THE STONES OF WESTMINSTER.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 23, 9 June 1860, Page 3

THE STONES OF WESTMINSTER.

Before tlie gorgeous pile on which Parliament has spent more then two millions of money is actually completed for its future assemblings, the stone of which it has been built is found to be in a state of palpable, decay Instead of materials having been employed of a nature peculiarly fitted to ensure the durability of the edifice, and the preservation in their beauty of its elaborate external ornaments, a species of limestone has been used, which now turns out to be singnlarly ill qualified to resist the decomposing influence of an atmosphere, impregnated with the fumes and gases prevalent in the metropolis ; and the silent progress of deterioration is already become so incontestable, that a sum of £7,280 was demanded last session and, of course, granted, to defray the expense of washing the exterior of the huge building with a certain chemical preparation said to have the effect of indurating the surface of the stone. On Friday last Mr. Wise, brought the subject under the notice of the House

of Commons, and asked whether any permanent advantage was to be hoped from the use of the “ architectural cosmetic" thus ordered, or whether they had, as yet been experimentally applied. .The reply of Mr. Cooper, the newly appointed chief commissoner of works, was far from satisfactory; and as the ultimate consequences threaten to become rather serious, it is only right that the history of the transaction should be clearly understood, and that the true cause of the mischief which is likely to' cost us so clear, should be plainly pointed out. It appears from the very lucid and striking statement of Mr. Wise, that when, in 1836, Sir Charles-Barry’s design for the New House of Parliament was adopted, and his estimate was accepted of £774,560, a stipulation was made that a royal commission should be appointed to inquire before any portion of the costly structure was begun, what Avas the most suitable stone for the purpose.- The commission was agread to, and it consisted of Sir Henry Della Beclie, Dr. Arnott, Sir Charles Barry, and Mr. Smith. After spending seAmral months travelling together through the kingdom and elsewhere, these gentlemen reported that they had visited one hundred and twenty-three quarries, and examined upwards of one hundred ancient edifices with special reference to the durability of their materials, and the practical conclusion all which they had arrived was that the best stone that could be used in the proposed Palace of Westminster Avas that of Bolsover, a contract for which Avasin conseqncnce entered into. Not very long afterwards, however, upon pretexts Avhich have never been thoroughly sifted or explained, this engagement Avas set aside, and another contracted with the late Duke of Leeds for the exclusive use of the produce of a quarry belonging to him in Yorkshire. Of the inferiority of the material thus substituted for the Bolsover stone, there is unhappily no room for question; yet, inferior though it be, it might have been so used as to lesson greatly the effects of the elements upon the decorative portions of the building. No rule, we believe, is more generally recognised in such matters, than - that placing stones in all the external parts of an edifice bed Avise, that is according to the grain in which they are found to have been geologically deposited. The neglect of this rule not only tends to mar the unity of archiectural effect by destroying uniformity of colour, but Avliat is far worse it invites the corrosive action of an impure atmosphere wherever the stones have been placed contrary to the law of their formation.