1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



1:33 



without due consideration. If they carried this, he did not see how they could 

 resist the claims of Scotland for aid in similar works. 



A discussion afterwards ensued as to tlie conveyance of goods on rail- 

 ways, in -which Mr. Ashlon Yates denied the correctness of Lord 

 Sandon's views, but most unjustly, for it is a matter of notoriety to all 

 connected with railways. 



After a partings address from Lord Morpeth the discussion ended by 

 the House dividing on tlie motion, which was carried by 144 to 100, or 

 by a majority of 44 ; but it is considered that the success of this experi- 

 ment is not such as to induce the ministers to persevere. All farther 

 measures are now delayed until after Easter. 



We need scarcely say that nothing has occurred in this debate to 

 alter the views that we have maintained throughout the discussion of 

 this question, in which for a long while the Times and ourselves were 

 the only parties engaged in opposing its injurious consequences. Every 

 tiling has tended to confirm us in the impression tliat it is as unwise as 

 it is uncalled for. This is not a question of money, but of principle ; 

 not one of so many millions, but of the moral prosperity of the empire; 

 and while we may regret any support which we may give to this inno- 

 vation. Ireland, however apparently benefited, cannot fail to be in- 

 jured by that genuine deprivation of resources, the incapability of 

 availing herself of them. Indeed, if we wished not to treat Ireland as 

 an equal, but as a subsidiary province, we could not do better than to 

 imitate the old Roman policy of enervating those whom we wish to 

 keep in chains. Quern Dais vult pcrdcre priiis dementat. As regards 

 its financial bearings, experience has but too well impressed upon us 

 the frailty of the proposed security, and the much more probable con- 

 tingency of having to disburse the money from our own sources. Ire- 

 land can urge no moral claim to this participation in the general 

 revenues, for instead of bearing an equal degree of taxation, she is free 

 from many of the burdens to which England is subjected for the advan- 

 tage of the sister country ; and we cannot but impress both upon Irish 

 and English the impolicy of a measure which, both in its moral and 

 financial bearings, is equally unsupported by sound reasoning or com- 

 pensating advantages. 



MODELS AND DESIGNS FOR THE NELSON 

 MONUMENT. 



If not particularly satisfactory in itself, this competition has been 

 attended with one exceedingly important result, one that is likely to 

 prove an eft'ectual step towards a better and more trustworthy mode of 

 proceeding in future upon all similar occasions. The designs for the 

 Houses of Parliament were fxhibitcd subsequently to the final decision 

 on the part of the commissioners ; those for the Nelson Monument 

 after the premiums had been awarded by the sub-committee — but, for- 

 tunately, in time to admit of their judgment being reversed, when, 

 instead of ratifying it, the public voice protested against it. So far 

 there is very great room for congratulating ourselves on the precedent 

 thus furnished, and which we may reasonably anticipate will henceforth 

 be followed, with this improvement upon it, namely, that the public 

 will be admitted to view the models and drawings before any premiums 

 be awarded or any selection made. Gladly, therefore, do we hail what 

 has been done in regard to the present competition as a most favourable 

 augury. If, in the first instance, no very great judgment was shown, 

 there has been no unfairness, no obstinacy, no selfish determination to 

 abide by the choice originally made ; or if such determination existed 

 anywhere, it has been quashed by a counter-determination emanating 

 from some higher and more honourabU quarter. But for the circum- 

 stance of the designs being exhibited, and public opinion attended to, 

 tlie whole business would have been settled, as hitherto, behind the 

 curtain, and almost the first positive information we should have had 

 in regard to the matter would have been the preparations for carrying 

 into ert'ect the design to which the (list premium has been awarded. 



In regard to the premiums which liave been bestowed, we will say 

 nothing, except that that part of-the business holds out a most whole- 

 some caution against any similar precipitancy for the time to come ; 

 because it is in itself hardly worth a moment's consideration in com- 

 parison with the most important point — the laudable resolution evinced 

 to obtain, if possible, such design as shall be in every respect creditable 

 to the arts in this country. 



Sincerely do we congratulate professional men, both sculptors and 

 architects, on wliat has now for the first time laccurred. It is true they 

 have been turned back like schoolboys, and sent to get their tasks 

 better ; and so far it must be allowed to be somewhat mortifying to the 

 actual competitors. Still we congratulate the profession as a body ; 

 because that very circumstance aftiirds proof how much importance the 

 public attach to the matter, whereas the time has been when the public 

 would not have troubled their heads at all about it. Farther we most 

 heartily c-jngratulate them, because shoidd the system thus begun be — 



as we devoutly hope it will — persevered in, there is now an end to all 

 fuvoui itism, all jobbery and jobbing. There will be fair play for talent, 

 because when manifested it must be recognised — at all events, it cannot 

 possibly be thrust into the background by any mananivring ; to say 

 nothing of the responsibility which those with whom selection rests, 

 would find attach to them. Hitherto such responsibility lias not 

 existed ; we may in many cases suspect that there has been either a 

 very great want of judgment, or else very undue partiality, unless we 

 choose to suppose that, unworthy as it may be, the design adopted was 

 nevertheless the best among those oft'ered for selection. Could we 

 behold all the designs sent in for various buildings, and compare them 

 with the buildings respectively executed, we should, no doubt, in many 

 instances be filled with utter astonishment. F^ir all general competi- 

 tions the invariable rule ought to be a public exhibition beforehand, 

 whence a certain degree of responsibility on the part of the judges 

 would follow as a matter of course ; while fer limited competitions, 

 that is, where a certain number of architects are applied to for designs, 

 each competitor should be separately examined before a committee, 

 and called upon to explain thoroughly all his drawings, and his ideas of 

 the subject, and also to answer whatever questions may be put to him. 



We have spoken somewhat more at length than wo intended, upon 

 wh?t, alter all, does not belong to our subject as tiiat of the exhibition 

 itself. In considering this we shall be comparatively brief, because, 

 even were the whole matter not now in abeyai.ce, and weie it not 

 therefore likely that many of the designs will come under our notice 

 again in an amended form, wo are not prepared to give our_ readers 

 what we should consider a full and accurate review of the majority of 

 subjects after repeated examinations of them. We therefore profess 

 to do little more than record our impres^ions at one or two visits, 

 singling out for mention a few of the nolahilitks. Now, although we 

 do not mean to deny that sevend of the modi;ls_ and designs exhibit 

 great merit, many good ideas, and much beauty, in parts, we must be 

 allowed to acknowledge there is hardly a single one we should wish to 

 see adopted without some further modification. Among the models 

 there are some very beautiful, considered as modi Is, and as these con- 

 sist chiefly of sculpture, they would be novcltic, for at present we 

 have no public embellishments of the kind, except single statues, and 

 those for the most part on a very moderate scale. On that account we 

 should be inclined to give the preference to something of the kind; 

 more i speciallv as it would be least likely to interfere with the sur- 

 rounding buildings. As far, however, as regards adaptation to the 

 particular site, we are not furnished with any means of judging what the 

 eft'ect would be except in one or two instances, where a perspective view 

 accompanies the model, showing what would be its appearance when 

 executed on the proposed scale, and beheld with the actual architectural 

 back-ground there would be to it. Now, we think it ought to have 

 been made a condition that every model should be accompanied by- 

 such view, both because models taken by themselves, except of mere 

 pieces of statuary, are apt to be fallacious, and because they overpower 

 drawings, and render it exceedingly ddBcult to judge fairly betweoa 

 two designs shown by such very opposite modes of reprosentation. 

 It was, besides, a very" great error not to establisli one uniform scale 

 for the designs— perhaps one for 'the drawings and another for the 

 models; had which been done much inconvenience might have been 

 obviated. It has been suggested in some newspaper — if we mistake 

 not, the " Atlas"— that with regard to the models it would have been 

 advisable to have had them on tiie same scale, and then placed succes- 

 sively for examination in the centre of a model, showing the_ fronts of 

 the buildings around Trafalgar-square, This would certainly have 

 afiorded a most satisfactory test of their eflect, and their adaptation 

 to the site itself; while it would, we suspect, in more th.ui one in- 

 stance have saved the competitors considerable expense, incurred by 

 the models being on a considerably larger scale than would then have 

 been admissible. And in regard to the expense vvbieht he competitors 

 have been at, we will here remark that we do not see what that has at 

 all to do with the mutter. Some one has computed that the gross 

 amount cannot be much less than 7,600 guineas. Be it so— what 

 then ? each individual contributes toi-.ards it not one larthing luoro 

 either of money or time than be v.ould hive done had it been only a 

 tenth part of that sum. Therefore, as an individual, he has infinitely 

 less reason to complain than if he had fewer associates in his mis- 

 fortune. Every one knows bL-1'orchand that but one design can be 

 actually adopted, and surely it cannot be one whit more galling to be 

 one of the hundred and forty-nine out of a hundred and lilty, than one 

 of the nine out often. Talking of the aggregate amount, the " sura 

 TOTTLK of the whole," as Hume says, is all stufl'. Besides, there are 

 not a few designs which we think could have cost nothing at all, 

 except a shilling's worth of paper and couple of hours' of time. 



Among the models, that by Mr. T. Woodington, No. 8, struek_ us 

 as recommending itself by its graceful siuiplicity, and the pleasing 



