The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-28 00:00:00

THE EXHIBITION of NATIONAL
INDUSTRY.

(From Galignanes Messenger.)
In our preceding articles we have noticed chiefly
those productions in which the genius of French in-
dustry has struggled successfully to compete with
the manufacturers of England. It was with great
pleasure that we witnessed the progress that has been
made in this honourable rivalry, for it is one that can
be productive only of good to society at large, and we
are sure that nineteen Englishmen out of twenty who
visit the exhibition will reflect that if the amour pre-
pre of the French is flattered and encouraged by this
progress, it is infinitely better that such should be
the case, than that the struggle between the two
countries should be one of destruction. How
much better it is to find rival manufacturers en-
deavouring to outstrip each other in the race of pacific
industry, that to see the inventive faculties reduced to
no other study than that of the art of creating wea-
pons of warfare, and preparing instruments of strife,
which must be fatal to the parties engaged in it, and
worse that unproductive as regards the human race
generally. We will not attempt to deny that the
progress of the French in useful manufactures may,
ere lOng, be injurious to the English in some of the
markets which they have hitherto monopolised, but
the world is large enough for the manufacturers of
both nations, and in proportion as civilisation shall ex-
tend in countries which are still in a state of semi-bar-
barism, so will England and France be able to extend
their markets, without either the English or the
French being crushed by this honourable rivalry. It
must also be borne in mind that whatever may be the
progress of the French—whatever their equality, and
we might even say their superiority as to execution—
although to suppose that they ever can be superior to
the English in the execution of the staple manufac-
tures, is to imagine an almost impossible hypothesis—
France can never possess those peculiar means of pro-
duction which are possessed by England. In a
country which has in resources of raw material
and fuel, the progress, however rapid and remarkable,
must still be comparatively slow. England has
iron -in abundance ; she has an inexhaustible mine
of wealth in her fuel; the cost of labour is
little greater than in France, and consequently in
all useful products she must continue to maintain a
superiority. The minerals are, it is true, abundant
in France, but with few exceptions they are inferior
in quality to those of England, and it is only here
and there that her coal approaches in quality to that
of any portion of England. The Englishman who is
so thoroughly English, and with so little of the spirit of
evasmopolitism, that he could not see without a pang
the successful rivalry of another State, may be per-
fectly easy as regards those products in which hitherto
the French have been so inferior, and he may ad-
mire without restraint the perseverance and genius
which have enabled the French to approach to
their present paint of excellence as compared
with what existed a few years ago, and even at the pe-
riod of the last quinquennial exhibition. On the other
band, the careful inspection of those pioducts of
France which have hitherto enjoyed a well-merited
preference may stimulate the English to the same
rivalry as has distinguished the French manufactu-
rers in their efforts to compete with England. The ex-
libition of 1811 has this remarkable characteristic.
There is nothing to ridicule. Where the French are
inferior to the Eeglish, as they still are in many of the
staple products, they are entitled to the highest com-
mendation for the advance that they have made
within a short period ; and in some others, for which
they have long borne the palm of victory, they
command admiration. In the articles of bronze,
under which general term are comprised all that re-
-letes to brass-work in the way of ornament, as well
as articles of the compo•ition to which the name of
bron::"! is particularly applicable, their taste is, as yet,
unrivalle I. and it is impossible to execute with greater
skill in Eag:%nd• We speak, of course, of the pro-
ductions of a h;.,:her order, for in the articles of in-
ferior price, and which are in general domestic re-
quest, although we have to record great progress, yet
wye are bound to say that, price for price, the English
must still command a preference in all foreign markets.
',This is remarkable, especially in all the cheap brass-
y: ark required for the purposes of gas-lighting, a
Neel extensive branch of industry ; but, on the other
,band, elan, it must be observed, that some of the best
~•6.tterns ia gniani are borrowed from this country,
Ind-nen" of the most costly articles continue.to be
imp 4rteia _'"to gland, It is not very surprising that in
u
the articles or einel.:lse—those which are within
the means of the orsiority cf consumers—the English
should have a superiority. They have had double
the experience of the French, and, consequently,
there has been double the amount of competition
3n England, for time aryl experienee only
licproduce
:!,. Not
scompetition that is beneficial to the 1.
10 years ago there were only two or three matiAc-
turers of brass articles for gas purposes in the whole
.of France, who could be at all relied upon, and there
were not, perhaps, ten persons in the trade—good,
'bad, or indifferent. Twenty years ago, competition
In this branch had made such wrides in England, that
jiondun, Birmingham, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, and
ether places, had- manufactures of gas articles ; some
safi!eem doing business to an enormous extent, and
all stray glint,' for superiority in the excellence of
nuanufaccare, as well as the price at which their at
tide could be delivered to the public. In France, the
.competion ha; been great, but it has not been the
.competition of twenty year;, and, consequently, both
an the execution of the products, and the prices at
-which they are sold, they are much behind the English.
This is not the case, however, in articles for domestic
Ise in the old mode of lighting. They are well exe-
cu,,ed and cheap, for during the last thirty years the
2nanufiteturers have been struggling against each
mother to introduce economy to the consumer. Almost
All the improvemente in lamps which have been in-
troduced into England are importations from this
'country, although they have been rarely acknow-
ledged as such; and in the execution of the
Articles, the French are equal, if not superior,
Ito the English ; whilst the prices, notwithstanding
'the greater cost of some of the raw material, are as
flow, if not lower than those of England. The same
eobeervation applies to the articles made for burning
Sthe new light of self-generating gas, which may al-
must be said to be a French creation. The first lamp
eordered of this kind that possessed any merit was
evade at Hamburgh about eight years ago, but it was
rather a toy than a useful article. The light that it
Nave was very small, and the cost to the consumer
ewes not only infinitely greater than that of coal
igss, but thirty or forty per cent. greater than that
fitelbe old lamp. Some of the self-generating gaslartiva exhibited this year are very beautiful,
sand are remarkably cheap, considering the style in
--which they are got up, whilst plainer lamps, quite as
'useful, are shown at prices much below those at
•which common oil-lamps are sold in England. As
ewe may not have another opportunity of alluding
to this invention, we must observe that we
leave great doubts of the success of this mode of
3ighit:ng, as regards economy, although the Le-
gislative has taken off the duty upon al-
seohol uss'd for this purpose. The mixture in general
lase is corwsosed of spirits of wine and spisits of turpen-
tine, and ttie light is more or less brilliant, according to
the proportion of turpentine that is used ; but, if this
Le in excess, the lamp smokes, and emits an unplea-
sant odour. 'By way of economy, some of thecomposi-
Mans contain distilled essence of tar or petroleum.
'The light in this case is exceedingly brilliant ; but,
linorder to be so, the distillation cannot be carried
tto such a point as to divest the product of its offensive
'properties. If this be done, the carbon or illuminating
power is reduced, and the light is comparatively faint.
,;oat of our readers are aware,perhaps, of the principle
fifes 11s self-generating gas-lamp. It is nothing more than
njoCcious application of the principle of all light,
for in (every case the flame is gaseous. A long wick
of coos; plunges into the mixture. The top of the
lamp oc bewner is perforated with holes like that of a
common
.gas.hurner, arid the fluid, being conveyed
pap the wiok, gets heated as it rises, and gives out its
Ls. It is necessary, on first lighting the lamp, to
et the burnez, by applying a flame to it, by means
cif a.einall reservoir filled with spirits of wine, which is
ignited, or by IstsoiDg round it cotton saturated with
*white,. which is set on fire. The lamp, being thus
(heated, 'generates its gas, and when it has burnt for a few
part is kept hot by its own
seconds, the upper
mune, ,n 0 as the fluid rises it gives out its gas per-
manently as king as any of it remains. It is rather
'curious that this discovery should have been made at
ro late a period ; fur more than twenty years ago we
exhibited in the little
savr the principletubular gas_
upon oil, and winch was used as a night-
light.Owl, placed match, being he
ld
aver alighted
In that case,eld
sover the glass tube, heated the oil, and the gas,
as it rose, took fire, and continued to generate
with the heat of the flame. Here was the whole
is ret 0; the present self-generating gas-lamp.
Whether like its unpretending little ancestor, is
ilestined to are ephemeral existence, remains to be seen.
:Le some one of the numerous improvers upon the
alamburgh limp should succeed in producing a fine
cheap light, it must supersede not only the use of
sense, oil, or tallow, but coal-gas ; for it would be in-
lainatorly preferable to the latter production, which, with
%II its Advantages as an external light, is attended
with inconvenience, and not 'infrequently with

__
ait_,er.
We shall- uow proceed to notice some of the most
..irpniarkabie ai.ticles exhibited by the bronze manufac-
x\- ~.z,, viruterll`and siivt ''smiths. The first manufacturer of
IS V. ' - '___. ---JY.loirki bronze a.r.‘;°l6B' as regards delign and execu-
-- c Lion, isii • IM. Deuie.re (1,333), of the Rue Vivienne.
_____J *le exhi i some very • rich and beautiful articles,
~, *(..f ich the most st:.iiiing are those of a dinner
lwrvic ; e for the late Dl:lte of Orleans. These
„ . ,
-,fitrittp,, in the highest deeet -to the eye, and
lbe•-vvi.H bear the closest inspection. The figures
--- bog, and the outlines os' an execuil.on hitherto
Lie .
ml\_ id vaned. There is a finish ,about them which did
pot which ehtima var.
ot cha vcterise the fp school, alit

ticular distinction. At No. 1,345, Durand, we see
some articles which claim the same notice. There is
a chased silver dinner service of high execution, quite
in the Cellini style as to boldness, but at the same
time of infinite good taste and fine execution.
We cannot say the same of a plateau for a tea foun-
tain, in silver, which M. Durand estimates at 36,000 f.
and which if we mistake not, was exhibited in 1839.
As a work of art it is unexceptionable in point of
execution, but nothing more outrageously bizarre as to
taste could well be imagined. The fountain is
the tea urn, with four cocks, under each of which is a
tea-pot, and under these are four cream jugs. The
plateau contains at its edge a number of small stands
for the cups and saucers. What is meant by having
four tea-pots, unless it be to supply the company with
four sorts of tea, we know not. The figures which sup-
port the urn are exquisitely sculptured, and we repeat
that the execution is altogether beautiful ; it is of the
taste, or rather want of taste, that we complain ; but
all may not entertain the same opinion, and some
foreign purchaser may perhaps be found for
this strange article ; but we think it must be
in a very distant country. The silver itself of which
the fountain is made is valued at about 14,000 f.,
which leaves 22,000 f. for the workmanship and the
profit of the silversmith. We confess that the price is
not enormous to a rich amateur, who may differ from
us as to the taste of the production. No. 1,356,
Odiot, is a splendid exhibition. M. Odiot has been
long at the head of his profession as a silversmith, and
his articles this year show that he is resolved to re-
main so. The taste, execution, and solidity of his pro-
duction are alike remarkable. M. Lebrun, No. 1,344,
exhibits some very pretty silver articles, amongst
which are four champagne vases, ordered by Baron
de Rothschild. They arc splendid productions, and
the price, 5,000 f. each, is not excessive, considering
the workmanship. M. Lebrun has also a magnifi-
cent plateau, very richly chased, and in excellent
taste. His tea-urn is in the same good style, but the
coffee and tea-pots. have a heavy appearance. No.
1,357, Aucoc, is a plateau, in very good taste, but
nothing else out of the common way. M. Soyer, at
1,331, exhibits some pleasing objects, by the new pro-
cess of the electric current. At N 0.2,184, Gandais, the
best manufacturer of plated articles in Paris, there are
some specimens which show great progress in this
art. Generally speaking, plated articles in this coun-
try, hitherto, although fine to the eye at a distance,
would not bear a close inspection. There was always
something about the edges to show that they were at-
tempts to imitate silver. The edges of most of the
articles exhibited by M. Gandais are executed with
as great care and neatness as the best articles in silver.
No. 3,307 is an altar-piece, in good style, intended for
the church of St. Robe, at Argenteuil. It is a mag-
nificent article for a country church ; the price of it
is 14,000 f. No. 3,692, bronze and cut-glass cande-
labra, &c. The glass drops, instead of being long and
pointed, have a fiat surface, and do not appear to reflect
the light with the same brilliancy as by the old
system. At N 0.2,349 there are some better specimens
but there is a want of harmony in the arrangement.
The chandeliers appear to us too massive for the
number of , lights that they carry. No. 1,346
displays various articles of silver plate and jew-
ellery, all in very good taste. We may say
the same of I,34o—bronzes. The bronze sta-
tuettes, figurines, busts, &c., at No. 3,321, are
excellent. M. Ruing:), No. 1,225, has some fine canda-
labra. Thelarzecand ilahrum has a good effect from the
general harmony of the style. The above are only a
'few of the exhibitors of bronze and silver articles,
and have been selected by us as the most entitled to
notice, but if our space would admit of it, we could
mention several others with commendation. There
are, as usual, many exhibitors of false jewellery. The
general workmanship evinces more care than for-
merly, and, consequently, the imitation is the less
perceptible. Since the discovery of the galvanic pro-
cess of gilding, there is a greater inducement for ex-
cellence of execution in the brass-work. Hitherto to
gild well and permanently •vas too expensive for imi-
tations, and, therefore, the articles were got up so
roughly that it was easy to detect that they were
not real. Now, at a sea :11 expense, a durable
caating of gold nply be put upon brass-work, and if
that he well made, the eye cannot detect the difference
until time has destroyed a perti-n of the gilded surface.
The new process has open..d a vast field for the manu-
facturers of false jewellery, and it is not, perhaps,
going too far to eseert that well gilded articles will
he almost as valuable as half the articles miele in
England of what is called jeweller's gold, which has
no standard, and which, although charged originally
at an enormous price, is almost valueless when
offered for sale as old gold. It is not all
uncommon in Eng'arel for a lady to pay ten guineas
for a chain, the gold of which is not wort% two
guineas. There is, fortunately, nothing of this kind
in France, where all articles of jewellery must be of
a fixed standard, consequently the purchaser on
selling or exchanging an article loses only
what is called the fe namely, the price
of the workmanship and the fair profit of the ven-
dor, and in purchasing we hive only to get the arti-
cle weighed before us to know how much we are
reJlly paying fur fashion. At No. 3,284 there are
some exquisite specimens in false stones, and at 3,723,
some false pearls of such close imitation, that it would
be difficult for any but a connoisseur to detect the
difference.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE—By a piece of paltry manoeuvring, in perfect
keeping with their paltry tactics, the Tories managed on
Thursday night to prevent Mr. Christie from bringing on
his motion for inquiry into the constitution and present con-
dition of the two IThiyersities, with a view to assimilate them
to the changed circumstances of the country, and thus ex-
tend their usefulness, in conformity with the design of their
founders. The mode in which the Conservatives—of all
abuses—effected this was explained by Mr. Christie on the
following evening. To that explanation wo refer in
justification of the term we hate used to designate their con-
duct. We do not charge this act of disreputable trickery
upon the members of the Government. It was concocted
and executed by honourable, but—except in such duties—
very insignificant, gentlemen who occupy the third and
fourth seats behind the Treasury Bench. These worthy in-
struments of the party seem incapable of any higher eleva-
tion of thought or act. In this instance they had just dis-
cernment enough to see that the statements by which
the Honourable Member for Weymouth would support his
motion for inquiry would open the eves of the public to facts
they are unwilling should become known ; but without
having sufficient foresight to discern the consequences of
burking those statements. Those who plotted for the pur-
pose of stifling the motion may rest assured that the course
taken to prevent the statements and arguments of the Hon.
Member from meeting the public eye has tended to strengthen
the generally received impression that z searching investi-
gation, with a view to an extensive renovation and reform
In those institutions, is necessary, and must at no distant
period be granted. Exaggerated apprehensions in the public
mind, called up by the efforts at concealment, will tend to
increase the demand for an extensive and salutary change. The
motion for inquiry is merely postponed; the temporary de-
feat it has sustained will tend to facilitate the object, instead
of suppressing the investigation. No expectation was enter-
tained that the inquiry would have been obtained, as the im-
mediate result of the motion. It is probable that but little
discussion would have taken place upon it. The mo-
tion would have been negatived—it may be " without a
division." What then ? The speech would, it is true, have
been heard with impatience by those who are always pre-
determined to vote against inquiry, in proportion as the
facts adduced prove the necessity of reformation. Such
would only have "sat out" the discussion, that they might,
if necessary, record their votes against the motion. But in
the reports supplied by the public journals on the following
day, the speech thus listened to with impatience, or with
listless indifference, in the House of Comtnons, would have
been read by hundreds of thousands. Sooner or later,
the impression thus produced would operate within the
walls of Parliament, and speak even there "with most
miraculous organs." The days are long since departed when
a Member of Parliament spoke only to those within the
House of which .he was a member. Then the effect he pro-
duced upon those who immediately heard him was every-
thing; and the impression out of doors was scarcely worth a
thought. The Tories know that another era has dawned
upon the nation. Hence, whenever they can prevent a
motion for inquiry from being brought forward, they do so—
not so much from an apprehension of its effect within,
as of dread of its results upon those without the walls of Par-
liament. To this apprehension we refer the trick to which
they had recourse on Thursday night. By counting out the
House on Mr. Christie rising to bring forward his motion for
inquiry into the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, with
a view to render them more beneficial. to the country; they
hoped to keep the country in ignorance of matters which
affect the character of the close corporations of learning and
piety at Oxford and Cambridge. het fallacy of that hope
will become apparent.
STANDARD.—Our readers will have known that the Irish
Court of Queen's Bench has refused the motion for a new
trial, that has now occupied it for a term and something
more. Mr. Perrin alone dissented from the refusal as regards
Mr. O'Connell, and Mr. Crampton dissented in the case of
Mr. Tierney; but as two of the judges agreed to refuse in
every case, the rule for a new trial is refused to all, viz., re-
fused by the whole Court as respects six of the trayersers, Dr.
Gray, Messrs. Steele, J. O'Connell, Dully, Barrett, and Hay ;
refused by three of the judges to one. in the case of Mr. Da-
niel O'Connell, refused by two of the judges against two, in
Mr. Tierney's case; but too equal division of the Court
operates as a refusal, because, where the judges are equally
divided upon an affirmative proposition, the negative always
of course prevails. In consideration of the equal divi-
sleieasnt
guiltyupinforM of Mr. Tierney's
tdeeneei
intimated that he would not call that gentle-
mangnt.
t rsatsr• r sTatil; ern eoyn notitsheceerttahienrlyhan(, i thehe
appears to us the most criminal, after the master incendiary ;
but no doubt the Attorney- Genera)
leatkoesoe sec thel\ir exercises a sound disc, e-
tion in bowing to the equal division of opinion on the bench.'
ewrhneic3h,,stheeseDapaeb.lin,lT'ree-
malt isn'saniJoilsurningaimt tries toh meanwhile
most recent fashionable announcement respecting • the Irish
Attorney-General was, that the learned functionary
attended the Premier's last ball. He has just returned frorni
London—his last lesson hi prowcution i 3 yet fresh in his
memory, and we must, thercf..re, look upon his declaration
yesterday, that he would at once demand judgment on the
repeaters, as the carrying out cf orders issued by the head of
the Cabinet. The wily Minister wishes to keep his hands
off the clergy, and in defersnce to his known veneration'
for Catholic priests,' he has instructed his calker not to
demand judgment on the Rev. Mr. Tierney. We have no
doubt but the snrpliced iutlians' will duly estimate his
forbearance." Whoever reads the argument of Mr Jus-
tice Crampton, will see how notch Sir Robert Peel's
instructions have had to do with Mr. Tierney's good luck.
We have copied from a morning Contemporary (the Herald),
a review of the grounds upon which the Justices l'errin and
Crampton respectively decided against their brethren in the
two cases, in which they did so decide. As this article pretty
wetly expreasep our own views, we shun ea), uothing

more upon that subject except that every one antici-
pated from the first day of Michaelmas Term, how Mr.
Perrin would act ; such anticipation, however, being wholly
unconnected with any doubt of the Learned Judge's
integrity, and resting solely upon the practical proofs he had
given, when Whig Attorney-General, of his erroneous views
of the law of conspiracy. It were strange, indeed, if the
Learned Gentleman should not, as judge, have some qualms
at treating, as criminal, what himself had connived at if not
encouraged, when charged with the vindication of the law as
first law officer of the Crown. Mr. Crampton, too, had a
difficulty of the same kind, though much less in degree, to
contend with, for he also had been a Whig law officer, but it
was in the earlier and better period of the Whig Administra-
tion. On Saturday the Attorney-General called upon the
counsel for the traversers to offer their motion in arrest of
judgment, if they intended to make one. Sir Coleman
O'Loghlen, on the other side, declared that a motion in
arrest of judgment was intended, but the traversers'
counsel were not ready. Not ready, at the end of
six months I The Attorney-General demanded to be
at least informed of the grounds of the motion, and of
the authorities by which it was intended to support it.
in order that on Monday (this day) he might be prepared to
reply instanter, without wasting more time ; but for this the
traverser? counsel were not prepared at the end of six
months. The Court interposed with more firmness and de-
cision than it had previously manifested, and told the learned
advisers of the traversers that they must, in the course
of the same evening, communicate to the Attor-
ney-General the information that be so reasonably re -
quired ;—and there the matter rested. The motion in arrest
of judgment being, as every one knows, designed merely for
delay, will be spread over as many topics as possible; but
as on such a motion there can be no apology for the tram-
sere being allowed separate and distinct counsel, and as the
Court seems to have awakened to the duty of discounte-
nancing pettifogging quibbling, intended merely to con-
sume the public time, the whole matter may possibly
be disposed of in the course of the present week. And
whether it is or not, is a matter of little consequence, for
the case is one of those that may be said to be forgotten
before they are completed. Nobody now has reason to re-
gret the delay that has occurred, except the traversers, who
have now still before them the whole of that punishment, a
very considerable part of which would have been already ex-
pended, had they not resorted to the dilatory policy.