The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-08 00:00:00

THE REFORM CLUB-HOUSE.

(From the Spectator.)
The Reform Club-house, in Pall-mall, was opened par-
tially this week ; and great has been the influx of visitors as
well as of members, curious to see if the interior realized the
expectations raised by the noble exterior. That it does fully,
to say the least, we think there can be but one opinion. in
the .
yet imperfect state of the decorations, the merits of the.
design alt its details cannot be properly app:eciated ;
note criticism, therefore, would be out of place ; enough is vi-
sible, however, of its characteristics to justify a few general
remarks.

'I he grand feature is the hall, which strikes the visitor
on entering with a feeling of admiration amounting to sur-
prise; for its novelty is no less remarkable thin its magnifi-
cence. It is a saloon of vast dimensions, nearly square, sur-
rounded by a double colonnade supporting a domed roof the
full height of the building, lighted from above by glass covings.
The effect of the introduction of colours in architectural forms
is here most beautifully exemplified ; harmony of proportion and
harmony of colour combine to fill the eye with a sense of sumptuous
richness and elegance. The coldness which light, air, and space
tend to produce, is counteracted by the warm though sober hues of
the sienna marble columns, enriched by porphyry and verd
antique in the arched intercolumniations, and relieved by the
subued tone of the tesselated pavement, and the light delicate
tints of the ceiling and entablature. Besides its magnificent
architectural effect, this hall is useful as a means of lighting and
ventilation ; and, with the surrounding corridors, it will form
a most agreeable lounge in warm weather.
The principal apartments are likewise distinguished by their
architectural decorations—the upholstery fittings being subor-
dinate ; the curtains and carpets, of course, contribute to
heighten the pervading warmth and richness, but without dis-
turbing the chaste, quiet tone prevailing throughout. The in-
, ter:or, so far as we had an opportunity of judging, is in accord-
ance with the style of the exterior ; the same massiveness and re-
pose—the same grandeur and symmetry of proportion—charac-
terize both. This correspondence between the external and in-
ternal features of the building gives an entireness to the whole de-
sign, which thus impresses the mind at once, as if by a single coup
dceil ; the impression mode being that of unostentatious splen-
dour and finished elegance, the result of a perfect union of
beauty and fitness, where ornament becomes the crowning
grace of utility. A palace in point of extent and magnifi-
cence, it has withal an air of luxurious comfort. The eating
room, while it presents a.perspective the whole length of the
facade, as of three fine apartments thrown into one, has snug
recesses where a tete-a-tete repast may be enjoyed free front
interruption. This saloon and the drawing-room above over-
look the gardens ; but by filling the space above the central
chimney-pieces with a large transparent plate of glass in lieu
of a mirror, a view ot' the hall is presented, which adds to the
cheerfulness of the apartments, and improves the effect of the
entrance by opening a vista opposite.
The arrangements for the comfort of the members, and
the convenience of the attendants, are as complete as art anti
science can render them. The entresol and basement are no
less admirable on the score of accommodations than the
principal floors in point of elegance. Ranges of bath-rooms,
dressing-rooms, waiting-rooms, steward's-rooms, &c., oc-
cupy the entresol; and the basement is devoted to the culinary
department, which is on a grand scale of completeness. A
beautiful little steam-engine, of five-horse power, supplies
the motive force . it raises water from a well 217 feet
deep to the dormitories at the top of the house; it sets
in motion a fan that circulates through all the building
a supply of fresh air, warmed by an ingenious applica-
tion of its waste steam ; and it works the various " lifts" by
which fuel, viands, dishes, &c., are sent up anti down to and
fom the different rooms. The batterie de cuisine presents a
formidable array of stewing-stoves, boilers, and hot closets,
ice-wells, and coal-pantries, and two enormous fire-grates,
each big enough to roast an ox w hole. Altogether, the Reform
Club is, perhaps, the completest specimen of domestic archi-
tecture in the leingdom ; the architect, Mr. Barry, has natu-
ralised in England the Italian palazzo, by combining with its
so'id magnificence of style and superb taste in ornament, those
luxuries of convenience which our cold damp climate and in-
door life render essential to domestic comfort.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
(From the Times.)
It will not have escaped our readers, that the dissensions of
the llth Hussars, and their Noble Lieutenant-Colonel, wet e the
subject of a long conversation in the House of Commons on
Friday evening. Lord John Rnssell, Mr. Macaulay, Sir Hus-
sey Vivian, and Sir Henry Hardinge endeavoured to vindicate
the course pursued loy the authorities of the Horse Guards in
dealing with this affair. Lord Howick took a different view
of the case, and we think unanswerably proved that it was due
to public opinion, to the discipline of the army, to the officers
complaining of Lord Cardigan's conduct, and to Lord Cardigan
himself, to direct a public inquiry into the causes of disagree-
ments suffi&ently serious, in the eyes of the Commander-in-
Chief, to make an important regiment unfit for service. Such
a course, he justly observed, would have been fully warranted
by precedent, and was made peculiarly necessary by the cir-
cumstances under which Lord Cardigan joined the regiment,
and by the i efusal of the Court-martial upon Captain R. A.
Reynolds to admit evidence tending to show provocation. If we
had entertainr.d the slightest doubt upon this subject, it must have
been removed by the speeches of those Members who vindi-
emed the conduct of Lord Cardigan. Sir Hussey Vivian and
Sir Henry Hardinge referred to facts, which were stated to
have occurred in India and elsewhere, and of which the public
knows nothing, as furnishing evidence of the existence of a "ca-
bal" in the 11th Hussars against their commanding-officer.
Surely it would have been right, in common justice to Lord
Cardigan, to give him the opportunity of proving these facts
in a public Court, if they really amounted to a justification of
his demeanour towards the officers with whom he was at vari-
ance. It cannot be wise, either in Lord Cardigan or in his
superiors, to treat the public with contemptuous disregard, or
to be careless whether the people are well informed upon a
military question, affecting the reputation not only of the
Noble Lord and his regiment, but of all to whom the admi.
nistration of the British army is confided.