that time in Scotland, designing a house for his Lordship, strongly recommended to him to endeavour to procure casts of all the remaining sculpture, &c. in Athens, but had not the least idea of the marbles themselves being removed.

Since Mr. Harrison resided in the neighbourhood of Chester, he has been engaged in several works of importance: amongst others, a Greek Doric column, at Shrewsbury, in honour of Lord Hill; and one for the Marquis of Anglesea, erected near his Lordship's residence, on the Straits of the Menai. The following paper was written by him soon after the erection of Lord Hill's column (but not published), in consequence of the design being, in several publications, attributed to Mr. Haycock, of Shrewsbury, the gentleman who obtained the second premium. As the same has been asserted since Mr. Harrison's death, it may be well to show what were his feelings on the subject. Mr. Harrison was not a candidate for the premiums, having for many years declined entering into competitions of the kind; but his services were afterwards requested by the committee:

"Enquiries have frequently been made, and even disputes arisen, when the names of the authors of works in any department of the arts have been uncertain. To remove, therefore, any doubt respecting the name of the architect of the column erected at Shrewsbury in honour of Lord Hill by the people of Shropshire, Mr. Harrison has been urged by his friends to publish the whole or such parts of the correspondence between the committee and himself as relate to the design and execution of the column, this being the only measure now in his power by which he can fully justify his claim to the honour of having been the architect of this testimonial, which, though it may be of little consequence to the public, he considers of some to himself.

"The gross misrepresentation in the pamphlet sold at the column, and in some of the monthly publications, will, by this means, be corrected, and the imputation removed from the committee of the inconsistency and partiality which appear in this book, of their having adjudged the first pre

mium to one design, and then unanimously agreeing to adopt another which had obtained only the second premium.

"The inconsiderate interference of partial or interested friends frequently injures the party they wish to elevate more than that they mean to depress. To assert, as is done in these publications, that the original design of a simple, detached, Doric column was made by any person now living, is absurd; since it is well known that the order originated in an early period of Grecian art, and the remaining examples, from that time to its decline, may be traced in one or two excellent works on the subject, published in this country for the use of architects and others. Therefore, selecting an example judiciously from these, changing its proportions a little according to circumstances, and adding an appropriate basement, &c. agreeing with the size and simplicity of the column, constitute, together with detailed working drawings, and a particular attention to the construction, the chief business of the architect of such a column.

"Under these circumstances, Mr. Harrison considers himself as much the original designer or architect of this building, as of any other he ever did; and, from his attention to the above essentials, it is presumed that, whatever the merits of the design may be, this is not only one of the best-constructed columns, and of the least number of stones of its dimensions, since the erection of those of Trajan and Antonini at Rome, but the largest Grecian Doric column ever erected.

"The acting members of the committee, and the person who has taken upon him to describe this testimonial in the book mentioned, know that from the time the premiums were adjudged, and after Mr. Harrison was pressed into the service of the committee, the candidate who had the second prize, and to whom the credit of this erection is now given, had no more to do with it than either of the others who gained the first and third premiums; but that after Mr. Harrison's design was approved of, it was, without alteration, contracted for and executed from his working drawings, &c. in which the

number, form, and dimensions of all the stones were indicated, and under a superintendent occasionally sent by him, at the request of the committee, from Chester, Therefore, as Mr. Harrison neither needs nor wishes to gain credit from the designs of any man, he will not tamely suffer another, especially in a work of this nature, to assume credit from what he may have successfully designed and executed.

"There will be added outlines of the designs to which the first and second premiums were adjudged by the committee.

"Chester, December 13. 1817.”

Mr. Harrison also erected the triumphal arch at Holyhead, built to commemorate the King's landing there; as well as the jubilee tower upon Moel Famma, to commemorate the fiftieth year of the reign of George III. To which may be added the Lyceum and St. Nicholas's tower, in Liverpool; and the theatre and Exchange buildings in Manchester. Mr. Harrison, likewise, having been called up to London to attend a committee of the House of Commons, respecting Ouse Bridge, at York, was consulted in the formation of Waterloo Bridge. By the following extract from the Chester Courant, of the 27th of July, 1824, it also appears that he was the first to propose a grand quay on the banks of the Thames, to be built from Westminster Bridge to that of Blackfriars; a project which was afterwards warmly advocated by Colonel Trench and other distinguished individuals:

"It will be seen by the above account *, that this scheme has for its advocates some of the most distinguished characters of the country; and to those who are at all acquainted with the metropolis, it will be obvious the accomplishment of it will be of incalculable utility. Whatever share of merit, however, the country may ascribe to the individuals who now take a lead for carrying the plan into effect, we must claim for our highly respectable fellow-citizen, Mr. Harrison, architect, the credit of having suggested it, and pointed out its advan

This refers to the report of a meeting held in London, on the 17th July, 1824, for the purpose of taking into consideration a plan for forming a quay to extend from London Bridge to Scotland Yard,

tages, so early as the year 1810. This will clearly appear from the following observations on the subject of improving the banks of the Thames, previous to the erection of Waterloo Bridge, made by this gentleman, when in London, in the above year, and which were published in the Chester Guardian of November 20. 1817. We do not affirm, because we do not know, that the present projectors of the improvements have acted upon Mr. Harrison's suggestion; but we are induced to republish his remarks, which, at least, show a striking similarity with the proposed plan, and stamp the measure now contemplated with the sanction of an eminent architect, by whom this city has been, and we trust will be further embellished. EDIT.

"SIR,-The proposed extent of the arches for the Strand Bridge, according to the elevation published, appears larger than necessary; and the water-way, limited by the act of parliament to 1080 feet, to be likewise more than the river requires, supposing the banks contracted.

"Commodious and open quays upon the banks of the Thames are very desirable, as well for the convenience which they would afford to trade and commerce, and the inhabitants in general, as for the improvement they would produce in the appearance of the town; and it is much to be regretted, that more attention has not been paid to an object of such importance.

"In erecting this bridge, something should be done with a view to future improvements of this nature; and if a continued quay could be made from Westminster Bridge to that of Blackfriars, or to the proposed Strand Bridge, it would be one of the most useful and finest works attempted for ages in this metropolis.

"It is, therefore, here suggested to remove, as much as possible, from the river the coal barges, and make better conveniences for them in the space which might be gained betwixt the proposed quay and the present irregular and inconvenient shore, by somewhat contracting the river, and removing the

almost ruinous buildings which disgrace some parts of its banks, from Privy Gardens downwards; spaces might then be formed for docks for coal barges at proper distances amongst the buildings to be erected: these docks might be entered by swivel bridges upon the quays, and frequently, at low tides, under them, so that the river would, in a great measure, be freed from the disagreeable appearance of these barges, and a continued quay be formed.

"Upon the side of this quay might be built, at intervals, continued rows of houses, with terraces, more or less like the Adelphi, not to interfere with such gardens, &c. as are open to the river. The docks might, in part, be arched, so that there would be other conveniences above; and the business of discharging the coal flats, and loading the waggons, might probably be done in the higher parts of the Strand, by proper cranes placed upon raised roads over the docks, and nearly level with the street: this would prevent that very inconvenient and, it may be said, cruel pull for the horses from the present wharfs, which so frequently interrupts the carriages, and passengers upon the foot-paths, in the Strand.

"The present is a very slight sketch of what might be attempted, which, if not completed for centuries to come, would remain a credit to the age in which it was projected and begun, and to those individual promoters who had resolution and perseverance sufficient to overcome all difficulties attending, in this country, the introduction of such an extensive and grand improvement: but after contemplating what has been done, within these few years, at Westminster, I do not altogether despair of seeing something of this nature attempted. It would be a part of the projected plan of Sir Christopher Wren, for rebuilding the city of London after the great fire, who had formed grand and commodious quays upon the banks of the Thames, which all succeeding ages will regret was not wholly put into execution. Such a plan, instead of spreading out the town to an inconvenient extent, would be improving it, by rendering clean, convenient, and ornamental, a part thereof, apparently every way the con