FIRST REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS.

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each Jury, it might sometimes happen that exhibitors would consider their intereststo have been overlooked lor want of the presence of some of their own countrymen,and it was thought that if the awards of each Jury, before being finally made, werebrought for confirmation before a meeting of the Jurors of several Classes, com-prising allied or analogous subjects, all possibility of jealousy on this ground wouldbe obviated, since in a group of several Juries every country would bo representedby, at least, one member. With this view the thirty Juries were arranged in sixgroups. The first,—that of Raw Materials,—comprised the first four Classes. Thesecond,—that of Machinery, —comprised Classes V. to X. inclusive. The third,—that of Textile fabrics,—comprised Classes XI. to XX. The fourth group com-prised Metallic , Vitreous, and Ceramic Manufactures, Classes XXI. to XXV. Thefifth comprised Miscellaneous Manufactures, Classes XXVI. to XXIX. The sixth,or Fine Arts Group, was composed of Class XXX., which formed a group by itself.

To assist the Juries in their labours, a Special Commissioner of Juries, with fivedeputies, one for each group, was appointed, whose duty it was to attend the meet-ings of the Juries, to obtain for them any information of which they might stand inneed; to explain to them the regulations of the Royal Commissioners on all pointsaffecting their proceedings; to ensure, as far as possible, uniformity, or at leastharmony, of working between the Juries; to keep records of their proceedings ; toenter their awards, and to arrange for their being brought before the groups, andultimately before the Council of Chairmen in the proper manner. This Com-missioner of Juries also attended the meetings of the Council of Chairmen. Neitherthe Commissioner of Juries nor the deputies had any share in awarding the prizes,or any authority to interfere with the proceedings of the Juries further than byexplaining to them the regulations of the Commissioners when any difficulty arosein their application.

As the J uries were, for the most part, composed of men of eminence in variousbranches of Arts and Science, the Commissioners were anxious that the opportunityshould be taken of obtaining from them such reports on the several portions of theExhibition brought under their notice as might form interesting and valuable recordsof the existing state of industry and knowledge as indicated by this display of theproductions of the world. They accordingly requested each Jury to appoint aReporter from its own body, and to confide to him the office of preparing such aReport on the section of the Exhibition inspected oy that Jury as should give theview above desired.

A copy of those collective Jury Reports accompanies this Report, and the valu-able information which each of them contains, will serve to show the arduous natureof the duties which fell to the lot of the Juries, and the satisfactory manner in whichthey were discharged. A complete list of the Jurors in the various classes, will bofound added to the Jury Reports.