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SECOND REPORT
OF THE
COMMISSIONERS FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1851,
TO THE
11IG1IT IION. SPENCER HORATIO WALPOLE , &c. &c.,
One of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State.
Sir,
In pursuance of the announcement contained in our Report of the 21th ofApril last, to the effect that we were engaged in making the necessary inquirieson the subject of the disposal of the Surplus Funds arising from the Exhibition,which will remain in our hands after all our liabilities shall have been discharged,we have now the honour to transmit to you this further Report, containing theresult of our labours, as far as they have as yet proceeded, in order that it may besubmitted to llcr Majesty for Her approbation.
In a preliminary Report addressed by us to Her Majesty, on the Gth of n"pon™?h CNovember last year, we humbly stated that we had reason to believe that the sur- 0,W11 'plus which would finally remain in our hands would not be less than 150,000?,;that it was owing to the international character of the Exhibition that much of itspecuniary success was attained; that we were of opinion that the best mode ofapplying the means at our disposal would be by furthering the general objects ofthe Exhibition,—those objects having been the advancement of human industry,and the promotion of kindly international feelings ; but that we were advisedthat, under our original Charter of Incorporation, we had no power of decidingupon the disposal of the surplus.
We therefore humbly prayed that the Queen would be graciously pleased toconfer upon us, by means of a Supplemental Charter, such further powers asmight be deemed necessary, in order to enable us to lay before Her Majestya scheme for the application of the surplus, and, with Her Majesty’s sanction amiapproval, to adopt such measures as might be necessary for such purpose.
At the same time we assured Her Majesty that, if it were Her pleasure thatwe should act further in reference to this important subject, we would give it ourfullest and most careful consideration; and we suggested that full time shouldbe afforded us to consider and mature such a plan as we should feel warranted inlaying before Her Majesty. But we took leave to state our opinion that the planought to be one which in its general character might serve to increase the meansof Industrial Education, and extend the influence of Science and Art uponProductive Industry.
In accordance with the prayer of our application, Her Majesty was graciously supplementalpleased to confer upon us the Supplemental Charter, which is prefixed to thisReport, and which bears date the 2nd of December, 1851.
This Charter gives us the power to dispose of the surplus in the furtherance ofany plans that may be devised by us, to invest it in such manner as we may