regards the Eng-
lish element, for two broadly-defined features ; they
showed to the world at large—our best customers—the
peculiar excellences of many of those great staple manu-
factures which employ and feed the industrial population
of these islands, and they showed to ourselves our own
deficiencies in matters of taste and design. While, there-
fore, there Was a mutual gain, and there sprung up a kind-
lier international feeling, there originated also a desire
for the acquirement on the one band of a knowledge of
'the useful, and on the other an appreciation of the beau-
tiful.

" The promoters of the present Exhibition conceived
it possible to carry the beneficent intentions of their pre-
decessors in such undertakings one step further. The pro.
ject of a purely Fine Art Exhibition on a great scale ap-
peared at first sight, to say the least of it, somewhat pro-
blematical as regards its financial success; but when the
subject was sifted, when it was found how comprehen-
sive were its details and application, how ,wonderfully
rich our happy country—untrodden for many a century
by any foreign invader—unquestionably is in all tbat
unequalled wealth and civilisation could accumulate, and
how much positive and immediate good was likely to re-
sult from the bringing together of the eager and inquir-
ing minds of our time with the realisations of the genius
of past ages and other countries, the project assumed a
proportion► of importance which at once commanded the
attention and cried aloud for fulfilment.

" The first suggestion of the Art Treasures Exhibition
was submitted by Mr. Deane, the General Commissioner
of the Exhibition, to an influential meeting of Manches-
ter gentlemen, on the 26th IVlarcb, 1856. The scheme
was favourably received, and, dependent upon the bun-
cess of the application for public support in the way of
subscription, was voted into existence. .a.nd here we
would request your Royal Highness's special attention
to a remarkable feature in the history of this undertaking.
Without any public appeal, without even a general local
canvass, contributions to a guarantee fund amounting to
not less than 74,0001. were raised in this city within a
period of three weeks. From this fact we would draw
the inference that the promoters of all schemes profess-
ing to commend themselves by their intrinsic merits to
public approval need not and ought not to be deterred
from promulgating their efforts by the lack of positive
money gilts, but would rather do well to teat the stet..
ling value of their conceptions by this form of appeal for
the guarantee 9f the whole expenditure required.
• " Upon the completion of the guarantee fund, and
after having obtained the patronage of her Most Gra-
cious Majesty the Queen and the marked and special
encouragement of your Royal Highness, we at once in-
vited designs for a building suited to the purposes of
the Exhibition. After a careful consideration of the de.
signs and estimates sent in to us in competition, that ~f
Messrs. C. D. Young and Co., of Edinburgh. was finally
selected. The building works, notwithstanding the iu
tervention of winter months, having been brought to a
timely and satisfactory completion, the interior decora-
tions were entrusted to Mr. Croce, of London, and we
venture to hope that, as regards their appropriateness
for the favourable display of works of art, the commit
tee's decision in both respects will meet with your Royal
Highness's approval.

We gladly avail ourselves of the opportunity of con•
veying, through your Royal Highness, to our most gra-
cious Sovereign the expression of our profound gratitude
for the cordial and most munificent patronage and sup.
port which her Majesty has vouchsafed to our labours.
Her Majesty's loyal subjects in this part of her dominions
will recognise in the variety, splendour, and rare excel.
lenee of her Majesty's contributions to the Exhibition
' another evidence of their Sovereign's unceasing desire for
the advancement of her people's true interests and wel-
fare. We would also respectfully tender to your Royal
Highness our grateful thanks for the valuable assistance
and advice we have on numerous occasions received
from your Royal Highness.
• " Without the support and co operation of the owner
of art treasures throughout the kingdom, our undertaking
would, as a matter of course, have failed.' The character
and excellence of the contributions by which your Royal
Highness is now surrounded, and the value of the pro•
perty deposited in tbisbuilding by so many contributors,
form the noblest testimony to the patriotic and unselfish
character of our countrymen of all ranks. We believe
so general an evidence of self-denial and sacrifice of per-
sonal convenience for the public good to be without a
parallel,
and we sincerely feel how inadequate is the
language at our command to express what is due from
us to all for the generous supportthatlas been accorded
us.

In connection with our proceedings we would very
briefly refer to the circumstances under which one very
important feature of the Exhibition, the well-known his-
toric museum of works of decorative art collected by M.
Soulage, of Toulouse, has found its way to Manchester.
Upon the refusal of her Majesty's Government to pur-
chase this choice collection at prime cost, we considered
we were acting in the true interests of art in volunteer-
ing on our individual responsibilities to purchase the
collection upon the terms that had just been refused.
We desired that a collection of so high an educational
value to our artisans should have the benefit of the widest
possible examination ; and we would express a confident
hope that it may yet be preserved in its entirety after
the close of this Exhibition for more general public in-
struction.
" We cannot close this address without expressing a
hope that, in the language used by your Royal High-
ness in the letter you addressed to our lamented presi-
dent the late Earl of Ellesmere, a national usefulness
will result from the educational direction which we have
endeavoured to impart to the whole scheme.
"On behalf of the Executive Committee,
Tcohyneocuebudi‘liTiangoiainAwShilAwleltßAlßN, Chairman."
His Royal hlighness returned theoya
ifototuaal .neohiwnumivneni
undertaking
rt reply;
ittoankti
nkt
g9O
gratifyingp
eGd ehe naa Gentlemen ipttumtohiwpoee
toi nnt
enihor:s. theatapuhnl Executive Cow in a tee,—
r
sc thank you most sincerely for your kind address.
Qu'c'eThtbeioxiiPriets'icOnngesvauesoryuafsrlelw':aisairolle,ctineylpostnei'yeddel certain,, be moat
which 1 have watcheeddsluwemict theeahsys nwo
wh deepesticbhe
haal
soi interest rde
fars
tto
crowned
congra-
tulaterroo mwni
et
cia
fiytrisur labours.
are assembled, and the
wonderful collection of these treasures of art, as you so
justly term them, which it displays, reflect the highest
credit upon you. They must strike the beholder with
grateful admiration, not only of the wealth ana spirit of
enterprise of this country, but also of that generous
feeling of mutual confidence and goodwill between the
different classes of society within it, of which it affords
so gratifying a proof.
" We behold a feast which the rich, and those who
have, set before these to whom fortune has denied, the
big-her luxuries of life—bringing forth from the inner-
most recesses of their private dwelliogstheir choicest and
most ch,erished treasures, and entrusting them to your
of to gratify the nation at large ; and this,
your plans too,eare un h enesi t tswt itnrgel yd, atsi u yourttre e mereted an request,d
weil matured, satisfied thatana
that they hal the good of the country for their object.
" This is a gratifying sight, and blessed is the country
iu whioh it is witnessed. But uotless so is the fact which
has shown itself in this as in other instances, that tl.•
great and noble of the land look to their sovereign to
head and lead them in such patriotic undertakings, and
when they see that the sovereign has come forward to
give her countenance and assistance to the work, that
pweacitheoutthethecirhivsaulpripcorstp,
ireimt uwlahtiienhg
,'atnhiumsated
ins
they feel it a pleasure to co-operate with her and not to
leavethoerikr her
sfooreffathers in the warlike times of old.
44 you have done well not to aim at a mere accumula.
tion of works of art and objects of general interest, but
to give to your collection, by a scientific and historical
arrangement, an educational character, thtis not losiog
the opportunity of teaching the mind, as well as g ratify
..
leg the senses ; and manifold are the lessons ihich it will
present to us. If art is the purest expression of the state
of mental and religious culture and of general civilisa-
tion of any age or people, an historical and chronolo•
gical review given at one glance ,cannot fail to irn.
press us with a just appreciation of the peculiar charm:

~A~: