The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-05-06 00:00:00

THE LIVERP°OO% STANDARD.

the 'National Anthem. On arriving at the dais her Turning to -the right the procession moved to the west
Majesty took her place by the throne, having the Princess end of the nave on the north side, and as it passed, the
Royal and the'Prince of Wales on each side of her. A glazed roof of the building vibrated with enthusiastic
beautiful canopy;''32 feet square, with the corners taken cheers. ' It-was most curious to observe the manner in
off, is suspended over the throne, at a height -of 30 feet. which the weal manifestations of enthusiasm were pro-
It is divided on' the other side into twelve compartments, 'longed and- .carried forward with the,progress of the pa
each eight feet.square, and four halves divided diagonally geant. Down a deep lane of human beings, full of loyal
from point to point. Each compartment is fluted in the expectancy, 'it passed—her Majesty and the Prince, pre
centre with blue silk, and has a star of Brunswick (gilt). ceded by the Lord Steward and the Lord Chamberlain,
Where they meet, round the outside of the canopy, is a their faces turned towards the Royal personages, and
drapery of blue fringe, with blue and white silk orna- their feet-performing that curious movement known only
ments, and robes-dropping a little at each angle. This is 'at courts—namely, advancing backwards. The -taw
surmounted by<a cornice with gilt mouldings; iad upon ,d'teil varied at every step, yet was always picturesque and
the 'facia a bold -enrichment of laurel leaves, gilt, upon beautiful. The foreign commissioners, whose labours
blue ground, and a plume of blue and white ostrich had hitherto confined them to their own department of
feathers at each.angle. the Exhibition, gazed with wonder at the development of
Seated apart from the throng, and accompanied by his -Britislpindustry with which they found themselves sur-
chaplains, might'be observed the Archbishop of Canter- rounded. Even those most acquainted with the objects
bury, and not far off the Bishop of Winchester, who, in -that lay on either side of the route were surprised by-the
the absence of 'the 'Bishop of London, appeared as senior new and undiscovered attractions which everywhere pre-
suffragan of-the province. The Lord Chancellor was also rented themselves. The Indian and Colonial collections
conspicuous in the assemblage ; and the London civic were left behind, the Fine Arts' Court passed, and the
dignitaries,-in their flaunting scarlet robes, enjoyed their procession, cheered incessantly in its progress, moved
full share of public attention. A chair selected from the into the area devoted to our many-featured manufactur-
Indian collection, and over which a magnificent scarlet ing products. Glimpses were caught over the heads of
velvet elephant Cloth, richly brocaded, was placed as a the spectators on the right of the Furniture Court, and
covering, served es a throne. In front of the raised dal= the massive forms of the fixed machinery beyond it. On
on which it-was placed rose the splendid crystal fountain the left the Colebrook-dale dome, the gigantic statues of
of Mr. Oster, the appropriate centrepiece of a palace of Lords Eldon and Stowell, the well-known form of our
glass. This object had previously been concealed from treat dramatist, and the many other objects which adorn
public view, and-its beauty and artistic design now calott- the centre aisle, were left behind. Past the furs of bears
vated everybody. It is 27 feet high, contains four tons and other wild animals suspended from many a girder,
of crystal, and is-a work of which its exhibitor may well and-carpets lending their brilliant colours to complete the
be proud. 'ln the presence of more important matter, decorations and clothe the narrow lines of the interior,
we cannot enter into a minute description of it, but we the pageant swept on its way. It reached the wes-
shall take the earliest opportunity of directing public tern entrance and saw itself, and the unequalled grandeur
.
attention to its classical design and firaoh,,a - - . .

nmsned workmanship. of the scene whereof it formed the leading feature, re-
And now,letus turn from the scene which the area of the fleeted in the immense mirror exhibited at this point.
north transept presented to the aspect of the building Then, wheeling round the model of the Liverpool Docks,
generally. After all, there is no decoration which a it was returning on the south side of the nave, when the
building can possess which equals that presented by a gigantic organ by Willis suddenly hurled forth its irn-
-vast and well-arranged assemblage of people. Living mense volume of sound. The effect was extremely fine ;
masses convey to a great structure a- daracter of anima- but there was so much to think of, so many points to
tien which no inanimate objects, however beautiful, can observe, and the admiration of all had already been so
supply. The long lines of faces, lighted up with excite- largely taxed, that each new-telling characteristic of the
meat, the varieties of expression, the diversities of dress Progress ...scarcely produced its deserved impression.
and ornament, of themselves furnish subjects for inex- Wonder had already attained its maximum, and could
haustible reflection' and when these are so disposed that rise no further. Displays of textile fabrics, of hardware,
the fairer portions of humanity have the precedence and of cutlery, and of furniture, vistas of courts and alleys
occupy the first rank, the scene presented appeals directly filled with the richest materials—objects that at any other
to the gallantry and enthusiasm of the spectator. So it time would have been noticed with interest and regard—
was on Thursday. The seats which on either side lined hardly claimed a moment's attention in that remarkable
the nave and its galleries were reserved exclusively for progress. Still upon the mind the grand impression left
ladies ; and thus, standing in the centre of the building, was the magnificence of the general spectacle, the loyalty
one could see stretching from that point east and west, of the great assemblage, the cordial understanding be-

north and south,
the verge and binding of an
not less than 25,000 people.
It was originally contemplated that the centre of the
nave should remain entirely unoccupied, but, 89 we an-
ticipated, this arrangement was found, at the last moment,
impracticable; and thus her Majesty and the State pro-
cession were left to make their progress between livine

one It

of elegintly dressed women

ssembla,

tge which comprised

tween the Sovereign and the flower of her people—above
all, the hearty union of all classes in celebrating with
becoming pomp this inauguration of a temple dedicated
to industry and peace. At length the procession reached
the transept, round the south end of which it proceeded,
and then swept into the foreign department Gf the Exhi-
bition. Here immense efforts had been made to prepare
for its suitable reception. F- had

walls of loyal subjects and admirifig fo"reigners, extending
in long lines from one end of the building to the other.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, when the music had

_ rance - collected the
choicest specimens of her manufactures, and though only
two days ago her division was in confusion and the possi-
bility of her taking a suitable part in the opening pageant
doubtful, one could not help admiring the tasteful manner
in which her exhibitors had decorated the portion of their
collection which was within sight. Other countries,
more forward in their preparations; were of course able
to make a more satisfactory appearance. The great
attention which the industrial committees of Europe
bestow upon matters of artistic design and upon orna-
mental manufactures, enabled them to decorate their
divisions of the nave in a manner more effective than we,
with our utilitarian tendencies, could hope to achieve.
Amid- a rare and magnificent collection of various ob-
jects the procession moved forward, received everywhere
with loud acclamations. The French organ, by Du
Croquet, and that from Erfurt, by Schulze, each in turn
poured forth its music; and as the pageant rounded the
eastern end of the building the bands of the Coldstream
and Scots Fusilier Guards varied the programme by their
spirit-stirring strains. The return along the north side
of the nave renewed the enthusiasm of the foreigners and
visitors assembled there. The cheering and the waving
of hats and handkerchiefs went on continuously around
the building, and at last, having completed a progress
more triumphant in its peacefulness and spirit of goodwill
than the proudest warlike pageant that ever ascended the
Capitol of ancient Rome, the Queen returned once more
to the position in the transept where b.** "-
placed

ceased, joined the Royal Commissioners, who drew near
to the throne and read to her Majesty a report of the pro.
ceedings of the Commission, of which the following are

_3ne was
She looked exceedingly well, and bore the excite-
ment of the occasion with a firmness worthy of herself
and the people .he governs. The applause of the assem-
blage was acknowledged both by herself and the Prince
in the most gracious manner. His Royal Highness
appeared less composed than her Majesty, and his emotion
was visible when the ceremony and the procession had
been happily conducted to its close. It was natural that
he should feel strongly the termination of a spectacle, the
grandest perhaps that the world ever saw, and with which
his name and reputation are henceforth inseparably asso-
ciated. He wore a field-marshal's uniform, and the
Prince of Wales the Highland dress—the Rothsay tartan.
The Royal children were objects of great attention, and
the Prince of Wales received several special cheers from
the assemblage.
And now the last act of the ceremonial remains to be
recorded. The Marquis of Breadalbane, in a loud tone
of voice announced that the Queen declared " the Exhi-
bition open." A flourish of trumpets proclaimed the
fact to the assembled multitudes. The Royal Family, at-
tended by the Court, withdrew from the building, the
choir once more took up the strain of the National An-
them, the barriers, which had hitherto restrained the
spectators within certain limits, were withdrawn, and the
long-pent-up masses poured over every part of the build-
ing, unrestrained by policemen, and eager to gratify their
curiosity.

When her Majesty and the Royal cortege left the Crys-
tal Palace, they were received upon their exit by the im-
mense crowd outside the building, with the most deafen-
ing cheers, and which incessantly continued during the
whole of the progress to Buckingham Palace, where they
arrived at half-past one, and where at least 10,000 persons
awaited the arrival of her Majesty, when the sky was
again rent with the hearty congratulations and cheering
of her happy subjects, testifying their loyalty and their
gratitude that the proceedings of the day had been so aus-
piciously and satisfactorily concluded.
A few minutes after the departure of the several Royal
carriages from the Palace, and when many of her Majes-
ty's loving subjects had presumed that the whole of the
spectacle of the day was over, the windows of the draw.
ing-room in the centre front of the Palace, immediately
over the beautiful bronzed gate, were thrown open, and
ber Majesty came forward to the front of the stone bal-
cony, leaning on the arm of Prince Albert, and followed
by the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Princess
Alice, the Prince of Prussia, and the Duchess of Suther-
land. The appearance of the Royal party, who remained
for some five minutcs standing and acknowledging the
loyal greetings of the crowd, elicited a long-continued
succession of cheers, which we never heard equalled—
cheers, too, which could only emanate from those whose
hearts were imbued with the genuine and honest spirit of
English and Protestant undivided loyalty.
Such was the State opening of the Great Exhibition—a
pageantry which no one who witnessed it can ever forget,
and which is stamped on the history of this age and
country in characters which will not easily be effaced.
Those who have indulged in sinister predictions of danger
arising from this undertaking have at least thus far been
false prophets. Nothing could exceed the good humour
and disposition to be pleased visible over every part of the
building. Republicans and anarchists may be made mo-
narchical by such influences as the ceremony of Thursday
exerts, but there seems little prospect of any political
movement in the opposite direction.
The Royal procession from Buckingham Palace cone
sisted of nine splendid carriages.
The eighth carriage conveyed their Royal Highnesses
the Prince and Princess of Prussia, his Royal Highness
Prince Frederick William of Prussia, and the Duchess
of Sutherland, Mistress of the Robes.

The ninth carriage, drawn by cream•coloured horses,
conveyed Her Majesty the Queen, his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
and her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.

Her Majesty's escort was composed oflife Guards.
The Duchess of Kent was accompanied by her Royal
Highness the Princess Mary of Cambridge, and attended
by Lady Fanny Howard, Sir George Couper, and Lord
James Plantagenet Murray. The Princess Mary was at-
tended by Lady Georgiana Bathurst and Baron Knese-
beck.

The Queen wore a dress of pink watered silk, brocaded
with silver, trimmed with pink ribands and blonde, and
ornamented with diamonds. Diamonds and feathers
formed the head dress. Her Majesty wore the Riband
and George of the order of the Garter and the Garter of
the order as an armlet.

The Princess Royal wore a white satin slip with two
skirts of Nottingham lace, and had round her head a
wreath of pale pink wild roses.

The Diiches; of Kent's dress was of white brocaded
silk, trimmed with blonde, and white riband, and orna-
mented with diamonds. Her Royal Highness's head-
dress was composed of feathers and diamonds, with lace
_ .
lappetsL _ .

*The Princess of Prussia wore a white silk dress, bro-
caded with silver, and looped up at the bottom with bou-
quets of feathers, flowers, and diamonds, with feathers.
Her Royal Highness wore the decoration of the Louisen
Order. •

The Queen has signified her intention to visit the Exhi-
bition some Saturday during the hours before the public
are admitted, when all exhibitors will be invited to be
present, and in their places, to answer any inquiries which
her Majesty may desire to make respecting articles exhib.
ited by them. No doubt notice will be given to the
exhibitors of the day which the Queen may be pleased to

appoint.
The Daily News states that on Thursday they noticed
Obme omnibus conductors exchange courtesies with their
passengers, and several cabmen who had decorated their
whips with white satin. _ _

No less than 50,000 persons arrived in London on
Wednesday by the different railways. There were 5,000
extra passengers by the North-western, 3,000 extra by the
Greg-western, and great numbers from the continent by
the outh-eastern and South-western lines. . ..

At her Majesty's Theatre, on Thursday, a novel diver-
tissement in connexion with the Great Exhibition, was
successfully produced. The whole force of the theatre
was collected on the stage ; and the " divertissement, "
which partook more of the nature of an " occasional
masque," commenced with a chorus, the words of which,
said to be by the pen of Barry Cornwall, were appropriate
to the great event of the day. Cremone and Vauxhall
Gardens opened the same evening.
The Duke of Northumberland has just set a very praise-
wothy example of liberality to his brother peers.
Arrangements have been concluded, under his Grace's
direction, for admitting the "public to a sight of Northum-
berland and .Syon House during the course of the Exhi-
bition.

On Saturday morning her Majesty the'Queen, accom-
panied by Prince Albert, Prince Alfred, the Princess
_Alice, the Prince and Princess of :Prussia, and Prince
!Frederick William, paid an early visit to the Exhibition.
' The royal party remained for nearly two hours, during
the greater part of which time they-were engaged in exa-
mining the display of jewellery-and gold and silversmiths'
work, in the south gallery of the nave. They were at-
tended by Mr. J. H. Lowe, the superintendent of the
section, and expressed themselveshighly gratified by the
result of their visit. The collection is a very interesting
one, and embraces contributions. from all our best makers.
There are several models in the Exhibition besides
the Undercliffe, Isle of Wight.; most of them are by fo-
reigners, and with these the Liverpool model contrasts
most favourably, some of the foreign ones being extremely
coarse and incongruous when compared with the finished
workmanship of the handy•craftsman of the Mersey. It
stands in an excellent position in the centre of the nave
at the extreme west end, and is opposite to the " largest
plate of glass in the world;" under the great organ, and
altogether forms one of the most attractive objects in the
whole Exhibition ; its merits being specially patent to
Lancashiremen. inasmuch as it is the focus of the cotton
and calico contributions, which, somehow, do not attract
the attention that might be expected-; and, as far as we
could observe, the flax, about which all the world has
been hearing so much of late, is very greatly disregarded.
In class 10, (philosophical and horological instruments,)
Liverpool is well represented by Roskells, of Church-
street, whose case for watches is unequalled for the ex-
treme delicacy and chasteness which form one of the dis-
tinctive characteristics of all the productions emanating
from that most deservedly eminent manufactory. Tobias,
also, has a case, but. it is, at present, in an incomplete
state, and notice of it must, therefore, be reserved until a
future opportunity, the reputation of the maker being
fortunately such that he can well afford the postponement
of the praise so justly due to his ingenuity and enterprise.
Another Liverpool contributor whose stand excited con-
siderable interest was the plate of Mr. Mayer; and his
reputation is as well sustained here, in the face of uni-
versal competition, as amongst his local colleagues by the
various articles he has sent. In the centre of the case is
the beautiful silver cradle presented to Mr. Horsfall, the
Mayor of Liverpool, and at the back are two large salvers,
one (the Exhibition Plate) in an unfinished state, it having
been found impossible to perfect it by the opening of the
Crystal Palace. In this case are some very fine specimens
of jewellery, an opal bracelet, exhibiting the highest per-
fection of art in the branch of bijouterie to which it
pertains, and containing probably one of the largest and
most beautiful stones of its kind ever set. Altogether,
the article is a most sumptuous one, and most worthily
is entitled to the eulogiums it calls forth. But the great
attraction is, it must be admitted on all hands, in the
jewellery department, the bouquet of Moral, of London,
valned at £15,000, composed of diamonds and rubies, and
which forms one of the most gorgeous ornaments ever
fabricated. It divides into several pieces, and can be used
either separately or together, and is resplendent enough
to form the dowery of Cinderella on her wedding day.
Mr. F. G. Camp, a fine young man, aged only twenty-
four, acting as principal commissioner from Holland to
the Exhibition of 1851, committed suicide, by banging
himself. from fear that a threat of superseding him in his
office should be carried out. He had been desponding for
some time.

At a meeting of the vestry of St. Stephen's, Walbrook,
on Wednesday, Mr. Rock drew the attention of the ves-
try to the propriety of throwing open their splendid
church for the inspection of visitors to London during the
Exhibition. In Rome and Italy the Church of St. Ste-
phen—the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren—was
much talked of, being considered the most stately struc-
ture in Europe; therefore visitors from those parts would
take great interest in its inspection. He therefore begged
to propose that the church be opened to the public free
from charge or fees, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fri-
days, during the time of the Exhibition. The motion
was carried unanimously.