1849.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



167 



trouble. The fifjures are well drawn and strikina:, and the faces 

 of the murderers are full of thought and expression; the armour 

 is excellently done, and the colouring rigorous, and does great 

 credit to this persevering artist. — Mr. J. Chase has a good archi- 

 tectural picture — The Return from Matins (35). — We cannot 

 compliment Mr. Wehnert on his figure as Peace (185): it does 

 not come up to his former efforts. — Mr. Absolon has a harvesting 

 scene. Plenty (55); there are a great many figures in this which 

 are well executed, the positions are good, and all express tlie 

 pursuit in whicli they are engaged. — There are fifteen views taken 

 in Australia, by Mr. J. S. Prout, painted on the spot : they ai-e all 

 good, and show the peculiarities of the country. The best land- 

 scape is by Mr. T. L. Rowbotham, jun., Rouen (191), the quays 

 and bridges of which are shown in a remarkably clever manner — 

 Mr. James Fahey has an animated picture, The Hop Garden (135): 

 it represents a number of persons employed picking the hops. — 

 Mr. F. Richard's Julia (175) has a pretty face. — Mr. Robins's pic- 

 ture of Portsmouth (77); ]\Ir. Ua^■idson's Bolton Park; Yorkshire 

 (103), a good study of trees; and Mr. H. Maplestone's Romney 

 Marshes (82), a view of Rye in the distance and the ruins of VV'in- 

 chelsea Castle, are worthy of notice. 



REVIE'WS. 



Weale's Quarterly Papers on Engineering, Part XII. London: 

 Weale, 1849. 



This is the last number of a very useful series, the conclusion of 

 which we very much regret. It was a very laudable undertaking 

 of Mr. AVeale to provide the means of jniblication for those pro- 

 fessional papers too short for a volume, and too long for our 

 pages, and which did not come within the scope of the Institution 

 of Civil Engineers. AVe only wish that tlie zeal of the profession 

 and the condition of commercial affairs had afforded Mr. AV'eale a 

 better return for his labours, and sufficient inducement to persevere 

 in his undertaking. As it is, the Quarterly Papers constitute a 

 valuable accession to the library of the engineer, and include many 

 practical subjects, illustrated by numerous engravings. 



Architectural Publication Society. Illustrations, Parts I. and II. 

 of Volume for 1848-9. 



The Architectural Publication Society is an institution M-hich 

 the architects ought to support; for most branches of learning 

 have such a society, and it argues want of zeal to be behindhand. 

 Architecture is, however, now redeemed from this slur. 



The numbers now before us contain the illustrations to what 

 will, we hope, be the Great National Dictionary of Architecture, 

 which the members of the Society have undertaken to compile. 

 Twelve plates in each number give numerous examples illustrative 

 of the articles Campanile, Ceiling, Chimney, Corbel, Cornice, Cor- 

 tile. Diaper, Doorway, Fayade, Loggia, Metal-work, Pavement, 

 Stained Glass, Staircase, and Hlndow Coronets. As the Society 

 have access to the public and private collections of architectui-al 

 drawings, it is naturally to be expected that many curious and 

 original examples will be included in the series. 



'The undertaking is, we think, particularly well deserving of 

 the support of the members of the arcliitectural profession, as it 

 will place before them a copious and valuable library for reference. 



It may be very usefully taken into consideration by the en- 

 gineers, whether they should not have an Engineering Publication 

 Society, to reproduce the numerous reports on Harbours, Canals, 

 Railways, and other public works, which abound with useful infor- 

 mation, and are inaccessible to the profession. 



Buildings and Monuments, Modern and Mediceval. Edited by 

 George Godwin, F.R.S. Part I. London, 1849. 



This is a reprint, in a separate form, of some of the large wood 

 engravings in the Builder, and being carefully worked-oft' on stiff 

 paper, slightly tinted, they have an exceedingly good effect. In- 

 deed, they do great credit to the art of wood engraving, and will 

 form a cheap and handsome work, as well suited for the library of 

 the architect as that of the amateur. Some modern buildings are 

 included in the series, and the text is further illustrated by ground 

 plans and details of the work. iMany will prefer them in their 

 present form to their original appearance in the columns of the 

 newspaper. 



The 3Iining Almanack for 1849. Compiled by Henry English, 

 Mining Engineer, Editor of the Mining Journal. London : Min- 

 ing Journal Office, 1849. 



Mr. English has here produced a work which will be found of 

 very great value to every engineer, and the more so as so few 

 books are published on mining. The Almanack contains a great 

 many original papers by well-known writers connected with the 

 mining interest. Among them are those 'On the Jurisdiction and 

 Practice of the Stannaries Courts,' by H. S. Stokes, Esq.; the 

 'Newcastle Coal-fields,' by Matthias Dunn; the 'Custom of Tin 

 Bounds;' 'Records of Ancient Mining,' by J. Y. Watson; the 

 'Cornish Steam-Engine,' by James Sims; the 'Structure of Crys- 

 talline Rocks,' by Evan Hopkins; 'Assaying,' by P. N. Johnson; 

 'Fire Damp,' by Professor Ansted; 'Gold Deposits," by Dr. Cliffe; 

 the 'Cost-Book System'; 'Mineral Topography of Great Britain,' 

 by A. W. Tooke; 'ftlineralogy,' by G. Abbot; 'Lives of Trevi- 

 thick and Stephenson,' by Hyde Clarke; and papers by E. Smirke, 

 T. Clark, the Editor, and Dr. Albert. Copious tables of Statis- 

 tics and Scientific Data make it a very practical work. 



A Letter to Lord John Russell, on the Expediency of Promoting 

 Railways in Ireland. By George Preston Whiie, C.E. Lon- 

 don: Weale, 1849. 



This is a practical and interesting pamphlet on a most important 

 subject, of which Mr. AVhite has taken a very liberal view. We 

 say, without any professional bias, that no measure is so necessary 

 for Ireland as railways; and it is most discreditable to the minis- 

 try, that neither upon this nor any other reproductive undertak- 

 ings has one single practical suggestion been adopted, nor any 

 propounded by the cabinet itself. Tlie Irish, tlierefore, suffer 

 doubly — from their own idleness, and tlie idleness of the govern- 

 ment. 



i\Ir. White's remarks on the Standing Orders do no injustice to 

 their oppressive character. He says — 



"The Standing Orders were framed with a view of protecting private in- 

 terests; the slightest consideration will show that this object has been more 

 than realised. The sums of money which landowners have received for 

 supposed injuries caused by the passing of a railway through their property, 

 are almost incredible. The Manchester and Birmingham Company paid up- 

 wards of 16,000/. per mile for their lanii, and the Eastern Counties paid 

 nearly as much. Now, supposing that the railway occupied ten acres to the 

 mile, which is a fair average allowance, it would appear that these two com- 

 panies have paid for their land at the rate of 1600/. per acre. 



The clause in the Standing Orders, which still e.xists, requiring the assents 

 and dissents of landowners and occupiers, can be attended with but little 

 advantage, and is liable to great abuse. It is impossible to conceive, taking 

 into consideration the benefit conferred on property by railroads, and the 

 amount of compensation given by railway companies, that landowners can 

 be serious in their opposition. In nine cases out of ten they oppose a line 

 of railway in order to make the company pay exorbitantly for the land re- 

 quired. It is ceitainly a useless clause, affording no proof of the desirable- 

 ness of the project. 



Many of the clauses of the Standing Orders which apply to the plans and 

 sections are quite inconsistent. At the same time that you are allowed to 

 make a deviation in the line, you are compelled to adhere to the original 

 gradients, an alteration of only a few feet being allowed. Now it is evident 

 that, in a sideling country, deviation is impracticable under the requirement 

 as to gradients. The clause requiring the landowner to be furnished with a 

 statement of the greatest depth of cutting or height of embankment through 

 his estate, is equally useless ; for should the line be deviated from, which is 

 frequently the case, there may ultimately be an embankment instead of a 

 cutting, or vice versa. 



Another objectionable clause in the Standing Orders is that requiring a 

 deposit of ten per cent, in the Court of Chancery, which has so signally 

 failed to produce the object for which it was framed, namely, making a l/ond 

 fide company ; whilst it has had the ill effect of locking up a large amount 

 of capital, on which no interest has been paid, and has often been the means 

 of discouraging really useful projects. This object of the legislature might, 

 I think, be more effectually obtained by rendering it illegal to dispose of 

 shares until a large amount of the capital was paid up. This was done in 

 the case of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, and was in that instance 

 attended with the happiest results. It would possess the further advantage 

 of preventing over-speculation in railway shares." 



We do not, ho%vever, concur in this last suggestion, for we do 

 not see either the good or the necessity of preventing speculation 

 in railway shares. Trade, under all circumstances, to be efficient 

 must be free. 



