Lord Plymouth, by a further act of generosity, has now
finally secured the Crystal Palace for the public. Two years ago he guaranteed the purchase-money fixed by the Court of Chancery, and, on the understanding that a Mansion House Fund would be raised to reimburse him, bought the property for £230,000 with the sole aim of handing it over to the public when the fund was completed. Owing, however, to the refusal of the Camberwell Borough Council to contribute and a reduction of £15,000 in the contribution from Penge, there is a deficit of nearly £30,000. Lord Plymouth, who had already subscribed £5,000 to the fund, has now agreed to sell the property for about £30,000 less than he gave for it, thus increasing his personal contributions to nearly £35,000. Sir David Burnett, the ex-Lord Mayor and chairman of the Crystal Palace Acquisition Fund, writing to the Times of Thursday, pays a very proper tribute to the patriotic muni- ficence of Lord Plymouth.
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