CHAPTER VI

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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

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