The Exhibition of 1851.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 518, 2 April 1851, Page 2

The Exhibition of 1851.

The Extracts which from time to time we have made respecting the Proposed Grand Exhibition of 1851 have, for the most part, gone upon the assumption, that it is not only a magnificent project, but one eminently calculated to advance the commercial and general interests of the British nation. But it is proper, that we should also lay before our readers, some evidences of the fact that the judgment of the public i? by no means unanimous on the subject ; and that not a few whose opinions are entitled to respectful consideration regard it as a scheme the results of which are but doubtful ; nay, which may not improbably prove in the issue seriously detrimental, rather than promotive of the national welfare. The arguments of those who take this view are stated so comprehensively in Blackwood's Magazine for. September, that we cannot present their side. of the question better than by giving an outline of the article, in which they are stated and maintained with Blackwood's characteristic ability and candour. As we can find room only for an outline, it may facilitate the understanding of it that we should number the parts into which the writer's continuous essay seems properly divisible. 1 . The project has not been taken up by the public at large with the warmth which its Itoyal patronage and lofty pretensions might have been expected to elicit. Violent exeition — including itinerant lecturing, " peripatetic persuasion,"' and even, it is alleged, the employment of undue influence on tradesmen by their customers, — has been used to raise the sum required, which, notwithstanding the adoption of all these means, has not been , raised. 2. Under these circumstances, there is reason to apprehend that there will be a large deficit which will be asked for fiom the public purse. Already the scheme has been taken out of the category of joint-stock or private enterprises by the relaxation of the Tariff in favour of foreign articles intended for competition, — a step which concerns every man in the nation, in respect of the alteration of the revenue. Now, these are days in which the necessity of economy in every department is universally acknowledged ; " we have already been taxed far too much for the gratification of whims and crotchets •" and " Lord John Russell may rely upon it that he will not be held blameless it he has failed to intimate that in no event whatever will he give his consent to a vote of public money for any purpose of the kind." '' The fact ?s evident that the nation it not responding to the call ; that it will not voluntarily contribute a sufficiency to defray the estimated expenses of the Exhibition, nnd that it c< nsiders the Exhibition itself, to use the very mildest term, in the light of ait expensive toy." 3. The Exhibition, which ought to include every product and invention of human industry, must unavoidably be limited* The area of the whole of the parks in London would not be sufficient for such a collection, supposing it to be perfect. Far more time also would be requisite than is allowed Moreover, the collection cannot be permanent It must be broken up ; for "to purchase it would be next to impossible — politically it would be highly dangerous." ! 4. Viewed as a matter of curiosity, it will be objectionable, as withdrawing numbers of artisans from their occupations, entailing expense which they cart ill afford, and subjecting them to unnecessary temptation. Socially, therefore, it is likely to do u a vast deal of harm." 5. But to come to the question of its utility, — in its bearing on own internal industry. It surely is not desirable to give a stimulus to foreign invention, or to endanger any superiority which England possesses in industrial pursuits : — If this be true— nnd it will brook no denial — what shall we say to a scheme which proposes to lay open to foreign nations in the most plain and palpable mnnner, the re»u!ts and the arcana of our invention ? What advaniaue can poisibly arise from «uch a divulgement of our industrial economy ? What end can it answer, except to exhibit to our rivals our latent slrengih Bid weakness? We could eaeily cull from sacred end prn'ane history instances which testify to thefnial effec s of miy such unwise disclosures. The example of Kins Hezek.ah alone ought to be sufficient to expose the folly of opening our national tieasurehouse to the unrestricted inspection of htraujjers. Viewed in this light, the Exhibition hai not a single argument ti> recommend it, but very many unequivocally to condemn it. If it be uiged that the British artisan will have an equal opportunity of inspecting and learning from the work of his rival, — the reply is, the foreigner will only show his product, not his machinery ; while he, on the other hand, will at once be illuminated as to the source of the British productive power. Even were it otherwise, Britain now stands at the head of the manufacturing world, and can have little to learn from inferiors. 6. Regarded as a competition, what can British manufacturers gain by it % Foreigners i will not admit that they have pat forth their i utmost strength in the contest ; so that, even if we gain, we can reap but little credit. But ! if we are beaten, we shall lose the prestige of superiority which it has cost us so much to maintain., And, "it is not wise for a country professing so many branches of industry as ours to afford an opportunity of having its weaker points tested and ascertained." 7. But, at all events, if we must have an

Exhibition of the sort, the British exhibitor should be allowed to take the field on equal terms with the foreigner. This is not the case, however. The foreign manufacturer has already cheaper labour at command, less taxation to pay, and other advantages. Mow, he is to have a remission of the import duty of ten per cent for the occasion, while the British manufacturer will be compelled to pay the Excise duty on the articles he prepares for the Exhibition. This was tried by Mr. Robert Kerr, an eminent shawl manufacturer in Paisley, who applied to the Lords of the Treasury for a removal or drawback on the duty of l^d. per lb. on card paper to be used in designs which he was preparing with the object of " maintaining the reputation of Paisley, as the principal seat of the manufacture of shawls in Great Britain." This tax he found would amount to £92 1 5s. on one design which he had in contemplation, and which would cost £470 before a single shawl could be produced. But their lordships 1 reply was that they " must decline to comply with his request." We do not suppoie that there it any deliberate intention of giving the foreigner an undue advantage: that cannot be. Yet here it an advantage to very palpable, that to gainsay it is impossible; and yet it is lo be allowed to remitin. Supposing time a visitor of the Exhibition of 1851 sees hud out before him two shawl*, one of paisley and the other of French manu* facture ; that the patterns of each are so exquisitely drawn, and the color so well disposed— that the fabrics are so line, and the whole so beautifully finished, as to render it doubtful to which he should give the preference : what extra element of considetatiou then arises to influence his judgment ? Clearly the price. He is toll that the French is thirty per cent cheaper than the Paisley one, and of course he prefers the former. .But he is not told that upon one single article indispensable for the m»nufacture, the inhabitant of Paisley has puid a duty to Government equivalent to twenty per cent on the mere preparation of the design, and that the Frenchman, betides being free from that duty, has received a virtual drawback of 10 per cent, which he must have paid before his produce could bs sold in the British mar-* ket! 8. The Exhibition will give a mighty impetus to the importation of foreign goods. Of the thousands who come to inspect, matij will be inclined to purchase. New tastes will be created which cannot be catered for at home, and " foreigners, keeping all the while their own market to themselves will be but too happy to avai] themselves of our liberality." In conclusion, Amiable as Prince Albert undoubtedly is, we have no implicit (aitb in the depth of his practical philosophy. Let him calmly reflect upon tliii,— that the general voice of the nation hat not been raised in favour of his scheme ; that it is an experimentquite uncalled for at the present time, and likely, in any event,, to produce considerable hvartourning ; that its success, even at a mere Show, teems more than problematical from the failure of the requisite fund", to supply which out of the public purse would give rise to a great outcry ; that it is not popular with the mtdJle clasaes, and not even calculated to fulfil its original professed object. We s^y nothing or the disputes and squabbles which have arisen regarding the site, though >t may fairly be questioned whether any plan, inrolving at> infringement of public vested rights, ought to be forced on in spite of local remonstrance. We louk merely to the scheme as calculated to affect the general iuteies's of the country, and we are compelled to record oar deliberate opinion, that the sooner it is abandoned, the belter. " Abandoned" however it certainly will not be, notwithstanding the force of the arguments advanced by Blackwood, — a force which even those who dissent most from the unbending Protectionist principles pervading them, must, in some instances at least, feel themselves obliged to admit. The late English journals teem with articles anticipatory of the Exhibition, (so far as they can be said to teem with anything except the Anti- Papal movements). No single occurrence in connection with the project excited more attention than a Grand Banquet given at York to Prince Albert and the Lord Mayor of London on the 25th of October. It was got up by Mr. Seymour (the Lord Mayor of York), in conjunction with a number of other civic authorities in various parts of the United Kingdom, in imitation of the magnificent dinner given in March last year in the metropolis, for the same purpose. The arrangements were entrusted to M. Soyer, and how he performed his functions may be judged of from the composition of ihe "One Hundred Guinea Dish" laid before the Prince :— Five turtles heads, part of green fat and fins, £3 1 ; 24 capon (the noix, or nut from the middle of the back, only used), £8, 8s ; 18 tv-key, the same, £3, 12* ; 18 poulardes, the same, £5, 1 7s ; 16 fowls, the same £2, 18",; 40 woodcocks, the same, £8 ; 100 snipes tlte same £5 ; 3 dozen pigeons, the same, 14s ; 45 partridges, the same, Mi, 7*. 6d. \ 10 dozen larks, whol", 15«,'. 30 ph-atnn'-s, ditto, £b t 55.; 6 plovers, ditto, 9s : 3 dozen quails, ditto, j£3 ; ortolans, .£5; the garniture, consisting of cockscombs, truffles, muohrooni'), crawfish, olives, American asparagus, cruuiiades, sweetbreads, queneiles de volatile, and sauce, .£l4, 10j. ; total, £105, ss. 6d. M. Soyer accounts for the great expense of this extraordinary dish in the following manner— that any gentleman ordering tins dith, and having to proride the necessary articles, will easily account lor the title given to it. Tuis dish, which took tome hours to dish up, was kept hot by Roper's patent warming apparatus. Prince Albert, on his health being drunk, delivered the following speech : His Royal Highness Prince Au»ERr then rose, and *»as received with repeated volleys of cheering. He said,— Vl y Lord Mayor, lam very sensible of your kindness in proposing my health, and I beg you, gentlemen, to believe that I feel very deeply your demonstrations of good will and cordiality towards myself. I assure you that I fully reciprocate these sentimeuti, ami that it has given me sincere pleasure to meet you, the representatives of all the important towns of the kingdom, «gain assembled at a feitixe board, in token

of the unity and harmony of feeling which prevails amongst those whom you rep.esent, and on which I am persuaded, the happine 8 and well being of a country «o materially depend. (Hear, hear.) It was ide«i honourable at once to the liberality and the tli.rernment of the Lord Mayor of London— (cheers) —to invite you to assemble under his hospitable roof, belore you started on the important undertaking upon which you were going to enter ; and when, according to ancient custom, the •• loving cup" went round, it was a pledge you pave each other, that whatever the rivalries of your different localities might be, you would, in the approaching contest, all act and appear as one r* presenting your country at the gathering of the products of the nations of the earth. I «cc, by your anxiety to return, before your terms of office shall have expired, the compliment which London has pad you that you personally appreciate to its full extent the intention of its Chief Magis-rate-.(cheer»)— and you could not have selected a belter place for yoor meeting than this venerable city, which is so much connected with the recollection* and the history of the empire, end it now prominent as the centre of a district in which a high state of agriculture u Wended with the most extensive production of manufacture!. (Prolonged cheering.) But I »cc, likewise, in your anxiety to meet us, her Mojerty's Comroisitoneu. again, a proof of yoor eame-t and continued zeal in the cause of the snproachv q Exhibition. (Hear, hear.) It could not be by the impetus of a momentary enthusiasm, but <mlv by a steady per.e*errfnce and sustained effort that you could hope 10 c»ny rut your grew unde< taking, and ensure for you. -»elve« and the nation an honourable rositiou in the companion which you have invited (Loud cheers.) If to cneer you on in your labour* bv no means terminated, you ihould require an asmiance that that tpint of activity and perseverance U abroad in the country, I can give you that MBUran.ee on ihe ground of the information which reaches utfiom all quarters. (Protracted cheering) And I can ad.i to it our personal convic ion that the worki in prrparaium will be such as to dispel any ap prehensions tor the portion which Brtu.h industry will Jnaintain. (Applause.) From abroad a'so all accounts which we rtceive lead a-, to expect that the works to fee sent will be numerous and of a superior character. (Hear ) Although we perceive in some countries an apprehension that the advantage, to be derivec l from the Exhibition will be mainly reaped by England, and a consequent distrust in the effects of our scheme upon their own interests, we mn«t at the lame time freely and eratefu'.iy acknowledge that our invitation has been received by all nations, with whom communication was possible, in that spirit of liberality andfriend«bin ia «bich it was teudered, «md that they are makintt ereat exertions and incurring great expeuses in order to meet our plans. (Cheers.) Of our own doings at the Commission I should have preferred to remain silent; but I cannot let this opportunity pa.s without telling you how much benefit we liave derived, in our difficult labours, from your uninterrupted confidence in the intentions, at least, which guided our decisions; and that there ia no difference of opinion on any one subject between us and the Local Committees which has not, upon personal consultation, and after ooeu explanation and discussion, vanished and gave WAV to agreement and indentUy of purpose. (Cheers.) There is but one alloy to my feelings of satisfaction and pleasure in seeing you here assembled again, and that is the painful remembrance that one is missing from amongst us, who Mt wo warm an interest in our scheme, and took so active a pan in promoting us •tccesa • the last act ot whose public life was attendvne at the Royal Commission, the admiration for whose talents and character, ami gratitude for whow devotion to the Queen, and private friendship towaids myself i feel consolation iv having this public opportaaltrtoespreM. (H^r, hear.) O n.y at oar bat meeting we were still admiring his eloquence, and the earnestness with which be appealed to you to uphold bv voiir exettion» aud personal laciificcs what was to him the highest object-ihe honour o» bis countryhe met you the allowing day, together with other ComiuUiotiere, to confer with you upon the details of our undertaking and you must have bfen struck, as everybody has been who has had the benefit of hit advice upon practical point*, with the attention, care, and sagacity with which he treated the minutest details "proung, that to a great mind nothing is liUle —'(hear, hrar)— from the knowledge thnt, in ihe moral and intellectual as in the physical world, the smalle»t noint is only a link in that great chain, aud holds its appointed place in that great whole which « governed bt ihe Divine wisdom. (Hear, hear.) lhe constitution of Sir Robert Peel's mind was pecu wily that of a Statesman, and of an English Statesman (Hear, hear ) He was Liberal fr m feeling, but Conservative upon principle. Whilst bh impulse drove him to foster prog. ess, hi. sagacious mind and great expe. rienee showed him how ta.ity the whole machinery of a state and ol society isclerdiued, and bow important, but how difficult also, it l« to di ect its farther development io accordance with its fundamental principles, like organic growth in nature. (Hear, hear.) It was peculiar to him that in great things at hi . smull, all the difficulties and objection* uccurred to him fint. He would anxiously consider them, pause, and warn against rath resolutions; but having convinced himself, after long and careful investigation, that a step was not only right to be taking, but of the practical mode also of safely taken it, it became to him a necesai y and a duty to take it— (beat)— ail his caution and apparent timidity changed into courage and power ot action, and at the same time readiness to make any personal sacrifice which its execution might demand. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, if he has had so great an influence over this country, it was from the nation recognising in his qualities the true type of the Kngltbh character, which is essentially practical. (Cheers.) Warmly attached to its Institutions, aud revering the bequest left w him by the industry, wndom, and piety of his forefathers, the Englishman attacl.es little value to any theoretical scheme? It will attract his attention only after having been for some time placed before him. It must have been thoroughly investigated and discussed before be will entertain it. Should it be an empty theory, it wi.l fall to the ground during this time of probationshould it turvive this trial, it will be on account of the | practical qual.ties contained in it; but its adoption iv the end will entirely depend upon its harmoufsin' with the national feeling, tht historic development of the country, and the peculiar naiu eof her Irnnitutionv (Loud cheer*.) It is owing to these nat.onal qualities that this tavoured land, whilst constantly pro^reesiDg, has still preserved the integrity of her con stitutiou from the earlie&t times, and has been protected from wild schemes, whose cbiet charm lies in their novelty, whilst around us we have seen, uofortunately, whole nations distracted, and the very labric of society endangeied, from the levity with which the result ot the experience of generations— the growth of ageshas been thrown away to give place to temporarily ! fcnmnte ideas. (Hear, hear.) Taking this view o( the character of oui country, 1 was pleased when I s»vv the plan of the Exhibition ot 1851 undergo Us ordeal of doubl, discussion, and even opposition. (Hear, hear ) Ana 1 hope 1 may now gather from the eueigy aud earnestness, with wuicu it* execution is pursued that the nation is convinced that it accords with lU interests, and the position which England has taken in

the world. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, I htve now to thank you for the honour you have done me, and I drink nil your good henlths. (Hi* Royal Highness resumed his seat amid a vehement burst of applause, which was repeated again , with the greatest fervour.) Although we have repeatedly given notices of the origin and plan of the great building in course of erection in Hyde Park for the reception of the Exhibition, the following statement by Mr. Paxiqn, the designer of it, excited so much interest that we are induced to give it a place in our columns. It is an abstract of a paper read by that gentleman on the 1 3th of November, before the Society of Arts, — Lord Overstone in the chair. The general features of the building, and of the pans of the structure bv which the ioof was supported mere illustrated through the a<e»cv of models of the newly, discovered Victoria Regia or water-lily of Gusna. By examining the varioas ribs and other ramification* of this superb flower, it was seen that the structure of the leaf closely resembled in principle the mode of structure followed in (he bu Iding now in course of crecton, and that girderi and spanners sprung out in all directions so as to gi'te strength to th 3 while fabric. One gieat feature in the present building js, that nat a single vestige of either stone, brick, or mortar ii nerrsiarv to he used, but the whole is composed of djy rnateriiil, ready at once for the introduction of articles for the exhibition. The height of the centre *!sle is 64 feet, the side aHes 4i fee 1 , and the outside aiiles 24 feet. The transept is 108 feet in height, and has been covered with a serai -circular roof, like that of the ereat conservatory at Chat* worth, in ord^r to preserve 1 the large elm trees opposite to Prince's gate. The ! whole number of cast iron columns is 3,300, varying i from 14 feet 6" inches to 20 feet in length. Thpre are j 2,224 cast and w> ought iron girders, with 1,128 itUeri mediate bearers, for supporting the floors of the galleiiei over the large openings ot the aisles. The girders are of wrought iron and thone for the galleries are of cast iron. The fronts ot the galleries are also support* ed by east iron girders. The dimensions of the bmldiug are 1,851 feet in Ungtb, and 456 feet in breadth in the widest part. It covers altogether more than 18 acres ; a»d the whole is i>up)H>red on cas'-iron pillars, united by bolts and nut* fixed to flanges turned perfectly true, and resting on concrete foundation*. The total cubic con ents «>f the building are 33,000,000 Let. Th<j mx longitudinal R»lLri<ss 2 1 feet in width, running the whole leng'h of the building, and the four transrerse ones, of the same dimensions, afford 25 per cent, additional exhibiting surface to th^t provided on the ground floor. In order to give tbe loot a light and graceful appea'ame, it u built on the rid^e and furrow [ principle, und glnz d with Bri'ish sheet glass. The ! rafters are continued in uninterrupted li >es the whole length of the building. The transept portion, although covered by a semicircular roof, is aUo on the angular principle. All the roof and upright sashes being made bymochinery, »re put together and glazed with great rapidity, tor being fitted and finished before they are brought to the place, little more is required oa the spot than to place the Imished materials in the positions intended for them. The length of Bas>h-bar requisite it 205 mile*. Hie quantity of glass required is about 900,000 feet, weighing upwards of 400 tons. All round the lower tier of the building, however, will be boarded witb fillets planted on in a perpendicular line with the «ash nais above. Before sweeping the floors of the great building, the whole will be sprinkled with water fiom a muveable hand-engine, which will be immediately followrd by a sweeping machine, cou«i-t-ing of many brooms fixed to an apparatus on light wheels, and diawn by a shaft. By this means a large portion of ground will be passed over in a very short •pace of time. The lio&rds for the floor will be nine inches broad, an inch and«a-haU thick, laid halt' an inch apart, on s.eeper joints nine inches deep mid thtee inches thick, placed four fret apart. This method of flooring, then, possesses the following advatitiges :— it is very economical, dry and clean, pleasinc to walk upon, admits of the dust Mling through the spaces; and, eveu when it requires to be thoroughly washed, the water at once disappears betwixt the openings, and the boards become almost immediately fit for visitors, The galleries will be laid with close boarding. '1 he ventilation of the building ha 3 been most careiu'ly considered. Four feet round the whole of the b.i»emenl part of ihs building is made of louvre-boardiug ; and at the top of each tier a similar provision of three feet is made, with power to add an additional quantity if required ; in the centra aisle also, tbe air will be plentilully admitted. By simple machinery, the whole of this ventilation can be regulated with the greatest ease. In order to subdue the intense light in so Urge a building covered with glass, all the south side of the upright parta, and the whole of the angled roof will be covered outside with canvas orcalico, so fixed aito allow a current of air to pass , between the canvas snd the roof. In very hot weather water may be poured on, which would very much assist in cooling the temperature within. Provision will be made to use ihe Indian plan of ventilation, if the heat is so intense as to render it desirable to bays tbe tern- j perature cooler than out of daois. From the fide j gallenei running the whole length of the building, there will be grand views of the goods and visitors below; whilst the-transverse galleiiesin the middle and at the ends will afford ampie means for geneial supervision, and will serve to < ommunicate between the side galleries. Magnifying glasses, woiking on swivels, placed at short distances, will give additional facility lor commanding a more perfect general view of the Exhibition. After the Exhibition is over 1 would convert the building into h permanent winter garden, and would then make carriage drives and equestrian promenades through it. Pedestrians would have about two mile* of galleries and two miles of walks upon the ground floor, and'sufneient room would then be left lor plants. The whole intermediate space between the walks and drives would be planted witb shrubs and climbers from temperate climate*. In •ummer the upright glass might be removed, so as to give lhe appearance «»t continuous park and garden. A structure, where the industry ot all nations u intended to be exhibited, should, it is presumed, present to parties from all natious a building for the exhibition of their arts and manufactures, that, while it affords ample accommodation and convenience for the purposes intended, would, of itself, be the most singular and peculiar feature of the exhibition; how far this has been accomplished I must leave to tbe community to decide. I have now endeavoured to give a brief outline of the exhibition building ot' 1851. Eighteen Committees were in operation in the metropolis and three hundred and twentyone through the country, in making arrangements for the Exhibition ; and the applications for space in the Building had been so numerous and extensive that an intimation had been given from the Central to the Local Committees that applicants must calculate in many instances on more or less disappoint-

ment. We can make no attempt to-day to enumerate even the principal of the curious articles which are stated to be in course of preparation ; we can scarcely take up a paper without finding something of the kind described as likely (at all events in the estimation of the designer and his friends) to command universal admiration. It is stated that the Queen herself has designed a carpet, and that Prince Albert has executed some pieces of sculpture for the Exhibition. Foreign countries seem resolved to turn the occasion to the best account, and there can be no doubt that France, Germany, Denmark, and the United States of America will, with others, pour in multitudes of their products. As one illustration of the number of visitors looked for, it may be mentioned that Messrs. Clowes, the eminent printers have agreed to pay £4,000 for liberty to print the Catalogue, besides twopence to the Fund on the price of every copy sold at one shilling. A sort of Polyglot catalogue is also to be published at the price of ten shillings. The necessity for this is humorously set forth in the following remarks of the Spectator, with which we close our sufficiently lengthened melange on the subject of " The Great Exhibition."

Confusion of Tongues in the Babel of 1851. The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park is suggestive of many old memories. Its rapid progress sets one to think of Aladdin's palace. Iti mnterhl reminds us of the palnce of Pa denaonium, exhaled from Mammon'i foundry, tlie first great smeKii>g»eBiab]i«.hment on re» cord. The finished Hate in which it^ materials »re brought to the ground reminds Us, of Solomon's Tern, pie, wth its Mooes squared in their quarriei and its cedar beams squared in ihcir forests. Bat a glance forward to the motley crowds of people of all Nations who are to fjather in and around it, associates the structure more mi mate y with the tower of Babel than with any other erection, ancient or modern. The confusion of tongues will be as great about the modern as it vr<s about the ancient Babel. Astonished cabmen will hear themselves hailed iti all the dialects of the Teutonic, Scandinavian, Sclavonic, and Romance tongues, to *ay nothing of occisional addresses in Turkish, Arabic, Hindosianne, or Chinese. A Dutch skipper asking bis way to Hyde Park in hit J own broad guttural dialect, will be told in stately j Spanish or raelifluous Italian lint he is unintelligible Gentlemrn " in love at fiist tiglu" will " pop the ] question" in Russ, and receive answer! (favourable or j otherwise) in— it matters uot what language, for the evei will serve as a glossary in such cases. Involun. tary exclamations of wonder in Chinese will be res- j ponded to by sympathetic bursts in the Ojibbeway tongue A bupjJy of Bowriugs will be needed to act as shopmen and tavern waiters. Sigbt-seers will walk about with satchels full of pocket-dictionaries over j their shoulders, like bo many old cloth? smen. Already one of our great mormnsf papers is trying experiments j in the way of polyglot journalism. Innocent foreigners, anxious to avail themselves of their short visit to England to pickup a little of our language, w 11 carry away with them a bauUetiug it may be of Icelandic or Polish. There will b* ODe important difference between the old and the new confusion of tongues: the old coufu sion produced angry squubules and dispersion— the new will reunite (he kunmeu in the bonds of amity. The builders of the valley of the Tbames do not, like those of the plains of Shinar, aspire to raise a tower whose summit fclull reach to heaven; their thoughts are of the earth and earths' s concerns. Their building wll not biinu dawn the Elohira in wralli araon^ them, as high toners attract the lightning, lhe men of the world's old age will meet with the moderate andunimpassioned practical views whiou beseem old age, and harmony, not discord, will bs the consequence. The buil-ling of the old and new Babte mark the beginning and close of a cycle. From the first men hurried awnyiu different directions, to nnrse in their insolation »»gry feelings towards each other, j out of which grew the wars that have for thousands of years convulsed the globe, To the second come sadder and wiser men, bent upou trying to understand each other ; a meeting which will be the harbinger of ot an sara of petue. At least we will hope so ; though we cannot forget how often well-meaning people in priva'e life allow themselves to be brought together for the purpose of soideiing up old grudges, start some unlucky topic that leads to an un^ry controversy, and part more bitter enemies than ere r.