3t0* 



THE CIVIL ENGINEEU AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[NOTKMBKR, 



And the clearing away of a very unwholesome, unsigbtly, and dis- 

 reputable ueigbbourhood 7 



Architecture of the S'ew Buildmgs. 



The plan would be very much like Ihat which I proposed some years 

 ago for a building lo occupy the centre of Lincolu's-lun Fieliis ; it would 

 be upon the same principle ; the accommodalion would be for 12 or 14 

 courts, each with a judges' room, a clerks' room, and ante-room, barris- 

 ters' room, and solicitors' room ; and iu the common law courts, in ad- 

 dition to this accommodation, a room for the jury. It would include also, 

 a room for the grand jury, a law library, consullation rooms, a refreshment 

 room, a great central hall, commnnicatiiig with the whole of the courts 

 and their appurtenances, for the accommodalion of the public ; and private 

 lobbies, and communications for the convenience of the judges and the 

 bar. The courts would be arranged around the great central half, and 

 towards the e.\terior of the building, surrounding the courts, would be 

 arranged all the private accommodation connected with the court respec- 

 tively. 



The elevations would be much higher than in the plan proposed for 

 Lincoln'slnn Fields, which was formed on the consideration that it would 

 be desirable to keep the buildiug in that situation as low as possible, in 

 order to obstruct as little as possible the air and veniilation of that neigh- 

 bourhood, and with that view, the buildiug was designed in a s'yie of 

 architecture which admits of low proportiuns. The style of architecture 

 that I should propose for the new building would be altogether different 

 from that proposed in the first design. J should say that it would be 

 desirable that it should be iu the iMediieval style of arcliiteclure, and that 

 the loftier the building is made, provided no practical inconvenience re- 

 sults from the height, the belter will be the external cti'ect. 



In the exterior of the building I should propose four stories ; the centre 

 of the building would be lower, and the great hall and surrounding courts 

 would be lighted entirely from above. 



That area . ;ili that elevation would supply the means of transferring 

 to that central locality all the public offices now in the Temple, and iu 

 other plac<s connected with the administration of the law. — 1 have every 

 reason to believe, from the information I have at present, that such would 

 he the case. It is most probable that many of those offices would require 

 to be new modelled, and the ex'ent of accommodation is therefore a little 

 uncertain ; but I have very little doubt Ihat the size of the building and 

 the power of increasing the number of stories in it, will afford every ac- 

 eummodation that can be required. 



It would include also the late Six Clerks' Office, now in Chancery-lane 



Cost, Frontage. 



I can stale, in round numbers, what I believe would be the cost of the 

 new building. It would, I think, be about £300, OUO. It is impossible 

 for me, however, to give an answer with certainty, inasmuch as I have 

 not gone into the details of the plan. 



Does the estimate of £300,000 cover merely the new buildings of the 

 courts, or all the buildings that would stand upon the site that would be 

 cleared ? — The courts alone. 



Where would you propose the front of this building to be ? — The front 

 should be lo the Strand and Fleet-street. 



Do you conlemplate in your plan so widening the Strand as to give easy 

 access lo the building ? — I propose Ihat the Strand should be widened s o 

 that it should not be less than 100 feet. 



Temple Bur. 



Do you propose to get rid of Temple Bar .' — That v^ould not be ne- 

 cessary. 



Will you stale to the Committee how far Temple Bar could be pre 

 served, consistently with the frontase of the street at that spot, as designed 

 on your plan ? — Temple Bar can stand as it is shown upon that plan ; it 

 would not be in the centre of ihe street, or of the area in the front of the 

 building, but it would be attached to one side. 



It would be like the arch of Titus f — Yes, in some degree. 



Evidence of R. L. Jones, Esq. — Vou are the Chairman of lbs Committee 

 for City Improvements ? — 



AltC7'ations of Temple Bar. 

 With reference first to the question of Temple Bar, do you believe that 

 the alteration of Temple Bar would form any objection on the part of the 

 City to the plan that Mr. Barry has proposed I — I think they would re- 

 quire boundary gates. I do not think there would be any strong objection 

 against removing the present gates and substituting others ; bnt I think 

 they would insist on boundary gates. 



City Improvements. 



The City contemplate some improvements in the direction of the inns 

 of court. 



It is proposed to commence from the corner of Cheapside, at the west 

 end of Cheapside, and to take down the whole block of building on Ihe 

 notth side of St. Paul's, and thence going across the Old Bailey, through 

 the site of the Fleet Prison, crossing Farringdon-street, up to little New- 

 street, and thence up to F'etterlane, which joins the Kolls estate, taking 

 another diagonal line into the wide part of Holborn, which would be the 

 means of relieving Holburn-hill, as to which a loud complaint has so long 

 been made, because we have ascertained that the aclivities from the point 



at the west end of St. Paul's Churchyard will be more than Ludgafe- 

 streel or Fleet, about 1 in 30. 



The hill, as marked on this plan, would be as steep as Ludgate-hill. 



These plans are now iu contemplation. 



Several of them will be begun, but which portion I cannot say. 



The great call is for another artery, if I may use the expression, east 

 and west. 



Where would be the terminus of the proposed street of the left-hand 

 branch ? — Vp to Fetter-lane on one side,aud into the wide part of Holborn 

 on the other. 



Accountant General's Office. 



Evidence of Mr. S. Parkinson.] — The office w.as built about 70 years 

 ago; when it was built it was only intended for four clerks in the 

 Accountant CTcneral's office, and one division. The whole property was 

 about six millions. Since Ihat time the office has been obliged to be di- 

 vided into four distinct offices, so as to divide the Alphabet. The conse- 

 quence is that Ihe rooms have been much cut about, and we do not know 

 where to put the books and papers securely. Last year the properly trans- 

 ferred and paid in and out was £19,900,000. 



So that an office which was formerly intended for four clerks, has 

 now 26. 



Formerly Ihe public got their dividends passed on the ground floor ; 

 now they are obliged to clamber up and down a very bad staircase in 

 order to get their drafts passed by tlie Hegistrar. 



Wuh regard to all those offices, very much increased accommodation is 

 required ; the Exchequer business has been removed into Ihe Court of 

 Chancery, and we viere obliged to make provision for it within the same 

 walls. 



Increase of Business. 



When you speak of Ihe great increase of business which has taken place 

 in the diflerent courts lately, what year are jou compariug the present 

 with ? — I am compariug the year 1775 with Ihe present jear. Iu the year 

 177.'5, when the offices were built, the whole of the property in court was 

 £0,000,000, and last jear the amount of slock and cash paid and trans- 

 ferred into and out of court, was about £19,000,000 ; Ihe Railway Bills 

 bringing an immense deal of business. 



I can stale what it was in 1828. The cash received and paid into court 

 was about £1,000,000. The stock paid in then was about £1 l(iO,000. 

 The cash paid out was £4,359 000, and the stock transferred out was 

 £3,322,0(10 ; making a total of about £15,000,000. 



What is the amount of property to which those books have reference 

 which are contained in the offices of the Accountant (ic-neral ? — I should 

 think Ihe value would be about £00,000,000, The stock last year was 

 £4G,530,.'j77 ; that included East India slock and Bank slock, and a great 

 number of valuable securities, so that the value of the whole would be 

 nearly £00,000,000. 



Petition for Removal of Present Courts, 



Evidence o/ Mr. R. Macghan. — There was a petition to the House of 

 Commons from the solicitors of London and Weslminster, signed by 632 

 different solicitors. 



Do they reside iu different parts of the metropolis ? — In various parts ; 

 a large proportion in the City ; some at this end of town ; and particularly 

 in and about the inns of court. 



Including the most considerable solicitors in London. 



The signatures to the petitions include almost all the agency houses. 



All those persons think it would be a great convenience to themselves, 

 and their clieuls, if the courts of law were removed from their present 

 position. 



The total number of professional men in Ihat department, residing in the 

 metropolis, is I think about 2,500. 



About one-fourth of that number have signed the petition in favour of 

 this plan. 



Has any one on Ihe part of Messrs. FreshQeld, signed ?— Two of the 

 Messrs Freshfield have signed, and Jlr. Edward Lawfurd, and Mr. John 

 Law ford. 



Of the solicitors at the west end of London, can you specify some of the 

 leading houses ? — I observe that Messrs. Clarke and Fynmore have signed ; 

 Mr. Clai'ke is just appointed solicitor to the Ordnance. 



Did Ihe clerk call upon any of those three-fourths who have not signed ? 

 — He called upon many who did not sign, not being at their offices ; he in- 

 fiirmert me that none he called upon objected to sign. 



Did he state that none upon whom he called had refused to sign ? — None 

 whatever. 



Vou were rather in a hurry with the petition? — Yes; the time was 

 short. 



Gas Works in the Colonies. — The inhabitants of our moat distant 

 colonies are becoming alive to the advantages and comfort of gas lighting. 

 A company has been formed for this purpose at Cape Town, (ape of Good 

 Hope, and tlie contract for the supply of the apparatus has been taken by 

 Messrs. Barlow and Co., the engineers and contractors for gas works of 

 39, Biicklersbury. The total outlay will not exceed £7,0('0. Mr. Alex. 

 Wilson, late of the Imperial Gas Company, is engineer, aud the design* 

 and arrangement of the work do him great credit. 



