The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-15 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 15.

IT is not without 11111111011 that Mr. 011.20011 X
proposes to-morrow to inquire whether the
House of Commons will have an opportunity of
expressing an opinion on the propriety of the
severance of the national collections in the British
Museum, and the transportation of some of them
to South Kensington, before an estimate for that
purpose is moved. The superior attractions of South
Kensington have been seen in past sessions to draw
with irresistible force the expenditure of public
money in that quarter, sometimes in the shape of
Treasury grants, sometimes by disbursements from
the surpluses of the Commissioner of Works,
sometimes by votes in the estimates, sometimes by
bill. But it has also happened before now that
attempts have been made to oust the House of
Commons of its power of veto, by the assertion
that Government has already committed itself, and
that the faith of the public has been infereutie'ly
pledged. And, at any rate, the rejection of an
estimate has become too rare and exceptional an
event to make its proposal a fair or fitting oppor-
tunity for taking the opinion of the House on
matter of principle. We may, however,
assume that on this occasion the Bill
which Government has announced, will be
submitted before any vote is asked for the
purpose of carrying out its provisions. We should
feel certain that this course would be adopted d;d
we not remember that a like bill was rejected by
a decisive majority in 1862, and yet that in every
year since that date some step has been taker,
either by the purchase of land, or by the procuring
of plans, to induce the House to nullify its own
determination, and to allow proceedings to be
taken which might afterwards be represented as
forbidding it to renew its protest.
It will, however, need reasons new as well as
strong to carry Parliament in 1866 to the reversal
of its policy so emphatically expressed in 1862.
If we are to have the case presented again on
merely the same grounds which were then rejected,
a different conclusion can hardly be expected or
desired. The necessity for doing something
is indeed stronger now. The collections have
grown, though the house room has not been en-
larged. Some of them are now, as then, of ne-
cessity kept invisible, because there is no place
where they can be shown ; and none are exhibited
in the way they ought to be. But this undeniable
fact is no argument on either aide. All admit
that we must build; the question is, where shall we
build ? Iu 1862 the Exhibition Commissioners
offered the bribe of land at South Kensington at a
priced only 10,0001. per acre. This land was
actually bought by the nation in 1863. We all
remember under what Government, yet with a
positive pledge that the purpose to which it
should hereafter be devoted should be open to
future consideration. Doubtless, if not used it

can be sold again, and the price will go so far to
the purchase of land elsewhere. So, practically,
the question is now as it wee before, between land
it Kaoaine% PTA lend in Bloomsbury. The
latter costs 50,0001. per acre, and as five acres
arerequired, there would be a charge of 250,0001.,
or a difference of 200,0001. in favour of Kensing-
ton. The friends of Kensington farther allege
that a building there need not be of costly
Greek architecture, but of cheap Brampton style—
resembling, we presume, those commodious brick