XXIV

INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL OF CHAIRMEN.

[Appendix IL

Class VII.— Civil Engineering , Architectural and BuildingContrivances.

Science and skill in Design to obtain the object soughtwith the greatest economy ; fitness in the application ofMaterials, success yi the work in which the Model or Draw-ing is exhibited ; perfection of workmanship in the Model orDrawing exhibited.

Class VIII. —Xaval Architecture and Military Engineering ;

Ordnance , Armour, and Accoutrements.

Merits of combination in the Models or Drawings relatingto Military or Naval Engineering ; advantages obtained byexperiments in carrying out the means proposed either byModels or Drawings. Improvements in Arms. Apparatus,or any articles belonging to Military and Naval Service orArchitecture, to Rigging or other branches of Seamanship ,to Accoutrements or Equipments of Troops, their fitness andefficacy ; economy in production.

Class IX.

In this Class actual trial has been found generally neces-sary for the safe award of Prizes ; Field Instruments beingtried on the land, and Yard Implements being also set towork, and the results exhibited in Numerical Tables.

Class X.-— Philosophical Instruments.

Novelty of inventions, or novelty in the whole or part ofthe instruments; ingenuity of construction; new applica-tion of old principles; application of new principles : im-proved beauty of form; increased durability, and moreextensive application.

Class Xa. —Musical Instruments.

Novelty of invention, novel application of old inventions,improvement of mechanical action. Tone, perfection ofworkmanship, beauty of design combined with general ex-cellence, increased felicity of action, cheapness combinedwith durability.

Class Xb.— Horology.

Ascertained or probable accuracy and certainty of per-formance, whether time-keeping, discharging of strikingparts, or registering; stability, strength and durability,simplicity and economy of construction, goodness of execu-tion. High finish to be considered subordinate to thescientific objects.

Class Xc. — Surgical Instruments.

For instruments which possess novelty of a useful charac-ter, and giving evidence of originality and inventive power,ingenuity in the application, extension, or modification ofprinciples already known, or for new combinations, mecha-nical skill, including cheapness, finish, and other qualitiesof mechanical execution.

Group C. — Manufactures. Textile Fabrics.

In this, those articles will be rewarded which fulfil in thehighest degree the conditions specified in the sectional list,namely, increased usefulness, such as permanency in dyes,improved forms and arrangements in articles of utility, &c.;superior quality, or superior skill in workmanship; newuse of known materials ; use of new materials ; new combi-nations of materials ; beauty of design in form or colour, orboth, with reference to utility; cheapness relatively toexcellence of production.

Group D.— Metallic , Vitreous, and Ceramic Manufacture .

Important inventions and discoveries, or regularity com-bined with excellence of design ; novel application of knowndiscoveries; great utility combined with economy andbeauty ; excellence of workmanship and quality.

G roup E.— Miscellaneous.

Novelty of material in application, excellency of design,material, workmanship, ami cheapness.

Group F.— Fine Arts.

Originality and excellence of design and importance ofthe work, combined with great merit of execution ; meritin execution, combined with application to useful purposes.

Appendix C.

MINUTE OF ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE AWARD OF THE COUNCIL MEDAL.

*■ 'With reference to the awards of the Council Medal, theCommissioners think it proper to recapitulate the terms ofthose Decisions, and to explain with somewhat greaterminuteness the exact meaning which they intended toattachto them.

“ Ihe 107th of the published Decisions of the Commis-sioners is as follows ;—

‘It is the intention of the Commissioners to reward“ ‘ excellence in whatever form it is presented, and not to“ ‘ give inducements to the distinctions of a merely indi-** ‘ vidual competition. Although the Commissioners have‘ determined on having three Medals of different sizes“ ‘ and designs, they do not propose to instruct the Juries to“ ‘ award them as first, second, and third in degree for the*• ‘ same class of subjects. They do notwish to trammel the“‘Juries by any precise limitation; but they consider“‘that the Juries will rather view the three kinds of“ ‘ Medals as a means of appreciating and distinguishing“ ‘ the respective characters of the subjects to be rewarded,“ ‘ and not of making distinctive marks in the same“ ‘ Class of Articles exhibited.’

And the 21st Article of the Decisions regarding Juriesis this:-

“ ‘ 1 he three classes of Medals are intended to distinguish“ ‘ the respe^tive^ characters of subjects, and not as first,“ ‘ second, and third in degree for the same class of subjects.’

“ The important features in these Decisions, and thatwhich distinguishes the mode of granting Medals on thepresent occasion from that usually adopted in thcExhibitionsof Foreign Countries, is the announcement that the Medalsare not to be awarded ‘ as first, second, or third in degreefor the same class of subjects.’ It is obvious, therefore,that in the case of manufactured Articles mere excellenceof manufacture, being in other words a mere difference indegree between subjects included in the same class, cannotbe rewarded with a Council Medal without a deviationfrom the principle of this decision. If, however, there is

any novelty of invention or adaptation, or any peculiarityin the mode of manufacture, which can also be taken intoaccount, and of which the importance and value shall bejudged sufficient, the Council Medal may properly be given.

“ Thus, for example, if a piece of Linen be exhibited ofsuch remarkable excellence as to be at once and byunanimous consent recognised as greatly superior to anyother piece of Linen in the whole Exhibition, yet if theordinary processes only have been employed in its pro-duction, and if it be not distinguished by any originality inthe design applied to it, it ought not to have a CouncilMedal, however great may have been the care and labourbestowed upon it. But if, on the other hand, a piece ofLinen of very decided excellence should be produced by anew method, exhibiting advantages not hitherto attained, itwould be quite within the spirit of the Decision in questionthat such method should be rewarded with a Council Medal.

“ Or again, if a sample of Sugar of extraordinary finenessshould be exhibited, if such fineness were the result only ofthe application of the ordinary processes, with more thanordinary care and skill, it ought not to have the CouncilMedal; but if a new chemical agent, or a new process hadbeen employed with advantage in its production, theprocess by which it was produced, if sufficiently important,would be eligible to receive it.

“ It is not, however, intended to limit the granting of theCouncil Medal to cases of production by a new process :such a rule would, of course, not apply where the questionof Fine Art was involved. Jn judging of works of pureart, the Medal will, of course, be given to those cases wherethe most remarkable and pre-eminent genius has beendisplayed ; and in cases where design is applied to an articleof Manufacture , it may sometimes happen that it will be ofsufficient originality and importance to justify the grant of aCouncil Medal as an acknowledgment of the taste displayed.

Thus, for instance, a piece of Porcelain or a piece ofTapestry, though they could not receive the Council Medal