New-York daily tribune., 1854-09-08
THE NEW CITY HAIL.

The Board of Councilmen did very sensible
thing on Wednesday evening, in PostPoplng 'helr
decision on the plan for the new City Hall until
Monday next IS il gives time for the people 10
inspect the plans offered and to discuss the suo'
iect. The ostensible motive for the postpone
ment was the absence of Mr.. Purdy, Commis-
sioner Of Repairs and Supplies, but the time
,sined is not the less vausble. The three designs
chosen By the Committee may be seen at the
Office Of the Commissioner, In the basement
of the City Hall. and We shall be glad
to learn that they have been thoroughly
examined and their merits discussed. They are
Of quite as much importance to our citizens as
the merits of Grisi and Mario, whom we have no
desire to underrste, by the way, though we should
think better Of our citizens and writers Tor tue
press If they now and then exhibited little OF
the enthutasm and interest in the artistic emoel-
lsbnent of the City. AMI in our native arts's'
that they evince on the arrival oil q new singer
or dancer. When Bernini, the Roman srcni-
tect, visited Paris for the purpose OF making de-
.iens for one of the public buildings, he was
greeted with popular ovation, like thit which
we bestowed upon Jenny Lind aud 1t Is SAID
that, even now may be seen knots of btoSse' col
ected in front of the new additions to the Louvre,
as door or window, plaster or cornice, Is
uncovered to the public eye, discussing with
great liveliness and interest its merits, and its
relstiye value to the old parts. Aud why should
not we take as much interest in our public ouild-
pps as the Parisans do in the palaces Of their op-
pressors1 1t is owing to the lack of this popular
feeling that we have not in the whole City de-
cent market house which any man or woman
would visit but on cOmpulsop; il is for this res-
son that our streets are so shamefully neglected.
and the grass in the Park is dried up, while
it might be kept a living green BY the water
which runs out of the marble basin in its center,
doing DO good to anybody.
Ii seems that fifteen designs for the new City
Hall were offered for the premiums, in respect OF
which the Committee remark, that a greaterva
riety oftaste by the artists Furnish these plans
could not well be displayed" But, from those
that We examined, we should say that the amount
of taste exhibited was small and the variety even
less. The three designs to which were awarded
the three premiums Of 5000, $3.50 and SloO,
were those of Field & Corfeja, j. Z. Bark' aud
Thomas Thomas & Son. Neither Of the plans
entirely satisfied the Committee but that Of Field
s Corrtja came the nearest to their ideas OF
what wac required, and received the highest
premium. The Committee certainly exhibited
good juJgmeI in their choice, and it is probable
that the design chosen, with some modification,
will be finally adopted. Its great merit is It's re-
semblatce to the old Hall, though 1t copies some
If the vicious features of that building which
should be avoided. The new Hall is TO be 3J0
feet front 20 be placed in the rear of the old one,
and twenty FIVE fer from the new broSn-stone
building occupied as Court House. 1t is three
stories, aud the following tsble OF the dimensions
Of the different parts will give general idea OF
its m6Qnifude: