The town-hall buildings, situated on the north side, and at the east end of the Trongate Street, were finished in the year 1636. The basement was originally formed into an arcade, with a rusticated front ; the upper part of the build ing displays the complete range of the Ionic order. The town hall is fitted up in an elegant manner. The walls are de corated with portraits of the kings and queens of Scotland and Great Britain. Ramsay's Archibald Duke of Argyle, in his robes as Lord Justice-General, is admired as a very va luable picture. The bust of his present Majesty is placed over the mantle-piece ; and the statue of his immortal premier, William Pitt, by Flaxman, at the east end of the hat. In 1781, a subscription, by way of tontine, was opened, for building a coffee-room and hotel, in lor shares, at 501. each. Mr William Hamilton, architect, gave the design, and displayed great professional skill in throwing the ar cade of the town-hall into an extensive piazza, retaining the upper part of the cross walls of the superior structure. The coffee-room, on the ground floor, is 74 feet long, of propor tional width and height, and is very handsomely fitted up. There are at present 1146 annual subscribers to the room, at 32s. each. It is supplied with Scotch, English, Irish, and Continental newspapers, magazines, reviews, and other periodical publications. In this coffee-room strangers are freely admitted without introduction, and may enjoy all the privileges of subscribers for four weeks without subscrip tion,—a liberality, we believe, not equalled in any of the other great towns in the island.
Prior to 1812, the jail stood contiguous, and at the east end of the town-hall. The jail, front the increased popu lation of the city, having become toe small, was taken down in 1812, and an elegant building substituted in its place ; the upper part being ornamented with turrets and embra zures, so as to preserve a similarity to the old tower of the prison, which is still preserved. This tower, which is 126 feet high, projects on the High Street, and is only remarka ble for its terminating in the shape of an imperial crown. It is furnished with a clock and bell, and a set of musical chimes, so arranged as to play a separate tune at the end of every two hours. A skilful musician performs favourite airs on the musical bells, during Change hours, every law ful day, Saturday excepted.
The merchant's hall is situated on the south side of the Bridge-gate Street, a little to the east of the Stockwell Street. It was rebuilt in 1659, by Sir Patrick Bell, the then Dean of Guild ; it is 80 feet long, and of a propor tional width and height. Donation and inscription boards are hung round the walls, containing the names of the Deans of Guild. The building consists of two stories of ashlar work, with little decoration, the basement being fitted up for shops. This building, from its situation and present condition, is by no means suited to the wealth and respectability of Glasgow merchants. The steeple, how ever, adjoining the south-front of the hall, is considered one of the handsomest in the city ; it is 164 feet high ; after rising 85 feet in the form of a square tower, a ballustrade is form ed, within which a tower of smaller dimensions is again formed, terminating in a ballustrade ; this arrangement be ing repeated, a pyramidal spire is terminated by a gilt ball and ship in full sail.
The buildings of the town hospital, which were erected from donations and subscriptions of public bodies and in dividuals, were so far finished, that the poor were admitted in 1733. The buildings form a quadrangle, the large court
in the centre being used as airing ground. The principal front is to Clyde Street ; it consists of a centre and two projecting wings of three stories. This range contains the great hall, where the inmates assemble for worship, and other apartments for the use of the charity. The buildings on the other sides of the quadrangle are chiefly fitted up for offices, and the accommodation of sick and fatuous per sons, the insane having been removed, in 1814, to the Luna tic Asylum.
The royal infirmary is situated in the north quarter of the city, partly on the site of the archbishop's palace, near the cathedral. The designs for this building were from Messrs Robert and James Adam ; and the general form of it is so imposing as to command universal approbation. The design partakes of the parallelogram form, with bold projections at each end, having a pediment in the centre, supported by pillars of the Corinthian order, and the royal arms, in alto relievo, cut in the tympan of the pediment. A spacious dome, with vertical lights covering the operation hall, terminates the building, which consists of four stories. The foundation stone of this edifice was laid in 1792 ; the interior arrangements are well fitted for the purposes of the Although the Infirmary is calculated to contain 150 patients, it has latterly been found inadequate for the accommodation of increasing applicants ; accordingly the managers are at this time making an addition at the back of the buildings, which, without injuring the general appear ance, will give more than one third additional accommoda tion. This addition, which will cost 40001. has been raised by special subscription.
The trades-hall buildings, situated on the west side of Glassford Street, fronting Garthland Street, were erected, in 1791, front designs by Mr Robert Adam. The front consists of a centre building, and two wings, the former of two stories, supported by a rusticated basement, with a pro jection at its centre, on which there are four Dot is columns, supporting an entablature. The front is relieved with va rious mouldings, ornamented with griffins in basso relievo, and terminated in a ballustrade, in the centre of which the city arms are cut in alto relievo, supported by two femalo figures in a recumbent posture. A dome rising through the roof, terminating in a lantern, gives a happy effect to the whole. The hall, 70 feet long, 35 feet wide, and 24 feet high, exclusive of a magnificent dome, is fitted up with ap propriate decorations. Portraits of persons of the trades rank, who had made donations to the house, and the arms of the 14 incorporated bodies, are hung round the walls. Tablets, with the names and designations of the conveners of the Trades House, from 1605 down to the present day, are also placed on the walls ; the other parts of the build ing are fitted up as committee rooms, &c. The hall of the Trades House free school adjoins this edifice, which, for ex tent, light, and ventilation, is justly admired. From a re mote period, down to the year 1791, the Trades House and incorporations met in their hall near the cathedral, known by the name of the Alms House, from their chaplain dis tributing alms to decayed out-door members. This building being found incommodious, and by no means suited to the increasing respectability of the trades rank, has been appro priated to another use.