312 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[August, 



iter sewage ; also, the iiieliiiatiun, dimensions, ami forms of the sewers, and 

 the observed velocities of water in them. 5. Drawings and descriptions of 

 the sewage under the commission for Kegent street, especially of the out- 

 fall at Scotland Yard. G. Drawings and description of the liest niaeliine for 

 descrihing the jjrotile of a road, and also for measuring the traction of dif- 

 ferent roails. 7. The alterations and improvements in Blackfriars Uridge. 

 S. The cxijlosion of steam boilers — es]iecially a record of faeis connected 

 with any explosions which have taken place ; also, a description, drawings, 

 and details of the boiler, both before and after the explosion. 9. Diavvings, 

 sections, and descriptions of iron steam vessels. 10. The comparative ad- 

 vantages of iron and wood as employed in tlie coustniclion of sicam vessels. 

 11. The advant.igcs and disadvantages of the hot and cold blast hi the ma- 

 nufacture of iron, with statements of the quahty and cpiantity of materials 

 employed, and produce thereof. 12. The causes of and means of prevent- 

 ing the changes in texture and composition which east iron occasionally 

 undergoes when in continued contact with sea water. 13. Tlie properties 

 and chemical constitution of the various kinds of coal. 1 1. .V memoir of 

 Sir Hugh Middlcton, with an account of Ins works. 15. A memoir of 

 Arthur WooU', witli an account of his works. 16. An account of the various 

 methods lately employed for ju'eserving timber from dry rot and other 

 som-ces of decay. 17. On the best guage for the width of railways, with 

 the residt of the experience furnished by existing railways. 



// is no/ I he icix/i of the council to coiifive the Telford premiums to commu- 

 nications on the iiljore .tii/fjecls ; other communication,'! of distinguished merit 

 and jjeculiar/i/ desercinij some mark of distinction, will be rcicarded. 



ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. 

 Monday, Jali/ 8. Decimus Btrton, V.P., in the Chair. 



The Rev. Richard Burgess, B.D., author of various works on the Anti- 

 quitics of Rome, was elected an Honorary .Member; Mr. J. 11. Browne, of 

 Camden Road \'illas, was elected an Associate. 



A paper was read descriptive of a bridge of wood erected over the river 

 Aln, in .\lnvvick Park, Northundierland, by .Mr. WiUiara Barnfalher, acconi- 

 )iauicd by a model, and comnumieated by his (irace the Duke of Northum- 

 berland, Honorary Fellow. Robert Addams, Esip, delivered the lirst of a 

 series of three lectures on Acoustics — subject, on the (Uvergcnce and propa- 

 gation of sound, reflexion of sound, opinions as to the forms of looms for 

 1 honic and acoustic puqioses.. 



Juli/ 22. Earl de Grey, President, in the Chair. 



Mr. John Green, of Xewcastle-uiion-Tyne, was elected a Fellow. 



\'arious donations were laid upon the table, amongst wliich the following 

 were annoimced :— The Duke of Serradifalco, " Del duomo lU Monreale, Ac." 

 jiresentcd by the author ; Mons. ThioUet, various works published by him in 

 Paris; Dr. MoUer, Honorary and CoiTesponding Member, "Memorials of 

 German Architecture," by the donor. 



A letter was read from .Mr. Ilarcom-t, descriptive of his artificial granite. 

 Also a letter from the Civ. Caniua, Honorary and Corrcspondhig Jlcmber. 



Mr. Clcrichew, .M..V., .\ssociate, was announced as tlicauthor of a series of 

 Mr. Richardson's lectures on (ieology, and entitled to the prize ottered for 

 the same, consisting of " Phillips's Lectures on Geology," 2 vols. The prize 

 was presented to Mr. Clcrichew liy his lordsliiji the President. 



Mr. Addams delivered his concluding lecture on ."Veoustics — subject, on the 

 cause of reverberation, and the means to be used to lessen or prevent it ; 

 interference of sound waves; cft'ects of recesses, doorways, iS:c. ; wainseotted 

 ^jiartments, wood panels for ceilings, drapery, and other adjunctive orna- 

 ments, when and where allowable. 



Tins evening concluded the session. 



The meeting of this evening was one of the best attended of the season, 

 and certainly the most interesting. Being the last meeting, it was selected 

 as an appropriate occasion to express to the late Honorary Sccrctaiy, Thomas 

 Leverlon Donaldson, Esq., the feelings of gratitude vvliich the members of 

 the institute entertained for the indefatible and al)ly-directed exertions of 

 that gentleman during five years. A candelabruui, suliscribcd for by the 

 memlicrs indiviilually, was chosen as the best testimonial of the personal 

 feelings of the subscribers, and its jircsentation in a public manner invested it 

 at once with all the eclat of a mark of public approbation and private 

 esteem. 



Earl de Grey, the President, .ittested his interest in the i)roccedings of the 

 evening by his attendance, and aikbesscd Mr. Donaldson in an eloquent 

 speech, which we regret to he unable to re]ior-. He reniimled the mendjers 

 present that the institute, which although 0)dy of recent date has assumed a 

 liigh rank both at liome and aliroad, whicli was supported by the talents of 

 tlie highest members of tlie lll•ofeJ^ioll here, and recognised as an equal by 

 the most distingiiislied foreign academies. His lordship then presented the 

 testimonial amidst the enthusiastic applause of the members and visitors. 



Jlr. Donaldson, with deep emotion, acknowledged the present in an ap- 

 propriate speech, which was responded to by the warm greetings of the 

 audience. 



The testimonial was mamifactnrcd by :\Ir. Benjamin Smith, of Duke Street, 

 Lincoln's Inn Fields. It consists of a superb candelabrum in frosted silver, 

 standing on a triangiUar base, with feet cmiched with tlic honevsiicklc or- 



MUisut i tivg of tlis (;(?un):\rtni««ts Qi tlie psaeijtia vyutiuu tli« iii-ws »f ths 



institute and Mr. Donaldson, the other compartment contains the following 

 appropriate inscription : — 



INSCRIPTION. 



From his professional Bretlucii, 



.Members of the 



Royal Institute 



of British .Vrchilecls, 



to 



Thomas Lkverton Donai.oso.n, 



on bis retirement from the 



otlice of Honorary Secretary; 



a tribute of personal esteem, 



and an acknowledgment 



of his cfHcient and constant services 



towards establishiug the Institute and 



in promoting its welfare. 



July, MDCCCXXXIX. 



On the top of tlie basin is an ornament representing the fabulous origin of 

 the Corinthian capital, from which rise a stem snrmonntcd with a richly cut 

 glass dish for Hovvers or fruit, and branching from the top of the stem arc 

 also four richly entwined foliage brackets, each carrying a light or a cut 

 gla^s dish, so that the testimonial may be used either as a candelabrum or 

 epergne. 



MANCHESTER ARCllITKCTURAL SOCIETY'. 



FIRST CONVEaSATlONB OF THE SEASON. 



The first eonvcrsatione of this society, during tlie present season, was hehl 

 on Wednesday evening, the 3d nit., in their rooms, li^ooper Street, the walls 

 of which were bung, on this occasion, with a nunilier of oil-paintings, water- 

 colour drawings, engravings, cVc., not only exhibiting architectural designs 

 and fine cihfices, but also landscapes, marine views, &c. On the table was a 

 clioice collection of books and engravings. 



The chair was taken by .\ndrevv Hall, Esq., president of the society, who, 

 after expressing a hope to see these eonve.rsationi still more numerously at- 

 tended in the longer evenings of the coming autumn and winter, stated that 

 since the last season several iniprovements had been etfected in the society. 

 ,\ miiseum had been determined on, which was to consist chicfiyof specimens 

 of building materials, such as various kinds of stone and wood, bricks of dif- 

 ferent forms, qualities, and make, sections of iron beams, &e.. and indeed any 

 thing interesting as a material entering into the construction of buildings, as 

 well as casts of ornamental architecture. He trusteil that each member would 

 do bis best to obtain contributions, and in every way to improve the advan- 

 tages offered to students by this society. After the members had balloted for 

 and unanimously elected Mr. Robert M'AU, son of the late Dr. M'.VU, as a 

 member, two or three subjects were discussed as having an indirect bearing 

 on the importance and utility of the profession generally. It a]ipeared that 

 the society had through its secretary, Mr. J. \\. Hance, suggested to the 

 building committee for the St. George's Hall, Liverpool, the desirableness of 

 a public exhibition of the competing designs for that edifice, previously to 

 the announcing of their reward. To the letter conveying the resolution of 

 the society, no reply had been received. It was also stated that the reason 

 assigned by the St. George's Hall committee for not extending the time for 

 furnishing designs, in compliance with the request of various architects, was, 

 that it was necessarv- to have the drawings before them, and to decide on the 

 one to be adopted within two months, so as to commence the work v\ithout 

 delay, .\fter some conversation, the secretaiy was requested again to write 

 to the secretaries of the St. George's Hall committee, requesting an answdr 

 to his former letter. 



The Presiilent next drew the attention of the society to the late strange 

 conduct of the Gresbam eommittet, in reference to the printed instructions 

 to architects, issued by tliem, as to plans for the new Royal Exchange of 

 London. It appeared that the comniiltee bad merely given the dimensions 

 of the various rooms, without having at all indicated the purposes for which 

 they were required ; though surely the object and use of an apartment ought 

 to have something to do with the design for its interior, its embellishment 

 and style of finish. It was at first supjiosed that this had been an accidental 

 omission, and the Royal Institute of British .\rchitects and the London .\rehi- 

 tectural Society accordingly applied for this information, aiidthe reply was to 

 the effect, that the Gresham committee, having sent out their instructions to 

 architects, could not alter what had been done, except to say that the rooms 

 were required for three distinct companies. To the application of the British 

 Institute, they also riqilied tliat they could not grant an extension of the tone 

 for furnishing plans. After some discussion, it was resolved, with one or two 

 disenticnts, " "That this meetingfeels bound to protest against such conduct as 

 that recently exhibited by the Gresham committee for the erection of the 

 Royal Exchange, in reference to the inquiry made of tliein by the Royal In- 

 stitute of British .Vrchitects, and the London .Vrchitectnral Society, a^ lending 

 at once to degrade the profession, to deteriorate tlie imbhe taste, and to in- 

 jure the utility and object of the edifice in question. " Thanks were voted to 

 the editor of the Civil Engineer and Jreldtects' , Journal for having left a 

 plan of the Roy.al Exchange, and the committee's instructions (for wliich the 

 committee charged \l. to architeets) for free inspection in his offlce. and thus 



sfiritsdly rsa^tuib' tli« iiufe attempt tg jwi>»!}is s) ta.\ miQu «r«mt«(;t6, «« tits 



