The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-02 00:00:00

" TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

" Your Majesty having been graciously pleased, upon an
address from the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament
assembled, to issue a Commission under the Groat Seal, bear-
ing date at Westminster, the 17th of July, in the sixth year of
your Majesty's reign, authorizing and directing any three or
more of the Commissioners therein named, to examine and
report upon the plans which might be offered by the compe-
titors for the rebuilding of the two Houses of Parliament, and
to select and classify such of the plans, being not less than
three or more than five in number, as shall seem to them most
worthy of attention, and to state, if required, the grounds upon
which such selection and classification are founded, and to make
their report on or before the 20th day of January, 1836.
" We, your Majesty's Commissioners, who have hereto set
our hands and seals, humbly submit to your Majesty, that from
the hour we entered upon our duties we used every possible
exertion to complete our examination within the period limited
by the Commission ; the conviction, however, of our inability
to effect this object, and do justice to the competitors, by
giving as full a consideration to the designs submitted to us as
their number and importance required, induced us to pray
your Majesty to extend the time for making our report.
Your Majesty having been graciously pleased to accede to
our request, we are now enabled, with more confidence, hum-
bly to lay before you the result of our deliberations on the
merits of the 97 designs, containing from 1,000 to 1,200 draw-
ings, which have been submitted to us from the office of Woods
and Forests. In performing this duty, we trust we may be
allowed to express the satisfaction we feel in being able to re-
port to your Majesty the good effects which, in our opinion,
have resulted from the competition ; since, notwithstanding
the limited period to which the architects were confined to
send in their designs for a structure so unusually complicated,
extensive, and important, they have, in the execution of their
undertaking, evinced zeal and ability sufficient to justify the
expectation that the art will be substantially benefited.
" Restricted as the competitors were with respect to time,
it would have been unreasonable to have expected drawings
altogether more elaborate and correct ; nevertheless, we are
bound in justice to them to state, that, in their memoranda ac-
companying their designs, several have expressed their regret
that they were prevented by that circumstance from making
such alterations as from time to timo slaggested themselves in
the progress of their work. Although we consider it unneces-
sary to trouble your Majesty with a detail of the rules we laid
down to guide us in our selection, still it may be proper to ob-
serve, with respect to the two Houses of Parliament them-
selves, that, with the imperfect knowledge we profess on the
theories of sound and artificial ventilation, we deemed ourselves
scarcely authorised to allow those subjects to have weight in
determining our preference ; we therefore confined ourselves
to the consideration of the beauty and grandeur of the general
design, to its practicability, to the skill shown in the various
arrangements of the building, and the accommodation afforded,
to the attention paid to the instructions delivered, as well as to
the equal distribution of light and air through every part of
the structure.

" We now proceed to certify to your Majesty, that after
long, minute, and repeated examinations and comparisons of
the several designs submitted to us by the office of Woods and
Forests, although a difference of opinion may exist between us
respecting the ground plans separately considered, we arc all
unanimous in our opinion. that the one delivered to us marked
61, with the emblem of a portcullis, bears throughout such evi-
dent marks of genius and superiority of talent as fully to en-
title it to the preference we have given it in our classification ;
and we have no hesitation in giving it as our opinion, that the
elevations are of an order so superior, and display so much
taste and knowledge of Gothic architecture, as to leave no
doubt whatever in our minds of the author's ability to carry
into effect your Majesty's commands, should you be pleased to
honour him with your confidence.

" The next design we beg to offer for your Majesty's consi-
deration is that marked No. 14, and distinguished by the artist
with the letter R., the elevations of which are deserving of
much commendation, although, from the number of projec-
tions and recesses which give a broken character to all the
river front, it is much more difficult to judge what its effect
will be when finished, than any of the drawings in plan 64,
on which we have just given our opinion : these objections,
joined to others more important, which relate to the ground
plan, have induced us to hesitate in the preference we should
give to this or the design immediately following it in our classi-
fication.
In thus passing our judgment on the merits of No. 14, we
have in some measure anticipated our opinion of those of its
rival, No. 13, bearing the motto of " King, Lords, and Com-
mons," but we must not omit to observe its justification of the
order in which we have placed them, that the architect of No.
13 had not to contend with the difficulty that, to a certain ex-
tent, presents itself in the preservation of the cloisters and
crypt, and the restoration of St. Stephen's Chapel.
" We think it right also to remark to your Majesty, as it
may be an objection to the plan, that, being aware of the dif-
ference of opinion that exists as to the date that affixes the
limits to the style termed Elizabethan, even amongst the pro-
fession, we determined to give it the greatest latitude of which

THE SUN, LONDON, WE

it can possibly admit, and considering No. 13, as possessing
sufficient 'of the characteristics of the style, we have not he-
sitated on account of this difference of opinion, to select it for
a premium.
" The last design to which we would pray your Majesty's
attention is No. 42, bearing the device of the winged orb,'
which, if, as a composition, it ranks not in our opinion equally
high with those we have already classified, is inferior to none
in attention to the instructions and specifications delivered to:
the competitors, and to the general arrangement and accom-,
modation required. Although your Majesty has empowered"
us to select and classify plans to the number of five, we have
found the merits of several so nearly balanced, that, unable to,
give a preference, we feel ourselves called upon, in justice to'
the parties, to abstain from any further recommendations..
We cannot close our report without observing to your Majesty
that we have not suffered our feelings to be biassed in the se-
lection we have made by giving preference to a plan on account.
of its preserving those venerable and beautiful remains of anti-.
quity, the cloysters and the crypt of St. Stephen's Chapel ; we.
feel nevertheless assured that their existence need not inter-
fere with the various arrangements requisite for such a build-
ing, and if we had ever entertained a doubt on the subject,
the plans which have been submitted would have completely
removed it.
" '
We have now to the best of our ability performed the
duty imposed upon us by your Majesty ; we have pointed out,
the plan which in our judgment is most entitled to your Ma-
jesty's gracious approbation. It is obvious that previous to its.
being executed it requires to be revised and corrected ; but
we feel confident that, had we thought it expedient to have
communicated with the architect, as we were empowered to
do by the Commission, and pointed out such parts of the
arrangement as appeared to us objectionable, he would have
felt no difficulty whatever in removing them, and in rendering
the plan not only free from any solid objection, but one the
execution of which will throw lustre on the era in which it is
built. We beg leave respectfully to add that it is impossible
to examine the minute drawings for this design and not feel
confidence in the author's skill in Gothic architecture : still,
as the beauty of this style depends upon the attention to detail,
for which the architect has no rule to guide him, but must
trust to his practical knowledge and good taste, we humbly,
yet strongly recommend to your Majesty that his drawings
shall be submitted from time to time to competent judges of
their effect, lest from over confidence, negligence, or inatten-
tion in the execution of the work, we fail to obtain that result
to which our just expectations have been raised.
" We are, however, far from thinking it advisable, should
the plan, when revised and perfected, be finally approved of by
your Majesty, that it shall be subject to any alteration that may
have the effect of changing its character or of impairing its
unity of design.

" We are aware that we are not called upon, in selecting and
classifying the plans for your Majesty's approbation, to make
the cost of any design an object of our consideration ; and we
fully agree in the prudence of having abstained from requiring
the competitors to furnish estimates, which would have been
productive of no public advantage, whilst the trouble and ex-
pense attending them would have been a considerable bar to
competition.

" It is not to be supposed, however, but that this subject
would occasionally intrude itself on our thoughts in the course
of our examination, and we humbly submit our opinion, that,
in the event of any design meeting your Majesty's approbation
a specification should be demanded of the architect of the
style in which he intends to finish the interior, and the parti-
cular parts requiring, in his opinion, extra decoiation, previ-
ous to his being called upon for any estimate. This remark
suggests itself to us from the profuse and unnecessary orna-
ment introduced by many of the competitors, merely perhaps
to beautify their designs, but which would, if executed, be a
wasteful expenditure of public money. We are conscious that
in the plan we have selected for your Majesty's approbation
the enriched appearance of the several elevations will naturally
excite suspicion that it cannot be carried into effect but at an
enormous expense. In the absence of the detail of any por-
tion of the work we can form no perfect idea of the architect's
intentions, but even with the minute drawings before us we
have sufficient evidence to lead us to the belief that from the
unbroken character and general uniformity of the different
fronts, and external decoration being wholly unnecessary in
any of the courts, no design worthy of the country of equal
magnitude can offer greater facilities for economy in the
execution.

In the humble hope that your Majesty will deign to ap-
prove our earnest endeavours to fulfil your commands to the
best of our ability, we submit this our Report to your Majesty's
gracious consideration.
(Signed)

CHAS. HANBURY TRACY,
EDW. CUST,
THOS. LIDDEL,
GEORGE VIVIAN."
Approved of by his Majesty, and presented to both Houses
of Parliament by his Majesty's command,
" Feb. 29, 1836.

DCNCANNON."

The Report from the Commissioners appointed by his Ma-
jesty to examine and report upon the plans which might be
offered by the competitors for rebuilding the Houses of Par-
liament, was referred by the House of Lords to the following
Select Committee :
The Duke of Cumberland.
Lord Archh:sh. of Canterbury.
The Lord Chancellor.
The Lord President.
The Lord Privy Seal.
Duk• of Norfolk.
Duke of Richmond.
Duke of Wellington.
Duke of Sutherland.
Marquis of Salisbury.
Marquis of Cholmondeley.
Earl of Shaftesbury.
Earl De Lawarr.
Earl of Radnor.
The Committee will meet to

Earl of Rosslyn.
Earl of Harrowby.
Earl de Grey.
Earl of Ripon.
Viscount Leinster.
Viscount Gordon.
Lord Bishop of London.
Lord Bishop of Hereford.
Lord Holland.
Lord Melbourne.
Lord Farnborough.
Lord Wharncliffe.
Lord Lyndhurst.
Lord Rosebery.
morrow at two o'clock.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

BETTING IN THE COUNTRY.
CHASTER TRADE cur, P.P. (COUNTRY PRICES
11 to 2 agst Red Rover—offered
15 to 1 agst Jupiter—taken
8 to 1 agst Usury—taken
8 to 1 agst Stockport—offered
10 to 1 agst The Stag-11 to 1 taken
13 to 1 agst Tamworth—taken
12 to 1 agst Altamont--taken
12 to 1 agst Billinge—offered
15 to 1 agst Lady Moore Carew—taken
20 to 1 agst Turban
20 to 1 agst Hectic
100 to 3 agst Tomes's Gelding

LIVERPOOL STEEPLE CHASE.

Monday afternoon a Steeple Chase, which has excited a great
deal of interest in Liverpool and the neighbourhood, came off at
Aintree Race Course. The day being exceedingly fine and open a
great number of persons from Liverpool and the surrounding dis-
trict, from Cheshire and North Wales, were present. Lord Moly-
neux was chosen umpire. The following is a list of the horses en-
tered, and the result of each race
:
A Sweepstakes of 10 sovs. each, with 80 added, for horses of all
denominations, carrying 12st. each. Gentlemen riders. Over
a country not exceeding five miles. The ground to be shown to
the riders the morning before the race. Riders to weigh before
starting for their own security. The horses started shortly aftea
The Duke, aged ...Captain Beecher 1
poi
one o'clock, and proceeded in gallant style to the goal. The fol-
lowing Mr. Aspinall's b. g. yanthus
Mr. Kershaw's b. g. The Baronet, aged
si
rids
etfiheeidr,e6sult ch.
Yr. Devine's ch. in. Cowslip, by Roller
Mr. Oswald's br. g. Gulliver
•••
Mr. Ward's black horse
0
Sir T. Stanley's b. g. Laurie Todd, aged... fell
A Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, with 20 added, for horses of all deno-
minations, l2st. each, over a country not exceeding three miles.
Mr. Devine's b. g. Peacemaker
Mr. Webster's b. g. Ironsidea
Four other horses ran but were far distanced. The race was wen
easily in a canter.
Betting an hour before the race commenced.-3 to 1 agst the
Duke, 2 to 3 agst Laurie Todd, 5 to I agst Polyanthus, 12 to 1 agst
Cowslip, 6 to 1 agst The Baronet.