REPORT OF VISCOUNT CANNING.

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awarded by the Juries, subject to confirmation by theGroups.

In regard to the other and larger Medal, they suggestedthat the conditions of its award should be some importantnovelty of invention or application, either in material, orprocesses of manufacture, or originality combined withgreat beauty of design; but that it should not be conferredfor excellence of production or workmanship alone, how-ever eminent: and they further suggested that this Medalshould be awarded by the Council of Chairmen upon therecommendation of a Jury, supported by its Group.

The principle thus described met the views of HerMajesty’s Commissioners, and was subsequently furtherdeveloped by them in a Minute which they communicatedto the Council of Chairmen. (See Appkndix C.) Itsapplication, however, was not without difficulties, espe-cially as regarded the Foreign Jurors. Many of thesehad takeu part in the National Exhibitions of France andGermany ; and to them the distinctive character of thetwo Medals, and the avoidance of all recognition of degreesof merit between the recipients of prizes, were novel prin-ciples, and at variance with their experience; inasmuchas one of the chief purposes of the National Exhibitionsof the Continent has been to distinguish the variousdegrees of success attained by rival exhibitors.

It was to be expected, therefore, that cases would arisein which the Council Medal, as the higher reward, wouldbe asked for Exhibitors whose claims were only somewhatstronger in degree, without differing in kind from thoseof others to whom the Prize Medal had been awarded.In such cases it became the duty of the Council of Chairmento refuse their sanction to the award of the Council Medal;without, however, necessarily impugning the alleged supe-riority of the article for which it was demanded. On theother hand, some instances have occurred in which theyhave felt themselves called upon to confirm the claim to aCouncil Medal, where the object for which it was claimedshowed, in itself, less merit of execution or manufacturethan others of its Class. It follows, therefore, that theaward of a Council Medal does not necessarily stamp itsrecipient as a better manufacturer or producer than otherswho have received the Prize Medal. Tt is rather a markof sucli invention, ingenuity, or originality as may beexpected to exercise an influence upon industry moreextended, and more important, than could be produced bymere excellence of manufacture.

This is to he borne in mind in considering the List ofAwards which I have the honour to lay before your RoyalHighness; and I trust it will be found that the Jurieshave succeeded in doing justice to the Exhibitors of everyNation and Class, and that they have not departed in anyimportant degree from the purpose of Her Majesty’sCommissioners.

One of the first instructions addressed to the Juries bythe Council of Chairmen was to the effect that the Prizesshould be awarded without reference to the country ofthe Exhibitors, the Exhibition being considered in thisrespect as recognizing no distinction of Nations.

It is gratifying to add that the Jurors of every country

cordially acquiesced in this principle, and that, notwith-standing unavoidable differences of opinion, uninterruptedharmony prevailed amongst them throughout the wholecourse of their labours. It is not too much to hope thatthe happy influence of this intercourse may extend andendure far beyond the present occasion.

It is not necessary that I should detain your RoyalHighness and Her Majesty’s Commissioners with a recitalof the other instructions framed by the Council of Chair-men for the guidance of the Juries, or with a detailedaccount of their proceedings in the discharge of their ownfunctions.

The number of Prize Medals awarded is 2,918. Thenumber of Council Medals is 170.

It is important to observe that no more than one Medalof either denomination has been allotted to one Exhibitorin the same Class, although he may have contributed tothat Class more than one article deserving of reward.

The Juries have found it just, in framing their Reports,to make Honourable Mention of certain Exhibitors whosecontributions were not such as to entitle them to receive aMedal. Some have applied specimens of raw materials,which, although curious and instructive, do not imply anygreat merit of production on the part of the Exhibitor ;and others have furnished articles of manufacture which,without reaching a high degree of excellence, are inte-resting as examples of the processes, or present conditionof the trades which they illustrate.

Before concluding, I trust I may be allowed to add thatit would be difficult duly to estimate the time and labourexpended by the Jurors in their endeavour to dischargefaithfully the important duty confided to them. Thenumber of Exhibitors was about 17,000. Of these many,who were reckoned but once in the Catalogue, contributeda large variety of objects, and came within the provinceof more than one Jury ; whilst in other cases towns, andeven whole countries, were counted as single Exhibitors,although they presented for examination every kind ofmanufacture and raw produce which their ingenuity andnatural resources could furnish. Upon the whole, thetask of the Juries involved the consideration and judgmentof at least a million articles; the difficulties attending itbeing not a little increased by the want of a uniformsystem of classification of the subjects in some of theforeign divisions, and by unavoidable imperfections in theCatalogue.

In these circumstances the Juries can scarcely ventureto hope that accidental omissions may not have occurred ;but they have the satisfaction of feeling that these, if any,are not attributable to a want of care or diligence on theirpart.

It now only remains for me, in laying the result of ourlabours respectfully before your Royal Higness and HerMajesty’s Commissioners, to offer, on behalf of my Col-leagues and myself, our grateful acknowledgment of thehonourable confidence which you have placed in us : and toexpress the hope that we shall be found to have fulfilled ourtrust in a manner worthy of the noble undertaking in whichwe are proud to have been called upon to bear a part.

CANNING.