The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-17 00:00:00

11Wff!!T

EVENING SUN

E NEW ROYAL
EXCHANGE.

LAYING_ THE FIRST STONE BY
H. R. H. PRINCE ALBERT.
(THIS DAY.)
The interesting ceremony of laying the first stone of
the neW'Royal Exchange took place to-day, and the ar-
rangements, which were on a scale of magnitude, cor-
',responding with the magnificence of this great
national undertaking, and the rank of the dis-
tinguished personages who took part in it, ap-
thyeared to give very general satisfaction. The entrance
of those who were fortunate enough to obtain tickets
was in Cornhill, the avenues leading to which were al-
cost bleeked up from an early hour, and the police
"aa much difficulty in keeping open a passage.
covered way, lined with alternate stripes of crimson
and White cloth led from Cornhill to the entrance of the
tent, which was placed as nearly as possible in the centre
efthe building, and apt° .the time the doors were thrown
. 'Pen, at twelve o'clock, the workmen were busily em-
. Ployed in laying dawn matting, and completing the other
necessary arrangethents7
The tent under which the ceremony took place is of
= a circular. Torin, with an open space in the centre, in
`Which the foundation-stone was suspended. We un-
derstand that it is of larger dimensions than any
tat has hitherto been erected in this country, and is
eaFable of affording accommodation to between 12,000
and 15,000 persons. It is upwards of 100 feet high,
acid 300 feet in circumference ; on the top is a lanthorn
with the City arms and the shield of Britannia, and
above all the union jack floated proudly in the breeze.
I,._Arnund the amphitheatre were 11 tiers of seats rising
gradually to the height of 24 feet. The seats, as well as the
400 r of the tent, were covered with crimson- drapery, the
reserved seats in front being festooned with the same,
JtYkl at the back a tastefully designed festoon of crimson
white, drapery confined at certain distances by
rosettes, went round the entire walls of the tent. The
:Apr or platforni on which the stone was placed was
ilt4l4y- feet in diameter, and there were two chairs
ostiite placed in front of the stone, for the accommoda-
A 4. his Royal Highness Prince Albert and the Lord
`YO'. Over the entrance to the tent was an orchestra
`''.the band, the front of which was decorated with
lanils, on Which the Royal and City Arms, the Arms of
al, Pe :various City Companies, and of Sir Thomas
act;Shatia, were emblazoned. The band of the 2d
Guards was in attendance, and beguiled the time
'in. the arrival of his Royal Highness, by performing
trl'4l4.apOpular overtures. ,On a pedestal on either side
aV.,.•the CAtranee, was placed a very beautiful model of the
ed building, which attracted much attention. The
tt.:Flot was lighted by a circular chandelier, containing
la4LAo,ut fiftY_gas lights, and when the entire amphitheatre
31)!Ita 'fared the whole presented a spectacle of great ani-
,
;ilnition and brilliancy.
The stone, which is of granite, and several tonaweight,
'las divided into two compartments,. the one portion
'l'eing fixed in its proper position, and the , other sus-
)(llded over it at a height of about two feet by strong
il).(?Pes and pullies, and further supported by four upright
l',leeeS of timber. At the end nearest the entrance the
.Lae plates were deposited, on which was the following
"I-BeriptiOn

AEDES . CVM-. PERISTYLIO
- IN . EORVM COMMODA
QVI. IN . HOC . CELEBERRIMO EMPORIO
tt
.GENTIVM • COMMERCIA EXERCERENT
sttrtIECTIS ETIAM . IN . PVPVERVM . SOLATIVM
i• 'T • IN . BONARVM . ARTIVM . AC . LITTERARVM
INCREM ENTA
PTOCHOTROPHIO . ET . PRAELECTORVM
SVA COLLEGIO
PECVNIA . EXSTRVENDAS CVRAVIT
THOMAS . GRESHAM . EQVES AVRATVS
•- ADIVVANTE CIVITATE . LONDINENSI
FAVENTE . REGINA . ELIZABETHA
QVAE . ET . IPSA . OPVS . ABSOLVTVM
•SOLENNI . POMPA PRAESENS . DEDICA VIT
GRAY!. VASTOQUE . INCENDIO
t. CVM . TOTA . FERE-. VRBE. IN . CINERES . RE-
-01, DA CTAS
;'„ CVLTV . SPLENDIDIORE INSTAVRAVERVNT
CIVITAS LONDINENSIS
ET .' ANTIQVA. MERCERORVM SODALITA S
ILINCoIiANTE . STRVCTVRAM . REGE . CAROLO
' SECVNDO
14i DIE . OCTOBRIS . XXIII . A . S. M . DC . LXVII.
ITERVM . VERO . IGNE . ABSVMTAS
adz DIE . lANVARII .X.A. S.M. DCCC . XXXVTII.
TIDEM. OPERIS CVRATORES
is #N. AMPLIOREM ORNATIOREMQUE. FORMAN!
°VA% IMPENSA RESTITVENDAS. DECREVERVNT-
„, REGNI . SENATVS MVNIFICENTIA SVFFRA-
GANTE
VT . SPATIIS PROLATIS
ACCESSVQVE OMNE. ET . ANFRACTV. VIARVM
QVAQVAVERSVS. EXPLICATO
711.1Cria2MIAiT?+A(NAidiVitOthCeNRIVE"
ET . PRO . MERCATVRIAE
• ORRIS . TERRARVM . AMBITVM . EXTENSAE
AMPLITVDINE
VICTORIAE REGINAE AVSPICIIS
DENVO . EXSVRGERET •
PINEPS . SERENISS
ALBERTVSR. DE.O SAXE-COBVRG.IMVS ET. GOTHA
AVGVSTISSIMAE. REGINAE . CONIVX
LAPIDEM. AVSP.
lANVARII . XVII .I A
CA LEM.
SS. M . DSTATVICCC .T XLII.
GIFT „ PRAETORE . lOANNE . PIRIE.
Li
~I,CALI4IO TITE . S . R. S . ARCHIETECTO.
. .M . CONSERVATOR
,1„ ' DENTSO
. AB . HIS . AEDIBYS
TOTAQVE VRI3E ARCETO.
• glicillov‘ing is a translation of the Latin inscrip-
lii
)`-IWc
SIR THOMAS GRESHAM, KNIGHT.
ERECTED AT HIS OWN CHARGE
"L
i6„'. .41 BUILDING. AND COLONNADE
THE CONVENIENCE OF THOSE PERSONS
'''Apir,„,..YVHD,IN THIS RENOWNED MART
CARRY ON THE COMMERCE OF THE
• I ' WORLD,
▪ ADDING THERETO, FOR THE RELIEF OF
NAND FORINDIGENCE,
OR THE ADVANCEMENT OF LITERATURE
' AND SCIENCE,
AN ALMSHOUSE AND A COLLEGE OF
'EN
LURERS,
E CITY OF LONDON AIDING HIM,
QUEEN ELIZABETH FAVOURING THE DESIGN,
B', AND W
IT. IN THE WORK WAS COMPLETE
ENING PERSON WITH A SOLEMN PRO-
CESSION.
ACA
HAVING BEEN REDUCED TO ASHES
Iti 'TER WITH ALMOST THE ENTIRE CITY
CALAMITOUS AND WIDELY SPREADING
CON FL A ,
WERE REBUILT IN GRATIONMORE SPLENDID
FORM
OF
51 iiicNi‘,ll THE BY
ANCITHE ENTCITYM COPANYLONDON OF MERCERS.
''`iG CHARLES THE SECOND COMMENCING
'4. THE BUILDING
te, ON THE 23d OCTOBER, A.D. 1667 ;
AND WHEN THEY HAD BEEN AGAIN DE-
- STROYED BY FIRE
THE
ON TUE 10th JANUARY. A.D. 1838,
NAME BODIES UNDERTAKING THE WORK.
-'-'IERMINED TO RESTORE THEM AT THEIR
ON OWN COST.
AN ENLARGED AND MORE ORNAMENTAL
PLAN,
THE MUNIFICENCE OF PARLIAMENT PRO-
VIDING THE MEANS OF EXTENDING
AND THE SITE
l‘ er OF WIDENING THE APPROACHES AND
L. hi—LOOKED STREETS IN EVERY DIRECTION,
- ORDER THAT THERE MIGHT AT LENGTH
ARISE
UNDERI, THE AUSPICES OF QUEEN VICTORIA,
BUILT A THIRD TIME FROM THE GROUND,
AN EXCHANGE
WORTHY OF THIS GREAT NATION AND CITY,
D SUITED TO THE VASTNESS OF A
COMMERCE
EXTENDED TO THE CIRCUMFERENCE
OF THE HABITABLE GLOBE.
111 w, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
"`-,E ALBERT OF SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA,
CONSORT OF HER SACRED MAJESTY,
LAID THE FIRST STONE
ON THE 17th JANUARY, 1t442,
6T,),. IN THE MAYORALTY-OF THE RT. HON.
JOHN PIRIE.
/ti ARCHITECT WILLIAM TITE. F.R.S.
MAY GOD OUR PRESERVER
WARD OFF DESTRUCTION
FROM THIS BUILDING
B~tore AND FROM THE WHOLE CITY.
12 o'clock most of the members of the Royal
44t0 ePange Committee were in attendance. They were
lguished by their handsomely decorated and gilt
jaands. They also wore a broad blue ribbon, round
rip,el'eck, from which was suspended a silver medal
• °z/iterative of the occasion. •On the one side was a
autiful medallion of her Majesty, and on the other an
~tti,,PP,ruPriate inscription. When the doors were thrown
there were not more than forty or fifty persons
teeT, but the visitors shortly afterwards began to
*1%111'6 in quick succession, and at one o'clock almost all
• seats; With the exception of those in the first row,
glj"IQ for the more distinguished guests, were occupied.
lie children of the charity school of the ward of
1-2_l_l-street, were ranged on either side of the passage
• g•to the tent, but shortly after two o'clock they were
”giatin and placed, immediately in front of the orchestra.
Amongs those who were earliest in attendance we
served Lord Dudley Stuart ; the Bishop of
; Sir Robert H. Inglis, M.P.; Sir John
"I and Ltkly ; - Mr. Robinson, Chairman of
rria7Yds ; George Palmer, Esq., M.P. ; Alder-
% „11. numphery, M.P.; Sir John Easthope, M.P.;
Aldermen Sir Robert Peel; Sheriffs Magnay and Rogers;
• rmen Gibbs, Sir C. Marshall, Sir Geore Carroll ;
Ar
,Joh._• 'tr. Law, M.P., Recorder of London ;Aldermen
I.lston, Farncombe, &e. &c.
• he Lord Mayor and Aldermen, with the Sheriffs, the
'ziliteFirZleand members of the Joint Gresham Commit-
principal officers of the Corporation of Lon-
re in attendance at the Guildhall at half-past
4,1e0 eclock precisely, to receive his Royal Highness,
-Council
introduced to the Lord Mayor in the Common
siire,ccd-chamber, where William Tite, Esq., F.R.S., the
this.ii,tect, submitted the plans of the new building to
14kit,e-site Highness. A procession from thence to the
,741 to ot the New Royal Exchange was then formed in
_order übjoined.
qiut4lll their arrival at the site, the band played the na-
..411d
hittsr till the Lord Mayor took his seat on the area,
stone Royal Highness his station by the side of the
!coal where he was attended by four members of the
tnittee, bearing the glass bottle for the coin, a glass
'brick
with
taane‘, thenglish inscription incrusted thereon; the
The
lidlevel.
Chairman of the Joint Gresham Committee, bear-
,t4g" the trowel, then took his station on the side of the
41,!et)Ppesite,his Royal Highness.
sid arehitfet -after him took his station on another
tx7ehorn.the stone, and exhibited the models of the new
thThge'
e Qlerk of the Committee took his lace site
2e architect, with the. inscription °
n'asplate on which the
engraved.