ruinous condition. On the southern side are two gigantic cedars of singular shape, planted in 1683. The plants are generally in a very healthy state; but the gardens are susceptible of great improvement, and many repairs are absolutely necessary. In the centre of the garden is a statue of Sir Hans Sloane, by Ruysbrack, erected in 1737. Open daily, except Sundays. Admission by tickets, to be obtained at Apothecaries' Hall, or through the intervention of members of that body. CHELSEA HOSPITAL GARDENS. The grounds and gardens of the hospital, on the south side, form a very interesting promenade, especially during the summer season; the centre walk of lime trees, and the terrace bounded by the Thames, commanding all the diversified attractions of that portion of the river, being freely open to the public daily. On the north side of the hospital is an enclosed meadow, the area of which is about eighteen acres, having two side avenues of magnificent chestnut trees, and a central one of limes. This plot of land, which is used for a few days in each year, as an exercise ground for the out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospital, is also open for the recreation of the people. PUBLIC NURSERIES. The public Nurseries in the vicinity of London are of a very high order, and generally superintended by men of intelligence and skill. Besides being remarkable for general collections of plants, a few of them are distinguished for excellence in some particular department, which is specified as under: MR. GROOM'S, FLORIST'S NURSERY, Clapham, a very old and wellconducted establishment, removed a few years since from Walworth. It is particularly famous for tulips, of which it has about 250,000 bulbs. These are open to the public as an exhibition, during the flowering season; and the charge for admission is one shilling. It is advertised in the daily papers, when the flowers are in bloom. THE EXOTIC NURSERY, King's Road, Chelsea. This long established and justly-celebrated nursery is the property of Messrs. Knight and Perry, and is deservedly celebrated for its extensive collection of seedling Belgian Azaleas, varying greatly in colour, and numbering upwards of two thousand. In the green-houses are some most splendid Indian Azaleas, the colours of the flowers being most gorgeous. MR. CHANDLER'S NURSERY, Vauxhall, is famous for its Camellias; and their exhibition in the flowering season, which extends from March to June is a source of great attraction to florists. CHAPTER VI. LEGISLATIVE AND LEGAL ESTABLISHMENTS. In Britain-land THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, OR NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. An edifice destined to receive the great powers of the state, and to endure, in all human probability, as long as England is the seat of freedom and power. The towers of this enormous building are crowned by majestic symbols of the British monarchy; its walls are girt with the heraldic insignia of a long race ef kings; its chambers glow with all the associations of chivalry, of religion, and of justice; and the Palace of Westminster will, ere long, comprise, as in one perfect whole, the stable memorials of our national history, and the living organs of our political strength.-Times, Jan. 17th, 1850. The New Palace of Westminster is not the palace merely of a great monarch, but of the first and noblest constitutional government in the world. As St. Peter's to the Roman Catholic communion, as our own St. Paul's to the churches of the Reformation, so are the Halls of Westminster to the cause of constitutional liberty all over the world. The rebuilding of this vast edifice, is, without doubt the most important architectural work which has been undertaken in this country since the re-edification of St. Paul's Cathedral. So colossal a pile of building has not been erected in London since that period; nor so magnificent a specimen of Gothic architecture in England since the construction of Henry VII.'s chapel; and it may be truly added, that in arrangement, detail, warming, and ventilation combined, so perfect a structure was never before planned, so far as can be judged from recorded art of past ages, or the experience of our own time. The old Houses having been destroyed by fire, October 15th, 1834, the present magnificent structure was commenced, from the designs of C Barry, Esq., in 1840, and is now rapidly approaching completion. The river-front includes the residence for the Speaker, at the north end, the corresponding terminal towards the south being the residence for the Usher of the Black Rod. Between the two extremes, and comprising what are called the curtain portions, are the libraries for the House of Peers, and the libraries for the House of Commons: in the immediate centre is the conference-room for the two Houses. All this is on the principal floor, about fifteen feet above the terrace, or high-water mark. The whole of the floor above the libraries, and overlooking the river, is appropriated to committee-rooms, for the purposes of parliamentary business; the Peers occupying about onethird towards the south, and the Commons two-thirds towards the north. The House of Peers and House of Commons are situated in the rear of the front building, or that next the river; and will, when completed, be enclosed also towards the west, so as to be entirely sur rounded by parliamentary offices. The plan of this truly national edifice is extremely simple and beautiful. The central hall, an octagon of seventy feet square, is reached through St. Stephen's Hall and porch, communicating, by noble flights of steps, with Westminster Hall, and forming an approach of unequalled magnificence. From the central hall, a corridor to the north leads to the Commons' lobby and House of Commons; and a corridor to the south, to the Peers' lobby and the House of Peers. In a line with the House of Lords, still further to the south, are the Victoria Hall, the Royal Gallery, and the Queen's Robing Room, communicating with the Royal staircase and the Victoria Tower, at the south-west corner of the pile, now rearing itself in Abingdon Street, intended for her Majesty's state entrance. The construction throughout is externally of hard magnesian limestone, from North Anstone, in Yorkshire, near Worksop, Nottinghamshire. It is a beautiful close-grained stone, of a texture considerably harder than Portland, and somewhat warmer in colour. The interior stone-work is from Caen. The bearers of the floors are of cast-iron, with brick arches turned from girder to girder; the entire roofs are of wrought-iron, covered with cast-iron plates, galvanized; so that the carcases of the entire buildings are fire-proof, not any timber having been used in their construction. The whole building stands on a bed of concrete, twelve feet thick; and the materials already used, include from eight to nine hundred thousand tons of stone, twentyfour millions of bricks, and five thousand tons of iron. Some idea of the magnitude of this national edifice may be formed when it is stated that the Palace to the eastward presents a frontage of nearly one thousand feet. When complete it will cover an area of nine statute acres: the great tower, at the south-western extremity, which has already been raised to the height of one hundred and eighty feet, will ultimately reach the gigantic elevation of three hundred and forty-six feet. Towers of lesser magnitude will crown other portions of the buiding. Fourteen halls, galleries, vestibules, and other apartments of great capacity and noble proportion will be contained within its limits. It comprises eight official residences, each first rate mansions: twenty corridors and lobbies are required to serve as the great roadways through this aggregate of edifices: thirty-two noble apartments, facing the river, will be used as committee-rooms. Libraries, waiting-rooms, dining-rooms, and clerks offices, exist in superabundant measure. Eleven greater courts, and a score of minor openings, give light and air to the interior of this superb fabric. Its cubic contents exceed fifteen millions of feet; being one-half greater than St. Paul's; and it contains not less than between five and six hundred distinct apartments, amongst which will be a chapel for Divine worship, formed out of the crypt of old St. Stephen's. ST. STEPHEN'S HALL is approached by a spacious flight of steps from Westminster Hal., and will serve as the principal public entrance and vestibule; it will be adorned with statues, and frescoes, as well as other decorations and enrichment. THE CENTRAL HALL. The most imposing in its architectural character and form, if not in splendour of polychromatic decoration, is the central Hall, one of the most magnificent portiors of the New Palace at Westminster; its exquisite proportions and enrichments cannot fail to excite universal admiration. Its groined roof, with its huge bosses of elaborate detail, rival any specimens of Gothic architecture in England, and are worthy of the great architect's renown. In plan the Hall is octangular, having door-ways at the four cardinal points, leading to the two Houses of Parliament, and above them will be introduced the representations of the four patron Saints,-St. George, St. Andrew, St. Patrick, and St. David, to be executed in Mosaic, (like the four Evangelists in the pendentives of the cupola of St. Peter's) and will thus afford an opportunity for the introduction of an art highly valued in other times and countries. In the three small spaces underneath three of the compartments, will be introduced heraldic emblazonings of the Order of the Garter, of the Thistle, and of St. Patrick; whilst at the four corners, lofty windows of beautiful tracery, thirty-one feet in height, admit light into the Hall. The Hall is sixty feet high, and sixty-three feet wide, and the groins, springing from pillars at the angles, are two feet three inches in depth. At the angles of intersection in the groins are bosses, eight of them decorated with the royal arms from Richard II. to Victoria, and thirty-two with badges and other heraldic insignia: there are also eight angels, bearing shields of the four kingdoms alternately. Round the splay of the windows and blank arches for frescoes, is a bold moulding of roses, having crowns at intervals. The models of the bosses are by Mr. Thomas, and do him infinite credit, from their variety and richness of design; and the masonry of the whole is most beautifully worked. From the central hall, a corridor to the south leads to the Peers' lobby and the House of Peers; and a similar lobby to the north, to the Commons' lobby and the House of Commons. THE PEERS' LOBBY. From the central hall, access is obtained to this, the vestibule of the Upper House, through the Peers' corridor, by the north door; it is a great triumph of art, and a fine specimen of exquisite, though subdued beauty; its decorations, both architectural and pictorial, being extremely elegant and appropriate. It carries the spectator back to the period of the middle ages, and brings the descriptions of Froissart and Monstrelet fresh to the recollection. The plan of the lobby is a square of about thirty-five feet, each side being divided by buttresses into a wide central, and two smaller compartments. The lower division of each buttress is square, panelled on the face, gabled with crocketing and finials, resting on a a deeply-moulded base: the upper is octagonal, moulded, and having a small angular buttress on its face. At the tops of the buttresses are demi-angels, coroneted; bearing shields, surmounted by the Garter, with "V. R." entwined by a cord, upon them. From the angels spring the spandrils that support the roof. The ceiling is divided into compartments, and is exceedingly chaste and effective. The floor is paved with encaustic tiles, by Minton, and is of surpassing beauty. The south door, by which access is obtained to the Bar of the House, corresponds in its general form to those on the other sides of the lobby, having six arches over it, embellished, like them with the royal armorial bearings; but in the details of the archway itself, far greater magnificence is displayed. The arch is deeply moulded, and round it rose-leaves, well chiselled and richly gilded, form an elaborate and appropriate enrichment; whilst at intervals, Tudor roses, very boldly sculptured in alto-relief, royally crowned, painted and gilded, add their gorgeous hues to the whole. At each corner of the lobby is a magnificent Gothic standard of brass for gas-lights. |