The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-21 00:00:00

LONDU.S, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1869.

The mere fact of the adjournment of the discussion
yrovoked last evening by the proposition of the bon.
member for Galway in regard to the Site of the New
Law Courts is in itself satisfactory. For it implies,
at any rate, to begin with, that the question as to
the choice of site is, in truth, to be reopened for the
deliberate reconsideration of the Legislature. More
than that, it implies that her MAJESTY'S
Government, the Government supported by the
great dominant party and having at its back
an overwhelming majority in the House of Corn-
mon, is perfectly prepared, without any more
ado, to assume to itself the responsibility of revising
the arrangements already entered into. Nay, as if
that were not enough, it far more than simply im-
plies, it distinctly and emphatically indicates, that
the Government has a predilection now in favour of
the newly-proposed site, the site, that is, which has
so very recently and certainly most alluringly been
opened on the Thames Embankment. The Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer's speech last night
was quite conclusive upon that point. It was
delivered late in the discussion, and was for
that reason thought to have been almost unfairly
delayed. The Premier reminded the House, how-
ever, very cogently, at once, that there had really been
no choice whatever left to his colleague in the matter,
for inasmuch as the speech of Mr. GREGORY, by
whom the debate had been commenced, and the sub-
sequent speech of Sir ROUNDELL PALMER, as the
champion of the present or original site—
familiarly spoken of as the Carey-street
site—bad brought the time so very nearly on
to the dinner hour that it would have been little
less than an absurdity, it would certainly have been
a mistake, if the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
risen then, between 7.30 and 8 p.m., to unfold before
nearly empty Leaches the deliberate revised opinion
(upon this matter of the Law Courts) arrived at by
her MAJESTY'S Government. The reason thus given
was instantly recognisable as sufficient. Mr. LOWE,
with the cordial assent of his colleagues, purposely
allowed the debate to run on until members having
reassembled in sufficient numbers, after dinner, were
there to hear what was at length the view arrived at
upon__ this matter by the advisers of the Crown.
Happily, Mr. LOWE comes to the consideration of
the difficulty under discussion, in no way whatever
committed to either side. He is, accord-
ing to his wont, cynically sarcastic upon
the rival disputants. Sir Ro UNDELL PALMER
he bows to, with no affected respect, as, re-
cognisably, at the very head of the front rank of his
profession. But—acknowledging that much—Mr.
LOWE cannot, !for the life of him, help chaffing
(there is really no other word for it) his hon. and
learned friend, for inasmuch as in the fervour of
his own earnest worship of THEM'S, he could
not show some little more tolerance tcwards
others, more especially non-professionals, who
dared as mere " dilletante persons" to dream of our
ever beautifying the metropolis. " I wish," added
the Chancellor of the Exchequer with charming mock
gravity, "I wish I could have discovered one redeem-
ing virtue in the hon. and le.irned member's spnch,
and have traced some slight regard for the British
taxpayer. That happens," said Mr. Lowr with
admirable frankness, "to be the point upon
which lam principally concerned." And certainly,
looking upon the matter in an economical point of view
there is nothing so very tempting in the Carey-street
site to induce any Chancellor of the Exchequer, not
yet committed to it, to abide by it, in spite of the
•
alarming array of facts and figures opened up before
him by the inexorable estimates. Remembering that
the actual cost of the present site is £785,000, and