The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-16

Ger washingssn Correspondence.
wAnnusrOn, Dec. II, 1857


N Me- Han n ne Hsxss f Representatives.
ne committee APPOINTED last Thursday TO examine the
$50 ha ~ Ne House q Representatives and report A.
b. % tse~-s scr cccup~ton made their report today, de
elsrns The hail perfectly ready for immediate occupation,
sEd Recommending the adoption Of resolution that when
shs Nous. adjourn adjourn 10 meet in the
no hsI "Wednesday The resolution was adopted by
vos u iso odd n % odd and 80 70 morrow Is the last
day that he enc ca ha u 70 rcsound 70 the eloqncnce
ans patriotism ~ tho American House Of Representatives
seems somewhat Of . sAcriiege thus 10 desert the
n>sutfa chamber, ~h r quiet, grand, dgnihed air, for
me gaady sbeshed but far less beautiful hall In the
~ang TIE only possible objection 10 the old hall
wss thar well designed for acoustic purposes.
rns dnsren sections q the ceiling being modelled some
~h ser ths sty q an open she-thoughi the time
h. coeei rrincrlghe voice O. the speaker thrown
ac~u .h repsinon 81 reverberAiions which made
prtng the Hoass dlfhcuh and sometimes impossi-
~ performance n though, lhst that evil Is remedied
The nsw hAll, hus Tat matter which has yet TO be
have animated my preference for the old hall
~ the ! am inclined 10 think that not alone
m the ~ye a. Decorations, which altogether
matter q taste, (apd tastes viii diner) but
A~o n The matter a ventilation, healthness and con-
venlence, time wili prove uAa the ne~ hall l. by no
Improvement tie old. The latter was entered
NJ outsae a ths pie q building INTO the ro,anda
~ The chef attractions 81 the Capitowh Its panels
huns With nDe hstorloA paintings The new hall Is
reached ny anarro~ pass With Handsomely tessea-
Asr eoaha and rather Ane oolornde (Aloeit, not
hgAtsdl where msnnecgs retire 70 prone made and
smke p@sAs vhe raasaFe leads 70 two rather narrow
ssarcses each side, which conduct 10 the
chamber q te laUse ~ Representatives. The hall l. on
The Dor The Cd one but from the difference
the afranF "a ~ the approaches you realize IN the
ball wh4f you eid pct the od-thsi 4 situated
the sccorc noof a The building That q course could not
vel - rtws cd even n bad ever suggested itself
an unGsa rahc ding. because would BE- oui Of order
AMI kerae a. have he sweeping outside staircase Of the
man pie repeated N each Of The wings.
when you set INTO tha hall the hrst thing that
strikes yea the lavish display of gliding and moulding
and iresrulag i has unfaeasiug effect At nrs-ths
pFcusercss 4 dccoratons and gauay coorsbat after the
eye heoonss somewhat iamilar,zed and may say, re
CONCEDED " the style ~ aeornment you begin 10 like Il,
Just A. YOU might lac g9y dressed Broadway belle,
sys " costume AMI ,bnk that perhaps they help
her "a Bot. W she tins style Of dress
soga net argue refined % cultivated taste % nc par,
~ the lady - ia ne other the be1enmsnis q the new
hall a the House az Representatives DO not n my opin
VA say mech o. the taste a The architect the saperin
tcDaent, whoever responsible fcr the making up"
A bale simplicity and little lcss establishment
wruia have heer desirable
IN form ihe hal an oblong square, ~ breadth from
east g. wet beng greater than "a length from north 10
south rhe Speaktrs chair corresponds position with
that the Old house-ihat say y tho centre oirhc
marble halus,raas AMI ~ rerhara rec NOM oI,ectpa IN
the ground 81 undue embellishments II = pa AM sim
re enough . en-, The eye u se Immediately under
some marble hAlCtrade and under that again CORES
J5Ldng desk for the ave ofcA reporters q The house
rieh, over ths sr.sser char ard have besses con
yenieri retiring room, where they write their de
sTachca free from The noise and hustle q the hoaae
believe y aisoi n contemplation "a provide similar re-
tring loT tie Oca reporters. where rpecCkos
be Transcribed, and where members can have oppor
iuniy q revising them The convenience, and even The
necessity q TITS obylous and apparent Tue telegraph
operators have also room, where their appara-S 50
up whence Dispatches can BE- sent and where they Can
Each member las a single writing desk AMI chair the
same ~ the Oh house excer that the ue~ Does ar got
W IN more expensive and handsome style. me de.ks
q plain unvarnished OAK, the backs BONG
carved 10 designs 81 a national chAracier such
the shield q the Union, with ~ stars and siriees
America" and - forth The chairs are u the anque
high backed style, handsomely ntted up in red moreoco
and are altogether very easy, luxurious looking articles
ia which the quiet easy going members may ENJOY their
ot.um dicnita;e mot DELIGHTFULLY."-.
There ample accommodations for spectators IN the
galleries that extend around the four sds the square but
believe that accommodations other than the galleries
provided for the lobby members, who by the way,
are here great force, having In their ranks half the ex
The ceiling J. comparatively low, good perhaps for
acoustic purposes hut hardly vel adapted pure
tston. Here the embellishments most orrnsivrly
gaudy. The prevailing style u mouldhss = the pine
apple order, painted IN cxtravasaDty bright calors TO
ordinary descriptions applied 70 them are sinscrbread,
"gcw gsw," and other sush suggestive cpthcts. Tho
square ~ the ceiling Is formed ~ stained glass
through which alone, BY sun o. by the ball lighted
on the various panels az the glass ceiling painted the
arms 81 the q the unlona rather ts'cful
and pretty arrangement The walls ~ the hail tsef
marked out IN panels the dosgn beng y have each ass
painted Ia frescO 20 represent some historical incident
specimen painting y supplied IN one a the panels, bat
owing 10 the dampncss a the mortar On which he aai
ing executed. II by means good specimen nun
her General lafayette who y PRINCIPAL ngure y he
group, looks, according 10 the erfcxm q friend VITO
pointed him out 10 me- a. he were suffering from bad
attack OF the small Ion do not say hg. hewcver, a
depreciation q the work itscf whch las been really
wei executed. but Capt McFs has been trying 10 hurry
up things perhaps little to- fast
llg la n =
ball, i the fact, that h walled n from al direct
Communication with Gods blessed air AMI sunlight u
would seem the architect who planned haa been IN
spirei with malicious curiosity % End oui BY Actsa *
pertinent NJ the expense " orr national representative
What proportion q two hundred and forty memhers can
survive daily deprivation ~ fresh air Tor several hour
at stretch We " have quite harvest " obi
tuartcs before long Tie architect who rgnay PLANNED
the extension ~ the Capitol and whose plan bsggad
for the btnef, ~ architectural nincomnfm here Al wnh
ngon Lad designed tie wings considerably smsler than
they have been bulltso that they should he Ia Keeping
with the main pile. but 10 ayosd the appearancc ~ tav
ing adopted his design and cheated linn a the time
out Of the direction a the work his spcchca'uns were
imposing than pho centre PILE ard then eccame
necessary 30 dspose 81 this large additional ru1m Tho
only plan tia, suggested itef 70 the Christopher wfcns
81 this latitude, 20 build row q commiies roomt
an round the hall and thus isolate The hall from pe 0cr
world completely. The plan carried oui-~th shat
consequences has YET Q be scen ~ -iihsu. wan y
among members, u may he assumed, a. seneSricui
proposition that The plan ridiculous and ahsurd q no
highest degree. mp1e OF tNrpyi W
by pumping az through tubes heated " degree SUITED 10
the weather do not believe IN any u these arhca moics
or inventions q improving on nature The plan and
easy fnd natural way n ventilation by q door ad
windows opening directly 10 the AIR, = us only v4y
that has ever succeeded cr that vii succc~d Tho
pumping dodge tried IN tho Houses n parlaeu;
In London the imminent danger II re short bre.lhea
members thereof But Mr. Reds experiment there uas
quickly stopped and pure air procured BY The uaafAl
old fashioned mode u doors and Windows Tbs wiii
doubtless prove 70 be the case In regard ~ tbs expert
mental Limitation Tie only mode n admitting light nto
the hall at fH MONDAY by the glass comp@rtmeni ~
the ceiling which have been describing The arttcal
light has also 10 through the channcle ras
fixtures being placed above the glass root the er pro
duced BY the light shining through The stained classes
is very pleasant
The fact Is tha, OF the committee wi have
10 be opened into and made part y The hall WIN
that Is done, but certainly not before, the balls u
Congress may prove 70 be adapted Cor the ohce 90
which they we're designed.
Preparations being carried on for rcbuildng ne
cpntre pile mean that dome "a being vwt upon VIII
the manifest design o. erushlng thu building under -
weigh, and necesssating fs being rebuf-a rather -
pensivc and dangerous way Of making another good %