New-York tribune., 1876-07-15
BRITISH TOPICS.
n,Op,r1rs FOREIGN POLICY.


npu-TuE REINTERMENT OF THE ORLEANS
v,xG. QUEEN, AND PRINCES.
occ ,sIoNAL co CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBUNE'l
pIoy,oy June 10.-In the House OF Commons ias'
~. Mr. Dsraeli was questioned by Lord Harting-
@ ~ On the subject of the Berlin note, or In reality
~ os,ed TO give the House tho details OF the Gov
.'ont policv on Eastern affairs. The Marquis OF
elD',d, ,,orv generously said he had wish to
I'D, &c the Government and he added that he
IA not think there i'll the country any dlstrust
'f tho;r procecdngs hut he thought they might be
ma, oven anxious TO afford some explanation OF
nolcv as to its details and scope, of which the
-'.,ntrv was in a state of unusual uncertainty Mt.
n;.raeli said an official notification had been gwen
NJ tbe Berlin memorandum would not be pre-
tad and that its consideration had been postponed
.,.ode The recent remarkable event at Constan-
,;nonle was q reason for that WITHDRAWAL uut
onotbcr cause lay i'll the fact that the Porte had
'iroo1v made suggestions which anticipated more
,har one important point in the memorandum. MIR.
n;sroe took occasion to add that the refusal OF the
D-:.;ah Covcrnmcnt to concur in the memorandum
hod boen received in no unfriendly spirit by the
nt,,or mowers; indeed there several points on
,rL;ob England was acting in concert with them
IT,, ,,erc agreed in thinking that no undue pres
.nro sboud be put upon the Sultan, and had joined
ri, Rnssia Austria and France i'll urging on Servla
,ho ,mnortauce of temperate conduct. The inferma-
, docs not surprise anybody. lt is little else than
0ro,;ous events and the published kilograms had in
5cated but it is somewhat more reasSIing as IL has
now come from an official source.
Tbere are few persons who would wish otherwise
non tine best success to the Crystal Palace and Its
Oroprietors: vet the Crystal Palace Company are
INST now painfully reminded that good wishes are
not all the requirements for success from CONNER
cial point of view Of their undertaking. The
later history of Sir Joseph Paxton's beautiful
glass house on Sydenham Hill has been one
of almost unalloyed misfortune. In the first
plaee. the grandest display of water-works IN In
Gland which were intended to rival in beauty and
extent the famous fountains at Versailles were
foupd to be SO enormously costly that they could
ppy be worked for short periods and on great occa
.ons The structure and the terraces alike fell out
Of repair, ard the gardens and grounds could Only
be kept in their original beauty by large outlay
The attractions of the Palace and grounds them
selves had ultimately to be supplemented by amuse-
ments of various kinds. To crown the whole III
1866 a great fire occurred which burned down
large portion Of the most beautiful and attractive
end of the building and this owing to the financial
position of the company, has never been replaced
Since then ever increasing competition in various
WAYS and other difficulties have brought down the
position of the ccnpany its present unsatisfactory
state Fer the ,st few years the affairs have been
under the direction Of strong and vigorous board
under the presidency of Mr. Thomas Hughes. This
board has done much. 1t has placed the building
in thorough repair and so far rs 1t means nave
gone it has added to the attractions of the place
In the present year the tide of misfortune appears to
have slightly turned, in respect; the number OF
visitors has increased the previous year and on
the last great holiday (WhitsGntide) they reached
AN unprecedented number The proprietors are not
however likely to feel the benefit of this for the COM
pany has been Involved in heavy litigation Yithlts
refreshment contractor. and any extra proht 1t has
made will have to go in payment OF an arbitfat0rs
award At the meeting of the shareholders on lhurs-
day Mr.. Hughes was obliged to confess the posi-
bility that the surplus earnings of the year might
not be sufficient to pay the preference dividends
The ordinary stockholders have long since given up
any chances of dividend. But strong board can
not do everything and though very sanguine of the
profits for the future Mr.. Hughes and his colleagues
offer to give place to any whom the proprietors
will consider better men, or to facilitate any
scheme which they may think necessary TO
make the Crystal Palace commercially
sound undertaking, paying its way and
far interest upon the capital embarked III 1t.
Various schemes have been propoundcd, but 1t would
appear that of them are likely TO make the IN
stitutlon more successful than at present The first
of these is to form an entirely company to take
over at price the building land and good will of
the company. Another is offer by the reireShmcnt
contractor to take the whole place at fixed rental
of $4,000 A third suggestion is to convert the
Palace and grounds into a vast Art Union scheme
in which there are to be million E1 shares and
annual OF semi-annual drawings for prizes of high
art. The first scheme appears TO be the only feasible
one but even that does not show upon IT'S face any
clement of success. If the present company cannot
make a success of the building, how can the new
one, except the old company resolves to sella
riice for the benefit of the newt The two latter
schemes are objected to principle, i'll addition to
MANY practical difficulties that in the way of
their adoption. To accept the refreshment cOatTac-
tors offer would be to turn the place into gigantic
public house or low suburban tea garden, los
ing sight of all the artistic work it has done
and is still capable of doing; and to adopt
the Art Union scheme would be TO make 1t into
great gambling speculation-a mere lottery. Moth
ing was done at the meeting except a little mild
abuse of the board for what the pub house tea gar
den" section of the propretor5 call nSuanagcment,
ard perhaps the proprietors have done wsest in
allowing matters to remain little longer to
what the future brings. The directors have some
hope for the future. They have already arranged
for grand national fete TO the Prince of Wales in
honor of his return from India, and they have
TO believe that the numbers daily attending may
continue to increase Tho reconstruction of the
company will doubtless in form lie the scheme
ultimately carried. That the company should be
leyed from its difficulties is much to be wished, as
also that the Palace and grounds should be restored
TO their pristine beauty. Even now, in spite of all
kinds of competition-the Alexandra Palace the
Westminster Aquarium, and the numerous attrac-
tions around London-the Crystal Palace is without
q rival as q permanent place of public resort and