Mr. Baringrose to move the customary annual vote for defraying the expenses of the British Museum. The gentleman who had for many years been in the habit of proposing this vote (Mr. Bankes) being no longer a Member of the House, the duty had devolved upon him, as the only remaining Trustee who was now a Member. Any hon. M mber who took the trouble to look at the Estimates for the current year, would see that they did not materially differ from the accounts of the preceding year, excepting in this particular, that the sum asked for was about 1,600l. more than last year. This was required for defraying the expenses of a negotiation that had been concluded for a very valuable body of manuscripts, called the Arundel Manuscripts. These had been obtained from the Royal Society, partly in exchange for a number of duplicate books, but a balance of 900l. had to be paid on the part of the Museum. The remaining sum of 600l. was wanted for the purchase of some coins and medals, the possession of which were deemed to be of considerable importance. It was considered by the members of the Royal Society, and by the trustees of the Museum, that a considerable public benefit was effected in this transfer of the Arundel Manuscripts from the possession of the one to the other, for the persons to whom alone they would be useful, were not accustomed to consider the apartments of the Royal Society as a place where such documents would be likely to be found, and, therefore, in their hands they remained nearly useless; whereas, in the library of the Museum circumstances were directly the reverse. He would take that opportunity of remarking, that increased accommodation had been afforded to the public availing themselves of the pleasure of the Museum, which had been made so valuable by the bounty of this country; and, in accordance with the suggestions which had been thrown out last year, the library was now open to the public every day in the week, except Sundays. That the late grants had not been uselessly applied, was apparent from the number of persons visiting the British Museum, which it would be interesting to the House to know. During the last year, no less than 38,000 individuals had visited the Museum, and very nearly 100,000—namely, 99,852 persons from all parts of the kingdom, had, within the same period, visited the library for the purposes of study. These results, he thought, were 977 sufficient to show, that in this grant, at least, there was no waste of the public money. He therefore begged leave to move, "that a sum, not exceeding 16,922l., be granted to his Majesty, to defray the estimated expenditure of the British Museum, for the year ending at Christmas, 1832.
§ Sir Charles Wetherellwas happy to find, that the duties so ably heretofore discharged by Mr. Bankes, had devolved upon his hon. friend who had just sat down, under whose surveillance, he felt satisfied, the Museum would be made useful. The negotiation which had been concluded between the British Museum and the Royal Society, was most beneficial to both, and, lie thought, that on the present occasion, the transfer of duplicate copies had been made without loss to either institution.
Mr. Humerejoiced to hear there was an increase in the number of visiters to the Museum, which, he believed, was owing to the more liberal arrangements made for the accommodation of such parties. He should not object to the vote, but would merely suggest to the noble Lord opposite, the propriety of reducing the grant from 16,000l. odd to 11,000l., as it appeared, that in January last, there remained on hand of the amount granted last year, a sum exceeding 5,000l., and he did not see why such a balance should be kept in hand by the trustees.
Mr. Baringremarked, that the sum voted had always been a grant for the expenditure of the year, and, in consequence, the society had the fifth quarter in advance. The account of the expenditure laid before the House is an account of the expenditure within the year which had just elapsed (1831), and unless the same mode was adopted on the present occasion as heretofore, as the Estimates were seldom brought forward before the month of March, the fifth quarter would not be in advance, but the trustees would be incurring expenses during the interim, without having the means of paying them.
§ Vote agreed to.
§ The House resumed.