The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-16 00:00:00

The Clocks for the Charing Cross Hotel,

The directors of the Charing Cross Hotel, in
order to secure the very important advantage of
having clocks of the greatest accuracy and
beauty combined, wisely entrusted the task of
providing them to the celebrated firm of
Howell and James, of Regent-street, and yes-
terday we were favoured with a private view
of the whole of the splendid collection prior to their
removal to their ultimate destination. The ap-
pearance of the clocks, occupying as they did
no inconsiderable space in that world-famous
establishment, was peculiarly grand and imposing—
although the various pieces of mechanism varied in
beauty according to the apartment in which they
are to be placed. First in importance are the mag-
nificent clocks and candalabra, in the Louis XVI.
style, destined for the drawing rooms. The ormolu
mounting is of the most chaste and elegant descrip-
tion, the ornamentation being greatly heightened
by the introduction of plaques of Sevres blue and
Rose du Barry pink porcelain. The Watteau
paintings on the china are really exquisite, and
such, we believe, as are only to be seen on clocks
issuing from the firm of Howell and James. The
clocks for the sitting-rooms are not quite so elabo-
rately ornamented, but for purity of taste and
beauty of design they are quite on a par with those
we have just mentioned. We have Grecian and
Etruscan enrichments carried out with the most
scrupulous care, and not that, which is too often the
ease, a barbarous admixture of both, the effect of
which to a person of taste is anything but pleasing.
The introduction of blue enamel on alabaster is also
a novelty, but the great beauty of the effect will
doubtless lead to its general addption. The clocks
for the Reading-room differ altogether from the
above. They are encased in griotte and black
marble, of exquisite finish, and are ornamented
with elaborate bronze castings. In some in-
stances we have malachite and gold in place
of the griotte, or red marble, but a choice between
the two seems impossible ; and, therefore, in answer
to the query put to us, we were compelled to say
" both are best." The dial for the Entrance Hall is
well worthy of special mention. It is in a massive
carved oak case, quite worthy the work of Grinling
Gibbons; the monogram of the company is very
artistically introduced, and we feel certain the hun-
dred thousands of eyes that will henceforth be
directed to this all-important time-keeper will
admire it as a work of the highest art. The
clocks for the sleeping apartments are encased in
black marble, and, although simple in form, they
are admirably adapted for the purpose intended.
The labour of producing such an amount of work--
there being a clock for every room, in number be-
tween 300 and 400—must have been enormous; but
the task has been accomplished in a highly satisfac-
tory manner, and that, too, within 24 hours of the
given time. The remarkable accuracy of the clocks
supplied by Messrs. Howell and James to the Gros-
venor Hotel, no doubt, had some influence with the
directors in their selection of the firm for such an
important work, but the way in which their
wishes have been carried out must be exceedingly
gratifying to the whole body of directors.

INNS OF COURT.—The examinations of candidates
for admission to any of the inns of court, with the view of
keeping terms for call to the bar for the ensuing Trinity
Term, will take place in the benchers' room, Middle Tem-
ple Library, at ten o'clock on each of the following Satur-
days, viz.:—May 20 and 27, and June 8 and 10.