The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-11 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.

The greatest admirer of our insular habits, and
of the generally energetic character of the English people,
would scarcely be hardy enough to claim for the inhabitaits
of the metropolis any excess of zeal for the beauty of its
buildings, or the coup erred of its streets. This arises, no
doubt, in • greet degree, if not altogether, from the west of
a properly constituted municipal organisition, to give direr.
tion and unity to the scattered efforts of individuals. We
have no Prefect of the Thames, no one who can
pull down and build up at pleasure • no arebi.
tecturel Aladdin', with magic power enough to convert
old houses into modern palaces. Of no one here can it be
said "dirnit, redificat, mutat quadrata rotunda ; " and our
battle of the "orders"—whether this, that, or the other
building is to be Gothic or Italian—is likely to become as
famous as our battle of the gauges. When therefore, in
any part of the metropolis the eye is awaited by a building
of more than usual elegance and symmetry it will be gene.
rally found to be the creation of private interest or indi-
vidual taste ; and to the credit of our commercial men and
rich traders be it said, that in recent years the aspect
of London has seen much improved by their enterprise.
Who, for instanoe, has pawed by the northern end of Tot.
tenharn-court-road that has not had his eye arrested by the
elegant building which has been just completed there for
"E. Waft and Son 1" What was not long suice a mean and
uninteresting furniture establishment is now an imposing
structure, five stories high above the shop, built in the Italian
' style (record Palmerston will be delighted to learn), with a
frontage of about 120 feet in Tottenham-court-road, and of
about 40 in Euston-road, with 15 plate-glaes windows of
great sire, divided by pilasters of Peterhead granite, with
capitals representing traits, and flowers, and other
agreeable natural objects. The interior arrangements are
in • corresponding stale of elegance, whilst convenience
and comfort have not been lost sight of. A spiral staircase
of wood—in itself somewhat of a novelty —les& from the
shop floor to the highest story, and in all the floors there
' are hot water pipes, to secure the comfort of the cmployis
and the customers. Another novelty which we find here
' introduced is the utilisation of the underground or cellar
floor, and its conversion into a kind of second
shop a suceuraak, as the French say—in which
mechanics' clothing is principally kept. There is, then,
over the shop your juvenile department, your cutting
department, your adjusting rooms, your department for
bringing in, and your deportment for taking away to
" East, West, North, and South." Nothing, in fact, that
goes to constitute the completeness of an organised whole
can be said to have been omitted. The inhabitants of the
metropolis are well aware that this is not the
first Improvement for which they have to thank the
enterprise of "F. Moses and Son." Like skilful logicians,
they laid down the solid premises of their trade
syllogism in the Wineries • they next constructed their
middle term in Oxford-street ; and they have just now
brought out their conclusion to Tottenham-mutt-road.
"Yea," some carping objector may say, " but after all this is
an arVILIPIeniSUPS ad /401Rilt4111. or ad cetteserian—air address
to the eye or the pocket." Why, to be ewe it is ; but if
London has got a handsome building the more, why should
it inquire into the motive, or look • gift horse in the teeth!
In the interest of the metropolis, it is only to be hoped that
E. Moses and Son may penetrate still farther into the great
west of the town, and give relief to Bond-street by a similar
structure to the one they have just erected in Totteuhane
court-road.