The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-28 00:00:00

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sad at an Uwe es a eatteol of sad, an 4 kr the
teetures which Fare delivered at the 'eateries of the Royal
Academy, and for which the present accommodation
during the period of the exhibitions is insufficient. The
trustees or governing body of the Royal Academy have at
their disposal a considerable sum of money, and in the
event of this house deciding to give them the use of the
entire building, they would be prepared to expend a large
portion of that fund in puttinga new facade to the edifice,
and thus greatly improve its architectural appearance.
(Hear.) With regard to the site of the new National
gallery, all we propose at present is that the nation should
consent to take from the Exhibition Commissioners a half
or some part of the ground which they possess at Kensing-
ton-gore. As to the plans of the building, it would be
nugatory for the Government to cause plans to be made,
to ask tenders, or to frame estimates, until Parliament has
decided the material question, whether the site at Ken-
, sington-gore should or should not be devoted to the con-
struction of a National Gallery. If by passing the bid, to
which I have already referred, Parliament should decide
that preliminary question. Her Majesty's Government,
would be prepared to take the necessary steps for obtain-
ing the most ample competition—by a competition not
limited to England, but extended to foreign countries—
(hear, hear) —plans made according to certain prescribed
conditions. We do not intend in the first instance to go
beyond the erection of a national gallery of pictures. I
must not omit to mention that the main objection to the
present site is, not the in4brities of the atmosphere, but
the narrowness of the space. The space is insufficient for
a national gallery, and does notadmitof extension ; where-
as, the proposed site admits for the purposes of a gallery
of unlimited extension, and on that account it has
strong recommendations. When the plans have been
received, we shall submit them, if thoughi, desirable,
to a committee, and when one has been selectel we
shall cause estimates to be prepared, and the whole matter
to be laid before the house in the most distinct manner.
It appears to me that in this way the house will be able,
with the greatest satisfaction to itself, to conic to a deci-
sion ou the subject. But I hope you will agree with me
that it would be a mere waste of time and labour to refer
such a matter as the selection of a site to the investigation
of a commission. Suppose, for instance, a commission were
to come to a conclusion in favour of some one of the nu-
merous sites suggested by my noble friend, when their re-
commendation had to be acted upon, it would perhaps be
found that there were insuperable objections to the ob-
taining of such a site. This is a question which is not
merely ono of abstract speculation—it is a question which
can only be with advantage intrusted to the hands of a re-
spoesible Executive Government ; and I trust that, after
the explanations I have given, at a length which I am
afraid has wearied the house, you will come without diffi-
culty to a vote against the resolution of my noble friend
and in favour of the second reading of the bill to which I
have more than once adverted.
Mr. TITE said he regretted that the question of the
building to be erected on the site, as well as the question
of the site itself, was not then before the house, so that
they might be enabled to consider the whole subject in all
its bearings. He conceived there could be no doubt that
the pictures ought to be removed from the present site of
the National Gallery at Charing-cress in order that they
might be saved from the deleterious influence of the air in
• that locality. The question then arose where else they
ought to be placed ? He had no hesitation in saying that
the site of Kensington Palace would be the very best in
' London if it could only be procured ; and he thought the
house ought to defer their decision upon the subject until
they should have had an opportunity of ascertaiuing whe-
• ther it would be possible to gain possession of that site.
• Another very fine site would be the elevated ground in
Hyde Park, facing Kensington Palace, and a most dislin-
gaished German artist, the builder of the gallery at
Munich, bad expressed his preference for that site over any
other in this metropolis. lie (Mr. Tite) did not agree with
the noble lord who had brOught forward the motion that a
noblOeuilcling might not be erected at Kensington Gore.
• It appeared to him, on the contrary, that the ground there
was inefficiently elevated and sufficiently well situated in
other respects to admit of the construction of an edifice of
is.. great architectural beauty. But he did not think that it
• would afford a convenient site, inasmuch as there was at
present,, at all events, no commodious access to it from the
north. ie earnestly hoped that the house would maturely
consider. the whole Subject, before they definitely re-
solved on the selection they were to make. They had al-
ready voted 25,0nk. for the erection of a temporary build-
ing at Ketraingtoi-gore, which, in his opiuion, was un-
equalled for its ugliness, and they should be very cautious
what was the -course' they adopted with respect to the
proposed new edifice en which, he believe 1, there must be
expended a sum °feria less than 1,000,000/. (Roar, hear.)
They ought; in hiropinion, to constructs great art gallery,
which would contain all our national pictures, as well,
perhaps, as some of our best prints, together with our sta-
• tues and our archaeological collections, for he believed that
if they were not tocontine their exertions at the commence-
• meat to the formation of a picture gallery they would be
imitating that short-sighted policy which had already led
to so much waste of money and such a want of harmony
and grandeur in the public works of this country (Hear,
hear.) With regard to the competition for the building
he earnestly hoped that it would be a European competi-
tion. (Hear, hear.) During the last year there bad j been
three such competitions two in Hamburgh, and one in
France, and every one of them, he was glad to be able to
say, had been won by Eaglishmen. (Rear, hear.) They all
wished that something creditable to the country should be
pro luced in that case, and he trusted they would not pro-
ceed hastily in the matter, but that they would carefully
consider it in all its details before they committed them-
selves to an irrevocable decision. They might see, in the,
case of the very building in which they were then essem-
bled, the unfortunate consequences of which a rash choice
in the site of a great building might be productive.
Every one gifted with artistic taste must admire the
great architectural beauty of the new Howes of Par-
liament, but must at the same time regret that so fine
an edifice had been raised on so low a site, just along the
border of the river, where it was necessary to pall down a
bridge in order to render it visible from one quarter
(Hear, bear.) He believed they ought to receive a warning
from that mistake not to fall into anerror of a similar cha-
racter, with reference to the selection of a site for the new
art gallery.
Mr. Alderman CUBITT said that he thought the great
questions they had then to consider were the convenience
of the public, and the preservation of the works of art. It
appeared to him that the selection of Hyde Park for the
new art gallery could not be entertained for a moment, be-
cause the public would never allow any diminution of the
space appropriated in the parks to purposes of healthy re-
creation. The other proposed new sites ware Kensington-
gore
and Kensington Palace. Of these two latter sites,
Kensington Palace was placed on the higher level, but
that circumstance was not of sufficient importance, in his
opinion, to justify them in abandoning the site at Kensing-
ton Gore, of which they had already got possession. Be-
sides, they could not obtainso large a spice at Kensington
Palace as at Kensington-gore, and he should therefore se-
lect the latter locality. There was however another ques-
tion they had to consider, and that was the convenience of
the public. He was himself one of the working members of
the community. He should like to visit frequently all our
great public exhibitions, but he fount that he had not time
to gratify that wish. He should be glad to see the Crystal
• Palace every day, but he had not been able to go there more
ttan once in the course of the present year. He believed
that it would also be impossible for him to pay many visite
to a building at ,Kensington Gore, while he was frequently
enabled to go to the National Gallery at Charing-cross,
and he was sure there must be many thousands of persons
in London placed in a similar position. At the same time
he could not help seeing that it would beimpossible to find
accommodation for All our works of art at, Charing-cross ;
and' under those circumstances, he would suggest whether
it would not be advisable to leave our principal pictures
in their present locality, for the convenience of the puolic
generally, while our other works of art should be collected
in a building at Kensington, which might be frequented
by people who had no special business avocations. They
could thus. combine with the convenience of having a Na-
tional Gallery at Charing-cross the advantage of having a
larger and a more variously-filled edifice at one of the ex-
tremities of the metropolis.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that as he had been a mem-
ber of the committee of the house which had inquired into
that subject in the year 1853 he was unwilling to give a
silent vote upon that occasion. It was the almost unani-
mous opinion of the committee that the collection of pic-
tures at present kept at Charing cross ought to be removed
to some extremity of the metropolis, where they would be
exposed to a less noxious state of the atmosphere. But a
great diversity of opinion had prevailed in the committee
with respect to the now locality to which the pictures
should be transferred. It was, however, also true that
after a very full inquiry into all the circumstances of the
case, the decision of the' majority of their members was
that offer of the site at Kensington-gore for the con-
struction of a new art gallery ought to be accepted. The
localities brought under their notice might be classed under
two heads. First, there were those sites which were more
,or less open to the same objection as the gallery at Charing-
cross—namely, that they would have the pictures exposed
to the smoke and dirt of London ; and it certainly seemed
to him that it would be a fetal mistake to transfer those
works of art to any such districts. On the other hand,
it was clear that they could not be removed to any very
great distance from the central portions of the metropolis,
because such a removal would altogether defeat the object
for which the national gallery was formed. There were
no doubt other sites besides the one at Kensington-gore
which at first view were tempting enough—such as the site
of Kensington Palace, and the site of the elevated ground
in Hyde-park. He was not surprised that a foreign archi-
tect had been struck by the obvious advantage of that
latter site, and had expressed for it a decided preference
But any one conversant with the wants and .wishes of the
inhabitants of London must at once feel that it would be
impossible to appropriate Hyde-park for the erection of
any building, and to make it cease to be a piece of healthy
out-door recreation. He should observe, too, that the site
of Kensington Palace would be by no means sufficiently
extensive for the proposed new edifice, and that a consider-
able portion of the surrounding ground should be appropri-
• ated to. the same purpose ; but the public would not, he
felt persuaded, consent that Kensington Gardens, any more
than Hyde-park, should cease to be uncovered and un-
enclosed spaces. A most vigorous opposition had at
first been made to the construction of even so temporary a
building as the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, and that op-
position had not been overcome until a distinct assurance
had been given that the building should be pulled down as
soon as ever it should cease to be wanted for its original
purpose. The fact was, that the parks formed the finest
• and most pleasing spectacle in this metropolis ; and no oue,
gifted with the slightest artistic feeling, could wish, under
any circumstances, for their destruction. He alluded to
these points fOr the purpose of showing that the localities
from which the committee had to make their selection in
that case were extremely limited in number. He believed,
that under all the circumstances, no batter site could be
obtained than that of Kensington Gore. That spot, al-
though near London, was out of the smoke of London ; it
was sheltered from the north, and it was well known that
the most noxious winds blew from that quarter ; it had a
gravelly soil, and it was sufficiently extensive for all.the
purposes of the proposed building. Let the house recollect,
that it was not proposed they should do more iu the pre-
sent session than determine what was to be the site of the
new art gallery, and that all the details connected with
the construction of that building would come hereafter
under their special consideration. He felt persuaded that
ample evidence had already been 'furnished in reference to
that question of the site of the edifice, and that if any hou.
members did not possess sufficient information upon the
point it-must be their own fault. He asked them, then,
to come to a decision without any unnecessary delay upon
that subject, and he confidently trusts I they would arrive
at the conclusion that Kensington Gora was the beat
site which they could select for that great national under-
' tearing. (Hear, hear )
'Mr. SPOONER said he should vote for the motion of
• the noble lord, because he was not prepared to sanction the
removal of our National Gallery from the centre of the
metropolis. (Hear.) He would' further observe that it did
not seem to him that Kensington Gore would tiff rd a good
site for such a building. One of the great objects of the
advocates of that change was to obtain the removal of the
Pictures from the dirt and smoke of London. Now, it so