The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-09 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

The house then went into Committee of Supply,
On the vote for £30,000 being proposed for the erection
of the new Foreign Office.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY wished to know whether that
sum was intended to cover the whole expense of the
building.
Mr. COWPER replied that the vote was a portion of
the general estimate. Tenders would be advertised for the
erection of the building, but it was impossible for him at
that moment to state any precise sum.
Lord R. CECIL asked the right hon. gentleman to name
a sum which he would give a guarantee not to exceed. See
what was done with regard to that house; a certain sum of
money was named, but the expense went on increasing year
alter year until it increased from £700,000 to £2,500,000,
and not finished yet. He hoped, therefore, a certain amount
would be fixed, and then the Minister of the Crown would
be responsible that no more would be expended.
Mr. B. COCHRANE complained that no unity of design
was fixed on, because if that were so they might have an
exact sum. Various offices were to be erected, but they
could not judge of the expense of the whole until such a
plan was adopted.
Mr. A. SMITH thought the answer given by the right
hon. gentleman to the hon. baronet the member for Eve-
sham was clear and distinct. Ho said the expense would
be £30,000.
Mr. COWPER replied that the hon. gentleman had
mistaken him. The entire estimated amount was £200,000
and the £30,000 was only for the expense of the year. The
plan adopted in the erection of the Houses of Parliament
was different from that which he proposed to follow. When
Sir Charles Barry was appointed architect there was no de-
tailed design agreed on, nor any contract entered into, and
so the house went on being altered and enlarged according
to subsequent designs and plans, and the expense of course
followed in proportion. In the present instance, however,
he had plans and estimates made upon which the contracts
should be founded, and if these contracts be increased then
the 'responsibility would fall on the person who should
I hold the office he had then the honour to till.

Mr. B. OSBORNE reminded the committee that the
noble lord at the head of the Government, in the speech ho
had just made, stated that the Secretary of State for India
wished an India house to be commenced immediately. Now,
he wished to know whether this £30,000 was for the build-
ing of a new Colonial Office and an India House, as well as
a Foreign Office.
Mr. COWPER said that the vote now asked for was for
the Foreign Office alone.
Lord It. CECIL asked why some guarantee was not
given that the :estimated sum should not be exceeded.
There was no use in naming a sum unless they had a
guarantee.
Sir G. C. LEWIS replied that the Government could
do no more than get an estimate of what the cost would be,
and give directions to the contractor not to exceed it. If
after that agreement they did so then the house could re •
fuse to pay more than the stipulated sum.

Mr. WHITE did not think that answer at all satisfac-
tory. The estimate might be exceeded before the build-
ing was half finished, and then they would be told they
must go on or what was done was an entire loss.
Mr. PEASE asked the amount of the contract, and
moved that the consideration of this vote be deferred.
Mr. COWPER could not tell what the amount would be.
The present estimate was founded on the plan adopted when
the noble lord opposite was commissioner. He thought the
houso was bound to look well into this matter. They had
now got a Palladian Commissioner, and a very good one he
appeared to he ; but suppose he lost his office, what gua-
rantee had they what the expense of those buildings, like
that of the house of Commons, would amount to. He
agreed with his hon. friend that it appeared desirable to post-
pone those particular estimates for a year. (Hear, hear )

Mr. BLACK thought they ought to proceed in this matter
in the same calculating manner that a man would when he
was about to build a house foe himself, and to have plans
and estimates before them .