The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-23 00:00:00

SMOKE NUISANCES (SCOTLAND) BILL.

The amendments to this bill were agreed to, and the
house adjourned at ten minutes after nine o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.)
SUPPLY.

The house then went into committee of supply,
Upon the vote, 162,3661., 'for works connected with
the new Houses of Parliament,

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY drew attention to the large
expenditure which bad taken place in the building, and
urged that it was high time it was brought to some re-
sult. A few sessions ago, when Sir W. Molesworth
was at the head of the Board of Works, it was stated
that the contracts in progress would involve an expendi-
ture of 280,0721., but that in addition to that some half
million more or so would be required to complete the
building. It was understood, however, that the expen-
diture of that half million should not be entered upon
without the assent of the house, and that understanding
had been renewed by the present first commissioner. It
was exceedingly doubtful whether the arrangement was
not already broken. Certainly the 280,0721. had been
exceeded, and seeing that the costs of the works, which
were originally es,imated at 770,0001., had exceeded
2,000,0001, it was the duty of parliament to ascertain
when and where the drain was to stop. The real cause
of the excess in the expenditure was the eensive cha*
meter of the finishings of the building. It was stated by
Mr. Hunt, a gentlemen well qualified to form an opinion,
that they had involved au expenditure of no less than
700,0001., and if that extravagance continued it would
be mo,t disgraceful.

Sir B. HALL wag appointed to the office he now
filled on the 24th of July, 1855, and took his seat on the
110th of that month. The day afterwards, the hon. gen-
tleman the member for Warwickshire asked what was
the course he intended to take in relation to the works
at the New Palace ? In answer to that question,
he stated that he proposed simply the works which
had received the sanction of Parliament, and
on no account would he countenance the commencement
of any new ones. To that pledge he had adhered most
rigidly, and he hoped the house would never again fall
into the error which it committed between the years
1834 and 1840. Instead of having a comglete and de-
tailed plan, and some proper officer charged with the ex-
, penditure of the money, it contented itself with a slight
' sketch merely shadowing forth what was intended to
be done, and with committees of taste, special commis-
sions, and committees of inquiry. How was it possible,
then, that the undertaking could be carried on in any
satisfactory manner ? In answer to a question put to
him in that house, he (Sir B. Hall) stated that Sir C.
Barry had given him an estimate of 234,0001. as the
amount for which the works in progress [night be com-
pleted. When the estimate for the present year was sent
in by Sir C. Barry, he found that a larger sum was re-
quired, and he immediately inquired how that was. Sir
Charles stated that 50,0001. was wanted for the excess
on contracts in consequence of those contracts having
been extended ; and 34,0001. was required for new
merles. That was a most unsatisfactory account, and he
had therefore required Sir Charles to enter into the de-
tails of his demand. The house might depend on his re-
straining Sir Charles as far as he was able, and on his
doing hie utmost to pat an end to the work. (Hoar.)

In answer to Mr. W. WILLIAMS,

Sir B. HALL added that be could not, he was afraid,
arsizn any time at which the works would be finished ;
but he reiterated his determination to put an end to them
at as early a period as possible.
Mr. HENLEY had not gathered from the right hon.
baronet's statement how mulch the present vote wonll be
in eicklBB cf the 234,0001. He regretted to hear the right
bon. gentleman talking, no doubt with perfect sincerity,
of restraining Sir Charles "as far as he was able." That
seas a most unfortunate addendum to the right hon. ba-
ronet's btaternetit. The right hon. baronet bad an easy
remedy in his own hands ; he had only to refuse to place
in the estimates the cost of carrying out anything he die.
approved of. (hear.)

Sir HALL said the vote would raise the expendi-
ture fifteen or twenty thousand pounds above the
f'84,0001. He bad not received from Sir Charles any
answer to his request for the details of the new charges.
Mr. lIENLEY—The vote, then, was for works which
the right hon. gentleman had not yet sanctioned. He
hoped the house. by granting the money, would not find
itself committed to any new undertaking. He objected
strongly to having a plan inserted in the estimates hay-
ing on it a design for " proposed buildings." In a year or
two Sir Charles might say tbat he had laid his plans before
Parliament and that they bad not been objected to.
Sir B. HALL would take care it did not occur again.
The fact was the plan was received just before the esti-
mates were sent to the printers.

Mr. BALL wished to know when the great clock
would show its Line, and when the great bell wont' let
them know whether its tone was as magnificent as its
name ?

Mr. PALK said that Sir Charles Barry was simply a
person employed by the Government and the house, and
the First Commissioner would therefore have no diffi
culty in restraining him if he pleased.
Sir B. HALL—When he said that he would restrain
Sir Charles as far asjhe was able, he was referring to the
difficulty of restraining an architect, which mutt be
koewn to every hon. gentleman who bad employed one
without havin# a distinct plan and detailed specifications.
(Hear, hear.) The clock, too, illustrated the unfortunate
character of the plan which had been adopted with regard
to the New Palace. The proper course would have been
to cast the bells first, and then to have made the clock ;
wherene they had got the clock first and were now wait
ing for the bells. All that now remained to be done was
to east two quarter bells, and he hoped that in the course
of three or four months the hon. gentleman would be able
to see the clock at work, and to hear the chimes.
Mr. H. DRUMMOND drew attention to an item of
1,300/. odd for designing plate, linen, crockery, &c., for
the kitchen. That was certainly a very remark able charge.
At the. same time, be 'did not think that Sir Charles
Berry had been justly treated. The sum offered him
might be too much, but Sir Charles had not been dealt
with according to the custom of the profession, and he
was afraid these sutra bills were designed to make up the
sum they had refused to give him in the first instance.
There was another item of 14,0001. for furnishing the
Speaker's house. That was an enormous sum for furnish-
ing one house, but he was afraid that they might have
another as large on the same account next year.
Lord J. MANNERS thought that an item of 4,500/.
for the purchase of the lease of a house in Spring-gardens,
for the Clerk of the Parliaments, was singularly mis-
placed in this vote.
Sir B. HALL had certainly expected that a residence
for the Clerk of the Parliaments would have been pro-
vided in the new palace, but finding that was not the
case, he thought it bettor to put the item in the vote in
order that the house might see the whole sum required
under this peed. With respect to the furniture of the
Speaker's house it would be supplied under the direction,
not of Sir C. Barry, but of the Board of Works, and the
estimate would not be exceeded.
Mr. B. HOPE also called attention to the item of
1,3001. for furnishing designs for the plate, linen, crock-
' erY, &c., ordered by the Kitchen Committee.
Mr. WILSON said that 1,3001. was the price of the
articles on which Sir C. Barry claimed commission—not
thenannaount of the commission itself, as the hon. gentle-
man
the
'waled to suppose.
Mr. BRISCOE protested against unsatisfactory
character of the discussion
original
sum
proposed
for rebuilding the
Houses * The
of Parliament was 200,000/.
The sum already ext.,
ended had greatly exceeded two
millions; and they had, after all, had no positive assur-
' ance that the present vote would be the last. He was ap-
prehensive that a very
great expenditure would be hi -
curred on the designs recently exhibited in Westminster
Hall. He was told it would be five millions; but with the