THE NEW PALACE AT WESTMINSTER.
Plan of the Chapter. Section I. HISTORY OF THE COMPETITION--Burning
of the old Houses of Parliament--Opening of the Competition for
the New Building--Award of the Commissioners--Approved by the
Select Committee of the Houses--Protest of the advocates of
Classical Architecture--Critical controversy--Personal attacks on
Mr. Barry--Meeting of unsuccessful Competitors--Presentation of
Petition by Mr. Hume--Opposition quashed by Sir Robert Peel--Protest
against it by Professor Donaldson and others. Section II. PROGRESS
OF THE BUILDING--Difficulties as to the Foundation--Commission of
Inquiry as to the Stone to be used--First Stone laid--Unavoidable
delays--Committee of the Peers--Generous support of Earl of
Lincoln--Committee of the Commons--Appointment of New Palace
Commissioners--Appointment of Dr. Reid--Difficulties arising therefrom,
and arbitration of Mr. Gwilt--The Great Clock--Competition and success
of Mr. Dent--Professor Airy and Mr. E. B. Denison referees--Mr.
Denison the chief Director--His tone and method of controversy--The
Great Bell and its disasters--The Fine Arts Commission--The
Architect’s exclusion from it--His scheme for the Decoration of the
Building--The scheme of the Commissioners--Its ideal excellence and
practical drawbacks--Connection with Mr. Pugin--Real nature of the aid
given by him--Mr. Thomas and the stone carving--Mr. Meeson and the
practical engineering--Other assistants in the work--Opening of the
House of Peers--Opening and alteration of the House of Commons--The
Architect knighted in 1852--The Great Tower hardly completed at
his death. Section III. THE REMUNERATION QUESTION--Its points of
public interest--General question of architectural percentage--Its
bearing on the particular work--Original attempt at a bargain by Lord
Bessborough--Accepted under protest--Re-opening of the question--First
Minute of the Treasury, and reply--Mr. White acts for Sir C.
Barry--Second Minute of the Treasury--Counter statement--Third Minute
of the Treasury--Submitted to by Sir C. Barry--Protest of the Royal
Institute of British Architects, and reply--Practice of the Government
after Sir C. Barry’s death--General reference to the question of
expenditure--Summing up of the chief points of the controversy 143