The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-05 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXEIIBITION OF 18:51.

Lord J. RUSSELL, in answer to a question from
Sir B. Hall, said that he had no objection that the
discussion on his motion with respect to the exhibition
of 1851 taking place in Hyde-park should take prece-
dence of the order of the day.
Sir DE LACY EVANS having presented a petition
against the proposed exhibition taking place in Hyde-
park,
Colonel SIBTHORP rose to move that :the report
respecting the proposed exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851
be submitted to a Select Committee of this House, for the
purpose of examination and due consideration of the
same; and that the report of the said Select Committee
be laid upon the table of the House, and that the sanction
by this House be given to such report before any further
proceedings on the part of the Commissioners, with re-
gard to the said exhibition, shall be proceeded with or
adopted by them. He said a more unsatisfactory and
delusive report had never been laid before any delibera-
tive assembly. He had put a question to the Attorney-
General as to the legality of cutting down certain trees
in Hyde-park, and the opinion given by the first law
officer of the Crown was altogether diffoient to the opi-
nions since expressed by two of the most learned law
Lords in the other House of Parliament. He did not
think that the opinion of the Attorney-General upon this
question of constitutional law was very satisfactory.
Though these parks were said to be the property of the
Crown, yet it should be recollected that there wore
votes annually taken in that House for their
care and maintenance. The Commissioners of Woods
and Forests were the trustees fur the profectiou
or the property there, but instead of protecting it, they
hid been destroying it lately by cutting down trees in
Hyde-park. Out of the ten trees marked for destruc-
tion nine of them had been cut down, when it would ap-
pear that they had repented fur their misdeeds on ae•
count of what had Leen suid in Parliament, and left thiA
old tree standing. This proposed exhibition of 1851, he
believed, would prove must preju iicial to the interests of
this country. It was as gross a fraud and imposition a.
was ever practised upon an iudustrieus and unoffending
people. The live as well as the dead stock of the fo-
rt iguer woul I be introduced into this country—all kinds
of foreign tinsel and rubbish—(Laughter)—ebtap and
nasty trash and trumpery.—(Continued laughter.) He
believed that socially, religiously, morally, and politi•
tally, this exh bition would prove the greatest curse this
country ever saw. Exertions were made to extract from
the unsuspecting tradesman's pocket a little of his hard
earnings for the purpose of supporting that which would
ultimately ruin him. The r*-poit s'a'ted that the site
chosen for this exhibition was the most natural and
proper. He believed that it was the most unnatural and
improper that could be selected, Neither was ii the

most central that could chosen. There was no rail
way nor canal near it. He further believed that th,re
would be no end t r accidents, fir pedestrians, ques-
triaes, and carriages would b' mingled together in most
wonderful confusion. When there were so many fi-
reigiters brought to the place the neighbours would hive
to t Ate care of their silver spoons and forks, as well as
their servant maith.—(Laughter.) Who would they
disappoint if they put off this exhibition? Not the
Eimiifdd people—no one but the foreigners. Thee
ought to hay, been in the first ins,ance u Select Com-
mittee to determine whether there ought to be such an ex-
hibition or not; next, if there should be,what was the most
proper site for it. He was i,,formA, upon good autho-
rity, that instead of 100,0001. for. the erection of the
building, it would cost 240,0001. Where the money
was to come from he knew nut, unless the Chancellor
of the Exchequer was ro supply it. A more wild.
goose chase, a more delusive undertaking, never was
projected by man. Who was to give the prizee? John
Bull. Who was to get the prizes? Those who came to
look for them—those who competed v ith the indubtrious
English artisans,—(Cries of " Divide.") H supposed
that those who were crying " Divide" were some of rite
Cornmiskners, or some of thos-_• who had given their
shillings. Fie ling that the propos(el exhibition would
be deeply injurious to the coararry, he siaould submit, his
moion to the House.

Mr. ALCOCK.. in seconding the motion, said he had
not the sligleest hostility to the propeei ion itself, which
did honour to the Illustrious niece f.om whom it eme-
nete.i. He thought the Battersea-fields mild be a better
pl ice for the exhibition than Hyde-park.
Sir B. HALL understood the Nottee Lord to request
of the House not to come to a conclusion until 'hey had
seen the report of the Commissioners. lie said thrt he
had no objection to the exhibition, hut he had to the
site. The moment the public saw the depredations that
were being committed, they objected to them. lie was
afraid to say a word against Hyde-park in the first in,
tance, lest the Commissioners should have transferred
the exhibition to Regent's-park. !Ile found that
clauses in the leases prevented the exhibition in Regent's-
park. The excuse of the Commissioners for cuting down
one clump was that another clamp would be planted.
That which took 50 years to grow was destroyed, and
another clump would be planted which would bo full
grown 50 years hence, when they were all dead and
gone.--(Laughter.) He found that Lord Granville and
Mr. Labouchere waited on Lord Carlisle on the 21st,
and then they determined on the sire in Hyde-park.
On that day they had the authority of her Majesty,
sanctiening this site. Some time since that they heard
that a Mr. Munday was to have the contract, and to do
the whole at his expense. Was the park then to be
given up to a private individual? But then it was said,
it the Commissioners had not the site the exhibition
must be given up.—(" Hear, hear," from Lord John
Russell.) Why, this was acting like a spoiled child, who,
because he was not indulged in one point refused to do
that which he had wished for.—(Hear.) Now before he
sat down he would move all address to her Majesty,
praying that she would not sanction the erection of any
buildings in Hyde Park. He suggested Kensington-
park. Another place suited for it was near Kieg's-cross,
at the back of Maiden-lane, arid near the Great North-
ern, and London and North-Western Railways. By
adhering to the site of Hyde-park, there would be de-
stroyed some of those fine trees which tended
to render the park itself one of the finest in Europe.
They could not have main walls and other buildings
erected on and in the midst of those trees-280 trees—
without destroying them. They could not live after
this. It was proposed by the plan before them, that the
park should be occupied for two years. In what state
and condition would the park he left iu after all this—
with the digging of trenches and cross-trenches, and the
constant passage of the people? Why, it would be
scarified—the whole would be nothing more than a
ploughed field, and never could be like what it was
at present, with a sward that was formed by a
century. He did not desire to put an end to the
exhibition, but he desired that nothing should be
done calculated to bring unpopularity npou it. Ile
should, therefore, move an humble address to her Ma-
jesty praying that she would be graciously pleased to
direct that no building be erected in Hyde-park for the
purposes of the exhibition of 1851.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. RICE said that the lion. Baronet (Sir B. Hall)
had, in his extracts from the Commissioners' letter,
omitted to notice the following passage:—" They (the
Commissioners) cannot, however, but express their de-
cided opinion that the renouncement of the selection of
the most beautiful park in London for the scene of the
exhibition * * would materially detract from
that appearance of hospitality on the part of England
which has been one great cause for the very favourable
reception which this proposal has everywhere secured."
That was a sentiment in which he (Mr. Rice) cor-
dially concurred. As to the main objection of the
Honourable Baronet, that of the carting of materials,
it was an open question, and he saw no reason why,
instead of bricks and mortar, corruga'ed iron or zinc
might not be used for the erection, at two-thirds the
expense, while all the materials could be most
readily disposed of subsequently. The objectors to the
proposed scheme had been silent until a few weeks past,
and it was now too late to listen to their objections.—
(No. no.) The Commissioners were warranted in say-
ing, that a change of site would be tantamount to the
abandonment of the exhibition, for which the honour of
the country was pledged to Europe and the world.
Mr. R. STEMENSON felt desirous to correct some
erroneous impressions which existed in Hon. Gentlemen's
minds with respect to his opinion on the subject. It was
true when Battersea-fields were first suggested for the
site he acquiesced in it. as possessing some advantage on
account of its contiguity to the river. However, on ex-
amining that site, he found the advantages of it counter-
balanced by the dii,advantages of its being situated be-
low high-water mark, being badly drained, and being at
' times fluylid; while the more remote portion of the
same tract which had been euggested by the Hon.
Member for Surrey would be half a mile from the
tiver, teed would be completely insulated by
pi ivate property, all approach through which to the
site of the exhibitien would be a matter of suff• ranee,
and they knew how private individuals acted in such
cases. With respect to the destruction of the public
way which it was alleged would be camel, let them look
at the traffic over Hungerford-market Suspension-bridge
where 15,000 persons daily passed threaigh a narrow
turn-stile, and 25,000 persons t, ant from the river
steamers in summer, each day, in all, 40,000 persons,
without the leapt inconvenience or obstruction of the
public thoroughfare. Again, as to the alleged inconve-
niences resulting from conveying 40,000 tons of mate-
rials, let them see if there was ground for any appre-
hensions on the subject. At the Camden• town station

the goods traffic amounted to B,OOJ tons a week, exclu-
sive of the conveyance of coals and coke, and yet no in
convenience was experienced by the inhabitants of the
neighbourhood. As to the number of the trees that
would be cut down, it would not amount to one-tenth
the number that the Hon. Baronet supposed. He could
only say, that if from arty delay thrown in the way
the exhibition was prevented taking place as intended, it
would be a disgrace to the nation.
Mr. A. B. HOPE mid it was too bad—(Hear, hear)
—when the inhabitants of Belgraveelquare and Grosve-
nor-place complained of the inconvenience to which they
would be subjected, they should be told that the neigh-
bourhood of their places of residence would not be more
inconvenienced than that of Hungerford-bridge and the
Camden-town station of the North-Western Railway.
He Sugg,,sted that there were two other sites which
were particularly eligible—one at the north of the
Regent's canal, and the other beside the Islington cattle
market.
Mr. HUME was surprised to find such narrow and
selfish views advanced in opposition to this great
national undertaking, to which the whole of the nations
of Europe had responded so zealously.
Mr. LABOUCHEIIE said the reasons given by the
Commissioners for the selecion of the site in Hyde-
park were so conclusive that he would be content to

-give a silent vote. Lie concurred in the opinion that
they ought not to abandon so great a project on account
of the clamour of a few individuals. To show how com-
pletely the public of thit and foreign countries must
have been from the beginning aware that Hyde-park
would be the locality chosen for the exhibition, he
would read an extract from the Times of Oct. 18. 1849.
In that paper it was said " There seems, the.:,
no reason to doubt that in 1851 Hyde-park will witness
an assemblage more numerous, more brilliant, more be
neficial, and more intimately associated with the fortunes
of this empire, than the aristocratic array in which some
observers are wont to read the rise and fall of our na-
tional prosperity." The inhabitants had at all events
been a long time in finding out the grievance. He held
in his hand a iequieition, signed by the inhabitants of
Chelsea, to the rector of St. Luke's, expressing their
opinion that the object in view was worthy of all encou-
ragement, and that it would b 3 highly advantageous to
the inhabitants of the metropolis, particularly the wes:-
ern portion, and requesting him to pi eside at a public
meeting for the purpose of promoting it. It was signed
by many distinguished names, but he would mention
but one—that of the Hon. W. F. Campbell.—( dear,
hear.) It was a consolation to find that the alarms ex-
pressed as to its being a permanent building were now
being quieted. No one could be more opposed than
himself to such a project. The House had been very
naturally misled by the apparent durability of the mute-
rials to be used. Nothing had yet been decided as to the
materials, but there was reason for believing that these
materials which hid the appearance of durability would
be in reality the most economical and the most easily
transportable. A curious instance was given of this by
y
a very competent authority, Mr. W. Cubits, He said
the other day that he had erectsd BAnewhere near Lon-
don a temporary church, which was to last for three
) ears, and that he found the cheapest, most economical,
and most transportable material for the purpose would
be bricks.—(Hear, hear.) The apprehension of a dome
appeared still to haunt some Hon. Members, but with-
out venturing to pledge the Commission he had a very
strong impression that the phantom would vanish into
the empty air.—(llear, hear.) In c.niclu,ion he could
only say he believed that the financial success of the un-
difetrhey ou
takitwigtiepended on the accessibility of the site, and
permit the Commission to proceed with
their design, he had a confident hope that it would never
be obliged to ask the House for one farthing, but that
the design would be carried out by the unaided contri-
tutions of the people. If the House, ( u the contrary,
insisted on the exhibition be ing held at a distance of five
or six miles from the metropolis, they would deprive the
humbler classes of an opportunity of seeing and examin-
ing this most interesting spectacle, and take a course
which wuuld by no means redound either to the credit
or the honour of the country.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. OSBORNE complained that his Hon, Friend the
Member for Montrose should assume the sic vole° sic
jubeo tone, and denounce everybody who presumed to
etiffet from him. In the first place, he must state that
he agreed with his Hon. Fri,tl as to the object being
highly desirablo, and that he diff-red from the Hutt. and
Guilant Member tor Lincoln, who wished to get rid of
the exhibition altogether.—(" Rear, hear," from co-