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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL 



[Ai.j;ir,, 



little bits, sn as tii lip mnvkcd liy a very strapglin^ appearance. 

 This defect it is liere pmposed to remedy, and also to produce 

 ])ositivp irrnndi'ur and riclmess of C(jnipositioM, by merely biiildint; 

 out from tlie present front, iidvancini; all but (piite up to the front 

 of the portico, as mucli as would nearly correspond in extent with 

 the terrace and inclosed area of Trafalfjar-square, — so as to obtain 

 architectural focus, and pmduce an important mass that would 

 display itself decidedly, and seem properly adapted to its particu- 

 lar situation in connection with the "Sciuare." As a separate fea- 

 ture the portico would, jierliaps, lose somethinfr, because it would 

 not, as at present, project out from the rest. It would no longer 

 be a ili]irnstijh\ but it would he greatly extended by the addition of 

 a hexastyle hi (iiilix on each side of, and in immediate connection 

 with, the ])resent octastyle, — forminj; altogether a continuous range 

 of c(d(uniade, terminated and iiuilosed by two pavilions brought 

 forward from tliose portions of the building in which are the tho- 

 roughfare passages througli it. An effective and well-projjortioned 

 ccniposition would thus lie olitaijied, — one which being more com- 

 jiact would gain in loftiness, more especially as a deeper cornice is 

 substituted for the present too feeble and diminutive one. ^V'ith 

 greater continuity of c(donnade, there would also be greater va- 

 riety of it, the additiiuuil colonnades being — as is shown by the 

 jdan, although not ajiparent in a geometrical elevation — double 

 ones, that is, consisting of two open rows of columns, between 

 which would he covered-in flights of steps leading up to the por- 

 tico. The perspective effect attending those second or inner rows 

 of columns would be eipially striking and novel. The least satis- 

 factory part of the design is the dome, — an improvement upon the 

 jiresent one, hut still requiring re-consideration. For bestowing 

 what may be thought disproportionate notice on this particular 

 subject our excuse nnist be its particular interest, since it shows 

 what may he done to reform a structure which is more universally 

 than perhaps altogether justly condemned; and for which altera- 

 tion has been repeatedly talked of, if never seriously intended. 

 At any rate, here is a step beyond mere talking — a fairly embodied 

 idea; and if a belter one, not pirated from it, can be produced — by 

 all means let us behold it. — "While that sHl))ect can at all events claim 

 to be considered a jiroduction of de.sii/n, there are too many others 

 which are mere ])ortraits of either buildings or parts of buildings, 

 without particular novelty or other interest to recommend them 

 as such, and without that positive pictorial merit which would 

 make amends for the want of the other kind of attraction. One 

 excejition there is — viz. No. 14., a view of A\'ollaton Hall, in which 

 Air. Arthur Allom shows that he inherits his father's artistic./i/r/e 

 and hriiriira of pencil. A few more such pictures would have in- 

 gratiated the exhibition with the public; whereas Nos. (it and 76, a 

 l>air of elevations of the Ban(pietting House, ^yhitehall, might 

 very well ha\e been spared. Even one of them would have been 

 rather da trap, but two of them are overwhelming. 



The show of Models — for exhibiting which class of subjects the 

 room affords convenient space — is very poor A\'ith one exception, 

 they are all upon so diminutive a scale as to have a very toy-like 

 look, as is the case witii that of the "North-west corner of the Bank 

 of England," whose size tits it better for an ornament upon a 

 chimney-piece, than for an architectural exhibition. The one just 

 alluded to as an exception — and it is a model u))on a rather unusual 

 scale — is called in the catalogue merely a "Study for a Facade," 

 although it is actually that of Mr. l''rip[i's design Utr the Army and 

 Navy Clubhouse. As so intended, we certainly did not consider 

 it very germane to the purpose; but taking it in itself, and as it 

 is now named, we see in it considerable merit and artistic feeling: 

 not hut that it might be improved not a little by only a little more 

 study. Yet the subject itself hardly reipiired a model; for except 

 the open entrance loggia an<l ascent up to it, there is nothing that 

 might not just as well be expressed in a mere elevation. No. 109, 

 on the contrary, stands very much in need of the assiiitance of a 

 model, and to bo shown in actual relief. 



PUBLIC ENTERPRISE, NATIONAL LAW, AND 

 NATIONAL PROGRESS. 



In nil rightly-constituted communities, the subsistence, and 

 therefcu'e the emi)li>ynient, of the population must be held the 

 first duty of the governing body. This is a trite saying to begin 

 with, and England is a country in a liigh state of civilization; l)ut 

 so far as the governing body is concerned, the discharge of the 

 primary duty we have named is not carried out. Provision, it is 

 true, is made, tliat iie<iple shall imt die of stavvation, but since 

 the time of yuecn Elizabeth, tlie duty of superintending the em- 



ployment of the population may be said to have been abandoned 

 by the goverimient. The economists may perhaps have con- 

 tributed to this result while reclaiming the freedom of enterprise, 

 but they ought not to be held blameworthy for the retention or 

 institution of any shackles on emphiyment. 



It may seem a monstrous assertion that the em|iloyment and 

 provision of the population are not duly looked after in England 

 in the nineteenth century; but it is one, the truth of which, 

 though it may not meet ready accejitance, cannot unha])pily be 

 gainsaid. At this stage we shall content ourselves by referring' to 

 our waste laruls and our fisheries, to show that something is left 

 undone, and the fault of which lies with our law-makers only; 

 and we say, moreover, that it matters not bow far they niav have 

 gone, if they have allowed other nations to get ahead of us in the 

 competition for employment. The exjierience of late years has 

 too fully proved to us that Germany, France, the United States, 

 and Belgium, have in many branches of trade so gone beyond us, 

 and lessened the earnings of our mainifacturers and workmen. 

 Therefore, we say it is well worthy of incpiiry, what is the state of 

 industry, not only in this country, but abroad; and what are the 

 causes of our advancement or our backwardness, wherever such 

 may have taken place. This is of national interest; but our 

 readers have a special interest in such iiuiuiries, because their 

 bread depends upon the national prosperity, and on the healthy 

 condition of national industry. 



If we say that legislation has its influence upon industry, we do 

 not put aside, nor put away altogether the influejice of other 

 causes. We are very well aware that laws abnie cannot make a 

 trade and cannot make a people, and that a people may shape their 

 course for good or evil to a great degree, in despite of law. How- 

 ever perfect a system of laws may be, though they may influence 

 they cannot absolutely determine the every proceeding of each in- 

 dividual; for it is impossible that the ceremonial law of a Moses 

 or a Confucius, however minute in its dictates, slnnild embrace 

 every action of life. Imleed, if laws alone were sufficient for the 

 promotion of industry, then the special legislation of the French 

 being so much better than ours, so should tliey be in a higher de- 

 gree of industi'ial advancement than ourselves, which they are 

 not, 



It is the want of discrimination as to the true value of each 

 cause in operation, which leads to the want of correct views on 

 the legislation afl'ecting industry in this country; but it is most 

 important that a greater degree of attention should be bestowed 

 on these investigations, the more particularly since the altered 

 political condition of Wester!! Fjuro])e promises to give a greater 

 development to individual character. If we take the laws as 

 affecti!ig partnerships, patents, a!id co!n!iiei-cial trai!sactions, those 

 of the English are bad, and of the F'rei!cli are good: if we take 

 the me!!, the Englishmai! is enterprising, but the Frei!chman is 

 wa!iti!!gin enterprise, i!i i!!depe!ide!!ce, a!id in self-reliai!ce. Much 

 of this resolves itself ii!to iiifliiences of legislatioi!; but thei! it is 

 not legislation as affectii!g indi!stry, but legislation directed to 

 political orga!iizatio!i. The police system of France has perhaps 

 more to do tha!i anything else with the commeixial habits of the 

 population, a!!d the wa!it of freedom of locomotion, and the per- 

 petual reference to the will of others in many of the operatio!is of 

 life, destroy the self-reliance of the individual, impair his e!!ergy of 

 character and industry, aiid most surely li!nit his e!!terprise. ^Ve 

 say nothi!ig as to the political hierarchy, the corruption of patron- 

 age,ai!d the pcrvadi!!g centralization, because tlieir ii!rtue!ice is more 

 ambiguous, a!id the!-e are set-offs agai!!st tliem here a!!d in other 

 cou!itries; but we refer coi!tide!itly to the police a!id passport 

 svstem as counteractii!g most efficiently in Fra!ice and (;er!na!!y 

 tlie good tendency of industrial legislation. \Ve shall advert to 

 this again at a further stage; meanwhile, we bring it forward here 

 to i-eniind tlie reader that we cannot be limited to consider the 

 nari-ow operation of patent laws, i-egistration acts, companies' 

 clauses consolidaticui laws, or partnership suits in chancery. The 

 diseased cmistitution cannot be fully demonstrated from the dis- 

 section of individual limbs. 



The dereliction of duty on the part of the English government 

 has been imitated by others, and it has pei-ha]is as much as any- 

 thing contributed to the peculiar character of the present revcdu- 

 tionary movement, the beginning only of which we now see. The 

 agitation is no longer directed by piditical dogmas only; nay, it 

 has not so much an agr;iriiii! charactei', but its sects of socialists 

 and of coinniunists attest its connection with the absorbing ques- 

 tion of the present day — the employment of the people. It is 

 because governments have neglected their duty in providing for 

 the employment of the people that a re-organizatitui of society is 

 so readily sought after; not one which shall pull down the rich 



