MR. OWEN STANLEYsaid, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works, If the flagging of the footpath from Buckingham Palace Gate to the Royal Stables' entrance has been done at the expense of the Crown, also the footpath in Piccadilly adjoining the Green Park, and in Knightsbridge adjoining Hyde Park, prior to the parish taking the footpaths under their care; and, if this is the case, why the Crown have not continued the flagged footpath from the Royal Stables' entrance in front of several houses occupied by Her Majesty's servants in Arabella Row on to the back entrance into Buckingham Palace Gardens at the end of Grosvenor Place, but have left it in a dirty and unfit state for the public use; and, why the Crown does not make the flagged footpaths in front of Royal property in the same way as private individuals are obliged to do in front of their houses before the parish will adopt the pavement? Since last he put a similar question he had ascertained that the Vestry of St. George's Parish considered it the duty of the Crown to repair these footways.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, in reply, that the footpaths from Buckingham Palace Gate to the Royal Stables and in Piccadilly adjoining the Green Park had both been flagged under the provisions of special Acts of Parliament. The paving of the footpath in Knightsbridge adjoining Hyde Park had formed the subject of an animated debate and division in the House of Commons in 1856, upon a Vote proposed by the First Commissioner of Works of that day, on the ground that Government had always been responsible for it. With respect to the third Question, the answer he had to give was that the footpath alluded to in Arabella Row was not under the control of the Government, 771 but had been for years repaired by the parish, and if it were in the unsatisfactory condition described by the hon. Gentleman the remedy was an application to the parish authorities.
MR. OWEN STANLEYsaid, he wished to know whether he was to understand that the noble Lord repudiated the right on the part of the Crown to repair this footway?
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, that if by the words "right of the Crown" the hon. Member meant liability of the Crown to repair the footway, he most certainly did.