Star.
London, England, 1825-03-29 00:00:00

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,

that Ministers were not so very inaccessible to Members
of that House. Although the Honourable Member
for Oxford (Mr. Lockhart) might not have occasion to
trouble him often, yet most other Members contrived to
have frequent interviews with him during each Session.
Mr. LITTLETON agreed in the propriety of giving
new residences to the higher Public Officers, and par-
ticularly to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Their
salaries ought also to be raised, and he was sure the
Public would not object to any reasonable augmentation.
Mr. W. SMITH condemned the uncharitable way in
which the works of architects were criticised. Gentle-
men who knew nothing of architecture passed the most
sweeping judgments on the works of men who had de-
voted the whole study of their lives to such produc-
tions. He wished such an injurious course of criticism
might be discontinued.
Mr. J. MARTIN begged to know what had been
done with respect to the new Custom House?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
the building had been erected at a vast expense by se-
veral individuals, who had contracted to build it with
the ordinary surveying Architect of the Customs. This
was an injudicious practice,which would not be repeated.
Henceforward, all such buildings would be under the
controul of the Board of Works. The surveying ar-
chitect contracted with another person who built the
Custom-house, and afterwards the architect certified to
the Treasury that it had been built according to the
contract. The Long Room gave way, and on examina-
tion it was discovered that it had not been built ac-
cording to the contract. and that a most scandalous
fraud had been practised. The Long Room was to have
been supported by arches resting on piles. Each arch
was to rest on nine piles, but under the arch which gave
way it was found that instead of nine piles, there
were only four and a half. These piles ought to
have been regularly placed, which they were not, and
should have been made of solid and sound timber
like the masts of a ship, but in fact they were no:
thing but trees with the branches lopped off.—
This was most disgraceful to the individual he alluded
to. Every means had been tried to secure the payment
for whatever the repairs might cost, and as the individual
was possessed of some property, it was to be hoped that
the loss would not be great. An inquiry had likewise
been instituted to ascertain, if possible, whether there
was any collusion between the Architect and the Con-
tractor, and if so, they would be tried for a conspiracy.
That point was now under the consideration of the Law
Officers, and if they should report unfavourably to she
parties, Government would feel it to be a duty to institute a pro-
secution. In the meantime they should attach their property fir
the purposes of indemnification.
Mr. Alderman WOOD said, that he knew Mr. Peto,
(for there was no use in concealing his name) very well.
He was a person who had executed many important
public works for the City of London, and had applied
for more. It was most important to Mr. Peto's charac-
ter that an opportunity should be afforded him for vindication.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER pro-
tested that the subject did not originate with him, nor
had he mentioned the individual's name.
Mr. MABERLY said, that returning to the sugges-
tion of the Honourable Baronet, he would say, that a
residence ought to be furnished at least to the Secre-
tary for Foreign Affairs. But generally speaking, large
mansions would lead to fresh expenses, and then appli-
cations would be made for incteased salaries. He was
aware that some of the higher public officers were under paid,and if
a specific motion were made, be would give it his support.
Mr. BERNAL said, that he had spoken with Mr.
Peto on the subject of the Custom-House, and that Gen-
tleman's statement was somewhat different from that of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer. That Gentleman had
brought an action for 30,0001. against Government, and
it was not fair to throw out general charges of this kind
to affect that claim. Mr. Peto was at present executing
several large works—the Mercers' School, the Pano
rama in the Regent's Park. But it should be recollected
that in all public works there ought to be on the part
of the Government a superintendent, and if there was any defect,
the contractor was not the only culpable person.
Mr. BARING said, that the answers of the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer were the natural result of the
questions put to him. The injury to the public had
. beea great, and it was a false delicacy to gloss over the

',74rl'!

TJME

'T

matter. As to the residences for the higher officers of
the State, it was very desirable they should be furnished.
He could speak from his own experience, as a man of
business, that it was of the greatest importance that the
dwelling and the office of a Minister should be near each other. It
was not a question of money but of convenience.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY explained. With regard to the
accessibility of Ministers, he had always found the access
to them easy, and their conduct to him most attentive.
Mr. HUME said, he was sorry to find that Ministers
had so much difficulty in getting to the Public Offices.
They had nothing to do but attend to their duty. NU
houses should he built until the public debt and the
taxes were reduced ; 1,000,0001. had been voted during
the last Session for Public Works-500,0001. for
Churches, 500,0001. for Windsor Castle, and 200,0a0t.
for the British Museum. At present there were quite enough of
public buildings.
Mr. I. WILSON thought this was a case'vviiere the
Hon. Member would save a penny to spend a pound.
The application of the proposed vote would be money
well laid out, and would be a great public economy in the saving
of time.—The vote was then agreed to.
The next resolutions were for a grant of £1 0,000, to defray the
expenses of the College of Edinburgh.— A greed to.
For the expenses of Port Patrick Harbour £15,950
For the same of Dotiaghadee Harbour 19,150
Fur the same of Kingston Harbour 45,000
For the expenses of the British Museum • 40,000
Mr. It. COLBORNE expressed a wish that the pie-
tures placed in this establishment should be removed to a place bet-
ter adapted for their exhibition.
Sir C. LONG said, that the pictures in the British
Museum were well worthy a place in the national gal-
lery, and he saw only one difficulty in the way of re-
moving it. The collection had been given to the
Trustees of the British Museum by Sit G. Beaumont,
and no one could be more proper to ha, e the csolody
of those or any other valuable works of ajt. With
regard to the other collections, he had seen that of
Marshal Soult, and the Murillos were certainly splen-
did works; but the others were not woroy a piace in
the national gallery. He had a great objection to the
Government becoming picture-d,alers, and %hat could
they do with all the inferior works if they did nitt sell
them ? He was for giving a liberal price for the best
specimens of art, but he would not elicumbei the gal-
lery with others. Private colleen its genelaily con-
taioed works of all classes, but !rat 0! Mr. Angerstein
was an exception. In that he believed it cool I hardly
be said that there eas one indifferent pictut e. With
regard to the erection of a building to receive the new
national gallery, if the House was disposed to vote the
sum necessary for it, he should be found one of its
strongest advocates ; the on', objection to its practica-
bility was the one he had mentioned.
Mr. Secretary PEEL thought that the pictu t es should
be removed from the place which they at present occu-
pied ; and that no one was better qualified to superin-
tend them than the Trustees of the British Museum, to
whom they had been left. He considered it to be of
great importance, that they should be removed from
Russell-square to Pallamill, or the neighbourhood of
Charing-cross, where was to be seen what Dr. Johnson
had called the great tide of human existence. He
thought, therefore, it would be better to have another
establishment, where such persons could go and see
them upon another day. For these reasons he con-
curred with his Honourable Friend ; and he thought
the public, who had so readily and so liberally commenced the pur.
chase of the National Gallery, would, in the same spirit, go a step
further, and provide a place for their reception.
Mr. HOBHOUSE thought the public, who had paid
for the pictures, ought to have them in a pl ice where
they were of easy access. He agreed with the Right
Honourable Baronet that Marshal Souk's collection,
with the exception of the Murillos and some other fine
specimens which that General plundered in Spain, was
not a desirable one. As to that of Cardinal Fesch, there was
nothing in it, except a few Flemish pictures, worth having.
Mr. HUME hoped that the expense of the building
would be attended to, and that it would be placed at
Charing-cross.
Mr. CROKER was glad to find the objections of his
Right Hon. Friend (Sir C. Long) against removing Sir
G. Beaumont's pictures from the BritishlMUS6 um, nar-
rowed down to the fact of their having been given to
the Trustees. Sir George Beaumont gave the pictures
to the Trustees of the British Museum, because there
existed no other Corporate Body (if he might use the
expression) through whom they could be given to the
public. There was another collection quite as valuable
as Sir G. Beaumont's, which had been sent to Dulwich,
because there was no place to receive it in town. Works
of Art should be so placed as to be a standing lesson
to the public, and to be so, they should meet' " the tide of human
existence" where it flowed most strongly.
Sir C. LONG said, that to shew his Hon. Friend that
the British Museum was not so much out of the tide,
he would refer him to the returns which stated the
number of persons admitted within the year to be above 100,000.
Mr. CROKER said, he understood that the acquisi-
tion of two white bears had added several thousands to
the usual number—(A laugh).
Mr. MABERLY hoped that the Right Hon. Secretary
for the Home Department would propose a measure for
erecting an appropriate building upon an appropriate spot.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said, the superintendance of
these pictures, wherever they were placed, should con-
tinue under the same management which they now possessed.
Mr. BERNAL wished to ask the Right Honourable
Chancellor of the Exchequer what was intended to be
done with the King's Mews at Charing Cross ? As this
was Government property, he thought it could not be
better employed than for the new galleries of paintings.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
with regard to the questions put to him by the Hon.
Member for Rochester, he had paid great attention :o
the subject of the vacant ground occasioned by the re-
moval of the King's Mews, in order to see how it could
be best applied to the public use ; there was no room
for such a building as that required for the National
Gallery, if they meant to preserve an area or open
square, which he thought extremely desirable.—
The prop. rtv did not all belong to the Crown, or they
might know better how to proceed. If they had all that
great monster of a place the Golden Cross, and all the
houses extending to St. Martin's-lane, which belonged
to many different rroprictors, there would then be a
wide field for the display of taste. But that not being
the case, it was not so easy to decide upon what was
best to be &lie. With regard to the Royal Academy,
he be.ieved se one heard it, without feeling that it was
the worst possible place for an ex!•.ibition. In the first
plate, only one carriage could drive into the gateway
of Somerset House at a time, and any which happened
to be in the itiside must wait until they had turned
before they could get out. The works of sculpture,
from the weight of the marble, were obliged to be
placed upon the ground floor, and the only room which
could be obtained was most unfit for such a purpose.—
Then the large room for the pictures was so high up,
that no gouty Gentleman or corpulent Lady had a
chance of seeing them. He thhight, therefore, that it