XXVI

EXHIBITION OF 1851.

(July 10tli), of which 8 only were for the entire work. On these tenders theBuilding Committee reported upon July 15th.

For some time previous to this date, difficulties had been raised (principallyon the part of the residents in the vicinity of the site fixed upon) of such a natureas to lead public opinion to desire such a Building as should have the character of alighter and more temporary structure than that proposed by the Building Committee.The Commissioners do not think it necessary now to enter into the general objec-tions raised to the occupation of a site in Hyde Park. The subject having attractedthe attention of Parliament, a paper was presented to the House of Commons onthe 1st July 1850, containing the copy of a letter addressed-by the Commissionersto the Lords of the Treasury, with a memorandum as to the site of the Exhibition,in which the grounds on which the site in Hyde Park was selected were fullystated, and the arguments against its adoption were discussed. This paper, and theexplanations given by individual Members of the Commission in both Houses ofParliament , served to remove many of the objections that had been urged. Afeeling, however, still prevailed against the employment of durable materials, andparticularly of brickwork, in the erection of the Building; and it was the existenceof this feeling on the part of the public which induced Mr., now Sir Joseph Paxton ,to turn his attention to the subject, and led him to submit a plan for a structure,chiefly of glass and iron, on principles similar to those which had been adopted andsuccessfully tried by him at Chatsworth. Messrs. Fox, Henderson, and Co.,tendered for the erection of the Building proposed by the Committee; and, strictlyin accordance with the conditions of tender, they also submitted estimates for theconstruction of the Building suggested by Sir J. Paxton , fulfilling the necessaryconditions, and adapted in form to the official ground plan. An engraving of SirJ. Paxton’s original design was published in the “ Illustrated London News, ” fithJuly, 1850, which, when compared with the Building that lias been actuallyerected, will show what changes were subsequently made.

The Commissioners having fully investigated the subject, finally adopted, on the20th July, the tender of Messrs. Fox, Henderson, and Co. to construct Sir J.Paxton’s Building, as then proposed, for the sum of £79,800. Considerablemodifications, additions and improvements in the architectural details were, however,subsequently made, which necessarily increased the outlay on the Building. TheContract Deed was not actually signed till the 81st October following, but thecommencement of the works had not been delayed for this preliminary, and thefirst column of the Building was fixed as early as the 26th September. On the14th November the Commissioners, to meet the requirements of the Lords ofthe Treasury and of the Commissioners of Woods, &c., entered into a Deed ofCovenant with 1 ler Majesty, binding them to remove the Building, and to restorethe site to the Crown before the 1st of June 1852.

On the acceptance of the tender, arrangements were immediately made to con-centrate the responsibilities of the supervision of the works, and the Boyal Com-missioners requested one of their body, Sir William Cubitt , who had acted as