The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-07 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, DEC. 7, 1867.

An inteeesting subject was referred to in the
House of Lords last night. Lord REDESDALE, as
chairman of committee, raised some objections to
the course which the Government were taking with
respect to the East London Museum Site Bill. He
said that they were endeavouring to hurry it on iu
too inconsiderate a style, and with undue precipita-
tion. The uninformed among the public, who are
constantly urging upon the Government to do
this, that, or the other in the shape of
improvement, can little realise the delay
and doubts that hinder all progress. What
with form and precedent, and one thing and an-
o' her, the chief difficulties seem to begin when the
task has actually commenced. According to the
noble lord, who must be an authority on the sub-
ject, some of the parties interested in the matter
have not had due notice of the changes proposed.
The hill in question proposes to deal with certain
lands in Bethnal-green, which, under the deed
securing them to trustees, were to be kept for ever
free from building. It is true, as Lord REDES-
DALE says, that in densely-crowded portions
of the metropolis it is expedient that
some open spaces should be preserved, and
surely the present case is one which fully justifies a
partial departure from the rule ; but the chief ob-
jection seems to rest in the fact that due notice was
not given. The various stages of the bill were
hurried over in both Houses, but we think that this
shows the great unanimity that prevailed on the
subject, which shows the importance that was at-
tached to it.

Lord REDESDALE admitted that he had great
confidence in the present Government, but he did
not deem it advisable they should have unlimited
powers over land in the way thus proposed. The
Duke of 111ARLBOROUGII made a very grave reply,
in the course of which he said if the noble lord
thought fit to delay this bill on his own responsi-
bility, to defer the progress of the bill, the Govern-
ment must bow to the rules of the House. The
noble duke expressed his regret that a valuable op-
portunity would be lost thereby, and he argued
with some force that he thought it was
" competent for the Ministers of the Crown for the
time being to hold lands in the name of the Crown."
We consider it a matter of regret that time should
be lost, the more especially because at this time any
excitement would be better left alone for that part
of the metropolis ; and besides, as the Duke ob-
served, Lord REDESDALE seemed to object also in
point of policy. There is no real meaning i❑ the
argument which the noble lord subsequently put
forward as to the inadvisability of having
a garden at the public expense for the parish
of Bethnal-Green. The second speech of Lord
REDESDALE in some respects explained the first one,
because he appeared averse to the whole affair. He
said we have got at South Kensington a National
Museum, established and maintained at the public
expense, but why is another portion of the metro-
polis to have a museum and garden added ? The
taxpayers of Birmingham and Manchester
may say that they have as good a right
to have a similar establishment set up out of
the public purse. According to this theory there
would never have been a Museum at Kensington at
all, and as one thing must be done at a time such
objections are quite fallacious. Tho Duke of
MARLBOROUGH fully exculpated her MAJESTY'S
Government, so far as any charge of carelessness or
undue assumption could have appeared to be
against them. He declared that they had very
carefully considered the question, and that the
duties with which the noble lord was entrusted
by that House were to see that bills were in proper
form, and that notice had been duly given ; but as
to the policy of the measure, an I as to whether her
MAJESTY'S Government should be entrusted with a
particular scheme or not, " that was a matter for
Parliament to determine, and which did not rest
merely with the noble lord, who would not exercise
the powers entrusted to him merely to stop a public
measure because he did not think it desirable." 'We
hope that when the House reassembles in February
these resolutions and questions will be put aside,
and that the Government will not find itself any
further impeded by the restrictions which now arrest
their progress. It is always more to be regretted
when any hindrances are put in the way of improve-
ments in the poorer localities than iu those more
flourishing quarters of the metropolis which are well
able to take care of themselves.

Last night the news of a terrible conflagration
spread rapidly through the west of London. Those
who were at too great a distance to ascertain the
exact whereabouts of the fire were fully prepared by
the flames that shot up under Elie Clear frost sky
and the glare that coloured the horizin for the
startling news which reached them this morning.
Her Majesty's Theatre has been totally destroyed,
and so rapid and uncontrollable was the work of
destruction that it is a matter of thankfulness and
congratulation that the destruction, great as it was,
was restricted to the building itself. Much damage
was necessarily done to the houses in the immediate
vicinity, and great was the alarm and anxiety of
their occupants. One of the first thoughts of the
lovers of art, on learning the terrible nature of the
fire, would be for the safety of • Mr. GRAVES'S
beautiful collection of pictures. So great was the