Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-07
NATIONAL lNTELLIGENCER.
THE WORLDS EXHIBITION
Letter from Mr.. RIDDLE, United States .Agent, TO
the Secretary of the american Committee.
UNITED STATS OrrIcr,

USIrED STATS OFrIcE,
LONDON, MAY 10, 1851.
SIR have the homer to enclose you herewith list OF
the names jurors appointed by in behalf Of the Uni
ted States Most Of these gentlemen here present.
ready to attend the discharge Of the responsible duties that
will be committed to them Those who not here have
been assured their way to the Industrial Exhibition
and will be residents in the city long enough to give their at
tention the subjects which will be placed before them
Considering the great distance Of country, and the DIM
cues in the way Of obtaining the opinion OF your Centrai
Committee upon any subject that requires action here ee
that the best has been done that possible In this very
difficult and embarrassing matter.
The Exhibition is now fairly in progress Its success, for
SO long time doubtful its projectors is no longer ques
on These first days have dsPeed all fears, even in
regard 10 its financial triumph. And then, as collection OF
all that is useful and beautiful in the labor OF every civilized
nation on the globe spasse the expectations OF the most
sanpuine Of its friends in itself Congress Of Nations
and record of progress which, if it mainly relates to ma
teral interests and tastes, must have important bearings,
through them, on the higher interests Of humanity.
That the object Of the Central Authority Of the United
States may be fully attained, shall now, in addition to the
attention mus! give to the goods Of our contributors so lar
and fully acqusin. myself with the productions of all nations
exhibited here that may make in the end useful and
process Of observation only discriminating the really useful
from that which is merely novel and temporary in its advan
ages and recording from day day the results which are
arrived at and the really valuable information which is OBJ
tanned In doing this find myself greatly aided BY the
classification Of Dr. LroN PLArrAIR, to whom have been
committed the ANALYSIS and generalization Of the articles e1
hbited in preparation for the abos Of the uries OF awards
According to his view the objects exhibited would be re-
ducbls to thirty principal divisions four Of which consist OF
materials six Of machinery, and twenty Of fabricated articles
It has been objected this classification that failed to IN
cude the fine arts considered illustrative OF the taste and
skill displayed in the productions Of human industy but 50
far as this Exhibition concerned 1t seems to me that this
supplemental division may be considered as fairly included
among the ornamental branches of in the large
sense n which DR.. Playfar has used the word
Under materials are comprised by this classification not
only materials such mineral ores and native METALS
but also prepared materials such as the pure metals supplied
by the processes Of meaugy, and also all the varieties Of
machinery and instruments used in the processes BY which
they are obtained In the Of the term in which the
word used materials subdvded into four classes The
first includes mining quarying, meaurgc operations and
mineral products the second chemical substances and pro-
cesses The third human food and the fourth, animal and
vegetable substances used in the arts
In the second branch Of the classification adopted to w
naachinerg although the United States very far from
being adequately represented they have got in much that
has been sent very considerable interest," you will perceive
by the subdivisions made. The machinery, too,
used applies merely to machines properly called, but
to every mechanical agent great SMALL simple complex,
which be imagined to be ntepoed between the human
hand and any other moving power and the object to which
motion and force to be applied In this therefore,
machinery includes every species Of implement and tool
n
for direct use such as steam engines, mills, blast fur
nsces and the like second manufacturing Implements such
as tools Of all kinds third, civil engineering and architecture
such implements used in hydraulic works, diving sppara
tus bridges &C.; fourth, military and naval engineering
fifth, agriculture aud horticulture and sixth, philosophical
artistical and professional apparatus. i na n
The last and largest principal division of objects exhibited
includes all finished products Of human labor under the
general designation of manufactures This chief division
consists of less than twenty subdivisions follows 1,
cotton 2, wool; silk 4, FAX and hemp; 5, mixed pro-
ducts g. leather and skins paper printing, and book
binding g. printed fabrics; tapestry, lace, and embroidery;
10, co!hng IL, cutlery IL, irons ID, precious metals
a. glass, is, porcesn &c. upholstery II, manufactures
in mineral substances for decorative architecture l8
features in animal and vegetable substances for the
pose 10, miscelanies; and 20, the fine arts
In observing the proportions in which the various nations
Of the earth have contributed to this collection Of the products
of human industry, il found, might be expected, that
the several divisions Of Europe the largest and most varied
contributors. believe it is felt however, that those con-
thutions which from the greatest distance and which
limited in their quantity and variety, present cir
cumsances of more peculiar interest," Thus, for example, to
say nothing country between which and
facilities Of navigation have almost annhated great
distance, nothing exces rational curiosity than the
various kinds Of edbles exhibited from remote lands The
birds from the Indian Archipelago, the sharks fins
from Chine beeswax from Australasia, and various roots
from the South Sea Islands, all examined and studied
with interest. So too the textile materials and fabrics, the
cloth used for clothing in Central Afcs threads from the
bres of The aloe, the pineapple and the panaiD, and the
ike, are constant sources of study and eradication.
have thus alluded 10 the topics that presented to the
Jurors and VIII ch be treated Of in my report that you
may be fully acquainted with present duties Attending
these duties there many things that embarrassing and
upon which need counsel and many others which are an
moving and troublesome. endeavo however, 50 to shape
INV conduct towards all our contributors and give aen
ton and care their goods whether they present or abb
sent as that shall be done to them IN every poln
of view Mr. LAWRENCE, Minister, ready at all times
to afford me the aid need, and from my first arrival have
found in him coadutor ready and prompt and ress 10
his though he had been associated in the Com
mission. ...s.. ga M gs
informed yos in former report that have been obliged
to effect loan of FL 500 sterling in order to make such pre-
paaons should carry the designs Of American contr
butors in sending their goods here. Although governing
every expense have incurred by the scest rules Of
my, and denying my national pride every thing that was
not absolutely necessary and very much that our sister
tons have INDUCED have found upon examination OF
my accounts, that that insufficient 10 pay them and
70 meet the expenses Of labor and clerk hire during
the continuance Of the Exhibition have extended
the credit gwen by GIo PEABODY, Esq to the amount,
ALL OF e. 500. In this matter Mr. Peabody has been ac-