The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-20 00:00:00

THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

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On the next vote of 145,7741. for the works of the New
Houma of Parliament,
. .

Mr. SPOONER said he should like to know what these
grants were for, and to have some statement of the expense
already incurred for the houses of parliament.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH—If the boa. gentleman would
move for • return, be would lay it on the table.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS wished to know who superiatended
the expenditure of the interior of the house. He found a
charge for lighting with oil and wax the offices and division
lobties of the house 6 8211., and for gas in both houses
12,8411., being nearly 10,0001. for lighting alone.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH said the lighting was in the
department of the Sergeant at-Arms ; the lighting of the
roof was under the control of Mr. Matson ; the gas was
supplied by contract.
Mr. WILLIAMS—As the gas was cheaper than of and
candles, it would be better to use that more generally.
(No, no.)
Hr. SPOONER said there was an item on account of
carcase walls and ordhsary finishing of the building, in-
cluding warming and ventilating works, 91,7001. He be-
lieved that a sans of 26,0001, had been. already expended
on the ventilation of the house. What was this sues for?
Was not the house ventilated already ? Certainly, the
ventilation was very unsatisfactory, for the house was al-
ways alternating between great heat and great cold. He
hod been told by /dr. Goldtsworthy Gurney that the whole
nresent apparatus for ventilation was useless, and that be
would undertake for • few hundred pounds to take it all
out and keep the house regularly ventilated. He (Mr.
Spooner) had no hesitation in saying that the ventilation of
the house was disgraceful. (Hear, hear.) Unless some
explanation was given he would make • Potion on the
subject.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH said this 91,0001. was chiefly
for the carcase walls and progress of the works, and bad no
reference to the ventilation of the house. fa to the venti-
lation of the house, he was well aware of the talents of Mr.
Gurney, and there was no doubt he could make en altera-
tion in the ver tilatioa ; but it would caws a large outlay if
the whole plan was chanFed. Mr. Meeson had been en-
gaged for one year, and it was but fair that he should have
a trial.

- Mr. SPOONER was Worsted that t►e stoves and flues
of the Robiag-roan had bees takes up, at a great espease.
Was that a fret?

Sir W. MOLIMIWOUTH wu not aware of it, but be
would inquire.
Sir DE L. EVANS said a year was a long time to en-
dure the present ventilation. He was surprised to bear his
right hos. friend:ssy the other night that they wereso com-
fortable on the Tremor, !Pub. (.. Hear," and a laugh.)
He wished to ask whether Mr. Gunny had given any esti-
mate for his plea of ventilating the house. Lithe sum
required was not large it would be desirable to have it
placed under his charge menu than a year hence.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH—Mr. Gurney has not been
asked for an estimate.

said no answer had been given to
the question as to whether the expenditure of the houses of
peasant was nader the control of the Treasury or the
&lard of Works.

Sir W. MOLBSWORTH—The expenditure for the new
weeks was ender the control of Sir °harks Barry, who gave
SD estimate ter tbe year to the Board of Works.
Mr. SPOONNL—Was the whole expenditure under Sir
Charles IllarYskiellr4 without any eontrol from the Trea-
sury on the Boa of Weeks ?
Sir W.

'll—lt is nadir the control el
the T . All the Commiwioner a Works heti to do
was, when Charles Barry certified that a certain amount
8p
6srail:z el week was as examination was made to see if it
bad bees , but the control was is the Treasury.
Mr. NBR—Has the Treasury any control ?
Mr. WILSON admitted the unsatisfactory state of the
expenditure en the houses of parliament. The subject had
occupied the attention of the Chancellor of the Bachequer
and himself, who had called on Sir Charles Barry to render
such accounts as would enable them to 'pertain the state
they were in, and be hoped to lay before the hones full se-
counts of all that had besa done.

Mr. BRIGHT said he believed there was nothing In I
Swops like the management of the expenditure on the
houses of parliament, end its results. With regard to the
ventilation of the house, not only was the temperature very
bad, and members subjected to continual draught., but
what he principally had to complain of was the quantity
of dust.—(hear, hear)—which was always' suspended in the
atmosphere of the house. Every one who spoke for any
length of time had to provide himself with &supply of water
or erasures; and if • datnp sheet of paper was fixed in any
part of the holm, is an hoar or two it would become like
lead-paper from the accumulation of dust on it ,and which
was inhaled by every sue in the house. The house was the
worst possible place fur any one to sit in, and he thought the
right hon. gentleman should apply all his energies to pro-
vide • remedy. If sot, be (Mr. Bright) should make a mo-
tion that the hones should meet in some other building till
some remedy was found. The ventilation of the house was
etsadalous and permanently pernicious to members.
Mr. H. J. BAILLIE said the dust complained of by the
hen. member was the result of the system of bringing sir
into the house through the floor, sad it could not be ro•
media. unless the system was changed.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS inquired of the Secretary to the
Treasury, whether Sir Charles Barry bad made any esti-
mate of the future expense of the homes of parliament.
Two estimates bad beets made—the lest was 700,0001., and
the second amounted to more than two millions. Was
there any new estimate made, or would one be made ?
Mr. WILSON could not exactly promise a new esti-
mate. What was being done was this :--that the Treasury
was determined to know exactly the condition in which the
expenditure was, and when that information womanised
they would turn their attention to the cheepst made of
finishing the building. They were clearly depiniao that
things could not go on as they were. Caw, lbw.)
Az. W. WILLIAMS wished to sadswasi whether Sis