The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-29 00:00:00

TIIE NEW PUBLIC OFFICES.

The specifications for the new public offices will be
ready for delivery on the Ist of October. For them the
Chief Commissioner of Works invites the preparation of
designs for the concentration of the principal Govern-
ment offices on the site lying between Whitehall and the
New Palace of Westminster ; and the other two designs
are for buildings which her Maje-ty's Goverment have
determined to erect forthwith, as parts of such general
asherne-rione for the department of the Secretary of
State fur Foreign Affairs, and the other for the
Secretary of State for War. The general or block
plans are intended to show the best mode of concentrat-
ing the principal Government offices on the site situated
between Downing-street, Westminster Abbey, and St.
James's Park and the Thames. The block designs ere
also intended to represent any improvements which may
suggest themselves to the competitors in the principal
approaches to the New Palace at Westminster, as well
as in the communication with the Surrey side of the
River Thames, especially with reference to the situation
of the New Westminster-bridge, the ultimate position
of which must be considered in connexion with the de-

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signs. The designs for the block plan are to he drawn
on a scale of 44 feet to the inch, and the proposed im-
provements of the public thoroughfares on a scale of five
feet to one statute mile. The proposed now -War and
Foreign-offices are to be in Downing-street, and on the
vacant space of ground which the government already
possesses in that locality. Architects will, therefore,
have to prepare their designs in accords ce with this ar-
rangement. A rchitects are also permitted to send in
models with their designs, provided the models are on
the same scale as the designs. The offices to be pro-
vided for are the Treasury, including official residences
for the First Lord of the Treasury and for the Chan.
collor of the Exchequer ; the Foreign Office, including
an official residence ; the War Department, the Colo-
nial Office, the Home Office, the Paymaster-General's
Office, the Exchequer Office, the Board of Trade, the
Privy Council Office, the Admiralty, the Board of
Control, the Poor Law Board, the State Paper Office,
the Office of Worka, the Office of Woods, Civil Ser-
vice Commission, the Charity Commission, the Ecclesi-
astical Commission, Copyhold, Enclosure, and Tithe
Commission, and the Emigration Offices, Architects
must, in addition to the offices above enumerated,
provide for further buildings, to be appropriated
as Government may hereafter determine, to such an ex-
tent as may be consistent with proper open space and
thoroughfares. The prizes for this class of designs will
be for the best block plan, 5001. ; for the second beat,
2001. ; and the third, 1001. ; the designs of the recipi-
ents of the premiums to become the property of the
Government. The specifications for the new Foreign-
office state that the architects are to prepare designs for
public offices, and an official residence. The drawings
are to show a plan of each floor, longitudinal and trans-
verse sections, and elevations to a scale of 16 feet to an.
inch. Architects are also to send in an elevation of one
of the principal fronts, drawn to a scale of eight feet to
an inch, and they will be at liberty to send in enlarged
details of portions of the designs to a scale of friar feet
to an inch. The plans and sections are to have the sites
and heights of the rooms figured thereon, and are to be
tinted in light brown Indian ink. The elevations are to
be in line only—one perspective view, tinted with light
brown Indian ink, may accompany the designs ; but
models, bird's-eye perspective views, cad drawings in.
frames (other than straining frames) and glasses will not
be received. The Foreign 0,; ce, exclusive of the offi-
cial residence, will altogether consist of nearly 200
rooms, some of them of splendid dimensions. For in-
stance, there are to be two libraries, each 120 feet long
by 30 feet. The building is to be fire proof, the rooms
lofty, and the corridors wide. The official residence is
to contain one state dining room to accommodate 50 per-
sons, with apartments adjoining for occasional supper
and tea rooms, library, morning room, &c. ; five recep-
tion rooms as suite on the first floor, to accommodate
1,500 visitors ; one or more principal staircases to and
from the reception rooms ; about 12 or 14 bedrooms, with
a suitable number of dressing rooms, and all the other re-
quirements of a nobleman's town house. The proposed
buildings for the War Department will be still larger,
although there is to be no official residence attached to
it. The number of rooms altogether will approach very
nearly to 270. The dimensions of all of them are to be
good, and especial attention is to be directed to their
being constructed of proper heights, and with reference
to good and sufficient ventilation. The whole of both
the offices are to be warmed throughout by an apparatus
below, in the basement of the buildings. No restrictions
in the specifications are made as to cost, so that there is
a wide margin opened for architects to indulge their
tights of imagiestive genius. The prizes for the best
designs are—for the two best designs for the Foreign
Office and War Department, two premiums of 8001.; for
the second best, two premiums 0' 5001.; for the third,
two premiums of 300/. ; and for the fifth, sixth, and
seventh best, there are two premiums of 1001. each. If
the architect to whona a premium may be awarded in
respect of the designs, or any of them, shall be employed
to superintend the execution of tie work, he will not be
entitled to receive such premium, but he will be paid a
commission at the rate of five per cent. on the outlay.
Such commission to include all expenses for measuring,
superintendence, &c., except the salaries of the clerks of
the works. Every design sent in is to be inscribed with
a motto ; and an envelope with the same motto on the
outside, containing the name and address of the com-
petitor, is to be sent in to the Chief Commissioners of
her Majesty's Works and Public Buildings. The com-
missioners will not be answerable for any damage or
accident that may happen to the drawings or models, so
that architects need be careful.

The Iverar, population of Genoa is 110,000 souls.
The c?nsumption. of that city in 1855 included 121,337
hectolitres of wine (2,662,814 gallons), 13,080 do. Of oil
(281,700 gallons), 2,164 oxen, 9,185 cow, 7,172 calves,
972 pigs, 1,330 quintals (cwt.) of hog's lard, 35,61$
sheep and
goats, 17,980 lamt s and kids, 372,108 fowls
of all kinds, 264,785 kilogrammes of dried fish, and
7,046 kilogrammes of cheese.