The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-02 00:00:00

A this ease they were tiolaipa ; het what, he begged leave to
would be the consequence if the course marked out by the
~ Playtime opposite had been pursued ? If the Lord Chancellor
abed • Member of the House before him, and had inquired
if he used certain expressions, which had been imputed to
,cif this were the conduct of the Chancellor, would not the
Bon. Member deem it to be a subject of parliamentary censure ?
and would not he require an explanation on the subject, as it ins-
sued& breach of the privileges of that House? It would be most
;eve' to deny the Lord Chancellor, or any other individual, an
opportunity of defending himself (and his conduct upon this =-
cameo amounted merely to a defence) against a charge which had
appeared in all the newspapers, and had been eirculae.d to the re.
w.,test corner of the empire. lie would therefore, under the in.
&owe of this feeling, vote against the motion ; and if it were
carried, he could rot hel t thinking that the House would be its.
flitting the deepest wound upon its dignity and privilege.
51r. SCAR LETT said it would not, in his opinion, be a breach
cf the privilege of the House, nor mild it be considered as such, if
the Chancellor had informed any ;Member of the House that a par.
eealar statement could not be the fact, as it was inconsistent with
the practice of the House.
Mr. W. WILLIMIS said he was not one of those persons
who wished the House to adhere closely and strictly to (heir h eir p--
siteges ; but if there was ever an individual question in which their
prielleg...e ought to be maintained, it was the present. An im.
portant charge had been made against an individual filling no less
a station than that of Lord High Chancellor of England. The
,earee was, that he had committed a breach of the privileges of
the Howse; and he would think it his duty to agree with that mo-
doe, and assent to the propwition that an attack had been made
upon their pr,vileges, if the Lord Chancellor did not send to and
communicate to tile House, by the mouth of a friend, who was also
a Member of the House, that he had no intention of assailing any
privilege whatever. This was the only way in which, as he con.
ceived, the case could be got over, consistently with the support
of their privilegess and independence. A ilember of Parliament
had risen in his seat, and declared that a grave charge had been
made against a 3letnber for what he uttered in that House. If, there-
fora any inquiry was to be granted, under a charge of this de-
scription, it ought not certainly be denied in this instance, because I
the person accused was the Lord High Chancellor. He could not
refrain from expressing his surprise st the argument used by lion.
Members at the opposite side—that the proceeding called for was
not Constitutional. This he denied; and for his part, he would
not consider himself= acting in behalf of the Constitution of the
House orof the osentry, if he were wanting in respect io the pri-
vilege% of the House, and did not support them when attacked;
and if ever there was a time when the support of these privileges
was called for, and when it was most desirable and satisfactory that
the character of the House should be upheld and maintained, it
was when a Member rose in his place, and made a complaint of the
Lord Chancellor: and he would most certain!), assent to the
Tote of the Hon. Member, if upon their next meeting, and previous
to the hearing of evidence, be (the Lord Chancellor) did not pursue
that line of conduct which, so consistently with the honour of the
country. and his own, he was bound to pursue—if he did not de-
clare to the Mouse by a member of it. that he did not mean to
make any attack either upon the independence or the privileges of
the House—that he had acted under the influence of mistaken
feelings. By this means alone he thought thecharacter of the House
would be supported ; and its privileges would be compromised
if this were not done. lie would support the motion, and if the
House did not support it, it would be tantamount to the abauden.
ment and desertion of the whole of their privileges. He there-
fore thought that the motion should not be at present discussed,
to give the Lord Chancellor an opportunity of stating the mistaken
feelings under which he acted, and of admitting that his words in
the Court of Chancery were uttered under wrong impressions, and
of lamenting they should be offeneive to the honour of any Ho-
nonmb le Member.
Mr. A BERCROMBY felt himself bound to return his sincere
thanks to the lion. Members at the opposite side of the House, for
the frank and candid Manner in which they concurred with the
lion. Members around him, that he had not, in the motion sub-
mitted by him, given utterance to any expression which could be
deemed worthy of animadversion. It was agreed upon all hands,
that the account which had appeared in the newspaper did not con-
tain a comet and true repr:sentation of his sentiments. He was
also grateful for the support which he had received against the
manner In which he had been exhibited in another quarter.
(ilear.) AR to the mode of proceeding which he adopted on the
subject, he thought it the wisest and most prudent he could pursue.
Be was well aware there were other modes to which he was com-
petent. He might have taken that which, though not regular. was
not without precedent in the House. He might have considered
the question as affecting himself alone; but he could not look upon
the question in that point of view : he could not separate it from
the consideration of the privileges of the entire House. He had
wand the question as fairly and as impartially as he could, when
it was considered that he was making a statement in which he was
personally concerned. lie had been influenced by his sense of
duty alone ; and he would readily and most freely admit, that be-
sides his sense of what he felt was due to that House, he was
also influenced by a sense of what he owed to his profession ; nor
did he in any respect act for himself alone, he was not led
away by his own sense of the case ; •he sought the assistance and
*vire of those in whose experience he confided, and those persons
lied pointed out to him the course which he followed. lie neither
bad or would deliver any opinion upon the subject; but would
leave the matter entirely to the judgment of the House.
The question being loudly sailed for, the House divided, when
the numbers were—
For the original motion, 102; against it, 151 ; majority, 49.
SUPPLY.
The House having resolved itself into a Committee of Supply,
upon the question that the sum of, 40,0001. be granted for the coa-
st:action and repairs of public bhildings for the year 1824,
Mr. B.ANKS could not refrain from asking, whether certain
repairs, which took place in the neighbourhood, were included in
the grants ? and if the repairs were finished, how much money was,
to be still expended on them ? lie would be inclined to give his
o position to the vote, until he ascertained what limit and what
were to be put to the system of destruction which was at
t carried on, and in his opinion carried much too far, against
th and ancient building, in the neighbourhood of that
House. 01this he was certain, that if the House was aware last
year of the use. to which the money would be applied, they would
not have grunted it. Ile was most sorry to have reason to under-
stand that the system of destruction was to reach the Painted
Chamber : fot.this he was most sorry ; this room was not less ad-
mirable for its beauty than for its antiquity; it was erected in the
reign of Edward Alp Third ; it was unnecessary to destroy it; its
preaervation was i. 'most easy matter ; all that was required was,
M give the floor the necessary degree of elevation. He also wished
to he informed what the expense was of constructing that strange
and anomalous chamber, which was said to be for the purpose of
making the House of Lords more accessible to his Majesty. This
stricture was a most serious inconvenience to both houses, as
it obstructed the approach of the carriages. Ile had another ob-
jection to this edifice; it was built in front and view of objects
which could not be looked upon without disgust. He also would
take the liberty of inspecting the accounts of buildings now in
grogrets; and he would make a strict inquiry into their expenses,
as be considered them exclusively of the sort to be degrading to
the national taste. (Hear.) Hewes aware the courts of justice
constituted a distinct item; and when they came before the House
be would inquire into their state. But in the meantime he wished
to know what had been done for else money which had been
laid out.
Mr. BENNET, in addition to the subject of the discussion im-
mediately before the House, wished to be informed of the name of
the architect under whose direction these buildings had been
erected. He wished to know this for the sake of the public, that
lie might be avoided, and how they would get again into a scrape ,
by the construction of such buildings. He also wished to know
who those persona were who granted the money, as he would be ,
most anxious to avoid them, if he possibly could. (Laughing.) I
He wished to know the name of the architect, and also the Com-
mittee of taste.
Mr. HERR lES said the account of the money which was ex.
petaled, and of that which was intended to be expended, should be
submitted to the House.
Mr. BENNET insisted upon knowing the name of the ar-
chiteet.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, he waszot
surprised that these considerations should attract the intention of
the House; and for his part, he was ready and willing to admit
that there should be an alteration in the mode in which works of
this nature was carried on. With regard to the
.question put to'
hint by the Honourable Member for Shrewsbury, the name of the
architect employed was Soule. The important alteration he sought
for referred to the Board of Works; it was, in his opinion, a mat.
ter much to be desired that in works of this description there
should be a real essential responsibility attached to some person, es
there was to himself in that House. (Hear.) This responsibility
did not exist at present in the Board of Vl'orks. In his opinion it
should be vested in the Treasury. This was not the case at pre-
sent. lie, and those with whom he acted, had not at prevent
that responsibility ; they had no controul whatever. The Board ei
Works ought to be satisfied with, and ought to be confined to the
keeping of public works in repair; and the responsibility should
be lodgal in the Treasury, the only public office in which
thought it could be properly vested. He would in a short time, an
his place, endeavour to frame some resolution on the subject, and
submit it to the House. His object would be to have some
Honourable Members in the House, who would, with himself,
have the entire responsibility.
Mr. TENNISON begged to return his grateful acknowledge-
ments to the Right lion. Gentleman, not only for his opinion of
the manner in which the money ought to be appropriated, but for
the responsibility which he wished to take upon hituself; this was
a matter of the greatest importance to the feelings of the public,
who took a lively interest in the preservation of her ancient build.
cogs, particularly those of Westminster Hall: these were sacred
in their estimation ; it was there the Rings of England had lived and
died; it was there the Parliaments of the country had been holden
from the remotest periods; and he would sincerely lament and de.
plore the destruction of these buildings. He wished to know what
new edifice would be given to the public in place of the Painted
Chamber; the one which was at present close to it was totally in.
congruous ; it would in truth be difficult to match it ; it was of the
pure Gothic style of architecture, and was incomparably the finest
room in London ; with this Gothic style was mingled something
which was called the Grecian, in defiance of, and in direct opposi-
tion to all the rules of architecture of which he had read. With
respect to the Courts, he thought the style moat appropriate to the
arts of this country was the Saxon and the Gothic; the Grecian
. style was entirely inappropriate; it was not known or introduced
into this country until the period of Henry VIII. He repeated
but opinion that the Gothic style of building should be persevered
sWeh,and "as
Mr. ybuimpngtrilerz
ich ode which was lately introduced, end
111, Mb called the attention of the Right lion. Gentleman
to the state of the Record-office at the back of Abingdon-street. If
. WI• • • the records should be kept, it was equally clear

LI no right that the record; -;hOitia-blie