Westminster Hall, as two principal objects which ought not only to be preserved at all events, but to be made the most of, whatever plans are adopted. Now, it has so happened, that from the intervention of adjoining buildings of no dignified character, the relative position of these two buildings, has never been seen by the public.

To Westminster Hall, on the side next the Thames, adjoin the passages leading to the residence of the Speaker of the Horse of Commons; on the side next the Abbey, are sundry offices of very mean appearance and so effectually is the lower part of this ancient edifice concealed, that nobody knows of the flying buttresses which support the walls; between which some of the courts of public justice are accommodated.

We learn, with great pleasure, that the whole mass of external modern erections, which defaces the principal entrance to this noble Hall, is ordered to be pulled down, so that the original face of the fabric will once more shew itself. According to the best examination we have been capable of making, this face is not only uniform, but beautiful; many of its parts are highly enriched, and in a good state of preservation. With judicious, and not excessive reparations, this restoration cannot fail of gratifying every competent judge.

Supposing the face of Westminster Hall to be restored, the next object seems to be the renovation of the side next the Abbey. The appearance of this is, as we have stated, extremely mean: and it is difficult to say, till the buttresses be laid open, whether it would be preferable to remove every annexed construction, and to present this flank of the Hall in its original state, or to adopt the buttresses for divisions, and supports, as they now are, and to build a font the whole length, of a proper height, adapted to receive the four Courts of Justice, cach of them marked by an appropriate distinction and distribution of this front; yet the whole subject to one general system of uniformity and arrangement. Objections may be started against both these ideas; nor can they be removed, till the lower parts of the Hall are open to inspection.

Proceeding further round the Hall, we come to that motley assemblage of buildings, which does accommodate the House of Lords; with certain public offices attached. Between these and the Hall, but standing back the whole width of the Hall, (a considerable distance), is St. Stephen's Chapel, where now the House of Commons assembles. In this confined space, hardly fitted to contain five hundred persons, is this House of Parliament, itself consisting of nearly seven hundred members, together with these who may be interested in the various bills therein

pending, which sometimes is a considerable number of persons, obliged to assemble: and to follow all manner of cramp passages, and to occupy detached buildings, &c. for its necessary appendant offices, such as committee rooms, clerks' rooms, &c.

As one corner of Westminster Hall abutts against one corner of St. Stephen's chapel, the most effectual and most magnificent plan of arrangement, as it strikes us, would be to erect on the other side of St. Stephen's chapel, a building corresponding to Westminster Hall, which might accommodate the four Courts of Justice, and the House of Commons: St. Stephen's might then be fitted for the Lords, whose assemblies are never so numerous as those of the Commous. Thus we should obtain a regularity, by means of two buildings of great extent, with a smaller building receding precisely in the centre between them. Nor is this so difficult as it may appear, for two thirds of the present wall, range, by the plan, on the precise line that would be chosen: but undoubtedly the elevation would require skill. The necessary openings to the river, in order to insulate the whole, would follow of course.

We have suggested these ideas, because, after a plan is settled by act of parliament advice is too late: but we shall now advert to what is actually intended.

As we have said, the buildings attached to the front of Westminster Hall are to be displaced; all the dwelling houses between the Hall and the Abbey are to be removed, together with every obstruction, (St. Margaret's Church, at present, excepted), so that the whole extent from the further extremity of the Ably to the river Thames will be laid into one grand area. The whole of the premises are purchased; two thirds of the houses are taken down; the office of ordnance is advertised for sale by auction; and the whole of King Street, the Broad Sanctuary, and adjoining buildings, is destined to form part of the general improvement.

It is not understood that this extent of ground is to remain vacant, but to be completely new-modelled; to receive buildings whether public, or private, of a handsone and uniform construction, and instead of those crooked and winding ways which now lead from some parts to the Houses of Parliament, the whole is to be made straight, open, and convenient.

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As this subject will again come under our notice, in our further attention to modern improvements, intended, or necessary, shall here suspend our remarks on it, but not without expressing our hopes and persuasion, that, as the British character is famous for its perseverance, and for its attention to the completeness of what it undertakes, that the time will come, when we shall no longer

corruption or abbreviation of some other name. The bones are re-buried; but the barrow, and the tomb, will be left open some time longer for the inspection of the curious.

HEREFORD.-The anniversary meeting of the Hereford Agricultural Society was most numerously attended. One hundred persons dined at the hotel, in the great room. R. P. Scudamore, M. P. was declared president, and Mr. Linger, vice president for the ensuing year.

The premium for the best new variety of the apple, was awarded to T. A. Knight, Esq; it was a cross, between the Siberian crab and the Lulham pearmain.

The fruit was exquisitely beautiful; and a shoot of one years growth was produced, I which measured seven feet and an inch in length. This new variety is deemed a most valuable acquisition, and partakes of all the best qualities of the parent trees. Mr. Tompkins of Wellington, obtained the premium for exhibiting the best two-years-old heifer ; and Mr. Westfaling of Rudhall, for the best pen of fine-wooled ewes. Several labourers in husbandry also acquired premiums for bringing up large families without assistance from their parishes; and for living the greatest number of years in the same places.

LANCASHIRE.-Improvements in the town and port of Liverpool.-There are few of our readers who do not distinctly recollect the great fire which happened on the Goree, or quay of George's Dock, on the 14th Sept. 1802. This conflagration was by far the most tremendous in its appearance, and the most extensive in its devastation, which Liverpool had ever known; and in respect to waste of property, one of the most destructive which had happened in the British dominions since the great fire of London in 1666.

The scite of these extensive piles of buildings after the fire had ceased, presented to the eye, a huge and shapeless mass of ruins, which seemed almost to exclude the hope, or possibility of repairing the mischief, at least in any moderate number of years. Every stranger who visited Liverpool soon after this event, seemed convinced that the prosperity of the town had received a blow, from which it could not, but at a very distant period, be expected to recover. The immense piles of warehouses then destroyed, had for several years been the admiration of all Europe, and at that time were scarcely to be matched in the whole world.

Under this impression, our readers at a distance will learn with astonishment, that this extensive ruin is now, not only completely repaired, but that the whole of these sanges of buildings have arisen from their

ashes with improved magnificence and greatly augmented extent. The whole of this task has been completed in less than four years: and of all the various proofs which have been held forth to the world, of the spirit and resources of the town of Liverpool, we consider this as one of the most decisive and unequivocal. At the time of the conflagration, the stone casement, of the whole of that large and beautiful range which fronts to George's Dock, had been erected, but the super-incumbent warehouses, had only been built on that division which reaches from the bottom of Brunswick Street to Water Street, and on about one fourth of the other division. The whole of this, except the part last mentioned was entirely demolished. But the entire range from Brunswick Street to Water Street, and from Brunswick Street to Moore Street, is now completed, and for elegance, convenience, and situation, there certainly is not such another range of warehouses in Europe. The enormous piles which have been lately erected on the West India and Wapping Docks in London, are indeed vastly superior in size and extent, but for beauty and convenience they are not to be compared. The new row on the Goree is, including the two divisions, in length nearly two hundred yards, of a proportionate depth, and in height six stories exclusive of the cellars and garrets. It is built with exact uniformity, on a rustic stone casement, which incloses to the front, a fine flagged arcade of 13 feet in width, very convenient as a promenade for the merchants in wet weather. This piazza is formed by alternate great and small arches, the former ten feet nine inches in breadth, the latter full five feet eight inches This intermixture has a pleasing appearance to the eye, and detracts much from the heaviness of that species of architecture. The whole pile has the convenience of being open to a wide pavement, both in front and rear. The front rooms of the

lower story are used as counting-houses by the merchants who occupy the warehouses. The noble range of buildings belonging to Mr. Dawson, and others, which stood behind the pile we have just described, was also entirely consumed, and the whole of this ground, except a few yards, has likewise been completely rebuilt.

The new buildings it is true do not reach the enormous elevation which in the old was so much admired; but this deficiency may justly be reckoned an improvement. The extreme height of the former warehouses, was not only beyond the bounds of just proportion, but occasioned a variety of inconveniences; and particularly rendered the danger and mischiefs of a fire much more alarming and distressing.

On the whole, we cannot but repeat, that we consider these buildings, as a most extraor❤

dinary monument of the opulence, and enterprize of the town of Liverpool, and entitled to the highest attention, both as a public ornament and as a commercial establishment. NORTHUMBERLAND. North Shields.Tuesday the foundation stone of the new quay and market place at North Shields was laid, under a triple discharge of nine pieces of ordnance. His Grace the Duke of Northumberland's Bailiff for Tynemouthshire, D. Stephenson, Esq., architect, and a vast concourse of spectators attended

SOMERSETSHIRE. There are at present no less than sixteen charity schools instituted in the parish of St. James, in Bristol, thirteen weekly and three Sunday; and two more we understand, are likely to be instituted soon, in the same benevolent parish.

SUSSEX. A few days since, two fine young oxen belonging to John Apsley Dalrymple, Esq. of the Gate-house, Sussex, died so suddenly, that the men who had the care of them could scarcely believe their eyes when they saw them lying dead in the field. Mr. Tooth, farrier at Mayfield was in consequence sent for, who on his arrival soon discovered that the animals had been licking some gates which had been just painted with white lead and oil, and that the active operation of the poison, had produced the effects above-stated. A similar circumstance came under Mr. Tooth's observation some time ago in Kent.

WARWICKSHIRE.-Mr. U. W. Mason, of Goodrest Lodge, Warwickshire, who lately received the silver medal of the Society of Arts, for his experiments on the culture of carrots, observes, that the best way of giving them to horses, is not to cut them, but to mix them with the cut food, and put the whole into the manger. He adds, that horses accustomed to carrots will prefer them to oats when taken together; but that carrots must never be given to horses which come to the stable heated by work, nor are they proper for riding-horses, as nimble exercise causes them to be laxative. Store pigs may be fattened on carrots only.

Birmingham, A new public office and prison are just completed here. The first stone of this building was laid the 18th Sept. 1805, and the rapidity with which it has been erected, reflects great credit on the committee, who conducted the undertaking. The Internal arrangements of the prison, are ordered with much judgment and convenience; the cells are roomy, and well ventilated; the | court yard is of ample dimensions, well flagged, and in all the apartments and offices, the health and cleanliness of the unfortunate prisoners, have been studied with the most peculiar attention.

6th Oct. Improvements of the Town.The old houses purchased by the CommisVOL. I. [Lit. Pan. Dec. 1806.]

sioners of the Birmingham Street Acts, nine months ago, to widen the bottom part of Worcester Street, were put up for sale by public auction on Tuesday; and so much will that part of the town be improved by the alterations, that some small lots of land and the materials of the buildings, were sold for such large sums, that the town will gain £200 by the purchase, besides the removal of a dangerous nuisance.

The materials of the old prison in Peck Lane sold for £250.

WALES.

New Pier-The foundation stone of the new western pier, belonging to the Carmarthenshire Rail Road Company, was lately laid, Several proprietors attended the ceremony, assisted by their engineer and dock-master, as usual upon such occasions, and a liberal sum was given to the workmen. This new pier will extend 155 yards and form one of the most complete basons, and safe places of shelter in the principality.

New Road. Lord Bulkeley has liberally caused a fine coach-road to be made on the edge of the sea, from the Anglesea side of Bangor ferry, to Beaumaris, an extent of more than four miles, at his own expense.

Conjuror.-Last month, in the parish of Ruabon, Denbighshire, died at an advanced age, John Roberts, better known by the ap pellation of Moch y Nant, or Pig of the Brook. Mochy was conjuror and fortune-teller to a great part of the principality, and his fame extended far into Cheshire and Shrop shire. He professed to have attained his science in Egypt, though he was scarcely ever beyond his parish bounds. He was continually resorted to for the recovery of strayed linen, poultry, hatchets, and asses: even his name served to make rogues observe the rules of honesty. When he could not mark out infallibly the offender, he still was able to afflict hin with any infirmity or disease the injured party should like; Agues, Rheumatism, and St. Vitus's Dance, were entirely at his command, and dealed out by him in the most liberal manner. In fortune-telling he no less excelled: no swain or maiden ever applied in vain; he could not only create love in the human breast, but also chil! it with aversion and disdain. For these purposes he gave, or rather sold charms, coed in dark and hieroglyphic characters, which were also in much request to ensure success in any enterprise-a hat race, or a cock fight. Such was the Pig of the Brook: rogues will rejoice in his death, whilst the credulous and superstitious will lament until his place is supplied with some one equally gifted and imposing.

SCOTLAND.

Perth Navigable Canal. Application is inY