It is probable that there may occasionally occur large crowds pressing for admittance. It may be worth while to consider whether in such cases an additional reserved entrance might not be opened, through which ladies and children, and men whom age or indisposition has deprived of the physical force requisite for encountering a crowd, might be allowed to pass on the farther payment, say of sixpence or a shilling. If it were possible to have a similar reserved enclosure close to the building, in which carriages might remain on payment of a small fee, much inconvenience would be saved to some of the visitors, and some advantage would result to those who did not avail themselves of it, in consequence of the diminished line of carriages at the public entrances. [5] “What shall we do with the Glass Palace? By Spiridione Gambardella.” London: Aylott & Jones, Paternoster-row. The speech of the rash “commander of the Channel fleet” (page 9) is worthy of the pen of the celebrated wit who bestowed that appointment. [6] Or the rails themselves might have grooves lined with vulcanized india-rubber. CHAPTER V. OBJECT AND USE OF THE EXPOSITION. The approaching Exposition is considered by many as a great and splendid show, calculated to give pleasure and excitement to hundreds of thousands of persons. Even in this sense it would be beneficial, for it is always important that the pleasures of the people should be productive of some advance in their tastes and information. But its great and paramount value depends on other causes. Its object may be most concisely expressed by stating that— The Exposition is calculated to promote and increase the free interchange of raw materials and manufactured commodities between all the nations of the earth. Its object is not the exclusive benefit of England, and if any such mistaken view is still entertained, it may without hesitation be stated that it would be impossible by any mode of management to accomplish so selfish an object. It is the interest of every people, that all other nations should advance in knowledge, in industrial skill, in taste, and in science. The advances made in the two latter subjects acquire _permanent_ existence only through the _publicity_ given to their enunciation and discussion. Refining and elevating all by whom they are received, new principles in taste or in science, as soon as they are accepted as truths, become the universal property of mankind. In whatever distant country any man devises means of diminishing the cost of production of the commodity he deals in, the following effects will result— He will make larger profits than usual. He will then diminish his price in order to get more customers. His rivals in trade now find it necessary to undersell him in order to get back their customers.