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principles to be observed in the restoration of churches and other 
buildings. 
Now, the impression which the early stage of the debate at 
the Institue left upon my mind, was that of a heavy cannonade 
between professional gentlemen who were very angry with one 
another, and who were only restrained from personalities, and 
perhaps something worse, by the grave and respectable character 
of the assembly in which they found themselves at the time; 
but when the intensity of the firing had somewhat slackened, one 
of the most experienced and well-abused restorers, Mr. Street, 
R.A., made a long speech, with which I, though I seldom find 
myself in agreement with him on architectural topics, could find 
but little fault. Mr. Street stated his views upon the proper mode 
of restoration to be as follows :—1st. That the walls, columns, and 
arches of a building should be thoroughly repaired. 2nd. That 
the walls should be kept plastered wherever an old surface of 
plaster was found. 3rd. That screens, stalls, and other old artistic 
work, removed by ignorant persons, should, if practicable, be put 
back in their original places. 4th. That though he saw no objec- 
tion to the restoration of stone work originally executed by 
common masons, he would never sanction the restoration of 
anything which was the work or had the mark of an individual 
artist. ‘All such work as the restoration of walls, painting on 
walls, carvings, sculpture, and the like, he thought ought never to 
be touched or altered at all. It was precious because it embodied 
the handiwork and thought of a single artist, and lost all its interest 
and value in restoration.” 
Now, these propositions coinciding substantially with my own 
ideas, when I was called upon by the President, without any 
previous notice, to address the Institute, very briefly I ventured to 
give an opinion, “that while it was perfectly justifiable to sweep 
away what was utterly bad and devoid of any artistic merit, what 
was original and good ought always to be preserved ;” and in 
illustration of my position, I referred to the much-vexed question 
of the Canterbury Cathedral stalls, to which I have already called 
your attention, I was shortly afterwards followed by My. Poynter, 
