266 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



not consider the exhibition part of the business, by any means " a fair 

 example" of the manner in which such matters should be conducted. 

 It is further a question with me how far it was fair on the part of 

 the committee to nominate a professional man as their umpire, witli- 

 out the concurrence or even privity of the competitors; thereby giv- 

 ing to that individual — who not being associated with a single col- 

 league, could not at all benefit by learning other opinions than his own, 

 . — the power of pronouncing an unappealable Fiat, deciding the fortune 

 of sixty-five other professional persons. That the Committee should 

 have chosen to delegate their authority to Sir Robert Smirke, placing 

 the matter entirely in his hands, can be accounted for only by their 

 feeling quite assured that he was not a competitor, because he has in- 

 variably refused to enter any competition whatever — even that for 

 the "New Houses of Parliament," notwithstanding that the occasion 

 offered a prize, which even he might have condescended to struggle 

 for. If, tlierefore, it was not very strange that the Committee should 

 have applied to him, strange it certainly was that Sir Robert should 

 have so greatly relaxed his own principles as to comply with the re- 

 quest, and after having set his face strenuously against competitions, 

 have made himself to a certain extent a party in one, and that, too, 

 very prominently. Hardly did he consent to accept the office pro- 

 feied him — in itself rather an invidious one— for want of fair excuse 

 for rejecting it, since to have expressed his well known horror of 

 competitions would have been a sufficient one. 



Accept if, however, he did, and having done so, was, I conceive, 

 bound to comply witli the request of the Committee that he should 

 select three other designs as being next in merit to the two to which 

 he had adjudged the offered premiums. Yet this he declined to do, 

 though apparently for no reason whatever that ought not to have 

 equally deterred him from making any choice at all. Surely it could 

 not have been a more erabarassing or ungracious task, to point out the 

 three best of the remaining sixty-three designs, than it was to decide 

 upon two as being the very best of all out of sixty-five. Possibly, Sir 

 Robert may have had very sufficient reasons in his own bosom for de- 

 clining to recommend any more than two designs, — and what those 

 reasons were it may be easier to guess, than it would be exactly pro- 

 per to say. At all events his refusal could not have been very agree- 

 able to all the remaining competitors, because it deprived three of 

 them of an accessit. 



Even in regard to the two designs which he pointed out as those 

 deserving the premiums. Sir Robert's letter is exceedingly vague and 

 unsatisfactory, as he does not assign a single reason for the pre- 

 ference given to them ; which he ought to have done, and was, it is 

 to be presumed, capable of doing. Since, however, lie did not think 

 it expedient to do so, it is to be hoped that the Committee place im- 

 plicit confidence in his taste and judgment. Those who have seen all 

 the designs, fully described in their respective plans and other draw- 

 ings, can best tell how far the two selected by Sir Robert surpassed 

 all the rest — to such degree, it would seem, that he could point out 

 no others approximating to them in merit. Two others, however, 

 have since been shown at the Royal Academy Exhibition, — not how- 

 ever that which obtained the second premium, — both of which possess 

 no ordinary merit; and one of them at least (Mr. Brandon's model) 

 would, I should have thought, have certainly obtained Sir Robert's 

 recommendation, it being in the style he himself is so greatly attached 

 to ; as it did not, I can account for its being passed over by him only 

 by supposing that he was apprehensive it might give rise to very un- 

 pleasant and awkward comparisons, and that its striking and pic- 

 turesque effect in regard to the disposition of its columns, would not 

 tend to reconcile us to liis own very humdrum and commonplace tie- 

 sigtt for the facade of the British Museum. The other competitor 

 who has appealed from Sir Robert's judgnjent, is Mr. Allom, and as 

 far as his design can be understood from merely a single drawing, 

 showing a purtion of the interior, I should call it one of no ordinary 

 merit, — at the same time admit that it was not calculated to find 

 favour with such a formal architectural puritan as Sir Robert Smirke. 



Mr. Brakspeare's design not having been sent to the Academy, I 

 cannot [pretend to say how far it was better entitled to the second 

 premium, than either of the two just mentioned. In fact, I have yet 

 to learn even in what style it was. 



For thus freely commenting on an affair which is now settled, and 

 therefore has lost its main interest with many, I offer no apology, 

 being of opinion that it is exceedingly bad policy to suffer matters of 

 the kind to drop quietly, and escape animadversion merely because it 

 can have no effect in regard to the particular case which gives rise to 

 it, that being already settled. Let them be managed as they may, it 

 is requisite to keep a strict eye upon competitions ; and that for the 

 Nunhead Cemetery ought to "be able to bear the strongest scrutiny, 

 considering with whom the decision rested. If Sir Robert Sreiirke's 

 name be a sufficient pledge for unerring judgment, to both the Com- 



mittee and the competitors, I must confess that it is not so to myself. 

 His decision no more than a mere ipste dixit, unsupported by any rea- 

 sons whatever, — leaving them to be found out by the Committee, and 

 was therefore according to the more convenient than commendable 

 principle of " Stet pro ralione, voluntas," 



X. 



CANNABICS AND CAMDENISTS. 



Sir — Some account of Albano's patent Cannabic architectural orna- 

 ments would no doubt be very acceptable to many other readers be- 

 sides myself.' Untillsaw the incidental mention of them in the notice 

 of Mr. Walker's conversazione, [ was not even aware of there being 

 any thing of the kind, nor does the term "Cannabic" enable me to 

 form any idea of their nature, — whether they are something altogether 

 new — a bona fide invention — or an improvement upon something be- 

 fore known, and now recommended by a new name. I conclude, how- 

 ever, from their being spoken of as " highly gilt and burnished," that 

 there can be no novelty whatever in their appearance; nevertheless 

 must we suppose that they have some peculiar advantages to recom- 

 mend them. 



I do not know whether our Camdenists here are preparing any 

 thunder against you, on account of the slashing article against them 

 in your present number. Probably they content themselves with ob- 

 serving a dignified silence ; if not you must expect nothing less than 

 sentence of excommunication, — not only on account of that article, but 

 also of the one on "Greek Masonry," introduced in utter defiance of 

 their recent denunciation of every thing connected with the study of 

 Pagan architecture. The intelligence conveyed in the latter article, 

 that Hittorff is preparing an elaborate work on Grecian Polychromy 

 is calculated to alarm not only Camdenists, but many belonging to the 

 established Pagan or classical school. 



Well will it be for the Institute, if the Camdenists do not now fall 

 foul upon that body, and take it severely to task for proposing as the 

 subject of the Soaue Medallion, a "College in a University, of 

 Roman or Italian architecture." — But I must stop, or I shall spin out 

 my gossiping remarks to such length that you will have forgotten 

 what induced me to write at all ; therefore now conclude with re- 

 minding you of "Cannabic." 



I remain, yonr's, &c., 



J. P. 



Cambridge, July 5, 1844. 



» We must refer our Correspondent to the Journal for last March, p. 86, where 

 some account is given of "Cannabic ornaments." — Editor. 



TO THE INHABITANTS OF SAINT MARGARET'S, 

 WESTMINSTER. 



Gentlemen, — Permit me to call your attention to the fact that 

 efforts are still being made to effect the destruction of your venerable 

 parish church, and to remove it from the site it has occupied for 790 

 years. I much fear a Committee of the House of Commons was pre- 

 vailed upon yesterday, the 4th of July, to recommend this scheme of 

 church desecration. 



I have in my works on Church-building, and on Westminster im- 

 provements, and by other means, endeavoured to expose the shallow 

 pretexts of the destructionists, and I flattered myself that my efforts 

 had been successful, as I had brought over some of the most influential 

 persons to my views, when to my astonishment a letter appeared a 

 shoit time since in the " Builder," announcing "the pleasing intelli- 

 gence," — the pleasing intelligence! "That St. Margaret's Church was 

 immediately to be pulled down and rebuilt on another site, both which 

 had been authorized, and funds for the purpose had been obtained," 



Let me epitomise the reasons against this measure, which I have 

 given at length elsewhere. " That persons greatly err who would re- 

 gulate Gothic architecture on Greek principles" "That Gothic archi- 

 tecture does not exhibit itself naked and bare" "That it delights in 

 bold, striking, and picturesque irregularities" "veiling itself with 

 walls and screens and towers" "Therefore appears best as an ac- 

 cumulation of buildings" "Therefore the Abbey Church and St. Mar- 

 garet's gain by juxta position" " While the grandeur of the ancient 

 edifice is increased by comparison with the more modern structure 

 which stands beside it" " That when the new palace of legislature is 

 completed, St. Margaret's will be absolutely necessary to effect a har- 

 monious union between that and the Abbey" "That St. Edward did 

 1 et think the position of St. Margaret',s would injure the effect of his 



