The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-29 00:00:00

THE EXHIBITION OF 1851.

Silt,—ln an excellent article in
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUIT'
your paper of
Tuesday evening last you directed special attention
to several " eyesores and blemishes" in the metropolis,
which everybody must agree with you in thinking
ought to be removed before the period of the great
gathering of all nations to the Hyde-park Exhibition
of next year. You likewise notice one or two of our
public monuments and buildings, which also, for the
credit of the country, require to be completed by
that time. There is one important building, how-
ever, which you failed to mention, namely, the new
it
Houses of Parliament. When it is considered that,
employed
next to the great " Glass Palace," this national edi-
fice will command the greatest stbhaarte
tohfelcuhrai
curiosity
Government
se
y and
attention from the multitudes then assembled,
served
many
andof
lastwho time,mwil itthseenemhsasvteravnigseite
visited London for the l
o first
has not made more strenuous efforts to bring it to a
stateupon it
of
deuorminpglettihoun.lasTt
six
xo
mhounntdhrsedwohnandds erns
to have finished it externally, whereas during that
period there has scarcely been a man engaged upon
its walls. This at any rate is not setting the public
a very brilliant example of making earnest prepara-
tion, by way of " setting Oeir houses in order," for
the celebration of so novel and auspicious an event as
the challenging the whole of mankind to witness and
compete with our attainments in science and the fine
and useful arts. It does not say much for the manner
in which her Majesty's Ministers, though through
the spontaneous generosity of the public they have
been relieved from all, pecuniary responsibility in re-
gard to this particular occasion, are disposed to
second and support the patriotic enterprise of his
Royal Highness the Prince Consort. It is, however,
not yet too late, if a hearty good will exists on the
part of the authorities, to render this great work
more worthy of general criticism and scrutiny. By
proper explanation it would, perhaps, be even possible
to get rid of the nervous timidity of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and the rest of the Ministers at the
dreaded names and more dreaded opposition of Mr.
Hume and Mr. Cobden. " For one night only," as
the play bills say, these redoubtable champions of the
public purse, in so reasonable a cause, might be in-
duced to forego the severity of their audit of the
national expenditure. If firmness of mind enough
could be mustered by the Minister, it might be easily
shown that it would redound to the public credit, and
not in the end diminish the public purse, to finish
this structure at once and as it were off hand ;
and that the industrious labourers, artisans, and me-
chanics, with their wives and families, would be the
chief gainers by such an arrangement. In this great
undertaking genius, the pride, and and patriotism of
the British nation is at stake. Hoping, therefore,
that upon this interesting emergency the Govern-
ment, the press, and public at large, will all strenu-
ously combine to do their duty,
I remain, Sir, yours, Scc.
ONE OF THE iEcopLE.
October 23.