The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-04 00:00:00

instruction) he protested against theierection of these build.
ings at the extreme west of LontiOn. (Hear.) He wanted to
know by whose influence it was Bono? (Hear.) It looked
like part of an intrigue ultimately to put all the galleries
on the Kensington estate. The h oust, had most distinctly
declared that that should not be. and yet they were asked
to vote £9,000 for these buildings. lie wanted to know for
whose gratification the whole of the inhabitants of London
and the visitors to London were to suffer this inconvenience?
Ministers disowned it. The Horse of Commons disowned it,
and why it was proposed, and to please whom he had never
been able to discover. (Ileor.) He made these observations
that he might get, if possible, some explanation of this ex-
traordinary fact, and he.hopcd that Ministers
.would tell
them what were the electric currents which passed through
the Government of the day, and tinder what influence they
14boured, whenever these questions were considered. (Hear.)
It was a most monstrous and insolent proceeding towards,
the house, and he hoped they would reject the vote as a dis-
tinct declaration that the feelings of the people should be
respected, and that her Majesty's Ministers should act in
accordance with those feelings, and not in accordance with
opinions which they were either afraid or ashamed to re-
cognise. (Cheers.)
. Lord J. MANNERS was quite at a loss to know to what
influence the right hon. and learned gentleman alluded,
and, as one of the late Government who had discussed these
temporary buildings, ho could safely say no influence had
animated their opinion on the matter. They were exces-
sively puzzled where to find a site. The hon. and learned
gentleman suggested that the vacant ground at the back of
Burlington-house should have been selected, and that 12
months was ample time to erect It permanent building for
the Royal Academy. The hon. gentleman must have had
very little practical acquaintance with Government build-
ings if he supposedthat in that short space of time any such
building could be completed, and if temporary buildings
had been erected there they would have -had to be pulled
down before the permanent edifice could be finished. He
took especial pains to inquire its to the best site, and as far
as his own opinion went, he thought no part so. accessible
as Carlton-rise. (Hear, hear.) But there were objections
to that and just at the moment, most fortunately as he
thought, an offer was made by the Science and Art Depart-
ment,_ to allow temporary buildings to be erected at Ken-
sington, where there was already the valuable collection of
pictures of Mr. Sheepshanks. That the national collection
of pictures was permanently established in Trafalgar-square
was, in his opinion, as settled a point as anything could be
in that house. (Hear, hear.) On behalf of every depart-
ment of the late. Government he broadly and emphatically
denied that there was the slightest intention whatever of
placing these pictures permanently at Kensington. They
were merely to, be placed there as a temporary convenience,
and because it was absolutely necessary they should be
placed somewhere where they would be safe from fire and
injury. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. D. SEYMOUR did not see why the buildings could
not be erected as easily and economically in the square of
Burlington-house as at Kensington-gore. It looked as if
there was some underhand influence at work to induce the
house to change its resolution and so each item of the public
collections was being successively moved to the west end of
London, where none but the rich could enjoy them. (Hear,
hear.) He deprecated any connection between the State and
societies like the Royal Academy, and expressed his prefer-
ence for giving money to the Royal Academy instead of a
site.

Mr. CONINGHAM feared that the magnificent and
spacious building which the Royal Academy would possess
would injuriously affect the competing societies in Suffolk-
street and elsewhere. He suggested that the Royal Academy
should erect a temporary building, and vacate the National
'Gallery at once.
Mr. D. SEYMOUR said it was evident the money had
been already spent, and he wished to know out of what
fund.

Mr. STIRLING thought that, as the Canton-rise plan
would only have cost £l,OOO, and this plan would cost
£9,000, the objections to the former were nine times less
than the objections to the latter. They might hire a house
a £l,OOO a year which would hold all• the pictures, and if
they wanted it for two years they would save £7,000.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. J. LOCKE wished to know why these pictures could
not be placed in the wing of the building in Trafalgar-
square, of which he believed the Royal Academy had pos-
session only by sufferance. The sum of £lO,OOO ought to
be sufficient to erect a permanent, and not merely a tempo-
rary building. ( Hear.)
Sir J. SHELLEY said there was nothing in the vote to
show that it was to be a temporary building.
Sir M. PETO thought the Government, instead of spend-
ing £lO,OOO cn such temporary erections, would have done
better to have advertised for buildings in which these pic-
tures could have been exhibited. It might have obtained
the rooms of the British bistitution in Suffolk-street, or the
Polytechnic.