The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-16 00:00:00

SCOTSCRAIG'S EST I.TE BILL.

On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, this bill was
!Tad a second time.
ST. JAMES'S PARK.

The Earl of MALMESBURY begged to ask
the question of which he bad given notice—
namely, what are the objects and expenses of the works
now going on in St. James's park ? The lake in the
enclosure bad been entirely drawn off, and works were
in progress to diminish the depth of the water. Of course
the works would coet a large sum of money, and in his
opinion the benefits that were expected to result from
the improvements would not be commensurate with the
cost. He understood that the whole of the expense would
cost between 12,0001. and 14,0001. One of the objects
to be attained by the improvements was to render her
Msjesty's palace more healthy by the fact of the water
in the lake being rendered mere pure. It was, no doubt, a
'WEIL imporLant object, but at the same time he must say,
as a resident in the lecelity, that he had never felt
the slightest inconvenience from the condition of the
park. The place had alwas Ft bean of a healthy descrip-
tion, and no complaints had ever been made by the in-
habitants. The second object of the improvement was
the accommodation of skaters ; but, considering
that in this country it was only about once in two
years that this exercise was to be had, he, with-
out wishing i❑ the slightest degree to interfere
with the amusements and recreations of the public, did
not think this ‘7,19 sufficient to justify so heavy an out-
lay. The third object was to have a constant stream of
water passing through the park, and thereby add to the
beauty of the park. No doubt it was important to have
the water as transparent as posskle, but whether Par-
liament would consent to the expenditure of so
large a sum of money in making these alterations
he very much doubted. The cost of carrying out the
foot-'ridge would be 3,500/,, and the new ornamental
entrance upwards of 4,000/. Their lordships might de-
pend upon it that much greater attention teustbepaid

to the expenditure of-the •finances than had" hi-
therto been bestowed upon it. It would no
doubt surprise many of their lordehipa when
they were told that in the miscellaneous estimates
since 1838 to the year 1856 the increase had been
4,200,000/. The increase upon salaries during that
period was not leas than 463,0001. The noble earl hav-
ing noticed increases in other items, said that the im-
proieineuts as they were called that had been effected
during the let few years were unworthy cf the coun-
try, unnecess,ary, and extravagant.'
Earl GRANVILLE said her Majesty had made no
complaint respecting the condition of the water in St.
James's-park. The works were being carried out in ac-
cordance with the opinions of certain eminent medical
men ; and the water in Sr. Janes',-perk being considered
in the worst state, it was determined that that should be
first attended to. Nothing ceuld be more criminal than
to lay bcr.leus on the couetry at large for the mere use-
less ornament of the metrop lis ; but considering what
this metropolis was, the capital of a large and weel!hy
kingdom, he believed that those who were not resident
in it would not be satisfied if certain things were left ire
an unfinished condition. In this town, compri-in,g two
and a ball millions of inhabitants, there was great infe-
riority in many respects to second-rate towns on the
Continent. But there was one peculiarity—the beauty
of our royal parks ; while they added sornethieg, to the
decent splendour of the crown, they contributed more
than anything ue knew of to the recreation of the poorer
classes of the caenrepelie. (clear, bear ) And so li n 4 as
they thought it useiul to have those royal parks, that

.s.lrLister who applied himsel judiclomly and economi-
cally, as he ought, to make those parks as healthy and
beautiful as the nature of the case would permit was dc-
serving of praise and enaomagement, and not of censure,
Fur these reasons he thought the noble lord had entirely
laded in making out a case of uncalled for expenditure of
toe public money in the measures which had been taken
to purify the wat,rs in the centre of the metropcles and
to beautify the
Tie Eiri of HAP.DWICKE said the grants were
made by Pailiament for asaeci tic purpose; but it appeared
only a snail sum was speeded f r that purpose, and
the recr.ainder applied to something ei-e.
L ird Al ONTEAGLE wished to set the house right as
to atiy excess in the sum vo•ed over that expended. He
reretted to say twat there was no audit whatever appl -
cable to any one (4 the votes in that paper ; therefore
the cheek supposed to be found in the auditors in rtiility
did not txot. For the funeral of the late Duke of Wel-
lington 80,0001. was voted, and for that purpose cull.
Toe whole sum was withdrawn a few toototis after it
was voted ; but of this 25,000/. was not employed at ail
for the funeral, but for other purposes, spread over two
or three years. There was no audit sufficient to correct
that mariilest vailation of the law. It incidentally
transpired in the other house that this had been dune,
and the matter was then set right. lie did not blame
a government for taking a vote larger than was actually
required ; what he complained of was the application of
the money to other purposes. With rtaark to the park,
the campltint was that the improvement had been dune
without ar.y vtte. (Hear.) Tne noble rail said they
might cot have got a correct estimate ; but surly for
such a thing as draining a pond this might have been
done. Their course should bare been to vote on account.
The course pursued was not in accordance with the con-
stitu• ion of Eeeland. (Flear.) The t x..:enditure of money
without a ;:ailiameetary authority ought not to be
lightty pass d over. The 25,0001. surplus of the money
yucca foe the Duke of Wellington's funeral had been ap-
plied to odier purpose F.
Lord SPAN LEY of ALDERLEY—It was repaid.
Lord ONTEAG said it was only repaid when it
was found out. (Laughter.)
The Earl of WICKLOW theuaht the people of the
rnetrepel s ought to be tuo,t grateful to the Governinekt
for wliat Lad been done in the prks, as ought aleo those
who lived in the neighbourhood, which had been rendered
much roti:e healthy. The new walks bad been laid out
with the utmost shill and judgment by Sir B. Hail, and
parts formerly deserted were row favourite resorts.
Lord 6TA NLEY of ALDERLEY whilcd to under-
stand exactly what had .1.1. en from Lord liontrale.
Did he mean to say that any excess in one estimate
might be applied to any other purpose ? He denied ti at
this could be done. The oily way of proceeding was,.
where an :ices- accursed on any estimate, on application
to the Treasury by that department leave might be given
to apply the surplus to some i,ther kindred of i sci,. The,
surplus-of 25,0001. on the Duke of kVelliegtou's funeral,
he would undertake to say, bad not been applied to any-
thing else, without being restored to the Treasury.
Lord 11, ONTE GLE said the noble lord vi as in error.
(e. laugh.) He was right as to the leave of the Trea-
miry being necessary for the application of ay,y staples
on the array or navy votes ; but this regulation did nut
aptly to any of the civil votes. It was also an error
to nay that this would be corrected by the audit. Toe
whole of the civil estimates were entirely out of the con-
trel of the auditors. On no occasion were they ever sub-
mitted to the Board of Audit; therefore no cheek was
thus supplied.
. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY denied that the
money voted for the Duae's luaeral had been perina-
newly al,; 1 ed to any other purpose.
Lord MONTEAGLE--Jut permanently, but it had
been applied to other purposes for two years—till in fact
the matter czed out in the other house.
Lord STANLEY of ,ALDERLEY repeated that no
sums were ever appropriated to utjects ather than those
for which they were voted, tx",;ept with the special ap-
proval of the Treasury, and be appealed to noble lords
who had been employel in the administration of the
civil departments whether that was nut the case.
The sul.ject then drepriera
P. THE ROP0:-SED NEW PUBLIC OFFICES.
Tue Duke t SO aIERSET thew the attention of the

house to the plans now exhibiting in Westminster-hall,
And remitideo their lordships of the result which bad fol-
lowed a similar exhibition—that of plans for the New
Houses of Parliament—a quarter of a century ago. They
had been building ever since and they had not finished
yet. Indeed, he wondered if anybody could tell when
they would have them finished, or wias they would have
to pay before the Howes of Parliament were completed?
(Cheers.) He warned the Government and the publiC
againstr the course on which they were abuut to enter.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer to 4 the last Parlia-
ment that the ground which it was proposed to acquire
would... cost a million and a half of money, and the poesi-
buity was that when they came to make the actual pur-
chase they would find that it would really cost much
wore. He wished, therefore, in the first instance, to ask,
whether the architects who had sent in designs had been
given clearly to understand the limits of the ground they
were to cover.? and whether those designs which ex-
ceeded those limits would at once be excluded as not
having complied with the conuitions (hear, hear.) In
the next rlace, he should be glad to know how far Par-
liament would be bound by any decision to which the
royal commissioners, appointed a few days ago, might
,come ? (Hear) The manner in which such things were
mually managed was this. After the rep .rt of cornmi-
sionerp, a vote was taken on account, and then, when
any o) jection was made, they were met with the reply,
"The work has teen begun, and must be carried out."
In that manner they might have entailed upon the coun-
try a heavy annual ezriense for the next 25 years.
Earl GRAN-vTLALE said that what had been done
was merely carrying out the recomrnendatan s of a select
committee of .the House of Commons. The committee
bad reported on the great inconvenience of having had
public business transacted in a ',umber of houses rented
by the Governmenl; in different parts of the town; and
it recommended that there should Le a concentration of
all the public departments in the neighbourhuod of
NLitehall. The committee, moreover, recommended
that the architects of all nations should be invited to
give plans for filling up the whole block of laud from the
Horse Guards to Palace yard. What bed been done,
then, was to ask, first, for designs fur covering the whole
of this block of land ; and secondly, fur designs for a
new Foreign and a now War-office, to be built on ground
near Charles,treet,,nearly the whole of which belonged
already to the Crown. In determining upon the smaller
scheme, it would by no means be neceauiy to commit