The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-01-05 00:00:00

Bankers—Messrs. Ransom, Bouverie, and Co.
Arehiteets—Hessrs. W. and A. Moseley, 7, Charing-
Cross.

Surveyor—A. Clarke Hook req. Great George-Areet,

Westniinstei:.
Solioitors—Messrs. Burohell, 5, Broad Sanctuary,
Westminster.

Brokers—Mesars. 1112,iih-ey--;;T•ao., 81, Old Broad-
street.

Secretary—Henry Winfield Crace, Esq.
Offices-5, Parliament-street, Westminster.
The want of a first-class hotel in Westminster has long
been felt, not only by the public generally, but by the
Members of the Legislature, and the numerous atten-
dants upon the Courts of Justice and Parliamentary
Committees. This want, which has grown into a griev-
ance, it is now proposed to supply through the medium
of the present Company. The existing establishments,
which are resorted to chiefly from their contiguity to
the new Palace and Westminster Hall, are not only
wholly inadequate to meet the requirements of the pub-
lic, but will soon be entirely removed to make way for
. . . .

ttal=iitr.se;. Go rnment

rbuildizjp in Po,Lice-yard and. Pa-

The site selected for the hotel is a plot of ground al-
ready cleared (for which the Company has entered into a
contract for a lease of 99 years), having a southern
frontage of upwards of 300 feet and a northern frontage
of more than 100 feet; it is close to the Abbey, the
Houses of Parliament, Westminster Hall, and the old
and new Government offices, and on the direct road to
the parks, Belgravia, Pimlico, Knightsbridge, Brompton,
and their immediate localities. The new bridge across
the ornamental water in St. James's-park, will bring the
hotel within a few minutes' walk of the chief club-
houses. The situation also presents unusual facilities
for constant and economical communication with every
quarter of the metropolis. Omnibusaes pass and repass
every 10 minutes to the city, and to the north and south
of the Themes; river boats are continually plying from
the Middlesex and Surrey sides of Westminster-bridge;
while a short walk to Charing-cross affords a conveyance
every minute to all parts of London.
Independently of the benefits which the hotel derives
from its present favourable locality, it will be in the
vicinity of the proposed West Metropolitan Railway,
which, having its terminus in Victoria-street, will
become the west-end station for all the southern and
continental lines.

The hotel will contain about 200 sleeping and dressing
rooms; suites of apartments for families, dining, coffee,
and private sitting rooms; rooms for consultations, com-
mittee and arbitration meetings, and a library and read-
ing saloon; and from its arrangements it will offer great
advantage to Members of the Legislature during their
temporary residence in London. There will be a tele-
graphic communication between the hotel and the
Houses of Parliament, and all the principal railway
stations.

The proposed capital will be suflkient for the erection
of the hotel, and furniehing it throughout in a style
equal to that of our best club-homes. The roomer-
caal capital required will necessarily be of limited
amount. . . . .

The annual number of visitors to Westminster, in-
terested in the progress of private bills through the
Houses of Parliament, and in attendance on the Courts
of Law, requiring the accommodation which the pro-
posed hotel will afford, is not leas than 50,000. These
occasional visitors will be in addition to the more per-
manent residents who prefer this central and compara-
tively quiet locality to hotels situate in more crowded
thoroughf area.. .. . . . . .

The capital invested in an hotel differs from that em-
ployed in other trading companies, in being virtually a
mortgage upon the building, the furniture, plate, and
other stock, and consequently in being exempt from
many of the contingencies to which commercial
capital is exposed. The large annual profits may be
estimated from the returns made by hotels upon the
plan of the present Company, on the Continent and in
the United States, as well as by those recently established
in the metropolis. The Great Western Hotel at Pad-
dington, conducted by a Joint-Stock Company, has
yielded • net annual profit of upwards of 30 per cant.,
of which 25 has been divided among the shareholders.
From the preliminary arrangement• which havealready
been concluded, the erection of the hotel may be imme-
diately commenced.
The accounts of the Company will be made up, and
the dividends declared half-yearly.
A considerable number of the shares has been taken;
and for the remainder, application to be made to the
brokers, or to the Secretary, at the offices of the Com-
pany.
London, July, 1857.