THE CRYSTAL PALACE AND ITS NEIGHBO1TRS.
Now there is one important section of the Metropolis which, in regard to all future improvements, ought to be treated as a whole —Hyde Park. Several suggestions are afloat as to its disposal ; and, to all appearance, some of those suggestions have already ob- tained some official sanction. The soldiers are to vaoate Knights- bridge Barracks, and the pictures from the National Gallery are to relieve guard; after an apparent surrender of the Crystal Palace, it is not to be pulled down immediately ; and Kensington Palace is to stand, as a sort of asylum or almshouse for pensioners of dis- tinction. Possibly these suggestions may have much to be said in their favour ; but what we insist upon is, that they should be taken together, as a whole, and not finally determined, as an Irish- man would say, without the privity of the public.
"This fine building—only 44,0001."—such is the pith of a long statistical paper in the Times, representing that the Crystal Palace is too beautiful to be pulled down ;—and so cheap! It will cost 161,0001. even if it be pulled down ; the nation could buy it out- right for 205,000/. ; so that the property of it would cost " only " 44,0001. It can be made complete and water-tight for " only " 20,0001. more ; and might be kept up for a yearly expense of 55001., to be paid by " the nation," painting included ; which is certainly very " reasonable." So argues the Times. It is a bar- gain : only three-halfpence per cubic foot ; though an ordinary stone building would cost fifteenpence, and a common wooden barn would cost threepence. Only think—a barn for threepence, a crystal palace for three-halfpence ! How can Britannia resist ? She has been to look at it, in the person of Queen Victoria ; and really, now that the ladders are away, and counters, and things, it is so beautiful ! " Such a love ! " Britannia can't resist : " Set it down in the account, if you please." "Yes, ma'am ; thankye ma'am. Any other little article ? "
Very well! No one will be sorry to let Crystal Palace have a winter's reprieve ; but how curious this revival of its assurance prospects after fiat of death ! The idea of retaining it seemed to have fallen through,—chiefly, we believe, because those who pro. mised to make out the case for reprieve did not fulfil their pro- mise. Mr. Paxton, for instance, was to have given us details for the " winter garden " ; which we still lack. All we say is, let the public understand what is to be done, before it is too late to secure that the best shall be done.
Now we are not sure that the Barracks, even if rebuilt, would be the best of lodging for the pictures from Trafalgar Square : we incline rather to the clearing away of all the buildings at that aide of the Park. Mr. John Doyle suggested the Old Kensington Palace as a better abode : and so in some respects it would be ; only we doubt the policy of setting pictures to live among trees, which act as a sponge in collecting damp. Some Member of Parliament sug- gested Buckhorn Hill, in the Park. We have heard the Western side of the new road from Bayswater to Kensington, just arehind Vicarage Place, pointed out as the best site : and it would be better than the Palace, though only a few yards further West, since it is free from trees. But we repeat--do not settle these things till the public shall have had the opportunity of reviewing the plan as a whole.
And while we are about the improvement of the Gardens and Park, why not clear out the damp low corner to the South-west? or why resolve to retain the Royal almshouse, if we can remove it out of the way, to a better site ? Why not, in short, make the improvements thorough and complete, once for all ? But still, at all events, let the public know what is to be done, before it is too late—before the mischief is done.
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