The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-11 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE.-SPEAKER'S
RESIDENCE.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that
before his Hon. Friend brought forward the Miscellaneous Es-
timates, he would, with the leave of the Committee, commu-
nicate to them the contents of a letter which he had received
from his Noble Friend at the head of the Woods and Forests.
Lord Duncannon had written to him, by command of his Ma-
jesty, on the best means of providing, until the rebuilding of
the Houses of Parliament, a convenient and suitable residence
for the Speaker. The letter was to the following effect :
" Some difficulty having arisen on the subject, his Majesty has
been graciously pleased to place at the disposal of the House
of Commons Marlborough-house ; and lam commanded by
the King to cause it to be immediately repaired, in order that
it may be occupied by the Speaker until the new Houses of
Parliament, and a fit and proper residence for that Officer shall
be completed. I request that you will take the earliest op-
portunity of making this communicationto the House of Com-
mons." He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) trusted that
this communication would be received in the spirit in which it
had been made.
Lord G. SOMERSET wished to put two questions to the
Right Hon. Gentleman. The first was, in what manner the
arrangement which, when he (Lord Granville Somerset) was
at the head of the Woods and Forests, he had made with
Lord Warwick on the subject of Marlborough House, had
been disposed of? The second question was, that, as his Ma-
jesty, two or three years ago, in pursuance of an Act of Par-
liament which authorised him to do so, executed a deed, by
which Marlborough House was settled on her Majefty in the
event of the King's death, how could his Majesty dispose of it
in the meanwhile?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Thefirst
question was, how the arrangement made by the Noble Lord
between the office of Woods and Forests and Lord Warwick
had been got rid of? He believed that it was terminated by
the act of Lord Warwick himself, who, on his return to Eng-
land, considered the contract to be such as to give him the
power to put an end to it, and he accordingly had given no-
tice of his intention to do so. With respect to the second
question, the House would bear in mind that the possession of
Marlborough House, during the existence of the lease, be-
longed to the King of Belgium. That lease would expire in
July, 1836 (an Hon. Member said 1835), well, 1835, and the
property would then revert to the Crown. It was true that
the ultimate destination of Marlborough House was the Dower
House for the use of her Majesty. But in the interval, the
House would remain a mere public building, to be supported
without any use. He believed that it devolved on the King of
Belgium to leave the house in good repair. Under these cir-
cumstances it was that his Majesty, seeing this building un-
cccupied, and seeing also the necessity of providing a resi-
dence for the Speaker, had generously put Marlborough House
at the disposal of Parliament, for the occupation of the
Speaker.---( Hear.)
Mr. C. BARCLAY said that the House could not fail
feeling obliged for his Majesty's offer, but it was obvious that
a great increase of expense must accrue to the Speaker by
residing in a house so unwieldily large. It was also a very in-
convenient situation for the residence of the Speaker.

Mr. HITME said, that any offer for the ptiblic convenience
that would be attended with economy, would be most accept-
able, but he thought the present proposition was not an eco-
nomical one. He would therefore submit to the Chancellor
of the Exchequer that a vote of thanks should be given to his
Majesty, for his kind intention, but that under the arrange-
ments which the House thought it proper to make for, and the
views they entertained respecting their Speaker, they would
rather take upon themselves to provide a residencefor him.—
(Laughter.) When he proposed that Marlborough House
should be given up for the use of Parliament, he was told that
it could not be had, because it was settled upon her Majesty.
Let it remain, then, with her Majesty. No doubt the Speaker
e.ould consider it better to live in a smaller house, and be able
to enjoy the comforts of life, than to be placed in a palace and
starved:---( Laughter. ) The repairs of Marlborough House
would cost 5,0001. ; he therefore hoped his Right Hon. Friend
v.ouid think better of it, and not press this arrangement.
Sir T. FREMANTLE felt grateful for his Majesty's kind
proposal, but, at the same time, the House ought to take the
situation cf the Speaker into consideration, and ought not to
kill him -vith kindness. Another question was, es to the fur-
aiture. Was the Speaker to furnish so large a house, merely
for a temporary residence of two or three years?
Mr. G. ROBINSON wished to ask the Chancellor of the
Exchequer whether the departure from the arrangement with
Lord Warwick had cost the public any thing?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER agreed that
this was not the time to discuss the question ; but he had done
no more than obey the commands he had received, by making
the communication to the House.—(Cheers.) Though Gen-
tlemen had expressed a difference of opinion with respect to
the appropriation of Marlborough House to the use of the
Speaker, yet he conceived that there could be no difference of
opinion as to the feeling which had dictated the offer—( Loud
cheers)—made by his Majesty, or as to the gratitude due from
the House for so generous an act.—( Renewed cheers.) In
answer to the Hon. Member for Worcester, he begged to say
that it was not the Government, but Lord Warwick, who had
ueparted from the arrangement. That Noble Lord had given
notice to terminate the lease, and thus it became necessary to
provide the Speaker with some other place of residence. If
Marlborough House should be considered above the scale fitted
for the residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons,
it was not likely, under the contingency, that the Crowp could
obtain a tenant for it in the ordinary markat ; therefore it must
remain unoccupied. Undoubtedly the convenience of the
Speaker ought to be considered; and although that Right
Hon. Gentleman was not the man to urge such an argument
on the House, yet it was an argument which the House itself
ought to regard.—( Hear.) But, under the circumstances, ho
thought it better that the conversation should drop.

Lord G. 60Ali,:1;,SET
In answer to some questions by Mr. EWART,

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the Speaker's house was now occupied by Lord Canterbury;
and he presumed that in the progress of clearing the site for
the new Houses of Parliament that building would necessarily
he taken away. With respect to the other question put by his
Hon. Friend, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) begged
to say that he had not yet received any official intimation of
any sort or kind with respect to building the new House of
Lords. He believed something had been stated upon the Re-
port being presented to the House of Lords on the subject,
but it had not reached him.

Mr. H UME expressed his surprise that any thing in con-
templation respecting the building of a new House of Lords
should not have qeen communicated to a Member of the Go-
verement holding so important an office as that of Chancellor
of the Exchequer.
On the motion of Mr. F. B A RING, a grant of twelve thou-
sand pounds for the Insolvent Debtors' Court establishment
was agreed to.
ALIEN OFFICE.

On the resolution being put that 1,1611. 6s. should be
granted to defray the charges of the registration of aliens for
the year ending April, 1836,
Mr. HUME said that this office, when first established, was
contrary to the custom of England, and he thought they were
arrived at a time when it might be put an end to.

Mr. WARBURTON observed, that if a Committee were
consented to, he had no doubt that in less than a fortnight he
would establish the inutility of this office.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER reminded
his lion. Friend that they were not now discussing the old
alien law. Against that law the Constitutional argument was,
that it was an infringement of the customs of England, and
when on the other side of the House, he and his friends had
established that principle. The office was now reduced to
three officers. Whatever might be the consequence of future
inquiry, he did not think it necessary to postpone the vote on
the present occasion.
Dr. BO WRING thought that this establishment was a re-
proach to us.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL quite agreed with the Hon.
Member for Middlesex in principle, that the whole of this esta-
blishment was bad. He (Lord John Russell) was one of those
who had most strenuously contended for the abolition of the
Alien Act, and aided in putting an end to the late system. The
present establishment was not liable to the same objections ;
but he thought that the circumstances under which it was, at
the time, deemed proper to be continued, were no longer in
existence, and that no material purpose could be effected by
keeping it up any longer.
Lord SANDON had always been opposed to the Alien
Act. He wished that that peculiar character should be re-
stored to England of which it boasted in olden time—that of
its being open to all, without respect of persons.
Mr. HUME hoped, after the speech of the Noble Lord,
that a Bill would be brought in upon the subject even during
the present session.
The resolution was then agreed to.
That 17,0001. be granted to defray the charge of the Pe-
nitentiary at Millbank.

Mr. PEASE asked whether it was the intention to convert
this building into a great military prison; and, also, whether
the system of sending criminals to the Hulks was to be
kept up ?
Mr. F. BARING assured the Hon. Gent. that it was not
the intention to make the Penitentiary a military prison; al-
though it had been found necessary to send some soldiers,
who were crowding the gaols, to that prison. With respect
to the Hulks, a great diminution had taken place in the num-
ber of convicts sent there.
Mr. HODGES was understood to complain that the pri-
sons had been crowded with soldiers.

Lord JO H NRUSSELL replied that a difficulty had
arisen with regard to the interpretation of the Act passed last
session. It was conceived that the Act gave the Secretary of
State power to send persons convicted by courts-martial in
the metropolitan districts to the Penitentiary, Brixton, or other
prisons; but on looking into the Act he felt great doubt on
the subject, and thought it necessary to consult the law offi-
cers upon it, and those learned persons confirmed his opinion
that the Act was not sufficient to authorize the Secretary of
State to take any such course.
Mr. HUME condemned the convict system, and again
called the attention of the House to the deplorable fact, that
the food of each convict in the Penitentiary cost 271. annu-
ally, while a labouring man with a family, in many counties
of England, only earned 201. a year.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER bore tes-
timony to the admirable management of the prison. With re-
spect to the expense, the experiment of reducing the diet had
been tried, but as it was followed by considerable sickness
among the prisoners, it was not persevered in.
Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE defended the system pur-
sued at the Penitentiary, and contended that it had produ-
ced very beneficial effects upon the prisoners.
After a desultory conversation,
Mr. HUME urged the Government to the adoption of
some better system. It really was high time that it was
placed on a batter footing.