His finny brood their humble tenants fed;
At op'ning dawn with fraudful nets supply'd
The padding skiff would brave his specious tide,
Ply round the shores, nor tempt the dangerous main,
But seek ere night the friendly port again.
The public buildings in Liverpool are not numerous, but they are worthy of attention. The Town-Hall, which is the subject of our present embellishment, is in a striking style of architecture. The first stone of this structure was laid in 1749, and the hall was opened in 1754. It is an elegant stone building, having two fronts; one towards Castle-street, the other towards the area formed by the New Exchange Buildings. Each front consists of an elegant range of Corinthian columns, supporting a pediment, and are themselves supported by a rustic base. Between the capitals are heads, and emblems of commerce in basso-relievo; and on the pediment of the grand front is a noble piece of sculpture representing Commerce committing her treasures to the race of Neptune. The ground floor of this building was originally intended as an Exchange for the accommodation of the merchants, with insurance offices adjoining; but was never used for that purpose, the merchants prefering to meet in the open street opposite the building. Since its erection a considerable addition was made to it on the north side, and some progress towards extending and improving the rooms and offices within the building, when the fire in 1795 destroyed the whole of the interior. After this destructive accident the corporation determined to rebuild the interior upon a new and extended plan, and to appropriate the whole of the building to the purposes of judicial and other offices for the police of the town, a mansion for the mayor, a suit of public assembly rooms, and for offices for the general corporation business. All the offices, rooms, and passages, on the basement and ground stories, are now arched with brick, as a security against any future fire.
The Exchange Buildings form three sides of a quadrangle, 194 feet by 180 in the clear space, with arcades or piazzas in front, and the whole is in a style of architecture corresponding with the north front of the Town-Hall and Old Exchange, which forms the fourth side of the square at the head of Castle-street. The east side of these buildings on the ground floor, contains a coffee-room, 94 feet by 52, with appropriate rooms and offices for the keeper, &c.; on the second story over the coffee-room, is a room for the under-writers, upon the principle of Lloyd's in London, 72 feet by 36: a second room, 69 feet by 29, with several other rooms attached to them. The north and west sides of these buildings are brokers' and merchants' offices, and counting houses. In the centre of the area is erected an elegant group of statues in commemoration of the heroic and immortal Nelson.