The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-04-24 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS,

On Wednesday there was a special meeting of the Town-
council, for the purpose of selecting a plan for the new assize
courts and for the consideration of all matters relative
thereto. The plans which had been selected, including front
and other views of the proposed courts, were hung up on the
walls of the council chamber, for the inspection of the mem-
bers.

The MAYOR referred to the fact of a joint committee, con-
sisting of members of the Finance and Improvement com-
mittees, having been formed for the purpose of examining
the plans sent in for the assize courts, and said that their re-
port was now ready and would be laid before the council.
The following report was then read by the Town-ct.Eux.
"That in pursuance of the resolution of the council, ad-
vertisements were issued last year for plans for the intended
sessions-house, designed also to be used for assize courts, to
be sent in on or before the Ist January ; and at the expira-
tion of the time assigned, eighty-six plans were sent in for the
proposed edifice. For convenience and dispatch, it was con-
sidered desirable that these plans should be referred to a
sub-committee, constituted as above, who should inspect and
report upon the same with a view to awarding the premiums
held out by the advertisement for the first and second plans,
and the following members were accordingly nominated for
the purpose :
" The Finance committee—William Wallace Currie, Thos.
Bolton, John Holmes, Hugh Hornby, and George H. Law-
rence.
" The Improvement committec—Thomas B. Barclay, Eyre
Evans, William Earle, H. R. Sandbacb, and Henry Holmes.
" On receiving their appointment, their first step was to
direct the plans to be arranged in the exhibition-rooms, as in
the case of those for St. George's-hall.
" This being done, the sub-committee proceeded to the in-
spection of the same, giving ample time to each member to
satisfy himself, and to select from the whole (76 in number)
thirty designs which should appear to him most deserving of
attention. These thirty having been ascertained by careful
scrutiny, were then placed together for revision, and the
sub-committee proceeded, on a subsequent day, to reduce
the list from thirty to ten. Ample time in this instance was
also given for selection, which was made accordingly. At
this stage of their proceedings, they thought it right to call
in the assistance and experience of the surveyor, whom they
instructed to report his opinion as to the manner in which the
artists had complied with the conditions required by the ad-
vertisement, together with his professional opinion upon the
plans, both with reference to their external merit and inter-
nal arrangement.
" In due time the surveyor laid before the committee his
report, which they were gratified to find approved of their
selection. _

--;I-After a careful examination, the committee proceeded to
reduce the number still further, bringing it down to five ; mid
it then became their duty to select the two which should in
their opinion be deserving of the premiums offered for the
first and second best plans. Although the committee were
not fortunate enough to meet with any plan combining in
itself both beauty of exterior and an unexceptionable arrange-
ment within, yet always keeping in view these two points,
they have come to a decision recommending the plans now
exhibited—namely, plan marked A for the first prize, and
plan marked B for the second prize; the superiority, on the
whole, being in favour of the first. With respect to the two
selected, .the surveyor has .given it as his opinion that by
some modification, of which the interior arrangements are
capable, they will combine the desired objects. The selection
has his entire approval.
" It may be satisfactory to state, that in every selection,
from first to last, these two plans have united the greatest
number of suffrages in their favour.
'` The names of the two architects-are still unknown to the
committee, as the letters identifying the plans have been from
the first, and still remain, carefully locked up in a box, the
key of which has never been out of the possession of the
chairman.

" The task undertaken by the committee has been one of
considerable labour and responsibility, but they feel confident
that, as they were perfectly free from bias, being totally
ignorant of the candidates, they will receive credit for having
made the selection, to the best of their judgment, of those
plans most likely together to secure all the useful objects
contemplated by the council, and to be an ornament to the
town."

Mr. CURRIE, the chairman of the committee, moved the
adoption of the report.

Mr. Alderman IiARCLA-Y seconded the motion

Mr. BUSHELL said that he had no intention of saying one
word to impugn the taste of the committee, or to question
their desire to do perfect justice to the artists as well as to
the inhabitants of the town ; bui; it had occurred to him that
in a matter of so much importance as this, the inha-
bitants of the town, who would have to pay so large
a sum of money for these courts, ought to have some oppor-
tunity of judging as to the beauty and efficiency of the de-
signs. Although the gentlemen of the committee were
perfectly competent to give a just and upright opinion
on all matters of business, or on subjects connected with
local affairs, still he thought that on an architectural ques-
tion any person might be allowed to dispute their ability
without offence. He thought it just as right to bring down
a number of architects to decide on a mercantile question, as
to depute a committee of mercantile men to decide on an
architectural subject. He was speaking from a desire that
Liverpool, which had become celebrated for many things,
should in some way redeem her architectural character, and
he relieved from the blot which rested upon her of having
scarcely one public building which exhibited anything like
taste. It was far from his intention to pass any remarks on
the design for St. George's ' he was less competent to
decide on the matter than those gentlemen who had been
appointed. But he thought it would be satisfactory to the
public to be allowed an opportunity of judging of the designs ;
and if the council expended a hundred guineas in calling in
some gentlemen of acknowledged ability, such as Smirke,
Barry, or Mr. Burke, of Edinburgh, and submitted the plans
to them, he thought that it would be a proceeding that would
give satisfaction to the town at large.
Mr. Alderman EARLE said, that Mr. Bushell, after ac-
knowledging his incompetency to decide on an architectural
matter, had roundly asserted that there was no building of
taste in Liverpool. He should think that. a person making
such a statement must fancy that he had some taste ; but
perhaps it was Mr. Busheli's modesty which caused him to
say that he had no taste at all. With regard to the ability
of mercantile men, he might mention that law-attorneys,
barristers, some of the judges, and, in short, all those con-
versant with the business of the courts, were consulted, and
the surveyor had taken a good deal of pains to ascertain
what was required, and, having done so, the advertisement
was put forth stating what was required. If the plans were
to be submitted to the town, he did not know how a decision
was to be arrived at. Mr. Barry and Others might have
competed if they had liked ; but they had not. (" We don't
know that.") He knew that Mr. Barry had said that he
would not compete, and that was the ground of his assertion.
The probability was that the plan selected was that of a clever
man, and they might sit dawn with him and make any alter-
ations that should be deemed desirable.
_ _

Mr. COOPER hoped that something would be done to
remove the Bridewell from its present situation.
The report having been adopted, Mr. Currie handed to the
mayor the key of the box containing the letters that were to
identify the several plans sent in. The number of the plan
A was 36—that of B, 70. The letters bearing these numbers
were therefore picked out and opened by the mayor. His
worship announced that the design marked A had been sent
by Mr. Harvey Lonsdale Elmes, of London, the same gen-
tleman, as appeared from his letter, who had been suc-
cessful in the competition for furnishing the design for St.
George's Hall. The plan B had been sent by Mr. Samuel
A. Greig, of Paris-street, Exeter, Devon. No other letters
%%ere opened.
The AlAYon mentioned the meeting which was recently
held in Lancaster' for the purpose of endeavouring to get
back a portion, at least, of the assize business to that city,
and said that it would probably be necessary for the council
to take some steps in consequence.
Mr. Co RILIE moved that the Mayor be authorised to com-
municate to the successful candidates the fact of their designs
having been approved, and that the treasurer should be
ordered to transmit to them their respective premiums of
1:300 and £2OO (or guineas, it is not stated which.)
The motion was seconded, and agreed to.
Mr. Alderman Hon..)r BY asked whether it had been agreed
that the successful architect was to have the erection of the
courts, or if the candidates had been requested only to send-
in plans.

The MAYOR.—Not to build ; only to send in plans.
Mr. Alderman STIEIL said that as the erection of the Assize
Courts was a very important matter, seeing that they might
exist in the town for ages, he thought that every means
should be employed to make them as perfect as could be
reasonably expected. Taking into consideration, also, the
very large amount of the public money that was to be ex-
pended, every possible means should be taken to secure a
proper appropriation of that money. Seeing what bad
hitherto taken place in erections at the public expense—the
mistakes which had been committed, arid the difficulties
which had been the result of those mistakes, he thought it
incumbent on the council to select the best members to have
the management of this building, without reference to the
members of any committee. But he would not have the
management given over to any gentlemen until time had been
given to consider who were the best fitted to be entrusted
with the affair. He should therefore move—" That at the
next meeting of the council a special committee of nine
members be appointed for the erection of the intended
courts ; and that such committee be elected upon lists to be
delivered in and proceeded with as by law is appointed for
the election of aldermen."
Mr. Alderman HORNBY seconded the motion.—Carried.
Mr. Alderman EARLE thought it a fortunate circumstance
that the same architect would probably be employed both on
the Assize Courts and St. George's Hall, because there was
no saying, when they sat down, what alterations might be
found necessary. It might probably be found advisable to
alter both buildings, and with advantage to the whole place,
and in that case they would, by having the same architect,
be relieved from every difficulty. If,' as he believed,
!lines was a man of talent, there was little doubt that his
plans would give satisfaction.
Mr. Alderman Saith then moved, " That the Watch
Committee be required, at the next council, to report on the
expediency of the removal of the Bridewell, Police-office, and
_Watch.Committce-rooms and offices from their present situ-
ation to the Old Infirmary-ground, or other site in the neigh-
bourhood thereof, or otherwise."
Mr. BOLTON seconded the motion.
The motion was originally to consider the expediency of
removing the above-named buildings to the vicinity of the in-
tended Assize Courts ; but it was stated by one or two tneni-
hers that the land was scarcely sufficiently extensive for the
ssize Courts only. The motion was then qualified as above,
and carried.

A conversation took place with respect to submitting the
various plans to public inspection, as in the case of those for
the St. George's Hall.

'ir. CURRIE observed that the public would be naturally
desirous to sec the plans, and perhaps the council would think
it right to direct the surveyor to have the rooms open for a
few days, for the inspection of members of the council and
their friends, and afterwards for a certain number of days for
the public. There had been an almost unanimous verdict of
the public in favour of the plan selected for St. George's
Hall, and he hoped that there would also be in the present
case.
The council seemed to concur in the propriety of this sug-
gestion being carried into effect; but nothing was decided
upon, though it will be perceived from an advertisement, that
the plans will be submitted to the inspection of the public
during the whole of next week. Tickets for admission may
be procured at the Town clerk's office, to-morrow.
The council meeting lasted an hour.