The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-12 00:00:00

THE NEW LAW COURTS.

On the 15th of the present month the extraordi-
nary labours of the gentlemen who have been hon-
oured by the selection of the country for the compe-
tition in design for the arrangement and building
of the New Law Courts will terminate. The draw-
ings will be immediately exhibited in a temporary
building, erected for the purpose, in New-square,
Lincoln's-inn, and which building has already been
pointed out by the gamins of the locality as the new
courts themselves--a not inappropriate commentary
upon the sheds which have so long served for the
accommodation of the Vice-Chancellors. The labour
of the competition may be justly described as extra-
ordinary, considering the comprehensiveness and
rigour of the instructions issued to the competing
architects, and the comparatively short space of
time in which the instructions have been carried
out. The difficulties of the task may also be
guessed from the fact that at least one of the gen-
tlemen nominated has retired from the contest, and
another has relinquished the competition for the
new National Gallery, on the ground that the labour
necessitated by the preparation of his designs for
the Law Courts precludes the possibility of devoting
proper attention to the other important work.
The mere concentration, or, more properly speak-
ing, collocation, of the Courts of Justice has in it-
self but little value in the eyes of the public. The
simple heaping together of a mass of inconveniences
and absurdities under a handsome exterior would
give no possible benefit, except, perhaps, affording
some facility to practitioners occupying the various
Inns of Court, by the close proximity of the site.
But this was not the object of the measure which
was originally introduced by Sir Richard Bethell,
the Attorney-General of a Liberal Government.
The object was not only to bring the courts toge-
ther, but to remedy in every court all those defects
in construction and arrangement which, for the
last 50 years, have furnished just ground of com-
plaint from the profession and the public. This is
the gist of the work which has been set before the
gentlemen who in a few days will submit the result
of their labour to public inspection.

There cannot be a doubt that the task of pleasing
everybody will be, in this case, even more hopeless
than that of the old man with the asinine quad-
ruped ; but there are certain points upon which
certain persons will insist upon being satisfied, and
among the demands likely to arise we must con-
sider the following to be only just and reasonable.
Her Majesty's judges, beginning with the Lord
Chancellor and' ending, perhaps, with the five new
appointments blandly contemplated by the Tories,
must be satisfied that they will be able to drive
easily to their respective courts in their respective
carriages, and that they will be provided with suit-
able tiring and retiring rooms; that they will not
be compelled to sit with a draught to the right and
to the left of them, and with a reservoir of foul air to
the front of them. Mr. Attorney-General and Mr.
Solicitor-General will wish to be assured that they
will he able to take'their places within the bar with-
out running the risk of being deprived of their silk
gowns in a struggle through a dense and odori-
ferous throng. Mr. Sergeant Buzfuz will make
particular inquiry on the same subject, and Mr.
Phunky will no doubt feel:anxious that he should
not be entirely deprived of the very small amount
of nerve which he can manage to carry into court
with him by previously running the gauntlet of a
composite crowd of jurymen-in-waiting, witnesses-
in-waiting, attorneys' clerks, pickpockets, the public
in general, and nobody in particular. Even Mr.
Briefiess will expect that, in future, his pen-and-
ink sketches of the judges in full, and of Mr. Phunky
in profile, and the discussion of his sandwiches, shall
not be interrupted by the far from pleasant pro-
pinquity of the great unwashed.

The other branch of the profession, from Mr.
Tulkinghorn to Messrs. Dodgson and Fogg, will in-
sist upon being properly accommodated and cared
for, and will expect to find rooms for consulta-
tions, and where cases may. be settled " out of
court." Gentlemen of the jury will henceforth
expect to be able to stretch their legs in the jury-
box; and the long-suffering juryman-in-waiting,
who is dragged from his home or from his business
to undergo endless stifling and want of a seat, will,
unless something be done for him, send up a cry
that will be heard in the uttermost parts of the
earth. Then Mr. Public, if he be no longer to
elbow Mr. Attorney-General, to obstruct Mr.
Sergeant Buzfuz, to unnerve Mr. Phunky, or to
bore Mr. Briefless, will expect to be accommodated
somewhere, and well accommodated at that ; and
will also expect a seat for Mrs. Public in every court
except, we hope, the Divorce Court, which should
be made especially inconvenient for the presence of
ladies. Everybody, even down to the ushers and
door-keepers, will expect some improvement ; and
we should not be surprised to find the lady who dis-
penses apples and gingerbread in Westminster Hall
writing to the papers, if she can find no suitable
space in the new law courts wherein to erect her
stall, and from whence to startle the forensic mind
by repeated salutes of ginger-pop. All these people
must be satisfied, and if they are not the country
will not be satisfied. It is to be hoped, therefore,
that in awarding the prize, which cannot carefully
and properly be done for some months, ev.;ry cal.o
may bt.: tallen to secure not only what is of great
moment in a metropolis requiring ornament and
beauty of design, but also that which is of para-
mount importance, perfect adaptability and, organi-
sation.—Morning Post.

MARKETS.—Ihis day.

COVENT GARDEN.

The small quantity of fruit offered is held at ♦ery ful
prices. For vegetables the trade is steady, at about late
rates.

Fsturr—Pine apples, 6s to 8s; grapes% 4s Od to 8s Od ;
filberts,
Od to Os per lb ; apples, 4s Ud. to 8s Od ; pears,
Os Od to Os Od per dozen ; oranges, 2s 6d to 8s ; lemons, 4s
to 8s per 100; chestnuts, 108 to IBs per bushel.
VEGETABLES—Cauliflowers, 2s to 6s ; cabbages, 1s to
2s Od; horseradish, 28 6d to 4s Od; celery, Os 9d to is 6d
per doz heads; turnips, 3s Od to 4s Od ; carrots, 4s Od to
6s Od per dozen bunches; cucumbers, Od to Os each ;
onions, 3s to 3s 6d; spinach, Os to Os per bushel.

POULTRY.
Turkeys, 43 Od to lOs 6d ; geese, 3s Od to 6s ; ducks
2s Gd to 3s Gd; tame rabbits, is to is 10d; wild do, is
to is id ; pigeons, 8d to 10d • hares, 2s Gd to 4s 6d ;
Surrey fowls, 7s to Os ; do. chickons, 4s to 8s Od ; barn-
door fowls, 4s Od to 6s 6d per couple. English eggs, 14s
to 15s Od ; French do., 10s to I.ls per 100. Fresh butter,
is to is 7d per lb.