§ MR. BERESFORD HOPEsaid, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Public Works—Whether he proposes to lay the Estimates for building the new War and Foreign Offices before the House this Session? If his question should be answered in the affirmative, he (Mr. B. Hope) should then feel it his duty at the proper time to submit a Motion, which, if carried, might possibly delay the commencement of the works. He did not think that the plans for the new public 364 buildings had been sufficiently considered, and believed that a postponement of the works would be advantageous, both on the score of economy and good taste in the decoration of the Metropolis.
§ MR. BRISCOEsaid, he entirely concurred in the remarks of his hon. Friend. He was sure the House was not aware of the vast sea of expense into which it was about to plunge. A distinguished architect, in whose company he had visited Westminster Hall yesterday, told him that the execution of the block plan for the improvement of Westminster, which had received the first prize of £500, would cost no less a sum than £12,000,000 or £14,000,000. He merely reported what he had heard, and he earnestly trusted the House would not vote a single shilling until the production of an estimate of the entire cost. The present was not a time for embarking in ill-considered and costly speculations, when the country must necessarily be subject to a vast outlay for military operations; and he hoped the Government would take no further steps with respect to the new public buildings until next Session.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he would beg the House to understand that the Government were not in any way committed or pledged to the adoption either of the block plan of which his hon. Friend had just spoken, or of any of the particular plans lately exhibited in Westminster Hall. That was a matter entirely open for the consideration, not only of the House but of the Government. With regard to the question of the hon. Member for Maidstone, he had to state that it was not the intention of the Government to present any estimate this Session for the new public offices.
§ MR. GLADSTONEsaid, that he was one of those persons who sympathised in the alarm which had been expressed by his hon. Friend near him (Mr. Briscoe). He was, therefore, much pleased with the answer of his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that neither the House nor the Government were committed to the adoption of any of these plans; but he entertained great apprehensions that, step by step, inch by inch, without any formal or sufficient discussion, they were being drawn unawares into a project which he ventured to say, with regard to the real necessities of the public service, was one of the most astounding and incredible schemes that, in a financial point of view, 365 had ever been presented to a civilized country. He might be quite wrong in that opinion, but such was the view he took of the outlay that was contemplated, if, as he had been told, they were required or expected to clear a great square for the purpose of covering it with public buildings at an expense of several millions. He trusted they would not allow themselves to be drawn insensibly into little extensions of a scheme which was originally proposed by the late Sir William Molesworth, and which, as it came from its author, was certainly not open to the objection of extravagance, whatever opinion might be entertained of its sufficiency. No attempt should be made to commit the House, either directly or indirectly, to any portion of the gigantic project now in contemplation without an opportunity being given for discussion, and without their knowing exactly what they were about in a matter which so much concerned the public interests, their duty to their constituents, and their own reputation for common sense.