xlii
EXHIBITION OP 1851.
been held in other countries, it was clear that it must depend either upon voluntarycontributions, or upon arrangements for rendering it self-supporting. If undertakenas a sell-supporting scheme, its profits would be mainly derived from the entrancefees to be received from visitors, or from rent to be paid by Exhibitors in proportionto the space occupied by them, or from both these sources jointly. The number ofvisitors, and the probable amount of the entrance-fees, were, of course, at theopening of the undertaking quite uncertain, and could only form the subject of con-jectures, upon the correctness of which little reliance could be placed. The receiptsfrom rent might have been estimated with more certainty, had time been allowed forcollecting the proper information, and as the dimensions of the Building mighthave been made to lit the demand for space, the rent might have been so arrangedas to pay for its construction. This mode of proceeding, however, would haveinvolved delay in commencing the Building, which it was important to press forwardas much as possible. It was also lelt that, the Exhibition being an internationalone, and the foreigners who were invited to take part in it having been accustomedin their own countries to have space allotted to them without cost, it would be un-gracious and injurious to the interests of the Exhibition to demand a rent fromthem, and if no rent were taken from foreigners, it would have been difficult todemand it from British subjects. The Commissioners, therefore, decided that theywould not require the payment of rent in any cases, and as they had reason tobelieve that many persons who were willing to contribute towards the Exhibition,were refraining from doing so under the expectation that rent would be chargedJor the space which they intended to apply for as Exhibitors, they caused theirdecision to be published at an early period of their labours. It will be obviousthat this decision had an important bearing upon the subsequent proceedings ofthe Commissioners in many respects; among other of its effects may particularlybe mentioned the necessity which it involved of establishing a system for theselection and rejection of articles, which would have been less felt if admissionhad not been gratuitous, and if each Exhibitor had been allowed as much space aslie was willing to pay for. The principles upon which this selection was conductedhave been already explained. The exclusion of some articles,* such as those of acombustible nature, was rendered necessary by a regard to safety; others, asfruits and flowers, being of a perishable character, were not suited to the Ex-hibition; works of old date, though interesting in an antiquarian point of view,would have been out of place in a collection intended to represent the actualstate of industry or science; and lastly, paintings and drawings, for the sepa-rate exhibition of which there is abundance of opportunities, and which, if ad-mitted into the Exhibition, would probably have been sent in such numbers aswould have been inconsistent with its industrial character, were also refused,except when sent as illustrative of new processes, or new materials. It being