The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-17 00:00:00

ROYAL DEMESNES.

Sir T. FREMANTLE moved for leave to bring in a
Bill for annexing the mansion-house, gardens, and
grounds at Fro:more (part of the Land Revenue of the
Crown) to Windsor Castle ; and also a Bill to authorise
the leasing the Royal kitchen garden at Kensington, for
building purposes, and to enable her Majesty's Commission-
ers of Woods, &c., to expend the value thereof in the forma-
tion and improvement of the Royal gardens, and to en-
able the said Commissioners, on behalf of her Majesty,
to purchase lands of copy hold or customary tenure. The
Hon. Gentleman said that these measures had received the
sanction of the late Government; and were approved
by the present Government ; in fact, he was only car-
rying out measures which he bad found in a state of
great forwardeess. The reason he had brought them
forward this Session was that he found delay
would be a great inconvenience, and that it was desirable
that no time should be lost in the formation of a kitchen
garden. The first Bill was to annex Frogmore to the
Crown so as to make it part of the demesne of Wind-
sor Castle. At present it belonged to their Royal
Highnesses the Princess Sophia and the Duchess of
Gloucester, though their life interests had been.
purchased by the Crown, and had reverted to
the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. The its
of those gardens was connected with the esta-
blishment at Windsor, and it would be a matter of great
inconvenience to her Majesty if that property '
were let to other parties. It had been con-
sidered
therefore that it would be advisable I
that those gardens should be made part of '
the domain of she Crown at Windsor, and therefore it
was that the present Act was introduced. With re- '
gard to the other part of the property, that would
remain in the hands of the Commissioners. With
respect to the other Bill, much inconvenience had
been felt for some years in consequence of the
want of vegetables an the Royal Household, in
consequence of the smallness of the kitchen garden,
and by the present Bill it was proposed to remedy that
defect. By the arrangement proposed to be adopted by the
present Bill, no additional charge would be imposed upon
the public. He believed with respect to one of those Bills
it would be necessary, previous to its introduction, to go
into a Committee of the whole House. With re-
spect to the second Bill, he should propose its
introduction at once ; and as to the other he
should propose that the House should go into Committee
on the subject. The Right Hon. Gentleman then con-
cluded by moving for leave to bring in the second Bill
of which he had given notice.
Mr. PROTIIEROE must protest at once against this
Bill, and would give it all the opposition in his power.
That opposition had nothing of a party character, because
the Government of the Right Hon. Baronet was not re-
sponsible for the measure which had originated with their
predecessors ; and he would oppose it as earnestly
as if it were now introduced by the Noble Lord (Lord
John Russell) below him. He hoped that his Hon.
Friend would re-consider the course which he proposed to
adopt. At the moment when measures were in progress
in the formation of additional Royal parks and pubic walks,
and places of recreation for the people, it was manifestly
absurd to give away a large portion of Kensington-park,
for such a purpose as was proposed. He wished his
Honourable Friend had comic with him that morning
into Kensington Park, and had seen the ground in
question ; he would agree with him as to
the disinterestedness of adding it to the' park to
which it was immediately contiguous. He thought,
whether they regarded the convenience ofthe
Sovereign, or of the inhabitants of Kensing-
ton, or of the public generally, nothine• could
be more injudicious than to build on that spot.
Villas were not wanted, and speculations on the part of
the Government were not always well managerl or pro-
fitable.—(Hear, hear.) Hyde: Park and - -Kensing-
-1 ton Gardens were no longer the commencement
I of the country, but they were surrounded by a dense
town and population, end would soon be as much in
the interior of the metropolis as Lincoln's Inn-tields.
—(Hear.) He trusted Government would use the oppor-
tunity of enlarging those places, and apply to the House
for the sum of money necessary for the convenience of
the Crown. At a further stage he would offer to the
measure every opposition in his power.
Mr. WILLIAMS begged to ask if any estimate had
been made of the expense of consolidating the kitchen
gardens ? He approved of the proposed disposal of this
piece of ground, but he did not approve of the purpose to
which the proceeds were to be applied. He thought that
when the working classes were suffering so much
distress, and when so much money was expended on
palaces and parks, the proceeds of this piece of ground
ought to be applied to the repairs of the palaces, ar:d me
lieve the public from so much of the expense.
Sir T. FREMANTLE said that the ground was esti- ..
mated at 1,0001. per annum.
Mr. WARLEY said that it appeared that for the pal-
try sum of 1,0001. a year the only open space which ex- 1'