The Committee have presen...
The Times, 1824-05-19T00:00:00

The Committee have presented t4eir Report on the New Buildings at Westminster. They are as sparing as may be in reproaches, but yet say enougbh to excite shame, we should hope, in the author of the present struietures. It is the privilege of consummate skill to effect different ob- jects by one and the same act. Consummate ignorance can do as much. For example, the stone building of *Vest- minster-Hall, opposite the eastern extremitv of St. Mar- garet's church, had formerly been left unfinished on one side of the centre. A comrnon artist would have conceived that nothing remained to him to do, but to assimilate the unfinished wing to that which was finished: but not so the present architect; he has made the new wing half as long again as the old one, by the insertion of two Venetian windows, and we know not what else. Hence the Committee states, "' The wing " which was before too short, is now too long;" as if the human body should have an arm suspended from one shoulder, and a leg and thigh from the other. Now, not only is the duU uniformity of the building destroyed by this happy variety, but another purpose equally ingenious is effected; which is, that the beautiful Gothic entrance into Westminster-Hall is concealed from the vulgar gaze of the public by the longer wing! We are surpxised that the Committee do not like that wondrous projection at the south-west corner of the building, which they call an exerescent part, and say that it obtruded itself upon their notice. To be sure-It was meant to obtrude itself upon their notice, and upon every Ibody's notice; and even upon thenotice of horses andtiack- ney-coachmen, or else some of their necks wiU be broken. How happily, in fact, does this building stand forward, like a master of the ceremonies, " making a leg," as it were, to aU the passers by, and soliciting their_attention and. rever- ence to the rest of the building: and then, as to its being in a style of architecture "I incongruous with the rest of the 1t structure," why, what master of the ceremonies is ever in the same dress with the Sovereign ? The former is al- wvays put into a quaint jack-et and unicouth habiliment. This master of the ceremonies is, however, to be &is- pLaced; anid the long wing is to be cut short. We are in an age for " clipping wings." The expense of the alterations is, by the estimate now proposed, to amount to 8,612.-no great sum in itself, but the loss of which is provoking enough, since it is to be expended in destroying that which has just been. dune at a greater expense. The total detri- ment to the public, therefore, is more than double that sumn. The architect seems to have made a little filht for his building, by getting inserted in the report " A list of the rooms provided in the original plan, and for which no preparation is made in the altered plan." These are- "Room, for the Solicitors attending the Courts. Law Library. "RccArd.roons for the Court of Common Pleas. "Coffee-roonm. " Room for Barristers to robe in," &c. To this the Committee reply- " Upon inquiring whether any room was appropriated in the " former state of the Courts to Solicitors attending them, itappeared " that no sucli rom formerly existed, that there never was a law " library, and that the upper floors of the new octagon turret may ' be made use of for contdining the records of the Court of Common " Pleas; and vour Committee do not deem it necessary to raise the " walls of the 'Bail-court, and form rooms oter fhe same (as speci- " fied under No. 5), by which the expense above-mentioiied may " be saved."