The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-14 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S PARK.

The Earl of MALMESBURY then rose to call the
attention of the house to the subject of the improve-
ments in St. Jannes's•park. The expense which had
been incurred had taken place without the authority of
Parliament. He had over and over again endeavoured
to get the correspondence on this subject, but had not
been eueci.s,ful, and he was now sick of asking for it.
It had been said that the expenditure had been entered
upon on sanitary grounds. Now, according to Sir B.
Hall, the course he took for this purpose was to clean
both the lakes in St. James's-park and Hyde-park, and,
being under the rollicking rule of the noble viscount now
at the head of the Government, that course was taken.
The estimates first given for the works amounted to a sum
that would have maintained four regiments of soldiers for
at least 12 monthi. 1 second estimate was given reduc-
ing the cost to 61,0001. but the work in St. James's-park
was ultimately executed at an outlay of 15,000/. The
noble earl said he 'was at a loss to understand why in
this case an estahliahed constitutional principle had been
violated in spending so much money without the consent
of Parliament being first obtained. Money should be
voted as it was required, and then is extravagant ex-
penditure could be checked. He deprecated Government
being permitted to spend money at their mere caprice,
and afterwards rely on the indulgence of the House of
Commons to sanction it.

Earl GRANVILLE defended the conduct of the Go.
vernment in reference to this vote, and contrasted the
beautiful state of the water as St. James's-park with that
of the Serpentine. He attributed the state of the
water in St. James's-park in June last to the effects
of a thunder-storm, which washed a great deal of filth
into the lake. The lake bad since been cleaned, and
there was every reason to believe that in future there
would be no cause of complaint. It was impossible
to have a large leke of stagnant water in the metro-
polis without its being insalubrious. He sympa-
thised with the 24 rni'lions of the metropolis who were
obliged to have recourse to these parks, and ho consi-
derA the Givtrninent had done right in improving the
couditio'n of the water at a moderate outlay. HI consi-
dered London did not come forward as it ought on these
occasions, but he believed the people would sanctien the
outlay compTained of by tho noble earl.
L-,rd MONTEA.GLE had never heard of the insalu-
brity of the water in St. James's Park until now, and
when the cholera was in Londod no complaint was made
of its state being ir:junous to public health. He consi-
dered the outlay as a constitutional offence committed by
the application of public money to purposes for which it
was not originally voted.
After some remarks from Lord GRANVILLE in ex-
planation,

The subject dropped.
CONSOLIDATION OF THE LAWS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second read-
ing of the Larceny &c., Bi 1, Offences against the Per-
son Bill, Malicious Injury to Property Bill, Forgery
Bill, Libel 8,11, Coinage Offences Bill, Deer, Game and
Rabbits Bill, and the Accessories and Abettors Bill.
These bile, which proposed certain a terations in the
present statute law, were introducA with a view to its
consolidation.

Lord CAMPBELL was surprised at the motion. He
understood the bills were to be laid on the table for their
lonlship3' consideration between the present and nee'