The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-23 00:00:00

LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE

The funds for the establishment of the Institution having
at this length reached an amount which justified steps being
taken for the erection of the structure without further un-
necessary delay, yesterday was appointed for the laying
of the foundation stone. Had that simple ceremony alone
been performed in a comparatively private manner by the
immediate friends of the institution in Liverpool, without
any accompanying celebration, the event would have been
hailed by thousands of the right thinking portion of our busy
community ; but it having been announced that it would be
preceded by a sermon by the Lord Bishop of the diocese,
and followed up by a grand entertainment at the Amphi-
theatre, which would be honoured by the presence of many
of the nobility and gentry of this and other counties, to-
gether with the elite of our town ;—when this became known,
the excitement became great and universal, and the occasion
was looked forward to as a grand jubilee, demonstrative of
the growing triumph of those principles which have placed
this country in her present proud position, and which have
tended to spread religion and civilization over the habitable
world. The committee availed themselves of the noble feel-
ing thus displayed, and assiduously strove to make every
arrangement that could add solemnity to the ceremony, or
enhance the blameless enjoyments of the day. The anxiety
to obtain tickets to hear the sermon, to witness the laying
of the stone, or to listen to the eloquent addresses of
the distinguished individuals at the Amphitheatre in the
evening became intense, and far beyond the means, though
within the will, of the directors, to gratify—the accommoda-
tion at each point, though extensive, being altogether inade-
quate to the demand for places. Tickets to the church were
distributed gratuitously, as were those (for ladies exclusively)
to the ground ; and sad were the disappointments, particu-
larly in the latter instance. The tickets for the dinner were
sold at a guinea each ; all were disposed of, to the full com-
plement of the guests that could be accommodated ; and
double the number could have been sold had the " house"
(large as it is) been sufficiently spacious to contain them.
The tickets for the boxes (for ladies only) were sold at four
shillings each, including refreshments, and so great was the
demand that all were quickly taken up, and on Wednesday
morning, the committee decided, with a view to gratify as
many of the gentle sex as possible, to issue 2s 6d dtickets, for
the admission of ladies to the lower gallery, which commanded
an equally rapid sale. No stronger proof of the avidity with
which the tickets were sought, need be adduced, than the fact
that yesterday noon, on the Exchange, the sum of one guinea
was offered for a lady's four-shilling ticket.
The following description of the building is drawn up by a
young gentleman who has had means of studying the design.
and is, moreover, possessed of considerable architectural
taste

By the terms of the instructions, the competing architects
were restricted to the Tudor style, not only because it was
considered to be the most appropriate for such an institution,
but because the town does not at present contain a single
specimen worthy of consideration belonging to that period,
of which King's College Chapel, Cambridge, and King
Henry the Seventh's Chapel, Westminster, are such inimi-
table specimens. The first premium was awarded to Mr.
Elmes, of London, a rising young architect, of great talent.
It seems an extraordinary circumstance that he should have
successively carried away the first premiums in this town for
St. George's Hall, the Assize Courts, and the Collegiate
Institution. The two former were in the Grecian style, the
latter in the Gothic; and it may truly be said, that in both
he has established a fame for purity of taste which will endure
as long as the buildings themselves. In his design for the
Collegiate Institution he has preserved a simplicity of gene-
ral outline, and kept the parts large and few in number, by
which, although not so rich in ornament as the best samples
of the Tudor period, owing to the insufficiency of the sum
allowed, a grandeur of effect is produced which cannot fail
to strike every beholder, and the eye dwells with pleasure
upon the coup d'exil. The principal front presents, in the
centre, a lofty arched recess, supported on either side by oc-
tagonal turrets, the lower part of the archway being occupied
by the entrance porch, over which is a balcony and a parapet,
pierced with quatrefoils. On either side of this centre is a
range of buttresses and lofty four-centred windows, affording
light to two stories : the façade is terminated with slightly
oriel projecting wings, with rich and lofty windows. The
effect of these entirely relieves the design from its otherwise
ecclesiastical character, and stamps it as collegiate. They
also form a connecting and very appropriate link between
the ecclesiastical and more domestic examples of the period.
The whole is raised on a lofty basement, which gives height
and importance to it as a public building. The parapet is
embattled, and in the wings it is finished with a rich pro-
jecting canopy, and statue in the centre. The internal
arrangements of the building will be extremely simple, con-
venient, and well adapted for the purposes of the institution.
A corridor, the whole length of each floor, affords an access
to the various class-rooms on either side, and is approached
by a grand central staircase, as well as by one at each eud.
The building is upwards of 96 yards in front by 70 feet deep.
Behind is placed the theatre, which is an octagonal building,
capable of accommodating upwards of 2000 persons with
seat room, and no individual in it will be at a greater distance
from the speaker than 45 feet. It is divided into three por-
tions, namely, body and two galleries, and each of these di-
visions can be approached by separate entrances. Behind
the theatre is a spacious music-room, capable of being thrown
into the theatre or shut off at pleasure, in which it is intended
to erect a powerful organ, superior to any at present in Liver-
pool.
There will also be musical class-rooms adjoining, as well
as apparatus-rooms, a iaboratory, &c., well adapted for the
purposes of the lectures, which it is proposed to give in the
theatre. Beneath the theatre are capacious dining-rooms,
kitchens, &c., for the three schools. The attic floor of the
main building contains large rooms for the purpose of a
museum, picture and sculpture gallery, as well as apartments
for the drawing-classes of the institution, all of which are
ample and conveniently lighted from the roof. The school-
rooms are so arranged that each school will he kept totally
distinct from the others, as well as have a separate entrance
to that portion of the theatre which may be appropriated to
its use.

The donations already received amount to £12,000.
The expense of the erection and its interior fittings,
the purchase of the land, and other contingent ex-
penses, will require a sum of, we learn, £30,000 ; but
two-thirds of that amount will be sufficient in the first
instance ; and the demonstration of yesterday gives us
the strongest assurance that long before the " rearing"
we shall have the gratification to announce that all the
" shares" in this admirable institution are taken up,
and that (even in the absence of all mercantile specu-
lation) they are, amongst " good men and true," at a
large premium. Our noble representative Lord San-
don, has, we learn, doubled his subscription towards
the funds of the institution, and we trust that before
we have to close this our report of the day's proceed-
ings, written seriatim, we snail have to announce that
others have " done so likewise," and that a near ap-
proach has been made towards the full amount of the
funds required to carry out, to its full extent, " the
generous purpose in the glowing breasts" of the origi-
nators of " The Liverpool Collegiate Institution."
PROCESSION FROM THE TOWN-HALL.
The nobility, the clergy, and gentry and other friends
of the institution began to assemble at. the town-hall at
half-past ten o'clock, and were received by his worship
the Mayor with his accustomed attention and urbanity.

There were present, Lord Stanley, Lord Sandon, and
other noblemen, a large number of clergymen, dear to
their respective flocks, and a still larger amount of the
most respectable and influential merchants and traders
of our modern Tyre. The anxiety to witness a pro-
cession composed of individuals who, distinguished in
rank, were necessarily few in number, was great, .aid
the whole continuous line of Castle-street, Lord-street,
and Church-street, became crowded with spectators.
The British ensign was hoisted in front of the town-
ball, and several British flags, streamers, &c., were dis-
plaved from the buildings on either side of the streets.
The occasion being more of a solemn than a festive
nature, no attempt was made at display ; but the effect
was not the less effective and impressive. The Mayor,
with Lord Stanley on his right hand, and Lord Sandon
on his left, headed the procession, which consisted of
thirty clergymen of the town and neighbourhood, and
fifty gentlemen, amongst whom were many of the first
merchants of the town. They passed along the west
foot-walk of Castle-street, and the south foot-walk of
Lord-street to St. Peter's Church—around the whole
quadrangle of the enclosure of which, dense crowds had
assembled. We need scarcely say that the greatest
decorum was observed throughout, and that, party or
political feeling being merged, the procession was regarded
throughout with that respectful attention, which men
bent on a conscientious purpose for the general good, will
ever command from true-hearted Englishmen.
The Church, in front of which were many splendid
equipages, had before the arrival of the procession been
pre-occupied almost to the exclusion of the gentlemen
forming the procession.