The venerable parent of our afflicted monarch, who gained the gratitude of the people of these realms by the appropriate training of the present illustrious occupant of the throne, has, too, become an inhabitant of the silent grave. The aged Wellington, the hero of a hundred battles, formerly so interested in the trophies of a peaceful world, has yielded to the mighty conqueror, Death, and closed his chequered career. These, with many others known only to the omniscient God, have gone, leaving mourning hearts and bereaved homes to recall those hours of happy and enlightened interest they spent eleven years since, amid the gathering of the nations. They have gone to their account, and without vainly attempting to scan the varied, the solemn lot which is now their eternal destiny, let us listen to the warning voice, which says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment;” and cry, “O Lord, so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” They have gone, and we are yet left; but how earnest should be the inquiry, “What progress are we making in the great purposes of our existence? What have we done to benefit our race and promote the glory of our God? Have the powers with which we have been entrusted been employed for good, or prostituted to evil? Have we advanced in fitness for that state to which we are hastening, or have we yielded ourselves more willing slaves to those sins which degrade, debase, and destroy the soul?” The purpose of the present Exhibition is to ascertain what improvements the various countries have made in the industrial, useful, and ornamental arts since the first comparison of national skill. And truly great has been the progress—humanity has studied with intense eagerness to multiply the conveniences and diminish the evils of social life. Luxury has devised new methods of gratifying the almost sated desires of self-indulgence. Philanthropy has suggested additional means of employment for the increasing numbers of the sons of toil. Science, ever striving to extend the bounds of human knowledge, has shed its illumination upon many subjects seemingly wrapped in hopeless mystery. The religion of Jesus, too, we rejoice to believe, has been making progress during the past eleven years. Though the obstacles which worldliness, infidelity, carelessness, and superstition usually throw into the way have been as great as ever—though the powers of evil have not abated in the least degree their accustomed activity, the Gospel of our salvation has been “mighty through God”—various parts of our own country have been visited with “times of refreshing,” and other lands have received the light of life—the realms of heathenism have been pierced, the gloomy regions of idolatry have been invaded, and in countries where a corrupted form of Christianity has long prevailed, the Word of God has been set free: progression has been the character of the times.