The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-26 00:00:00

DECEMBER 26, 1867.

On the other hand, Sir Charles Barry, who
hardly professed to know anything but classical
architecture, in which he displayedgreat ability, was
notoriously incapable, as his abortive attempts in
another field abundantly prove, of accomplishingthe
work which his family unwisely attribute to him.
An impartial writer in the Building News of Sept.
20, 1867, after doing ample justice to Barry as
a classical architect, observes, " I was certainly
struck by the plain question : " What, on the
other hand, has Sir Charles got to show ?" And
then, he continues as follows :—" 'When Mr. Pugin
instances St. Peter's Church, Hatton Garden, and
asks if it be possible that the same man could have
designed the Palace of Westminster, he puts a
question very much to the point, and one which
can be answered by any one who takes the trouble
to inspect the said church. It was consecrated in
October, 1832. The style is perpendicular, of
the worst kind, exhibiting all the faults that an
utter absence of Gothic feeling could crowd into
one building." Such was Barry's success in Gothic
architecture, while Pugin had already completed
the design of the future Victoria Tower ! But the
same witness has more to tell us. In utter disgust
I entered the church, in hopes that the interior
might present some redeeming feature. In this I
was disappointed. The very form of the arches
of the nave, and the pillars supporting them, is
of the most debased character ; and, as to the
woodwork, the roof, galleries, pulpit, reredos, pin-
nacles, crochets, and panelling, are of the rudest
and most ignorant description." We cannot be sur-
prised when this writer adds :—" I left the build-
ing satisfied that the man who, in 1830, or there-
abouts, designed this church, could by no possi-
bility have had anything advantageous to do with
the Palace of Westminster." Of another church
by Barry, which cost more than £ll,OOO, the same
competent critic says : " Criticism upon these
buildings is thrown away." Of two others, whose
united cost exceeded £22,000, so that the architect
was not hampered by want of means, he observes :
—" They can add to no architect's reputation."
"For his fame's sake;" he continues, " it were
well if everything Gothic Sir Charles ever did,
could be hidden from sight." Finally, he sums up
his impartial observations with this unambiguous
verdict —" The same hand could not have designed
buildings of such opposite character as Barry's
churches and the Westminster Palace."
(2.) But if it is certain that Pugin was, and that
Barry was not, competent to execute the work,
which gives all their beauty to the Houses of Par-
liament, it is equally notorious, and this is the
second point to be noticed, that no one conversant
with the subject ever supposed that the latter was
the art-architect of the 'Westminster Palace, or
that he designed anything but the ground plan,
leaving the elevations and details to the genius of
Pugin. " This impression," as one of the witnesses
cited by his son observes, " was so generally ac-
cepted by every one who cared for such matters,
that it seemed almost a certainty, not requiring
investigation or proof." Another authority, Mr.
Chapman, confirms from independent observation
this universal impression, " that Pugin, and not
Barry, furnished the designs for the Palace of
Westminster ;" while Mr. Voysey declares, after
referring to the unanimous conviction of the pro-
fession generally :—" I was never more surprised
in my life than when I read the other day in the
Times that the fact had been called in question."
"Such a tradition," exising among all classes of
professional men, as well as among all lovers of
art for wb om the question had any interest, could
not, as MI . E. W. Pugin reasonably argues, have
penetrate( 1 all minds, if it had not been based upon
well-kno/ ,rn and undisputed facts.
(3.) ce third preliminary consideration, which
takes pr cedence of all documentary evidence, and
goes few., as we have said, to render it superfluous,
is the a oppression of the correspondence between
Pugh i and Barry, and the manoauvre by which this
susp; ,Lions act was accomplished by Barry and his
rela Lives. If any additional proof of the justice
of eugin's claim, and of Barry's recognition of it,
we wanted, the almost incredible proceedings
of the latter have supplied it. As soon as the
gre at architect was dead, the first thought of the
ma n, who had profited so largely by his unrivalled
ski 11 was to destroy every trace of his relations
with him. His own confession was, that "he had
deF AL'oyed the whole of the correspondence," as
far. :as he had the power to do so ; and when he
le' L.-, ned the unwelcome fact that the work of de-
sl suction was incomplete, and that " a vast num-
-1 Jer " of his own letters to Pugin were still in exist-
pice, and could, therefore, be produced against
•

ROCHDALE, 23d.—There was only a small attend-
ance of buyers in the flannel market to-day, and
the business done in Yorkshire goods as well as
flannels was very limited, as is usual at the markets
just before Christmas. Upon the whole there was
a tolerably cheerful feeling in the trade, and prices
were steady, )Vools are nominally the same as last
week,

TLWAY.

EAST

him, " his confusion and distress," we are told,
" were painful to witness." His first exclamation
The report of the directors of this company
proved his own knowledge of the testimony they
s
would bear—" Good Heavens!" he said, " I ticoughttates that the Board had still much reason to be
Pugin destroyed all letters he received." Barry had
dissatisfied with the slow progress made in the con-
goodstruction of the Chord line, notwithstanding the
reason, then, to wish that those letters should i
be kept from the public eye. Can any one doubt remonstrances addressed to the contractors on
what it was? Can any one doubt thatithey would the subject. The requisite works for completing
have proved who was the real art-architect of the the railway bas a double line between Khano
Houses of Parliament? For this reason it was
Junction and Seeterampore, and between Luckie-
The semi and Allahabad, and all other general
necessary that they should cease to exist.
means were at hand. They were in possession
works of completion, both on the main line
of a youth of eighteen, candid and unsuspicious, and Jubbulpore line, were progressing satisfactorily.
whom it was easy to beguile for fair words. From The iron superstructures for the second line of rails
this ouch affecting a regard for his welfare andbis family which his own acts
over the Keeul, the Hollohur, and the Soane bridges
for the interests of y,
were in course of shipment from this country. The
opening of the Jubbulpore line for public traffic was
belied, Barry was not ashamed to obtain the letters
which he had inwardly resolved to suppress, postponed by agreement with the Government of
giving a " positive assurance that they should be India from June Ito August 1 last, since which date
returned." That promise, after various excuses trains had been regularly running; Messrs. Howard
Brothers, of Mirzapore, having established a convey-
and evasions, was deliberately violated, first by
Barry himself, and afterwards by his family. They ante between Jubbulpore and Nagpore, passengers
hold in their grasp, or have destroyed, a mass of might now proceed from Calcutta and Delhi to
letters which would assist the public to decide a Bombay direct, and vice versa via Jubbulpore.
The entire journey might be performed in about
question of great public interest, and they prefer
five days, at a cost of about 231 rupees. The
the dishonour of breaking a solemn pledge rather
traffic on the Jubbulpore line must necessarily be
than give them up. Such a proceeding is simply.
small until a junction was effected between this
suicidal. One can fancy the amusement and in-'
company's line and the system of the Great Irdian
dignation which would be excited in any of our law
Peninsular Railway Company at Jubbulpore.
courts if it should be discovered that one of the
The locomotives and rolling stock continued to
parties to a suit had suppressed the principal
be maintained in good order. The per
document by which its merits might be decided,
manent way and works had been main-
after obtaining it from the other side with a so- tamed in efficient order during the half-year at a
lemn promise of restoration. If Sir Charles Barry
cost of 11d. per train mile. The working expenses
had ever possessed the slightest claim to be consi-
had been 43.97 per cent., against 41.34 per cent. in
dered the art-architect of the 'Westminster Palace,
the corresponding half-year. The number of passen-
his own conduct and that of his imprudent rela:
gers carried during the past half-year was 16,767 Ist
fives would have effectually destroyed it.
class, 40,024 2d class, 193,142 intermediate class,
In presence of the facts at which we have now
2,199,353 3d class—total, 2,449,286, as against
glanced, it may seem superfluous to enter upon a
2,099,737 in the same half of 1866. The tonnage in
critical examination of the evidence upon which
goods and minerals for the half-year was 515,404
Mr. E. W. Pugin founds his father's claim. That
tons, against 399,435 tons in the corresponding half
evidence consists chiefly of extracts from his diaries,
of 1866. The gross earnings for the half year.
and of such letters as the son has been able to
ended the 30th June last was £1,213,069, against
rescue from destruction. They abundantly c0n-
£1,067,542 in the corresponding half of last
firm—and this is all we could fairly expect from
year; and the net earnings £679,596, as com-
them—the truth which is antecedently demon-
pared with £626,218 in the same half of last
strafed without their aid. There is no need to
year. The net earnings had exceeded the gua-
quote them in detail, even if our space would
ranteed interest by 11,21,844r5., one moiety
allow us to do so. It will suffice to indicate their
of which was payable to the Secretary
general scope and tenor. The diaries show that,
of State for India in terms of the con-
during the whole of 1835, 1836, and 1837, Pugin
tract with the company. After providing for Sir
was incessantly engaged on the work for which
M. Stephenson's annuity from the other moiety,
Barry was nominally responsible. What was he
the balance, plus 7,783r5., brought forward after
doing? He was already the most eminent archi-
paying the extra dividend in January last, remained
tect of his time, and though he might be willing,
from the passionate love of his art which distin-
for division amorg the shareholders ; and the
guished him, to undertake all the artistic details Board recommended the payment from this source,
of a great national monument, he would have dis-
in January next, of a dividend for the half-
dained to accept any meaner employment in con-
year, in addition to the guaranteed interest, at
nection with it. The diaries and letters show that,
the rate of a half per cent. per annum, free 'of In-
in fact, he was occupied during a long series of come tax, leaving a small surplus to be
years as the sole art-architect of the Westminster carried forward. The receipts for the first 17
Palace. Barry's own letters, few as they are, weeks of the current half-year were in excess of
clearly recognize that he was dependent upon his
those for the same number of weeks of the corre-
great ally for the execution of all the details, and sponding half-year by £5,532. The whole of the
that he knew it. He was continually receiving from former period, however, had been marked by
extreme depression
tional drawings," but "working drawings," and for in trade, and the country had
the latter, during a series of years, not only " sec-
been visited by such unusual floods as to render
every kind of work, internal and external, " ele-
the roads to the railway stations almost impas-
vations," "seta of exquisite details," and in such sable for heavy traffic. This company, in com-
profusion that, as Mr. E. W. Pugin observes, they mon with others, was suffering from these causes
"make up the entire building," excepting only the in reference to merchandise, but the passenger
traffic was steadily increasing. Acting upon the
mere ground plan. Barry seems to have felt—and
borrowing powers of the company, the board had
the memory of his former failures in Gothic work
issued during the current half-year, for the pur-
would account for the admission—that Pugin
poses of sanctioned works, £1,000,000 sterling
alone could do for him what he was incapable of
doing himself, and that without Pugin's aid he
in debentures of 4 per cent. It would be neces-
would have been, as he expressed it, "in a regular sary to raise a similar sum for the same object,
fix." Nothing but imperious necessity could have either in shares or debentures, early in the ensuing
induced a man in his position to confess, by so six months. The sanctioned works here referred
many unambiguous acts, his own incapacity, and to comprised those included in the estimates made
to invoke, what he called, Pugin's " 50-horse power by Mr. Rendell and Mr. Power, in 1865, and the
of creation" to save the Houses of Parliament additional rolling stock referred to in the Board's
last report. In that report the Board stated
from the inevitable ruin which Pugin's genius
that the Government of India had sanctioned
was alone able to avert.
The only plea which Barry's few partizans now an expenditure of £500,000, in addition to those
attempt to maintain is one, it must be distinctly estimates ; But as the Board were entirely
said, which reflects still deeper discredit upon their opposed to any expenditure which was not
conclusively shown to be absolutely necessary to the
proceedings. Pugin himself, they urge, did not
successful development of the undertaking, and as
claim to be the art architect of the houses of
they had not been able to satisfy themselves that
Parliament ; and they quote a letter, written long
after he had actually completed a large part of the the expenditure in question came within that cate-
gory, they had requested Mr. Rendell, their con-
designs, and of which we fortunately possess his
sulting engineer, to proceed to India, thoroughly
own explanation, to support their assertion. Now
to investigate the whole question on the
it can be proved, by a multitude of witnesses, that
spot, in communication with the officers of the
Pugin did claim, again and again, all that his son
company and the Government, and to consider, in
claims for him. "He frequently stated to me (in
regard to works in contemplation or in course of
confidence)," says Mr. Thomas Grieve, "that he
execution, whether they should be proceeded with
was the designer of the Houses." He even, as many
or stopped pending a reference to the board. The
of his friends can testify, was in the habit, in con-
revenue account showed that £1,213,069 had been
fidential intercourse, of ridiculing Barry's real posi-
received during the half-year ending June 30, and
tion in connection with the work. "I remember
£533,472, or 43.97 per cent. expended, leaving a
on one occasion," adds Mr. Grieve, " he said—' Is
not this a regular joke ? Here are two rivals com-
balance of £679,596.
peting for one prize, and I am making the designs
for both.' " Mr. Baldwin Wood and Mr. Francis
Shaw confirm the same fact, and are themselves
confirmed by other witnesses. Mr. Shaw, to whom
Pugin read many of the seventy-six letters of Barry,
which have been impounded by the treachery of
the latter, declares, partly on the evidence of those
letters, and partly on the confidential statements
of Pugin himself, that the Westminster Palace
" emanated from his conception." So well was this
known, and so universally recognized, that the Rev.
Mr. Voysey affirms, that " but for his religious be-
lief," he would have been the official, as he was
the real, art-architect of the Houses of Parliament.
One word, in conclusion, upon the letter of Sep-
tember 6th, 1845, upon which the relatives of
Barry found their assertion. Mr. Mares, the well-
known contractor, has already stated in the Times
how that letter came to be written, and what was
Pugin's own account of it. " Barry is in an awful
state," said his too-generous ally, " respecting the
reports which have oozed out about my being the
architect of the Houses, and he wants me to write
a letter to save his reputation ; it is gone if I do
not, and I have no alternative." The statement of
the Barry family that the letter was a spontaneous
act on the part of Pugin is, therefore, simply un-
true. The real meaning of the letter, which was
elicited by Barry's despair, was perfectly under-
stood at the time by every one interested in the
Houses, and implied no denial whatever of Pugin's
contributions to them, but was simply a noble
effort on his part to save the nominal architect from
public confusion. It may be added that, as Pugin
was the only living artist who at that time had
skill enough to do for Barry what the latter could
not do for himself, so he was, perhaps, the only
one who had generosity enough to display the
delicacy and forbearance for which Barry made so
evil a return. This great genius possessed the
heart of a little child, and sensitiveness which put
him at the mercy of any schemer who chose to
practise upon it. "Barry said I must write it,"
are his own touching words, in speaking after-
wards of his generous self-sacrifice, " and if I
hadn't, the whole thing must have bee" aiven up ; the
Houses would have been ruined, and Barry's reputation
gone." But there is too much reason to fear that
what he suffered from his relations with Barry was
one of the causes which determined his final illness,
and deprived England of her greatest architect.
" I verily believe," says an illustrious artist, J. K.
Herbert, whose name will also be associated with
the Westminster Palace, " that it mainly led to
that melancholy barred dwelling at Kensington,
where I left him in the charge of strangers."
It only remains for us to thank Mr. E. Welby
Pugin for the udicious and temperate manner in
which he has defended his father's honour, in
which the nation is as much interested as himself.
No one can read his pamphlet without being con-
vinced that his father alone has any claim to be
considered the art-architect of the Houses of Par-
liament ; and we cordially agree with the Rev. Mr.
Voysey that " the Barry's will, in the end, alone
have to regret that the question has been raised."

SCINDE RAILWAY.

The half-yearly general meeting of this company
was held on Monday at the London Tavern ; Mr.
W. P. Andrew in the chair. _

The report of the directors of this company, in•
eluding those of the Indus Steam Flotilla, the Pun.
jab and the Delhi railways, abstracts of which ap
peared in The Sun, were agreed to.

OPINION OF THE AMERICAN PRESS ON
THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

The Boston correspondent of the Springfield
Republican gives the following admirable summary of the
President's Message, which we take credit to ourselves is
in substance the same as that we gave on receipt of
Reuter's telegram: - " You have failed to restore the
Union ! You have done your worst to destroy the Con-
stitution ! You havo violated your solemn official pledges !

You have passed laws which have been demonstrated to
be unconstitutional! You have assumed powers not
granted to you! You aro guilty of usurpation, the most
dangerous of political crimes You have subverted and
destroyed Republican Governments in the South ! You
have established a system by which the blacks are to rule
the whites! You have done your best to barbarise and
Africanise the South ! You have inaugurated the reign of
ignorance ! Your measures give evidence of something
worse than madness ! And if you persist in them you
will ruin the South and make bankrupt the whole
country. Now go and repeal your unconstitutional acts
at once! The elections show that the people are against
you. Retrace your steps! At any rate take no further
steps in the path of usurpation, for if you do I shall resist
you at the point of the bayonet !"
The Tribune is strong in its denunciation of the
Message. " The President is charged with a wantonly,
untimely, wickedly baleful appeal to out-worn prejudices
and dying factions.' Also twice charged with an amazing
recklessness in making assertions.' Also once charged
with a manifest animus.' Also once charged with stat-
ing what 'is not the truth."' The writer asserts that
4,000,000 of Southern blacks are and have been true to
their country, her authority, her unity, and her flag, and
ends by exclaiming, " But why should we proceed to re-
fute, item by item, assertions and imputations so reck-
lessly made under the manifest animus of discomfiture
and spleen ?"
The New York Citizen considers the Message a
document of more than average merit in style and diction,
and as a State paper dignified, forcible, and lucid, evincing
extraordinary spirit, self-reliance, and independence in
the writer, and wishes it could also add extraordinary tact
and sagacity. With very excellent qualities, Mr. Johnson
is not a statesman nor a diplomatist, lacking adroitness,
dissimulation, cunning, reticence, and the trained and far-
seeing vision of the skilled diplomatist. While the Mos_
sage shows a plentiful lack of judgment, reading more like
the frank and artless avowals of a scientific schoolboy, the
logic is incontrovertible, the argument cogent and un-
answerable. As the whole subject was known to the
country through the modern newspaper press, the worn-
out custom of furnishing annual Messages is useless, being
a mere re-hash of stale and obsolete news.
The New York Nation thinks " the Message,
though it would bo very bad indeed from any one else, is
on the whole, we think, the best statement of his peculiar
opinions Mr. Johnson has put forth—in tone and temper
by far the best; and we have no hesitation in saying that
had he adhered to this mode of putting his opinions on
record from the beginning, and, while arguing against
negro suffrage, had given the smallest indication of a
desire to do anything for the negroes except leave them
in the power of their old masters, he would have not only
served himself, but have made the position of the Repub-
lican party very much more difficult than it has been
during the last two years."
The Washington correspondent of the Pull Mull
Gazette says the tone of the President's Message is believed
to indicate that ho felt himself safe from impeachment at
the time it was written. It has exceedingly exasperated