§ MR. GREGORYsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether it is true that all the newspapers and periodicals published in England have been sent for exhibition to Paris by the Department of Science and Art; whether all the Blue Books printed for the use of both Houses of Parliament have also been sent; whether the plaster of Paris cast of the pulpit at Pisa has also been sent; what is the cost and object of these undertakings; and, whether any of the objects in the French Exhibition have been purchased, or are to be purchased, and on whose responsibility; and whether by special Grant or out of the ordinary Estimate?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUsaid, in reply, that it was not usual to judge of the character of an act till it was first ascertained that the act had been committed, and the evidence with regard to its character had been listened to. The hon. Member had put to him four Questions, each of which he would answer seriatim. It was true that one specimen of each newspaper had been sent for exhibition. The hon. Member would see the list at page 24 of the Appendix to the "Catalogue." He also asked whether all the blue books had been sent. They certainly had not been sent, because there would not be room for them. Only a few—thirteen—had been sent as specimens, as well as a few Acts of Parliament. The list of these was given at page 6 of the Appendix. The hon. Member asked whether the plaster of Paris cast had been sent. It cost exactly as much to take two casts of the pulpit at Pisa as one, and one of those casts had been forwarded. The object of sending it was to show the French and foreign Governments what was being done for the advancement of art and science in this country. He supposed the hon. Member was aware that we had been collecting casts of all the finest statues in different parts of the world. Some of these were exhibited in the South Kensington Museum, and some of the smaller ones were sent over the country to the different art schools. This cast of the pulpit was sent as a specimen of the different things which we collected, and in order to show what was being done in ibis country for the advancement of art. This had been done with a view to obtain reciprocal action on the part of other countries by the interchange of casts of 620 fine works of art. If we met with success, we should be giving to all persons in Great Britain, at a very moderate cost, an access to the finest specimens. The hon. Member likewise asked what was the cost of these proceedings. The cost of sending the papers was nothing, for they were given for the purpose, the cost of sending the blue books was nothing, and the cost of sending the plaster cast was nothing beyond the actual cost of transmission, and the total expense of exhibiting all the articles mentioned by the hon. Member would certainly be less than £50. The hon. Member had also asked whether any of the objects in the French Exhibition had been purchased. Nothing in the French Exhibition had been purchased by us, and the Government had no intention of asking Parliament for any additional grant for the purpose. If it were determined to purchase anything at the Paris Exhibition the purchase money would be taken out of the usual Grant applicable to such purposes.
§ MR. GREGORYsaid, the noble Lord had not mentioned on whose responsibility the things would be purchased.
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUreplied, that the administration of the Grant made by Parliament for these purposes was in the hands of the Lord President.