The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-11 00:00:00

CHINA. TROOPS.

Mr. ROEBUCK called attention to a previous state-
ment of the Under Secretary for War that the soldiers
sent to China were properly provided with every re-
quisite to stand the climate, and said that, accord-
ing to the newspapers, the men had not been
furnished with covering for their helmets and
foraging cape. He asked for an explanation on whose
authority the statement was made.
Sir J. RAMSDEN admitted that the warrant re-
ferred to by General Peel had•worked differently to what
;sad been expected, but he was unable to say what pre-
cise steps would be taken to remedy it. It was under
consideration of the authorities for revision. Referring
to the hon. and learned member for Sheffield (Mr. Roe-
buck's) question, the hon. bart. said that the troops gone to
China bad taken covers for their helmets and foraging
caps. The cavalry, artillery, and engineers, for India,
bad taken with them covers made up. The infantry
bad not been supplied with the covers, but they would
receive them on landing. Government had ascertained
there would be no difficulty in obtaining the materials
there, and orders had been sent out overland to get the
covers made up with the utmost dispatch.
THE NEW GOVERNMENT OFFICES.
Mr. HOPE mcved that an bumble address be pre-
sented to her Majesty, praying her Majesty to appoint a
royal commission to consider the site and plans of the
proposed new public offices, and particularly the
Foreign and War Offices, and to report on
the same. He was induced to ask for this
commission in) consequence of the judges having
adopted a block plan of a different character to the ele-
vations, the effect of which was that they were not
adapted one to the other, and if attempted to be carried
out would entail an immense expense, and be a:ter-
wards found to be a failure. He also complained of there
being two separate buildings—one for the war and the
other for the foreign-office instead of one building suffi-
ciently large to accommodate both Departments. The
cost of the site in Downing-street and Charles-
street would be 170,0001. That might be saved, if
Government adopted his suggestion, by building these
two offices on part of the parade ground in St. James's
park. It would also prevent the demolition and re.
building of the Colonial-office and other public buildings.
His proposal would form part of a great whole, which
would follow, and leave those streets which the Govern
ment proposed to take for the offices to be thrown open
so as to carry St. James's-park down to the river. He
contended that all the buildings should be under one
roof, and should communicate with each other by pas-
sages and telegraphs, and staircases. Upon everyground
he required further inquiry, for there had not been suf
ficient investigation, and the public kaew nothing about
the matter. He concluded by submitting the motion of
which he had given notice.
Col. PENNANT seconded the motion. •
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
effect of the motion if carried would be to take the subject
out of the hands of Government and to place it is the
hands of a royal commission, that would virtually have
to decide the sites for the proposed buildings. He consi-
dered it very objectionable to refer the subject to a soyal
commission. It left in the hands of the Executive, they
would consider not only the plans with reference to
what was most convenient combined with a reasonable
amount of decoration, but also the amount of public
money that would be required. A royal commission
would proceed in a different manner. They would con-
sider that the best manner in which the object in view
could be accomplished would be by deciding on notonly
the best site, but the largest plan, with the greatest
amount of decoration, as conducive to the embellishtent
of the town, without regard to cost. He felt unable to
accede to the motion, on the grounds that it would
either engage the house in a useless and unnecessary
expense in comparison with the object to be attaine], or
create atiether delay by laying before the Government
another set of plans framed on so extravagant a scae as
would lead to their rejection by them (hear, hear). The
Government proposed, and all that they wished in
this session of Parliament was to obtain such a grant
of public money as would enable them to actuire
a site sufficient for the erection first of a Forsign-
office, and afterwards of one or two offices as chum.
stances might require. Beyond that the Government
had no desire to go, and he assured the house that the
Government were by no means ambitious of embellishing
the town with extensive elaboratedly decorated public
buildings.
Lord J. RUSSELL objected to the course pursued by
the hon. member for Maidstone, and complained of the
somewhat strange course adopted by the Government—
(hear, hear)—first in asking for plans of buildings of
handsome description, and after the artists had displayed
their ability, and furnished them, to be informed that
the Government had no site on which to erect them.
(Hear, bear.) It was not a practical course of proceed-
ing. If the Government only intended to spend a
limited and reasonable sum of money in the erection of
public offices, they should have informed the artists of
it, and the site, and have asked for plans accord.
ingly. He considered that if the Government required
the erection of several offices, it would be better to have
them in one building rather than in distinct erections.
As the Government had determined upon throwing
the plans on one site, he hoped that when they
came to that house for a sum of money, they would be in
a position to state exactly what it was they did want.
When he examined the plans exhibited in Westminster
Hall he considered them very handsome, and that they
partook more of the character of palaces than public
offices, and he cautioned the Gouernment against a repe-
tition of the blunder that had been committed in refer-
ence to Buckingham Palace, which had cost the country
nearly a million of money.

Ater some remarks from Sir D. NORREYS,
Sir B. HA LL said that the present Foreign and Odle-
nial Offices were in a very ruinous state, requiring either
to be rebuilt, or a large sum of money expended on them
to make them secure; and the War-office required a
larger building, so as to concentrate the six or seven
branches that were scattered about the West-end under
one roof. Last year the committee that eat on public
offices decided it was desirable that the public offices
should be concentrated, and that if it were necessary
to rebuill them, to call in the most competent talent
that the world could produce. In consequence of that
" recommendation ho waited on the Government, and, ac-
cording to their instructions, he took the necessary steps
for remedying the evils complained of. One general plan
was laid down for the building of the offices that would,
if required, form in the end one whole, on which sur.
veyors were called on to furnish specffications for laying
out the ground from Downing-street to Richmond-ter-
race on the north, and from Westminster-hall to Great
ncifiGeorge-street on the south. Before sending' out the i.pe-
caiatiooshecommunicated with the Foreign and Colo.
of the rooms
their respectivee
con-
templated their erection
specified. Ministersr and was informed of the number and size
required for carrying on the business of
It
was
in ricdt
omuoeuonrnt departments, niaidernbtohuueini
dtpilnoagfie asse
spacenregarded
d-
had been made against consequence of the complaints that
architecture and design that
tects of the world, a.ad the
responded to had been witnessendn
lieved had met with general favoni
hmeaappealed to the archi-
-7: in which it was
all, and he be-
(allear, hear )
Among the designs were several from
would be for the house to consider whether Etleeriet • It
that had been selected were too grand and too expeenssree
and ought not to be proceeded with ; but, at the same
time, be begged to remind the house that they were nono
of them too large for efficiently conducting the busice" ,