Church," suggested, that a lay committee be appointed, whose duty it should be to look out for proper fields of mission labour; raise a special fund for the support of such stations; and secure the services of persons duly qualified to work them efficiently. It was recommended that members of Presbytery should give the subject their serious consideration; and agreed that it should be taken up at next meeting, with the view of carrying out the suggestions now made. Next meeting to be held at Manchester, on Tuesday, the 18th July, at 11 A.M. The U.P. Presbytery of Newcastle met in Gordon Street Church, Glasgow, May 2, by appointment of Synod, when there was read a petition to the Synod from the congregation of Hull on the marriage question, which the Presbytery, without giving any opinion on the subject to which it referred, agreed to transmit. Mr. M'Naughton reported his proceedings in the moderation for the fifth congregation in Newcastle, and laid on the table call to Mr. David Paterson, preacher, subscribed by eighty members, and a paper of adherence to it from thirtyfive hearers. Mr. M'Naughton's conduct was approved and the call sustained. Trials for ordination were assigned to Mr. Paterson, and his intentions as to the call to be ascertained in due course. Newcastle.-This Presbytery met on June 6. Read a petition from the congregation of Warkworth for a moderation, which was granted, to take place on Tuesday, 20th inst., at 7 P.M., Mr. Robertson to preach and preside. A petition from Houghton-le-Spring, for a moderation, also was granted to take place at the same time, Mr. Pringle to preach and preside. Mr. Wallace was appointed interim moderator of the session at Swalwell. Messrs. Lawson, Muir, Bell, and Wilson, ministers; and Messrs. Mossman and Campbell, elders, were appointed members of the Presbytery's Mission Committee for the current year. The Rev. Dr. Joseph Brown, being now present, was requested to take his seat as a corresponding member. Mr. Potter having accepted the call from the High Bridge congregation, gave in his trials for ordination, which were sustained, and his ordination was appointed to take place on Wednesday, 21st inst., Messrs. Rome, Fiskin, Robertson, and Riddell, to conduct the services on that occasion. Next ordinary meeting to be held here on the 1st Tuesday of July. ENGLISH MOVEMENTS. (From our London Correspondent.) STATE OPENING OF THE CRYSTAL PALACE AT SYDENHAM-THE TRIUMPHS OF PEACE-THE ROAD AND THE RAIL-DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING-ARRANGEMENT OF THE COMPANY-THE GREAT ORCHESTRA-DISPOSAL OF DISTINGUISED VISITORS-ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN AND COURT-ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTORS AND HER MAJESTY'S REPLY-THE ROYAL PROCESSION -SINGING OF THE OLD HUNDREDTH-THE ARCHBISHOP'S PRAYER-HALLELUJAH CHORUS AND CONCLUSION-THE TEMPERANCE REFORMERS-MEMORIAL TO HER MAJESTY-SERMONS ON THE WAR-DR. ARCHER AND DR. MASSIE. THE tenth of June will henceforth be a red letter day in the annals of England. To the 40,000 fortunate people who witnessed the sublime spectacle presented at the Royal Opening of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, the period can never be forgotten; and the narrative thereof, as well as the Palace itself, will not fail to possess a peculiar charm for the people of England for many succeeding generations. In a manner at once graphic and hopeful, does this wondrous creation of English genius and enterprise confirm and illustrate the truthful language of the poet : "Peace hath its victories no less than war," and I cannot conceive it possible that a man of thought, who loves his country, could take his stand in the midst of the enchanting scene, where every sense was gratified and thrilled with delight, without ever and anon breathing the silent thanksgiving of his soul to the Father 66 of all Mercies," that the horrors of war have been averted from the shores of our Island Home :- "Though strife and fear and madness As with the voice of many waters, guided and controlled by the dictates of Infinite Wisdom, this Palace of Industry and the Arts seems to proclaim in the ears of all the people "Were half the power that fills the world with terror Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts, Given to redeem the human mind from error, There were no need of arsenals or forts." And bad as things now appear, we may believingly hope that the time is rapidly approaching, when this voice of wisdom will be no longer disregarded. On the morning of inauguration, thousands of intending visitors to the temple of glass, holders of season or special tickets, were early astir. From seven o'clock until eleven, hundreds of carriages and cabs were pouring over the several bridges which span the Thames, and passing through Southwark, Lambeth, Westminster, Pimlico, Brixton, Clapham, Dulwich, and Norwood, bound for the fairy scene. The line of conveyances, it is said, when the first arrived at the door of the Palace, extended to no less a length than full three miles. But great as were the numbers who journeyed to Sydenham by the high road, they were nothing at all in comparison to the multitude who went down by the rail. At ten o'clock, the new line which runs from London Bridge quite up to the south wing of the building, was opened for the first time; and in little more than three hours, 36,000 people had been conveyed upon it to their destination, at a cost, including return in the evening, of some £5400. It may be readily imagined that considerable difficulty was experienced in effecting the transit and entrance to the Palace of so great a multitude; but it was happily accomplished without the occurrence of any serious mischief. The arrangements for the reception and comfort of the enormous company, if not so complete as could have been desired, were nevertheless good, and as satisfactory, perhaps, as could reasonably be expected, consider ing the promptitude with which, at the last moment, the plans for the day had to be determined upon. Along the entire length of the Main Avenue, running north and south, 1608 feet long, and 72 feet wide, double rows of chairs were placed, and behind them tiers of elevated benches reaching upwards almost to the front of the First Gallery. In the Central Transept, which is 384 feet by 120 feet, was placed the Royal octagonalshaped Dais, or throne ascended by ten steps, covered with crimson cloth, and a rich Turkey carpet, crowned with a Chair of State, and surmounted by a splendid canopy of crimson and gold, gorgeously emblazoned with heraldic symbols, and decked with white plumes of the ostrich. On the west side of the transept, behind the Dais, was constructed an enormous amphitheatrical orchestra, 144 feet wide, by between 60 and 70 feet deep, affording space for 1800 singers; every seat was occupied ; the splendid group comprising the most eminent performers, both male and female, professional and amateurs, metropolitan and provincial. The ordinary instrumental orchestra, flanked by the sixty double basses and violoncellos, occupied the centre of the orchestra. These were followed by twelve rows of seats for the chorus; above which, fringing as it were the entire orchestra, were the bands of the Coldstream and Grenadier Guards, about eighty-five performers, with the sixty brass band instrumental players of the Crystal Palace Company; thus forming a grand total of nearly 1800 performers. M. Costa took the command of this splendid battalion of these sons of song; and Madame Clara Novello was the solo singer of the day. The members of the Corps Diplomatique, in their official costume, gathered on the right of the throne, while beside them our own and foreign commissioners, executive committee-men, and others prominently connected with industrial exhibitions. On the left of the throne were the great ministers of state and the Archbishop of Canterbury in his robes, attended by his chaplain, ready to invoke the blessing of Heaven upon the undertaking. In front were the directors and chief officers of the Crystal Palace, in Court dresses-others had made themselves formidable in the uniform of deputy-lieutenants, or learned, in the doctor's cap and gown, or diplomatic, in the costume of the civil service. Close to the directors and heads of departments in the open space before the throne were seated in civic pomp the Lord Mayor of London, with his brother of Dublin on his right hand, and his brother of York, according to the due order of municipal etiquette, on his left. The aldermen and sheriffs, and the mayors of a large number of our leading corporate towns, were grouped at the same point. The ground floor of the great transept on the south side was filled with the friends of the directors, with the shareholders and their families, and with the members of the chief learned societies and their friends. There were, also, at either corner leading into the nave, special reserved seats for distinguished individuals, and among these some of the Eastern princes at present visiting this country were, with their attendants, picturesquely included. They wore magnificent Oriental costumes, and were the objects of much attraction, The lower galleries of the great transept, on the south side, were occupied by the members of the Legislature and their families, the House of Commons being on the left, and the House of Lords on the right. Small galleries were also reserved for the friends of the contractors and officers. The rest of the available space was left freely open to seasonticket holders, with this very proper exception, that ladies had the front seats; thus serving as a gay verge and binding to the crowds that had established themselves along the intended line of the procession. At two o'clock the entire concourse of visitors had taken their places and were anxiously waiting for the arrival of the Queen. The scene at this moment from an elevated position at one of the angles of the transept, directly opposite the throne-where I had the special good fortune to secure a seat, which commanded a splendid view of the whole spectacle in every direction-was impressive and sublime almost beyond conception, and wholly surpassing anything worthy the name of adequate description. In addition to the wondrous mass of moving life, it is to be observed that the building throughout its entire length was studded with the most beautiful floral decorations. In whatever direction the eye happened to turn, there would be seen the finest and most delicate representations of the vegetable kingdoms, either suspended aloft in light baskets, and forming elegant pendants of verdant colouring, to mark the noble di mensions of the building, or coiling round columns and trailed along girders. The central transept, especially, was studded everywhere with trees and flowers, "manifold beautiful flowers," so that the whole air of the place seemed laden with the perfume of exotics and flowering shrubs; the gay tints of the pelargoniums, azalias and many-coloured heaths, struck out delightfully from the green groundwork which the abundant foliage of the surrounding trees and shrubs afforded. On the splendid scene thus created the whole multitude gazed for hours with visible delight, and were only diverted for a moment from the fairy Palace, "With its vistas bright, And statues fair of nymph and maid, by the strains of the band outside play- transept, leaning on the arm of Prince Albert, and followed by the youthful King of Portugal, his illustrious brother the Duke of Oporto, and a brilliant court. the Dais, and the imposing ceremonial The Royal party immediately ascended point. There, on her Throne of State, seemed to have reached its culminating 208 feet high, or six feet higher than the beneath that wondrous Central Transept Monument "A blazing arch of lucid glass, Which, like a fountain from the grass, sat the happy and honoured Queen of "And see above the fabric vest God's boundless heaven is bending blue, 1 As her Majesty and the youthful princes and princesses and other members of the Royal Family stand grouped in admirable order on the Dias, they form a tableau of the most artistic and effective character. In the centre stands her Majesty, attired in a light blue dress, with elegant white shawl and bonnet. On her left, in the scarlet uniform of a fieldmarshal, with the riband of the Garter, stands Prince Albert; and upon her right, in a uniform of dark blue and gold, is his Majesty the King of Portugal. On the right of his Majesty stand the Duchess of Kent, the youthful Duc d'Oporto, in uniform of blue and gold, and by his side the Princess Royal, with a delicate rose pink dress and white mantilla. On the left of Prince Albert stand the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, each attired in the blue and white naval dress; next stands the venerable Duchess of Cam bridge, by her side the Princess Alice, in rose pink and white, and the Princess Mary, in a robe of a more sombre colour. Behind the Royal personages are seen the glittering uniform of a marshal of Portugal, worn by the Duke of Terceira, his left breast covered with the stars of six orders of knighthood, and wearing also the cordon of a seventh order; the glittering official uniforms of the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward, Lord Camoys, the lord-in-waiting, and the other lords and equerries, and officers of the household. Near them are seen the varied colours of the rich dresses of the ladies of the household. So soon as the illustrious party had taken their places and the cheers which had greeted the Queen had died away, the great army of singers, accompanied by the three bands, rolled forth "God save the Queen," which never before perhaps, save once, on the 1st of May, 1851, was heard under similar circumstances. The effect was beyond all expression. Every heart thrilled, and tears rose unbidden into the eyes of many but little accustomed to such a luxury. The improved construction of the building for musical purposes, was made evident during this performance; for, as Clara Novello, with lark-like clearness, sang the solo parts, the sweet solemn strains travelled to the most distant parts of the Palace, and were heard with as much distinctness in the recesses of the northern and southern, as in the Central Transept. When the music ceased, Mr. Laing M.P., the chairman of the Company, came forward, and presented a long address, explanatory of the origin of this second temple and the public objects, divertive and educational, which its creators have in view. To this address of the Company, her Majesty graciously replied in the following terms: "I receive with much pleasure the loyal and dutiful address, which you have presented to me upon the present occasion. It is a source of the highest gratification to myself, and to the Prince my Consort, to find that the Great Exhibition of 1851, which was so happily inaugurated under our auspices, suggested the idea of this magnificent undertaking, which has produced so noble a monument of the genius, science, and enterprise of my subjects. It is my earnest wish and hope, that the bright anticipations which have been formed as to its future destiny may, under the blessing of Divine Providence, be completely realised; and that this wonderful structure, and the treasures of art and knowledge which it contains, may long continue to elevate and instruct, as well as amuse the minds of all classes of my people." A series of hand-books having been duly supplied by their respective authors, her Majesty, and Court, Cabinet Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Ambassadors, and others proceeded to make a tour of the building. The procession passed down the centre of the Great Nave, to the south end of the building, and sweeping round the ornamental basin, there, with Osler's crystal fountain in the midst the wonder and delight of the Hyde Park Exhibition-it returned to the main transept. Then, diverging to the east front, it passed out upon the balcony, which overlooks the Terrace gardens, and for a moment paused in its course, to survey the almost fabulous beauty of a prospect, over which art and nature have combined and exhausted their charms. From that splendid panorama, rendered peculiarly impressive by the clear state of the atmosphere, the procession, returning to the transept, moved onward along the nave to the north end of the building. Here again a brief pause was made to admire the effect of the great Egyptian gods, more than seventy feet high, with their imposing avenue of sphinxes. Rounding Monti's bronze fountains, which were then seen for the first time, and are works of extraordinary merit, the procession once more returned to the grand transept, and the Royal party again resumed their former position on the Dais. All the way the procession moved amid the long arrays of loyal subjects, the fairer portion curtsey their homage, and the gentlemen shout their loyalty, her Majesty with a grateful feeling which never flags, and a dignity which seems to know no fatigue, acknowledges the expressions of devoted attachment; and her consort calmly but earnestly bows his recognition of the warm and hearty homage. Again the great orchestra is vocal. M. Costa waves his baton with more than usual energy, and the majestic music, and noble words of the Old Hundredth Psalm, peal through the vast edifice. The effect of this sublime music, so performed, it would be impossible to overrate. The body of sound thrown forth in the louder passages was almost overwhelming to the sense; but the strength of the band and chorus was most strikingly perceptible in the piano passages, which, low, but at the same time universally audible and massive, might be compared to the whisper of a multitude in their peculiar and pervading impressiveness. At the close of the psalm all sound is hushed "People and Queen a silence keep," and the Archbishop of Canterbury prays a blessing upon the wondrous feast in such terms as these:-"Almighty and everlasting God! who dost govern all things both in heaven and earth, incline Thine ear, we entreat Thee, to Thy people, which call upon Thee, and graciously receive our prayers. Without Thee nothing is strong, nothing is holy. Except the Lord build the house, their labour is but lost who build it. And now we entreat Thee to bless the work which we have accomplished in this place, and to render it the means of promoting Thy glory. May those who admire the wonders of nature which are here displayed, be taught to perceive in those the vigour of that creative wisdom by which all things fulfil the purposes which they are designed to serve. Enable those who survey the wonders of art and industry which surround them, to remember that it is by Thee that knowledge is increased, and science made to minister to the benefit and comfort of mankind; for the spirit of man is from Thee, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding; therefore,Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name be all the praise.' Whilst we contemplate the remains of former ages and the monuments of ancient greatness, enable us to profit by the examples they afford of the instability of earthly things, and ever to bear in mind that according to Thy providence nations flourish or decay; that Thou hast but to give the word, and the richest may become poor, and the proudest be levelled into dust. There fore, O Lord, we entreat thee so to regulate the thoughts of our hearts that they may not be lifted up, that we forget the Lord our God, as if our power or the might of our hands had gotten us this wealth. It cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own; both riches and honour come of Thee; and Thou reignest over all, and in Thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, O Lord, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name, and beseech Thee to grant that the many blessings vouchsafed to our nation may dispose our hearts to serve Thee more faithfully, and in all that we undertake to seek, Thy honour and Glory. Above all, teach us to use the earthly blessings Thou givest us richly to enjoy, that they may not withdraw our affections from those heavenly things that Thou hast prepared for those that love and serve Thee through the merits and meditation of Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose prevailing name and words we further call on Thee." Once more the immense orchestra is in motion, and the great Handel's masterpiece, the "Hallelujah" chorus, is sounded forth with overpowering effect. As the solemn tones of the rich music fell sweetly upon the listening ear, and quickly found their way to the enraptured soul, one seemed to have been transported to another sphere, and ushered into that millennial glory which the sublime chorus "That tells of what the world will be When the years have died away," so rejoicingly reveals, when Emmanuel shall reign from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth," and all nations shall call Him Lord. Well might the poet exclaim "An awful chorus 'tis to hear, When the music ceased, the Marquis of Breadalbane, the Lord Chamberlain, came forward and announced that it was the wish of her most gracious Majesty, that the Crystal Palace of 1854 should now be declared open. Thereupon a tre |