To Mr. Digby Wyatt, whose services were to a great extent withdrawn from the Executive Committee, in order that his professional knowledge of the subject might be placed at the disposal of the Building Committee, was intrusted the arduous task of examining and classifying these incongruous materials, and of eliminating from them such general principles of arrangement as seemed most worthy of the attentive consideration of the Committee. The result of this gentleman's minute examination was embodied in a Report, upon the basis of the recommendations contained in which the subsequent utilitarian portions of the design of the Building Committee would appear to have been founded. After holding about fifteen protracted sittings, the Committee presented the following Report to the Royal Commission on the 9th of May:-- "May it please your Royal Highness, "_My Lords and Gentlemen_, "We have the honour to report that we have examined the numerous plans so liberally contributed by native and foreign architects in accordance with the public invitation. "Exhausting in their numerous projects and suggestions almost every conceivable variety of building, the authors of those designs have materially assisted us in arriving at the conclusions which we have now the honour to report. "We have been aided in our analysis of this subject by a great amount of thought and elaboration thus brought to bear upon it from various points of view. "We have, however, arrived at the unanimous conclusion, that able and admirable as many of these designs appeared to be, there was yet no single one so accordant with the peculiar objects in view, either in the principle or detail of its arrangements, as to warrant us in recommending it for adoption. "In some of the least successful of the designs submitted, we find indicated errors and difficulties to be avoided, whilst in the abler and more practicable of them, there are valuable conceptions and suggestions which have greatly assisted us in framing the plan we have now the honour to lay before you. In preparing this design we have been governed mainly by three considerations:-- "1. The provisional nature of the building. "2. The advisability of constructing it as far as possible in such a form as to be available, with the least sacrifice of labour and material, for other purposes, as soon as its original one shall have been fulfilled, thus insuring a minimum ultimate cost. "3. Extreme simplicity, demanded by the short time in which the work must be completed. "For the arrangements of the plan we rely for effect on honesty of construction, vastness of dimension, and fitness of each part to its end. "The principal points of excellence we have endeavoured to attain are-- "1. Economy of construction. "2. Facilities for the reception, classification, and display of goods. "3. Facilities for the circulation of visitors. "4. Arrangement for grand points of view. "5. Centralisation of supervision.