The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-11 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—lf the question of style is to be decided by
the weight of authority, I venture to assert that,
when placed in the scale, the Gothic must kick the
beam, and that the minutes of evidence, instead of
leading to a reversal of the decision of the judges,
as the report on the Foreign-office reconstruction
would assume, do, on the contrary, strongly con-
firm both its expediency and justice ; and that
with respect to economy, arrangement, and design,
the evidence tells strongly in favour of one of the
first two premiated plans.
Why, therefore, let me ask, is the decision of the
judges originally appointed to be reversed, and the
Gothic instead of the Italian style selected, when
that decision is supported by the great majority of
the architectural profession, including some of its
most eminent members, who, having had months
to consider the subjoct in all its bearings, knowing
all that-had been said and written about style, and
having the deepest interest in arriving at a just
conclusion, 'decided that Gothic was not appro-
priate P An enormous proportion of the competing
designs were in a modified Italian.
The committee, in the report, seem to regret that
the opinion of the assessors was not taken into con-
sideration in adjudicating the prizes; and it is now
sought to be interred that they would have chosen
Mr. Scott's design. The evidence proves the con-
trary. The assessors, Messrs. Angell:and Pownall,
in their notice of Mr. Scott's design, merely state
that the conditions have been complied with. But,
with respect to style, they gave their evidence be-
fore the committee in favour of the Italian, and
against the Gothic. The whole weight of profes-
sional evidence is against it; and Sir C. Barry him-
self recommends a modification of the Italian style.

Next as to the questiox of light. It has been
stated that there are more superficial feet of glass
in Mr. Scott's Gothic windows than in others, but
I am informed that the light best cak.ulated for
business purposes is that which enters at an
angle of 45 degrees dip, and that the deep recesses
of Gothic windows and the thickness of the mullions,
transoms, and tracery obstructs a large portion of
that light which is estimated by mere superficial
measure.

Permit me, in conclusion, to add a few words as
to material. The colour of the stone to be used in
towns is of far greater importance than is generally
supposed. It makes all the difference between a
bright and cheerful and a dull and heavy aspect.
Portland stone in this respect is admirable ; its fine
bright gray colour is most agreeable, and, if judi-
ciously chosen and kept to season before being used,
is by far the best freestone,yet tried for withstand-
ing the destructive chemical action of a London at-
mosphere. Now, Portland stone, though admirably
adapted for Italian, does not suit either Gothic or
Elizabethan architecture, and is thus never used
for it, Wren's failures—the western towers of West-
minster Abbey and his two or three attempts at
Gothic in city churches—being the only known in-
stances.

For the durability of Portland, where, as I havo
said, chosen and used with care, witness St. Paul's,
and the Banquetting house by Inigo Jones, whose
design for the Palace of Whitehall is in itself a
model of simplicity and beauty.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
W. CONINGHAM,

House of Commons, August 10.

MINERAL WEALTB OF THE UNITED
KINGDOM.

We are happy in being enabled to present an ac-
curate return of the metalliferous and mineralogi-
cal wealth of the United Kingdom for 1858—the
usual annual statistics compiled by Mr. Robert
Hunt, F.G.S., being now completed. The return
is remarkably favourable as compared with the pre-
ceding year; the value of the metals, metalliferous
minerals, and coal being £31,250,000 in 1858,
against £25,000,000 in 1857. Subjoined is the—
GENERAL SUMMARY OF MINERAL PRO-
DUCTIONS.

MINERALS.
Tin Tons 10,618 .... £671,056
Copper
Lead
Zinc 11,556 .... 36,199
Pyrites .
Arsenic
Nickel lBB
Uranium — .... 21
Manganese 1,400 .... 2,800
Gossan, &c -- •••• 1,221
Iron Ore 8,Q,40,959 .... 2,570,701
Coal 65,008,649 .... 16,252,162

Total value of minerals
METALS.

Tin Tons 6,920 .... £823,480
Copper ... ..... .... 14,456 .... 1,562,693
Lead 68,303 .... 1,489,005
Silver Ounces 569,345 .... 156,569
Zino` Tons 6,900 .... 174,225
Iron 3,456,064 .... 10,713,798

Total value of metals obtained from
British ores £14,919,770
Estimated market value of other mine-
rals and metals 95,000
Coal

Total value of metals, metalliferous
minerals, and coal, produced in. £31,266,932
1858 ........................
TlN.—The tin mines of Devon and Cornwall in
1851 produced-10,618 tons of ore, being 835 tons
increase upon the preceding year—the metallic tin
contained therein being 6,920 tons, or 338 tons
more than in 1857. From the June quarter of
1857 Mr. Hunt states that there has been a gradual
decline in the price of this metal. Our exports of
British tin last year were 2,327 tons, against 2,187
tons in 1857 ; while our imports were, in 1858, of
tin 2,955 tons, and of tin ore and regulus 628 tons,
against. 2,708 tons of tin, and 1,387 tons of tin ore
and regulus in ' 1857. The average price realised
for the tin ore:sold daring 1858 was £63 4s. per ton,
and the mean average price of English blocks,.
£ll9 25., the average price of Banca and Straits
during the same period being £llB 2s. and £ll6
7s. 6d. respectively.
COPPER.—From the fact of a large quantity of
copper ore being sold by private contract, much
labour was necessary to arrive at correctness. The
yield of copper ore in the United Kingdom in 1858
was 226,852 tons, for which the smelters paid
£1,3.36,536. From this 14,456 tons of fine copper
were obtained, and sold for £1,562,683: conse-
quently, it is shown that (not taking into conside-
ration interest on capital, or any expenses incurred
by the smelter) he charges the miner less than £1
per ton for smelting the ore purchased—a fair proof
that the co-called monopoly is not of the alarming
nature which some have supposed. In the Cornish
ticketings there was a decrease of 9,407 tons of ore;
and at Swansea a decrease of 459 tons of ore,
as compared with the preceding year. The
total quantity of ore sold in Cornwall was
182,391 tons, the average percentage of which
was 61 ; the mean average standard of the year
being about £l3l 2s. 6d.=£s 16s. per ton of ore.
The quantity of metallic copper contained in this
ore was 11,831 tons 16 cwts. 1 qr. 121b5., the
money value being £1,057,534 16s. 6d. The total
quantity of copper produced from British, foreign,
and colonial ores in 1858 was 31,610 tons 17 cwts.
1 qr. 18 lbs., the value of which was £3,417,149.
Our importations of cooper ore were 78,641 tons in
1858, against 75,832 tons in 1857, showing an in-
crease of 2,809 tons ; while there was a diminution
in the quantity of regulus imported to the extent
of 804 tons.
LEAD AND SILVER.—The lead produced in 1858
was 68,303 tons, of the market value of £1,489,005.
The mean average price of the lead ore in 1858
was £l4 6s. per ton ; its total ♦alue £1,370,726.
The mean average price of pig-lead in the market
was £2l lls. 6d. The silver produce of the year
was £569,345 oz., worth £157,119. It has been
discovered that some silver is separated by the
manufacturers after the lead has left the smelters'
hands, 'so that the increase is not so large as it
appears to be, a portion of the silver being now
computed and included in the return. Our im-
portations of lead show an increase of 1,371 tons,
while our exports have diminished by 2,567 tons.
ZINC, IRON, PYRITES, &C.—The value of the,
zinc_ores raised is steadily increasing, the produc-
tion of 1858 being 11,556 tons against 9,289 tons
in 1857. The same remark applies to pyrites,
100,263 tons having been sold in 1858 against
74,679 tons in 1857. From the 11,556 tons of
zinc ores not more than 6,900 tons of metal were
produced. The prices of blende at the mines varied
from £1 10s. to £4 14s. 3d.; the value of all the
ores of which returns have been obtained being
£36,199 12s. The mean price of spelter during
the year was about £25 ss. hence the market value
of the spelter produced would be £174,225. The
value of the mundic was £77,123 19s.
MANGANESE this year appears, for the first time,
in the returns. It is satisfactory to perceive that
we are once more enabled to enter the market with
this mineral, instead of deriving our supply from
the continent. The yield amounted to £1,400, the
mines supplying it being all in Devonshire—the
Lifton, Chillaton, Manor, Sydenham, Low Tren-
chard,Tlogston, and Coryton.
IRON.—The production of iron ore was 8,040,959
tons, valued at 1:2,570,702, and the make of pig-
iron was 3,456,064 tons, showing. a decrease of

203,383 tons in this branch of manufactnre. The
value of the pig-iron at the furnace (the estimated
mean value being £3 per ton—the mean, average
price deduced from all the sales of the year was
£3 25.) was £10,368,192. The present return
gives a more exact and detailed account of the pro-
duction of iron ore than any former one, and Mr.
Hunt acknowledges the assistance which has been
rendered by several gentlemen largely connected
with the iron trade.

COALS.-0 wing to the continued depression of
the iron trade in 1858, the production of coal has
somewhat declined. In 1858 the quantity of coal
produced was 65,008,649 tons, against 65,304,707,
tons in 1857.
The present return contains a vast amount of
highly valuable information (from which we shall
make very ample quotation) and an attempt has
been made to collect additional statistics, suggested
by persons connected with our mineral and metal-
liferous industries, such as the manufacture of tin-
plate, bar iron, &c. ; but as yet the success has not
been such as to warrant any publication of the re-
turns.-31ining Journal.