THE PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS. The Main Building fronts Wellington Street. To the right and left are the Departmental Buildings. The style is Gothic of the 12th Century. The stone of which they are built is a cream-colored sandstone, of the Potsdam formation. The dressings are of Ohio stone. The central tower which projects in front of the building, is 184½ feet in height. The body of the building in front is 43 feet high. It covers an area of 80,700 sq. feet. Its length is 473 feet, and its depth from the front of the tower to the rear of the library 370 feet. — The main entrance is under the central tower, and passing through this we enter a large vestibule with stairways leading to the Chambers and offices of the Senate and the House of Commons. The Chamber is 82 feet long, 45 feet wide and 50 feet high, and is surrounded by galleries capable of seating 1000 people. Close to the Commons Chamber are the reading room, the Speaker's apartments, and the library. Leaving the library by the east door, the visitor finds himself in rear of the Senate Chamber. This room contains the throne, a fine statue of Her Majesty, and busts of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The buildings cost about $ 4,000,000. The corner stone was laid by H. R. H., the Prince of Wales in 1860.
LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT. The Library, a fine circular building, 90 feet in diameter, is situated in the rear of the Parliament Buildings. Outside of the main room runs an aisle one story high, divided into a series of retiring rooms, and affording a quiet place for study. Around the walls are hung three series of shelves, containing about 100,000 volumes of the most valuable literature in the world. In the centre of the room stands a magnificent statue of the Queen carved from the most delicate white marble. From the floor to the topmost point is a distance of about 120 feet. This fine building costs about $ 350,000, and although it is very large, room is to a certain extent lacking. Beneath are offices where the keeper resides.
WESTERN BLOCK. This handsome block has a frontage towards Wellington Street of 277 feet and towards the square of 211 feet. The Public Works, the Customs, the Post Office, the Militia, the Marine and Fisheries, and the Bureau of Agriculture and Railways and Canals Departments and the Model Room connected with the Patent Department are all located in this building. The west front of this building looks towards the Chaudière Falls and Hull and gives a fine view of the Ottawa River and the distant range of hills beyond.
