314 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[September, 



We humbly subjoiD, as an appendix to this report, some papers 

 treating in detail various matters connected with the subject of our 

 inquiry, and explanatory of the proceedings of the commission; and, 

 with respect to the architect's report, have to state that we have 

 taken it into our attentive consideration; but although we have, in 

 consequence, issued various notices calculated to assist us in coming to 

 a final decision thereupon, we are not yet prepared to lay any specific 

 recommendation before your Majesty, both in consequence of the 

 building not being sufficiently advanced, and the result of the inquiries 

 and experiments made and making by and under our direction not 

 being sufficiently ascertained, to justify us in coming to any final con- 

 clusion in this respect. And with reference to that part of the archi- 

 tect's reports which relates to local improvements in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Palace, we consider that, however deserving of attention 

 the improvements in question may be, they do not come within the 

 inquiry with which we are intrusted. 



Albert. Colborne. 



Ltndhdbst. Charles Shaw Lefevre. 



Sutherland. Robert Peel. 



Lansdowne. J. R. G. Graham. 



Lincoln. Robert Harry Inglis. 



Aberdeen. Henry Gally Knight. 



J. Russell. B. Hawes, Jun. 



Palmerston. Samuel RoGEhS. 



Melbourne. Thomas Wyse. 

 ■Whitehall; July 28, 1843. 



[Here follows Mr. Barry's Report which we published in the 

 Journal last May, page 173.] 



Extract from the Report of the Committee on Westminster Hall. 



Your committee, to whom was referred the duty of making investigations 

 respecting the ancient state and modes of permanent and temporary deco- 

 ration of Westminster Hall, and respecting the dates and extent of its archi- 

 tectural alterations, have the honor to report — 



That they have examined Westminster Hall with a view to the objects of 

 the inquiry committed to them. 



That they have reason to believe that the original hall of King William 

 Rufus occupied the same area as the present building. 



That they believe, that whatever portion of the fabric of the Norman hall 

 6f the palace of King William Rufus may remain, it is entirely encased and 

 concealed by the walls of the actual structure. 



That the walls of the actual structure, as they now appear, with the ex- 

 ception of the surface alterations made in 1806-7, and also the existing roof, 

 were erected in the reign of King Richard II., in the year 1398; the walls 

 being then heightened, and the original rubble of the Norman work being 

 then encased in ashlar, and the buttresses added. 



That they have no reason to believe that there were any permanent deco- 

 rations in the interior of the said hall other than those which now exist. 



That the temporary decorations on occasi in of state trials, or of corona- 

 tion banquets, varied with the need and propriety of the service to which 

 the hall was applied. 



That in the last year of the reign of King Richard II., the hall appears to 

 have been "hung and sumptuously trimmed," by which phrase your com- 

 mittee understand hangings of tapestry and other temporary decoration ; 

 but that there is no reason to believe that there was at any time any deco- 

 ration of painting of any kind on the walls : though in making this obser- 

 vation it is right to add, that your committee feel that there is in the ex- 

 isting hall sufficient light for the proposed exhibition of cartoons. 



That the use of banners and trophies suspended from the roof or rafters 

 of the ball was not earlier than the reign of Queen Anne, and was soon 

 discontinued. And in respect to the last subject of inquiry remitted to 

 them, so far as the same has not by anticipation been already answered by 

 the statement that the hall is substantially unaltered, your committee find, 

 that in 1821, the two courts of justice which were excrescences on the south 

 side, and which were comparatively modern erections, were removed ; that a 

 door in the centre of the south end was opened ; that two smaller doors at 

 the sides were closed ; that a row of dormer windows was opened in the 

 roof on each side, and certain doors opened to the courts of law on the west 

 side. 



Your committe observe that one of the windows on the east side has been 

 partially closed, two windows adjoining the same having been originally 

 closed externally, so far as it appears by the clock tower of the ancient pa- 

 lace rising directly against them, and still obstructing them, though it was 

 reduced in height by the late Mr. Wyatt in the course of the works which 

 he conducted in 1806-7. 



Robert Harry Inglis. 

 Henry Gally Knight. 

 Henry IIallam. 

 George Vivian. 

 Whitehall, March 24, 1843. 



PAYNE'S 'WOOD PATENT. 



In the House of Commons on ^Vednesday, August 16, Mr. Barclay put a 

 question to the noble lord at the head of the Woods and Forests, respecting 

 Mr. Payne's patent process for preserving timber from dry rot, aud the ra- 

 vages of insects. He understood that the properties of the patent to this 

 extent had been pretty fully tested, and more than all by the department 

 over which his lordship presides, and that it had been satisfactorily shown 

 that it had the property of rendering wood prepared by it uninflammable, or 

 at any rate of depriving it of a large degree of combustibility. Lord Lin- 

 coln said he felt most happy to give the honourable member the fullest in- 

 formation he possessed on the subject. The matter had been brought before 

 him in his official capacity, and he had thought it right to take considerable 

 pains to be well informed on so important an invention. He had paid a 

 visit to the premises, and inspected the very ingenious machinery and pro- 

 cess of Mr. Payne, hut not liking to trust his own judgment in a matter 

 where great professional skill was essential, he had directed Mr. Phillips, 

 professor of economic geology, to examine into the invention and report 

 upon it. That report the noble lord said was highly favourable ; and since 

 then he had directed the erection of a structure in his department in which 

 the process had been applied to all the timbers, and under the inspection of 

 the woods and forests surveyors. He had no doubt himself of the great 

 value of the invention, and believed that experience would confirm his pre- 

 sent favourable opinion, but time would be necessary to test it. The Admi- 

 ralty had applied to him on the same subject, and a similar answer had been 

 returned to them. He should be happy to lay before the hon. member for 

 Sunderland the report of Mr. Phillips. Mr. Barclay thanked the noble lord 

 for his satisfactory statement, and moved that the report be laid upon the 

 table of the house, which was agreed to. 



A STEAM METER. 



M. Clement has invented an instrument which he calls a manometric 

 thermometer, for measuring the temperature and tension of steam in boilers 

 of high and low pressure, and particularly to prevent accidents by explosion. 

 It ^ formed of twa snips, one oi which is silver, and the other of platina. 

 rolled up in a spiral form. These strips are soldered together, and one of 

 the extremities is fixed, while the other is attached to a copper vertical rod. 

 Owing to the difference in the dilation of platina and silver, when the tem- 

 perature of the instrument varies, its upper extremity imparts a movement 

 of rotation to the copper roil, which is communicated by means of a raek- 

 wheel to two hands, which indicate the variation of temperature. 



The Amicable Assurance Office, Fleet Street. — Tenders delivered 

 August 16, 1843.— S. Beazlcy, Esq., Architect. 



STONE FROM PORTLAND. NORFAL. 



Messrs. Webb £10,752 £11,000 



Mr. Dixon 10.700 10,995 



Mr.Herbert 10,640 10,845 



Messrs. Cubit t 10.610 10.860 



„ Soward and Son 10,590 10.850 



„ C.risselland Peto 10.506 10,746 



,. Lee 10.280 10. ion 



., Woolcot and Son 10.178 10,478 



Mr. Winsland 9.800 9,887 



Messrs. Piper and Son 9,754 9,954 



The Directors have decided to have Norfal stone, and accept Mr. Winsland's 

 tender. The works have commenced. 



Public Works in Paris — The National observes, that it is not without 

 interest to consider the sums expended within the last 21 years in the im- 

 provement and embellishment of Paris, which have rendered it one of the 

 finest cities in the world. 



Francs. 

 Expended on works relative to the distribution of water, 

 aqueducts, reservoirs, fountains .. .. .. 30,986.347 



In flagging and paving .. .. .. .. 17,644,061 



In purchases for enlarging the public avenues . . 39,047.708 



The construction of commercial edifices as w ell as in ob- 

 jects of art and decoration .. .. •■ 62,984,919 



In the purchase of ground necessary for those edifices.. 17,802,729 



Total 



168,465,764 



