The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-13 00:00:00

was no doubt of this, and it was equally undoubted that
no money bad been voted by Parliament on account of
these vvorkt. Here he might refer to the estimates, not
with a view to discuss whether the expenditure was
proper or not, but merely to show the amount de-
manded. The estimates, then, stated that about 11,000/.
bad been expended, and the house would by-and-by be
asked to vote that money on account of it. Now, he
apprehended there never was a clearer caseof expenditure
incurred without the sanction of Parliament, and he
thought this was not a question of trifling importance,
to be dealt with in committee as a mere estimate open to
criticism and objection. He did not intend to discuss
whether the expenditure was a proper or an improper
one—whether too much or too little bad been spent.
That was quite foreign to the more important point in-
volved, which was this :—Admitting that Parliament
ought to have voted the money, and that not a sixpence
bad been unnecessarily expended. how came it that pub-
lic money had been expended at all without the sanction
of Parliament ? (Hear, hear.) Every schoolboy knew
how important a privilege it was, and not only a privi-
lege but a duty, for Parliament to preserve intaot this
Check upon the public expenditure. Perhaps, however,
as this was a new Parliament. he might show from his
own recollection bow other Houses of Commons had
dealt with cases of this kind. In 1841, when he was
Chancellor of the Exchequer, the First Naval Lord, in
consequence of the disturbances in Syria, thought it
necessary for the public service to exceed his estimates.
The subject came before the house. No one expressed
a doubt as to the propriety of the increased expenditure;
everybody seemed to admit that the Government had
exercised a wise discretion under the circumstances in
taking further precautions than were thought necessary
when the estimates were voted. But still the course
taken was objected to • and the Government were called
upon not only to explain, but to give satisfaction for
having exceeded the estimates. Upon that occasion
Ministers admitted that extreme necessity and the fact
that Parliament was not sitting at the time formed their
only justification ; but such was the view entertained
that a bill of indemnity being suggested, he himself
brought in a separate Appropriation Act with the view
of marking that the transaction was an irregular one,
not lightly to be passed over. The predecessor of the
present Speaker "thought that objections existed to
the passing of such a bill, and it was accordingly
withdrawn, but in the Appropriation Act of the ses-
sion a special clause was introduced which stated the
necessity, and granted the money only on that
ground. Again it happened that in Lord Auckland's
time the estimates upon the dockyard battalion bad been
exceeded. The justification then was that at that mo-
ment there were reasons why additional measures should
be taken for the protection of the country. Parliament,
however, was so far from admitting such an extuse, that
Mr. Hume moved a resolution, which was pretty equiva
lent to a vote of censure, declaring it to be the duty of
the Government not to exceed the estimates, and this
resolution was agreed to without a dissentient voice.
That instance was a still more remarkable one than the
one he had first mentioned, for the Treasury had given
the Admiralty a very strong "jobation" for what it had
done. The house would see that these were cases of a
much lighter character than that upon which he was re-
marking, because there Pailiament had admitted the prin-
ciple of the expenditure, and had actually voted a certain
sum ; and it was always considered that a mere excess of
expeniiture upon a sum granted was a more venial irre-
gularity than to spend money upon a work which Parlia-
ment had never sanctioned. On looking at the last report
of the Audit-office which had been presented he found
that the auditors referred to a correspondence with tee
Treasury, in which they pointed out that in 25 instances
wores had been undertaken and paid for by the Board of
Works before the sanction of Parliament had been ob-
tained, and that that sanction had not been obtained
until after the completion of the works. Some of those
works were trifling in amount, but there was an item of
1,000/. for wood pavement, and another of 1,6001. for
the great clock. Ile perceived that Lie right bon. friend
stated in exelanetion that all these were cases of emer-
gency, and that he could not wait for a vote of Parlia-
ment. He (Sir F. B trine) did not know whether that
great clock was connected with the great bell which was
to carry down his right hon. friend's name to posterity
—(a laugh)—hut he did not exactly see any emergency
in the case which rendered it impossible to wait for a
vote of Parliament. As he had said, these sums were
small in amount, but when the house found that two
years ago there were 25 small 'oeccadill /es, and that now
we had arrived at about 11,000/. so expended, it was
time for Parliament just to show that it had not forgot-
ten that which he apprehended to be one of its principal
du ies—namely, the control of the public expenditure.
(Hear.) A very strong impression prevailed in these days
that the principal check which there ought to be on tee
public expenditure should consist in the audit. That
might be a rlglit or a wrong view—he; would not stop to
discuss it ; bnt if he were right, and if all the other cheeks
were insufficient, be begged his right hou, friend to look
for 'a"moment to the return which had been presented
last year upon the state of the accounts in the Audit
Depaitment: He found from that return that the ac-
counts of the " Commissioners of Her Majesty's Woods.
Foreets, Lands, Revenues, Works, and Buildings," had
beeh' received up to 1851, and that they had been audited
up to 1848; so that the audit cf that department
was nearly nine years yin arrear. -In 1851 a diPnble
audit took place, one called the audit of the• expenditure
and the other the appropriation audit ; and to this latter
which wai brought for ward from yeat to year, greatwalne
was very properly attached.' The reports of the auditors
were full of complaints of the way in which the accounts
were brought before them, and the auditors stated that
they were not able to present them to Parliament in a
satisfactory manner, owing to the way in which the ba-
lances of one year were carried on to the succeeding
year. Under these circumstances, be (Sir F. Baring)
thought that, instead of waiting for another year or two
to find out how the money bad been expended in St.
James's Park, it would be better to bring the subpet
before the House at once, in order to obtain some ex-
planation from his right bon. friend. Whether that
explanation should be verbally satisfactory or not, lie
thought that the House should not agree to a vote ir-
eluding the money already spent without having the
whole of the papers before them, and he should be glad
if his right hon, friend would give a pledge not to avail
himself of this vote until the full papers were pregented
to Parliament. (Hear, hear.) He did not wish to in-
terfere with the business of the house, and he should
not follow up the subject, therefore, with any resolution.
Sir B. HALL said that his right hon. friend who bad
jest sat down had moved upon the 20th of May for papers
in relation to the works which had been proceeded with in
St. Jslllos'S.Park ; that on the Bth of the present month
these papers had been presented to Parliament, that th
were now being printed, and that they would very
shortly be laid before the house in a printed form. Ile
concurred most fully in all that hit right hon. friend had
raid as to its being the duty of Parliament to watch with
jealous care any expenditure of public money whicu had
n t been sanctioned by a vote of the Legislature ; and
he thought that whoever called upon the Treasury for
any expenditure of public money which had not been so
sanctioned ought to hold himself respontible for his con-
duct, and ought to be prepared to give a good and suffi-
cient exelaration to the House of C to/noes with respect
to it. He propo-ed, therefore, to state to the hinnies
every eircnmstance in corm-tee-ea with the eependitnr)
noon the lake. in St. James's Park. At the end of Jolt',
1855, he wts appointed to hit prase nt office, having pre-
viously held the appointment of Pretident of the B and
of Health. He was at the Board of Health during the
time that the choleta was raging in the metropolis, and
he Watt:then brought into frequent contact with tbeprin-
e:p 1 medical preethieners in London ; and almost every
ore o' teem to whom ho had spoken had pointed out the
defective state of the lattes in the parka and had urged
the necessity of having them put into a proper condition.
On the I2th of Ostobei he wrote to the Treasury, stating
that fact, and recommending the propriety of some steps
being taken in order to improve the state of the lakes in
the parks of the metropolis. He staid also that before
any works of that kind could be carried out, it, would be
necessary to make an outfall drain from the lake in St.
James's Park, because it happened, owing to circum-
stances which had occurred many years ago, that the
outfall was about five feet higher than the bed of the
fake. 4f.., received the senc:ion of the Treasury to the
making of that outfall drain, and hon. members must be
aware that it was a very heavy work. It went from the
victoria sewer near the Thames under the archway of
the Horse Guarle, and it was finished during last sum-
mer. The house would recollect that last session
a select committee was appointed to consider the
communication from Pall-mall to Pimlico, and other
communications through St. James's Park, and one of the
rest lotions arrived at was that there should be a bridge
made acrcss the ornamental water. On the 6th of June
he proposed to the house a vote of 2,8001. for the erec-
tion of such a bridge, but his proposition was rejected.
The bridge was to have been very similar to the one
which was now being erected there, only instead of
bei g a suspension bridge it was to have been sup-
Ported by light cast-iron pillars, and it would have
beet' ,much cheaper than the present bridge, be-
!ante it would not have been necessary in order to
build
thit that the water should have been let out of
e -144. That
eoeme
_determined
vote was rejected, however, and the
that there should be a suspension-
bore
That was resolved upon toward, the close of
lest Resider, Parliament breaking up in the third week
in July. session, Parliament
feutidations ehouehni found that it was essential that deep
it would be absoluteble executed for the new bridge, that
Y neces,ary to let the water out of
the like, and that it be out for a considerable taus
during the' progress oIT
eideretion, knowing alseetttworktt• Talon that into
tOOO or
of cleansing the
lake, and that about 40 50,000 cubit: yards of
stuff would be required to fie
uettdetrhe holes and inette
lake; in the lake
finding,
eover, owing
it safer for skaters
and sliders ; and findiee
to the many
buildings which wets going; on in the 'neighburh e
that be could obtain that material for wahine ,whereas
in another year it !night cost him 21. '
or es. DJ. a-yard
(which would wake It difference of 40001. or 5,000/. in
the cost of the works), he had thought it better to ureee
upon the Treasury the necessity cf preceeding with the
works at once, insteaad of waiting f r another year,
when the c nut ef the material to which he had a Lithe
might have added nerr;y• 50 year cent, to the or gine; et_
Ciliate, Under these circumstances, he thought ttehonee
would be of opinion that he was justified in urging or
the Treasury the expediency of commencing a work
which he believed to be neces-ary for the c mfort arid
well-being of the inhabitants of the metropolis. ITS
wrote to the Treasury requesting power to proceed 'with
the work, and on the 27th of Aug. received their sanc-
tion. It had been his intention to ask for a vote this year
for the purpose of beginning the work, but tender the
circumstances he had stated he the tight no time was to
be dose because it was itnpostible to say whether he
might net be oblieed, if he delayed, to ask f r a very
mech larger auto. He therefore thought it be-t, as it
'was neeea_aty to Ist out the water of the lake, to pr
ceed with the wctk. That was the full explanitien -he
bad to give. lie was ready to admit that unithet he