50

APPENDIX No. VII.

bo exhibitors, urging thorn to make application for space, and inducing others to becomoexhibitors.

The Committee nominated twenty-four gentlemen in different departments to Her Majesty’sCommissioners as Local Commissioners, and they wore appointed accordingly.

The Marylobone Committee, for the purpose of selecting and rejecting articles to boexhibited, was grouped with other metropolitan Committeos ; and tho Local Commissionersnominated by them formed part of tho thirty classes in which tho Committeos of selectionand rejection consisted, and it is presumed their duties will bo detailed in tho operations ofthose Committees.

W. E. Gkeenwell, Secretary.

Statement of the Proceedings of the Metropolitan Committee—Class V.—

(Machines for Direct Use.)

The Committee was composed of eighteen gentlemen, who were returned as Local Commis-sioners from tho thirty-two Metropolitan District Committees. They commenced theirlabours on the 5th December 1850, and terminated on Thursday, 27th March 1851, afterhaving had eight meetings in thirteen weeks, the meetings boing well attended, mostly held attho rooms of tho Society of Arts , Adolphi, in which they had been kindly permitted toassemblo, everything having passed oft' most amicably and with groat satisfaction to all parties.

At the first hurried preliminary meeting at tho London Coffee House , Ludgato liill, thothree members of tho Committee then present nominated Mr. Henry Maudslay as thoirchairman, which was reported accordingly; but at tho first regular meeting of tho Com-mittee he resigned tho appointment, feeling how important the position really was, but wasthon unanimously re-elected.

Tho horizontal space allotted to this Committee from tho 100,000 superficial feet granted totho Metropolis was 7,000 superficial foot, and at one time upwards of 15,000 superficial footwas demanded. In order to reduce the demands of each applicant within the bounds proscribed,tho Committee divided into Sub-Committees, and took London in sections, examining eachand every article to be exhibited. These Bub-Committees reported to tho whole Committee,who sanctioned, cancelled, or reduced tho demand for space, or sent tho vouchor to theCommittee to which it belonged. Tho latter course was often rendered nocessa

insufficient manner in which articles were dosoribod : as an oxainplo, spaco was

1 ft. X 1 ft. to exhibit “a pieoe of machinery in motion,” which afterwards proved to be a watchtho size of a pea.

In 1850, when tho Prospectuses for tho Exhibition were issued, protection was offered andpromised to Inventors, which afterwards was found to bo impossible to give, and provisionalregistration was allowed instead; but before this could come into force, 75 Exhibitors hadwithdrawn their demands for space, and wo then found wo had not enough to fill up tho spacoallotted to us. Tho Committoo received an intimation from tho Executive Committee that alucifor-matcli making machine would be a very desirable thing to exhibit, and for six wookstho Committoo was in communication with every lucifer-match maker in London, —not onoof whom would exhibit.

So much spaco being still to spare, the Committee, after considerable trouble, got Mr.Nasmyth to send his steam-hammer, Mr. Garfortli his rivetting machine, and Messrs. M’Nicholland vernon their steam travelling crane, &c. &c.; these throe rocoivod each a prizo. Bysanction of the Committee, a space of 300 superficial feet was reserved till the last, in thochairman’s name, for any desirable objects that might be found to have been excluded bywant of space from other Committeos. By these means wo obtained a most interestingcollection, consisting of CO 'motive-powor machinos of all sorts, and nearly all tho steam-engines which wero at work in tho Building were exhibited from London .

Tho Committoo, in consideration of tho groat number of steam-engines, and of such differentsorts being shown from London , and tho peculiar and valuable information collected, and inorder to assist the Jury in thoir future examinations, ordered tho Catalogue of Engines, andtheir labours, to bo printed, which was done accordingly, and copies sont to His RoyalHighness tho President, and moinbers of tho Royal Commission, Executive Committee, &c.

Tho Committee, according to request, nominated five gentlemen to servo on tho Jury, andthroe wore elected on Juries V. and YI.

To prevent tho members being accused of favouring some parties in thoir speciality to thodetriment of others, the Committoo wrote to all tho engineers and machino manufacturers ofLondon , who had not made a demand for spaco to exhibit; somo answered, refusing ; anilsome did not answer. Tho Committoo sincerely hope and believe that they liavo conductedt!m YvnsmioRsi iTmin.rfin.llv ami milv iiuvcht'd. for. nml looked. in t.lm nvwl r.v edit of the

me ureav jixmuiwoii, aim lor me muiro auvanvages mj —

uAmuiLs irum uunuou mtherefrom.

4 Cheltenham Place , Lambeth.

Hunky Maudslay, Chairman,nth April 1852.