INTRODUCTION.

The activity of the present day chiefly develops itself in commercial industry,and it is in accordance with the spirit of the age that the nations of the world havenow collected together their choicest productions. It may be said without pre-sumption, that an event like this Exhibition could not have taken place at anyearlier period, and perhaps not among any other people than ourselves. Thefriendly confidence reposed by other nations in our institutions; the perfectsecurity for property; the commercial freedom, and the facility of transport,which England pre-eminently possesses, may all be brought forward as causeswhich have operated in establishing the Exhibition in London . Great Britainoffers a hospitable invitation to all the nations of the world, to collect and displaythe choicest fruits of their industry in her Capital; and the invitation is freelyaccepted by every civilized people, because the interest both of the guest andhost is felt to be reciprocal.

But the consideration of the wide moral agencies which have contributed toproduce the present Exhibition must be postponed, and we proceed at once totrace the course of the more direct influences which have led to its establishment.

Fairs, which are one sort of exhibitions of works of industry, have beenestablished for centuries, in every part of the United Kingdom ; but exhibitionsresembling the present institution, in which the race is for excellence, and directcommerce is not the primary object, have taken place only during the last cen-tury, and have been originated by individuals, or societies, independently of anyGovernment assistance. As early as the years 1756-7 the Society of Arts ofLondon offered prizes for specimens of manufactures, tapestry, carpets, porcelain,

&c., and exhibited the works which were offered in competition. About thesame period, the Boyal Academy, as a private society, patronized by the Sovereign,more in a personal capacity than as representing the head of the Legislature ,had organized its exhibitions of painting, sculpture, and engraving.

The first exhibition of industrial productions in Franee, recognised as a nationalinstitution, occurred in 1798, a second took place in 1801, a third in 1802, and afourth in 1806. But it was not until the year 1819, that the expositions ofFrench industry have taken place systematically; and it is only since that timethat the influence of them has been markedly felt in Europe .

During the last thirty years, in each of the metropolitan cities of the United B’unued'xiug” 5Kingdom, and the most important manufacturing towns, one or more exhibi- dom.tions of machinery and manufactures have been held ; and it may be recorded that,

B