_The_ CUSTOM HOUSE, a commodious building, erected for the receipt of his Majesty’s customs on goods imported and exported. It is situated near the east end of Thames street, and its front opens to the wharfs and rivers. In ancient times the business of the Custom House was transacted in a more irregular manner at Billingsgate: but in the reign of Queen Elizabeth a building was erected here for this purpose; for in the year 1559, an act being passed that goods should be no where landed, but in such places as were appointed by the Commissioners of the revenue, this was the spot fixed upon for the entries in the port of London, and here a Custom House was ordered to be erected; it was however destroyed by fire with the rest of the city in 1666, and was rebuilt with additions two years after by King Charles II. in a much more magnificent and commodious manner, at the expence of 10,000_l._ but that being also destroyed in the same manner in 1718, the present structure was erected in its place. [Illustration: _Custom House._ _S. Wale delin._ _B. Green sc. Oxon._ ] This edifice is built with brick and stone, and is calculated to stand for ages. It has underneath and on each side, large warehouses for the reception of goods on the public account, and that side of the Thames for a great extent is filled with wharfs, keys, and cranes for landing them. The Custom House is 189 feet in length: the center is twenty-seven feet deep, and the wings considerably more. The center stands back from the river; the wings approach much nearer to it, and the building is judiciously and handsomely decorated with the orders of architecture: under the wings is a colonade of the Tuscan order, and the upper story is ornamented with Ionic columns and pediments. It consists of two floors, in the uppermost of which is a magnificent room fifteen feet high, that runs almost the whole length of the building: this is called the Long Room, and here sit the Commissioners of the customs, with their officers and clerks. The inner part is well disposed, and sufficiently enlightened; and the entrances are so well contrived, as to answer all the purposes of convenience. Though we cannot call this a very beautiful building, yet from its great utility, and the conspicuous place in which it stands, we thought a representation of it by a print could not be omitted.