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less aware of this , for the plans of the lower story he has withheld , I suppose , as being of no consequence . The ground floor , however , we presume to express his views—and what have we here ? Two offices facing Queen-street , tolerably well lighted ; an entrance hall , partly so ; a secondary staircase , in outer darkness ,

admirably placed to create wailing and gnashing of the teeth of any brother who may have the temerity to ascend it ; for , in addition to the risk incurred by groping his way in the dark when the last step is reached , he would find himself about 7 ft . removed from the ground floor , and no probability of ever reaching the first . The steps provided are twelve in number , and the space is so small that there is no probability of being able to obtain a greater number . What a fix to be in ! What a bright idea to submit to tht . members of the Graft ! And

each floor is in a similar predicament ! Bro . Meymott may , however , say that this is a matter of detail , to be afterwards worked out . There I differ with him ; for if a plan is so faulty in its details , it must necessarily be incomplete , and therefore not only ineligible , but out o the pale of discussion . How the poor Secretaries will ever get on with their work , if restricted to the infinil

tesimally small amount of light provided for them in the back offices , is one easily imagined—and tbe answer must be not at all . These areas are shown about eight feet wide ( if so much ) , and the height of the walls surrounding these open courts cannot be less than 50 ft . above the floor of the offices . With the pure atmosphere of the countrythis would be absurd ( when possible to

, obviate it ); but in the London air , heavily charged , as it is , with carbon , it would be darkness visible , rendering gas necessary from the opening to the close of business . Besides no provision can be made for ventilating these areas , or of preventing the " delightful aroma " from the several water-closets from penetrating the various offices and apartments , the windows of which are

so admirably placed for its reception . Extending our walk to the grand staircase , we came upon the richest bit of designing in the whole affair . The other staircase was bad enough , but , voila ! what have we here ? At the end of the corridor a gallery is shown , sweeping the east side of the staircase , and intending , doubtless , to communicate with the second division of the corridor . Singularly , however , all progress is stopped at the termination of this gallery—a few steps blocking

up the end of it effectually ; while how to get to the "winding stairs , " shown on the west side , is a problem no one can solve . But even without this difficulty , what can wc think of the plan of the stairs themselves and the walls (?) enclosing them ? To what centres were the lines drawn , and where is the operative who would carry out the work as shown ? Then , again , the well-hole is

so strangely varied in size , being one-fourth narrower on the first floor than on the ground floor 1 The north wall on the first floor actually comes over the handrail of the upper portion of the stairs , as shown on the ground floor , so that if the latter should be adhered to , the landing would be in the ante-room ( even if this would be possible ) instead of ivhere ( I suppose ) Bro .

Meymott must contemplate it . If the areas nearest Queen-street are inadequate , what must we think of those near the proposed large hall ? These are scarcely five feet wide , aud yet they are expected to ventilate the water-closets and urinals , and to sweeten the air that may be caged in the refreshment room at thc time of its erection . Change this air is a moral

impossibility , without a complicated ancl expensive apparatus , with fans , shafts , & c , complete . Indeed , sweeter and purer air can be found at the bottom of ' a shaft to a coal pit than would ever find , its way to that place of places , the refreshment (?) room . Pity a name should be so abused . As for light , artificial means are the only ones available , both in here and in the coffee room , which is represented , as it ivould necessarily be , without any light at all ; a black hole of Calcutta , ivhere poison is dis-

Correspondence.

pensed far more liberally than coffee . The area shown at the back is about seven feet wide , with a blank wall about forty feet high , opposite the proposed south wall of the coffee room . Preposterous as this is , it is made still worse on the first floor , hy being reduced to about three feet , the south wall of the hall being built upon air I

Not one redeeming feature is there which relieves the eye in reading this ground plan . The same remarks apply with equal force to the first floor , a most admirable dungeon being provided for the Grand Master , ivith a second ditto for the Grand Officers , the privacy of the whole , so much dwelt upon by Bro . Meymott , being most effectually destroyed by the

proposed access to the upper room ( when he can manage it ) , and the horrid means of communication from the Grand Master ' s room to the hall . No lavatory , no water-closet are provided on this floor , so that in case of emergency , the Grand Officers must descend to the lower regions , and in case of dining , take their seats at table with unwashed hands . And then what a dining room is provided , ye little fishes preserve us . As to the hall itself . No light caii' be obtained save from the roof , which some may think preferable , while

the whole of the ventilation must be from the same source . In an artistic point of view , contrast the plan of Bro . Meymott's hall with that given of the present handsome apartment . And yet he would counsel the Graft to give this up , this , the gem of the metropolis , for a barn-like structure , comprising simply " four walls , roof , and floor , Avithout any window , and scarcely a door . " How

artistically the north end , too , is contrived ! The gallery stairs occupying a larger space than that of the lobby opposite , making it a regular lop sided affair . "Why should the Craft exchange their beautiful hall for an apartment void of all appearance of taste or decoration , or be called upon to consider a plan ivhich the poorest society in the world would shrink from adopting ?

supposed to be men of taste ancl discrimination , followers of a noble craft which has been the cradle of the arts , Avhich has kept alive science , which has preserved beauty and artistic skill , when without their Order all would have been lost ; they are now called upon to vacate the position they hold , to become the laughing stock of cowans and intruders—nay even of themselves—by erecting a dungeon instead of a palace , a nursery for a lazarretto instead of a temple in ivhich thc Order may be worthily enshrined .

I am sorry Bro . Meymott has been induced to publish his scheme in its present shape , because it has rendered criticism necessary , so that the uninitiated maj r not be led away by an eloquent prose description of a will o' the wisp , for such it would but too surely prove . I am , dear Sir and brother , yours fraternally , W . WIGGINTON , E . I . B . A .

London , August 5 th , 1862 . W . M . 1204 , & c . P . S . —Ap . lfiu . _ is also given of the second and third floor . This requires but little comment . Where is the convenient room ? And how can access be gained therefrom to tbe lodge room , and where in that lodge room are brethren , & c . to be admitted ? Let any Entered Apprentice answer thisand if it accords with his

, say notion of order and fitness . I am just told Bro . Meymott is not an architect , but a solicitor . I am sorry , therefore , he has had affiliated upon him so defective ancl impracticable a plan , and on public grounds alone do I send you my remarks .

Hampshire.

HAMPSHIRE .

TO THE EDITOK OF THE r _ IEE __ A $ 0 _ . S -JAGAZINE AND jIASOSIC UIBBO-i , DEAB . SIR AND BIIOTHEB , —In your report of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire , yon . rank Bro . the Rev . — "Wills , as Prov . G . Chaplain . It should be Bro . the Eev . —Dr . Bradshaw , Prov . G . Chaplain , and Bro . Rev . —Wills , Asst . Prov . G . Chaplain . The correction of this trifling error will oblige . Yours truly and fraternally , W . G . P .