356 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[December, 



products stand in the several stnlls, the names of manufacturers, 

 their addresses, and the nature of tlieir goods, placed somewhat 

 thus: — 



Patent Malleable Iron. 

 Cast-iron goorla. 

 Cotton Prints. 



No. 19 James White Leeds 



No. 20 Jrihn Smith Broad-street, Blnniiigham 

 No. 21 James Brown Mosely-street, Manchester 



And the second, the names of manufacturei-s arranged alpha- 

 betically, followed hy the number of the stalls, iSic, thus: — 



White, Janies I P iteiit Malleahle Iron No. 19 



Wilson, U'lheit Stocking-frame, with patented Improvements No. 521 



Wood and Smith | Painted and Ornamental Glass No. 4213 



In all cases where honours have in former years been awarded 

 to individuals, their nature is indicated by distinctive marks 

 attached to each name. In truth, however (e.xceptiujf as a book 

 of reference after the close of the exhibiti(m), the French Cata- 

 logue, as at present arranged, is almost valueless: the names and 

 addresses of each exhibitor being attached in a clear aud legible 

 form to every stall, and some one representing his firm being 

 generally present to take care of his or her master's goods, and to 

 convey whatever information may be requested. The present con- 

 struction of the Catalogue is, on the whole, to he regarded rather 

 as a defect than as an excellence. The self-evident principle of 

 regulating the line of progression, and fixing the numbers so as to 

 fall in with that order, seems to have been quite lost sight of, and 

 thus considerable confusion would be created by any one who per- 

 severed in following out the series presented by the Catalogue. 

 If it were determined to have one up and one down-current in a 

 gangway, it would he well to let the numbers follow each other on 

 either the right or left-hand sides; if, on the contrary, the whole 

 stream of visitors poured in one direction, it might be well to place 

 the odd numbers on the left-hand side-stalls, and the even num- 

 bers on the riglit, and thus the classes of fabric and material miglit 

 be kejit tolerably together in the Catalogue. Now on the forni^er, 

 the present French system, they get very much scattered about. 

 There is considerable advantage in allowing the exhibitors to fit 

 up (under certain general restrictions) their own stalls, at their 

 own ex])ense; since it affords an opportunity for the exercise of 

 individual taste, is gratifying to those who would be dissatisfied if 

 the charge of arranging their goods was entrusted to any but 

 themselves, and effects also a considerable saving of time, trouble, 

 and expense, to the executiie. It is, however, absolutely neces- 

 sary, that all goods should he finally arranged some time prior to 

 the opening of the exhibition, and'that none should he received 

 after a certain day, except under the most extraordinary circum- 

 stances. The non-observance of sudi a regulation completely' 

 marred, for some time, the effect of the present Exposition; 

 instead of inaugurating a perfect and splendid spectacle with 

 fitting national solemnities, and thus interesting at once to the 

 people and the press, the saloons were opened half-filled, or even 

 less than half-filled; — upholsterers hard at work in all directions; 

 boxes, packing-eases, lumber, and heaps of straw, dust and dirt, 

 disfiguring and spoiling the whole effect. For nearly three weeks 

 these inconveniences existed, in a greater or less degree; and, as 

 might naturally be expected, the jiress scarcely ])raised, scarcely 

 noticed, and the better class of citizens and foreigners scarcely 

 visited, the exhibition for the first month. It is needless to insist 

 on the ini])ortance of this error. 



One of the most striking defects in the plan of the building was 

 the total impossibility of converting it, for any great national pur- 

 pose, into a vast hall, in which a multitude might assemble to 

 witness such an exhibition as the bestowal of the prizes. In no 

 position could more than a fourth of the whole extent be seen at 

 one view, so that not only was the effect of a possible e/JsemWe, 

 similar to that which ni'ght have been gained hy the adoption of a 

 design proposed in the Heme d' Architecture, by jNI. Hector Moreau, 

 entirely lost, but the stupendous effect of one enormous impression 

 of grandeur on entering was perfectly s.acrificed to a fancied 

 regularity of plan. Another great disadvantage was the ini|)ossi- 

 bility of adding to the beauty of the efl'ect hy the additional 

 galleries, and the acquisition of more space to be appropriated, in 

 the event of the coutributious proving more numerous than was 

 expected. 



One peculiarity, which architecturally was most distressing, was, 

 that a system of eha7n seemed to preside over all the ornaments 

 and construction. Great carton picrre trusses which supported 

 nothing — painted bas-reliefs to imitate bronze — fir covered all over 

 with pajier to make it look like oak, — were all unnecessary and 

 wasteful professional forgeries. If each simple material had been 

 allowed to tell its own tale, and the lines of the construction so 

 arranged as to conduce to a sentiment of grandeur, the qualities of 



"power" and "truth," which its enormous extent must have neces- 

 sarily ensured, could have scarcely failed to excite admiration, aud 

 t.'iat at a very considerable saving of expense. 



The Agricultural ])ortiou of the building was by far the best in 

 design, though comparatively rude ; but, unhappily, since the 

 exhibition was a very poor one (the jirovinces being scarcely at all 

 represented) almost twice as uiuch accommodation was provided 

 as was needed. 



We fully believe, that a better building might be erected, 

 affording the same area and advantages as the Parisian Palace of 

 Industry, and avoiding most of its defects, for an amount less — • 

 probably by one-fourth — than that whicli has been expended 

 upon it. 



The remaining sections of this Report consist of a short but 

 interesting history of the origin and progress of the past Exposi- 

 tions, from their commencement in 1797, under the auspices of 

 Napoleon, up to that of the present year ; showing their connec- 

 tion with the industrial progression of the country; their cost; 

 the official arrangements, antl duties of the various authorities ; 

 the distribution of prizes; together with an appendix which shows 

 the labour and judgment bestowed by Mr. \Vyatt in collecting it. 



LAW FOR PATENTEES IN FRANCE. 



Whoever knows anything of law anywhere, knows it is a very 

 bad thing; but those who have the ill-luck to bring a mechanical 

 question before one of our law courts, learn it is the worst thing 

 they have done in their lives. Law may be the perfection of rea- 

 son — though we do not know why tliis is to be believed, — but as 

 lawyers know nothing of mechanical affairs, and yet undertake 

 them, the evil lot of patentees, maniifacturers, engineers, and 

 others, may be foreseen. Nor are we better off with juries. What 

 are called special juries are not composed of men of education, 

 though it miglit be thought if a special jury were needed, it would 

 he of men of mind and knowledge. So far from this, special jury- 

 men are taken from the wealthy or trading classes. To be a mer- 

 chant or banker, is a qualification; hut to he an engineer, architect, 

 editor, author, professor, schoolmaster, chemist, doctor, or gra- 

 duate, is none. Lawyers and medical men are exempt, even if 

 otherwise qualified; so that to get an educated man on a special 

 jury is a mere chance. If the judge go so far as to recommend a 

 reference, to whom is the reference made ? Not to practical men, 

 but to barristers, who are not, of need, either lawyers or men of 

 sense, and whose judgment may be utterly impossible to be carried 

 into effect. 



"They do these things better in France." It is quite true that 

 they have law and lawyers: but they have, further, something rea- 

 sonable. They have professional witnesses, or experts; but they 

 have likewise, for trade cases, "Tril>unals of Commerce," consisting 

 of mercantile men, and chosen by mercantile men. 



The "Syndical Chambers" are of recent institution, established 

 not by the government, but hy private exertion. The building 

 trade, in Paris, some years ago found an inconvenience even in the 

 Tribunal of Commerce and the experts, who made long inquiries, 

 long rejiorts, and long fees. M. Letellier de Lafosse, therefore, 

 proposed to the building trades the formation of a Syndical Cham- 

 ber, chosen by the trades, — which undertook to judge all questions 

 referred to them, without delay and without expense. The Tri- 

 bunal of Commerce took advantage of this institution, by refer- 

 ing, and the building trades have had great benelit from it. 



In consequence of this success, the mechanical engineers have 

 formed a syndical chamber, under the name of "Union des Con- 

 structeurs Mecaniciens." This has already worked so well, that 

 ecery case brought before it has been settled amicably at the first 

 sitting. 



In these Syndical Chambers, and in the "Conseil des Prud- 

 hommes," the French are coming back to the institutions of the 

 middle ages, aud we hope it will not be long before the same thing 

 is done here. The jealousy of lawyers, and the quackery of the 

 (loctriiuiires,ha.s done its best to suppress old and local institutions ; 

 the lawyers gain, the public suffer: but in the end we shall have to 

 begin again — to go back; and if we do not restore the functions of 

 the Blacksmiths, tlie Carpenters, or the Goldsmiths Company, we 

 must give a jurisdiction to the Institution of Civil Engineers, or 

 the Institute of British Architects. We have official assignees 

 and official referees, but ^ve want self-government, and no lawyers. 



