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THE PALACE OP WESTMINSTER.

“ Private Buildings,” has observed—viz., “ In the year 1800, the Court of Bequests was made into a“ House of Lords , and the old buildings, of a slight character, several stories in height, surrounding that“ substantial structure, were converted into accommodations for the officers of the House of Lords , and in« the necessary communications. The exterior of these old buildings, forming the front of the House of“ Lords, as well as the interior, is constructed chiefly with timber, covered with plaister; in such an“ extensive assemblage of combustible materials, should a fire happen, what would become of the Painted“ Chamber, the House of Commons , and Westminster Hall ? Where would the progress of the fire he“ arrested ? The want of security from fire, the narrow, gloomy, and unhealthy passages, and the“ insufficiency of the accommodation in this building, are important objects which call loudly for revision“ and amendment. ” These observations have unfortunately proved too prophetically correct; and appearto have been well warranted by the explanation given of the great and rapid extension of the conflagration.

Such as we have here described was the state of the Houses of Parliament , when, between six andseven o’clock in the evening of Thursday, the 16th of October, 1834, the metropolis was alarmed bysudden and long continued cries of “ fire, ” followed by the rush of fire engines and crowds of personshurrying towards the south-west of the metropolis, when the lurid state of the atmosphere, increased atevery instant, indicated but too truly the truth of the alarm—that spot was the House of Lords . It wasabout twenty-five minutes to seven when the first alarm was given, and by seven o’clock the conflagrationwas raging most alarmingly.

Prom the part of the building opposite Henry VII. Chapel, in the corner next to Westminster Hall,was the spot whence the flames, first bursting forth, spread in three different directions. Thence itadvanced to the body of the House of Lords , taking within its range the several apartments over thepiazza facing Palace Yard, thence to the Painted Chamber and the Library . These apartments wereall destroyed, but the hooks having been previously removed, whilst the latter room was undergoingalterations, were fortunately preserved.

The New Gallery, built by Sir John Soane , as well as the staircase, were preserved, owing to thethickness of the intervening wall. By nine o’clock all the apartments were in flames, and although theexterior walls remained standing, the interior was quite burnt down, and the roof and ceiling fell.Between ten and eleven o’clock, two great masses of the front fell in, hut the fire still raged withunmitigated fury; other portions falling in from time to time, until the whole building was reduced tosuch a state of dangerous ruin, that on the subsidence of the fire it became necessary to level the ruinswith the ground. The destruction of the modem parts of the structure revealed portions of old walls, etc.,which unquestionably formed part of the ancient Palace.

Another direction taken by the flames was still more extensively and rapidly destructive. This linewas eastward towards the river, the flames spreading also to the north and south, sweeping before themdown to the very gardens all but the ancient walls. The numerous rooms which formed the offices of theHouse of Commons were first consumed, and the loss here in hooks, papers, precedents, &c., was verygreat. The House of Mr. Ley, the Chief Clerk of the House of Commons , in Cotton Garden was also