The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-26 00:00:00

~~2

" T. B. MACAULAY."
" Albany, London, Feb. 16, 1846.
" Sir,--I cannot agree with you in thinking that the
law has, as respects Frost and his accomplices, been
thoroughly satisfied. Consider what they did, and
what they hare suffered. They raised a rebellion,
which you admit to have been unjustifiable—led thou-
sands of ignorant labouring men into guilt and danger
—fired on the Queen's troops—wounded a magistrate
in the discharge of his duty—caused the deaths of
several unhappy creatures—and would, if their at-
tempt had not been stopped in the outset, have caused
such a destruction of life and and property as has
not been knowa in England for ages. This is
their offence. What has been their punishment.?
Transportation for about five years—a lighter punish-
ment than has been kilicted on many poor lads for
picking pockets. You disclaim very properly all pro-
jects of insurrection. But rely on it that there will be
insurrections enough, if turbulent and designing men
are apprised that tho penalty of raising a civil war is
henceforth to be less than the penalty of robbing a hen-
roots. Thinking this, I cannot hold out any hope
that I shall vote for any address in favour of these great
ci iminals.
"I have the honour to be, Sir, your faithful servant,
" T. B. MACAULAY."

THE NEW PALACE AT WEST-
MINSTER.

- -
The following particulars, relative to the building
familiarly known as the New Houses of Parliament, but
- wh!ch has lately assumed the above appellation, have
been derived from authentic sources, and will probably
prove interesting to the reader, detailing, as they do, the
progress of this great national undertaking. We com-
mence with
The River Front, containing the committee-rooms and
libraries of both Houses, with the Speaker's and other
residences. This is now completed externally, and the
whole of the scaffolding removed. It is also ready in-
ternally for the fixing of the finishings, which are being
proceeded with elsewhere with great rapidity. We next
come to
The House of Lords, a building that for gorgeousness
of appearance will not be surpassed by any edifice to be
found on the Continent. The house is covered in, and
the windows, twelve in number, glazed. The ceiling, a
most magnificent piece of workmanship, is finished, and
the effect is grand in the extrt me. We may venture
to say that there is nothing in London or eves in Eng-
land equal to it in riehness of design or elaborateness
in ornament. It is composed of panels and emblazon-
meats, the centre of each panel being a shield or crest.
The panels are painted in a variety of rich colours, and
the emblazonments are gilded. The upper part of the
wall will present a stone facing, but the lower part,
reaching to the windows, will be lined with oak wains-
cotting, which we understand has been prepared, and
only awaits more favourable weather to admit of its
being put in its place. The elaborate 'nature of this oak
panelling is almost b-yond the powers of description.
It is entirely covered with carving of the most exquisite
workmanship, the armorial bearings of the different
Peers being introduced in the numerous panels. The
throne, with its appendage and canopies, all of oak, is
is a state of great forwardness. The carving is of a
most magnificent character, and is equal, in point of
enrichment, to any Gothic screen-work seen abroad.
All this elaborate wood-work and decoration are being
prepared by Messrs. Grissell and Peto, the contractors
for the erection of the New Palace, upon Government
premises at Thames Bank, which have been fitted up
at great costfor the express purpose of expediting the
work. The large windows in the House of Lords, in
each of which there are eight compartments, will be
filled in with stained glass, representing the portraits of
the kings and queens of England and Scotland.
Between each window are niches for the re- •
coption of the statues of those
compelled Kin°. Jelin to sign Magna Charta in n
barots wh
the
field
o
of Runnymede. A model statue, about six feet in
celebrated
theet
Prelates side,Lan andgton,
has been
fifediin
representing h e centrethe leceni tie on

threeil eb ee-ritle:asc:lgafpvpr;oart approbation tl is fine,
r most
ooansntdlavishly Friday.is said
tdoe Overicloary
decorated,
theeedli : throneiatendd Prince
na
whichre e
ere intended to be ornamented with freseoes. The back
of the Strangers' Gallery will also be decorated, it is
believed, with frescoes. Flom information we have re-
(
ceived, we have every reason to believe that the House
of Peers, the Peers' and Commons' libraries, and the
committee rooms will be ready for use about the middle
of next session. It should be stated that the floor of
the House of Peers will be of perforated cast-iron of a
very peculiar character.
Victoria Hall is roofed in, and in a state of great for-
wardness. This hall will contain the chief statues of
eminent men that have existed during the last 200 years;
and also fresco paintings of historical subjects. It will
bare a parquette flooring—that is, a flooring composed
of various descriptions of oak, with a very rich border.
This hall will be used as an ante-room to the House of
Lords.

The Victoria Gallery, the robing, and guard rooms,
the royal landing, the latter having a most exquisitely
I grained roof, enriched with bosses, and lighted from
above, are all roofed in, and the access from them, is
nearly cemplete, to,
The Victoria Tower, which is now 65 feet in height.
Its large and msgnificent arches have been completed
some time; and the staircase, from the tower to the royal
gallery, is arched in with stone. The stone carvings of
the gateway are not only numerous but majestic in ap-
pearance, and two lions, in stone, in an upright position,
and fixed on either side of the gateway, have a very
h.:nosing appearance. The next twenty feet of the
We
112-:Tbheo7cat,ed will, wording to the model prepared
thoytar
mass of elaborate carving.
In the front, or Abbey sick,
will be nine niches, as ,-;:t present contemplated, contain-
ing the statues of ancient ia...n3,•,3 and queens, the centre
niche, which is dir•ectly over the gateway, being occupied
with a statue of tho Queen. The frontage, towards
i
Millbauk, will be treated in the same manner; and the
will
two other sides will be enriched with stone carvings.
he
Above this height the carving and decoration
continued, but not of so lavish or prominentathe
is itself in readiness for fixing. The
character.ro of
The House of Commons is nearly ready for ,
which
interior fit-
tings of the House will be -(!f. oborately as the panelling in
completion of the House is expected in 1848. The
residences of thed tt lei carved,
jiouse obfu lt,ee not
rs. soTelha-
eephe
of Commons are also
clock tower and the new Palace-yard front in
connexionstS,ocark roofed in,
otheraii ionffi a eers of
forward th e s
t Houseate.
The
at present 60 feet in height.
St. are
entrance to the House of
Commons Hall
and
ineipal
porch, which will form the
main principal entrance to both houses from Abingdon-
street,
now is, has just been commenced, and the stone
k where with
n's
the
e
pr
is in course of fixing, the outside being similar in
wo r
appearance to that of Palace-yard.
In concluding this account, it may not be uninteresting
to state that the New Palace will, when completed,
occupy the area of eleven acres. This fact in itself will
show how great must be the labour and responsibility
incurred by Mr. Barry, the architect, and the contractors,
Messrs. Grissell and Pete, whom we should state, employ
nearly 800 men on the works, under the superintend-
ence of Mr. Allen, and 200 more in the 'establishment
at Thames Bank, preparing the internal fittings.

. ~-~.~~--z?
~~ -~
;~

LETTERS FROM MR. MA.CAULAY.

The Edinburyh Chronicle publishes the following let-
ters from the Right Hon. Mr. Macaulay: the first being
a reply to Mr. Amid Greig, on the subject of the mili-
tia ; and the second an answer to a letter from the
Secretary of the Committee for the liberation of Frost,
Williams, and Jones :
" Albany, London, Jan. 30, 1846.
" Sir,—You quite misunderstand my sentiments about
the elective franchise. I never in my life said that you
who have no votes were not interested iu the public weal.
God forbid! My reasons forobjecting to universal suffrage
are very different. I believe that the non-electors are as
deeply interested as I am in the security of property and
the maintenance of order ; but I believe that a -very
large portion of them do not understand their own
interest, and might easily be iraluced, by the pressure of
immediate distress, to act in opposition to their own in-
terest. _ That this is so, I have proof under their own
hands. I refer to till petition which Mr. Duncornbe
presented to the 'louse of Commons in 1842. In that
document some hundretls of thousands of Chartists asked
for the franchise, and told us how they meant to use Da
They avowed that their objects were national bank-
ruptcy, can,fiscation of the soil, of canals, of machinery
—in short, the destruetit ii ( f all property. lAS as firmly
convinced, and am firmly convinctal, that such measures
wemzld pia duce indeaeribslile misery to the great msjortty
of the petitioners th, mse:res. I rafost.d them the
franchise, not from disregard of their interests, but, from
the same ft cling which would' lead me to r.fuse a razor
to a man aho tsld me that he wao i ted it n order to cut
his throat; and I assure you that I have never inquired
of any inhabitant of Edinburgh who complained to me
of a grievance whether he a as an elector or not.
" And now to the main subject of your letter. I shall
give my best consideration to the measures which may be
proposed respecting the militia ; but I must frankly tell
you that my conduct will be guided by principles which
differ widely from yours. I hold defensive war to be
lawful and necessary. I conceive that the State has a
right to'call on every citizen to bear a part in protecting
his native soil against assailants. That the exertion and
burden ought to be reduced as much as possible, and
divided as fairly as possible, is quite true. But I sus-
pect that all the iaconveniencies which even a vexatious
enrolment can produce would be small indeed, when
compared with the misery which would be caused by the
appearance of a hostile armament in the Forth.
" I cannot at all understand your scruple about joining
a protection society. You pay taxes, I presume, di-
rectly or indirectly. You must be aware that a large
part of tholp_taxes
and navy.. -Now, if you may?yy contribute to
goes .LQ-Sjagort the regular army
the support of a kind of force which has been, and
may be, employed in offensive war, surely you may,
without any twinge of conscience, contribute to the
support of a force which is, by its nature, strictly
defensive, and which is not likely ever to shed a
drop of blood, unless danger of the' most fearful
kind . should come near to our own heartily. I
persuade myself that your aversion to the use of
arms does not go to such a height that you would
hold yourself morally bound to see Edinburgh sacked
by invaders without striking a blow for your home and
family. Now, the militia is meant to be peculiarly a
security against invaders. It is not an instrument of
aggression. You must, therefore, admit it to be, as com-
pared with the regular army, an innocent institution. If,
then, you refuse to pay anything towards the militia,
while you are paying the soldiers and sailors who have
just been fighting at Buenos Ayres, I must say that yon
strain at a gnat and sa allow a camel.
"If you have any special hardship to complain of, it
shall receive my best attention.
"I have the honour to be, Sir, your faithful and
obedient servant,