MR. M'CULLAGH TORRENSsaid, he wished to ask the President of the Poor Law Board, Whether his attention 1355 has been called to the statement reported to have been made by the Chairman of the Metropolis Asylums Board, when laying the foundation stone of the Cater-ham Asylum on the 17th instant, regarding the intention of Government to sanction the expenditure of £490,000 on five new buildings under the Act of 1867; and, whether the cost of the entertainment provided for 200 guests on that occasion is to be paid for out of the Metropolitan Rate, or out of Civil Contingencies, or how otherwise?
§ MR. GOSCHENSir, I am quite ready to answer the Question of my hon. Friend. He asks me whether my attention has been drawn to the entertainment at Caterham. My notice was called to it, probably by the same means by which his attention was drawn to it—through the newspapers; and I readily admit that the same thought passed through my mind, when I read the proceedings, that appears to have passed through his mind—namely, who was to pay for that entertainment? Now, with regard to the Question which stands on the Notice Paper—whether it will be paid for from the metropolitan rates, or, as he facetiously adds, from, the Civil Contingencies, the state of the case is precisely this—that if such a charge were made and entered, and paid for by the Metropolitan Asylums Board, the Auditor would probably disallow the whole of that expenditure. I cannot say absolutely he would do so; for this reason, there lies an appeal to the Poor Law Board from the decision of the Auditor, and it is not for the Poor Law Board to lay down, in advance, the course which any Auditor may take in disallowing expenditure; but I am free to admit that where any charges connected with such entertainments have been made, the Auditor usually and universally disallowed the expenditure. How this particular entertainment is to be paid for I do not know. I am told it is to be paid for by the contractor who is building the works. He had authorized a certain expenditure, and the committee who conducted the entertainment will pay any deficiency out of their own funds. I have heard that unofficially. I only know that the expense will not come out of the metropolitan rates. With regard to the question of the estimated outlay for the lunatic asylums and fever hospitals, I do not under- 1356 stand that the statement was made that the Government intended to sanction the sum of £490,000, but simply that this was the estimate of the Metropolitan Hospital Board. I may state, however, that of this £490,000, £270,000 were sanctioned as far back as June last for the two lunatic asylums at Caterham and Leytonstone. The remainder would, therefore, be the estimate for the three fever hospitals. But the Poor Law Board has not yet sanctioned the expenditure; and, as on my suggestion, the Metropolitan Asylums Board has consented to limit itself to the erection of two hospitals intead of three, the estimate may be reduced by about £60,000. I may add that every item of expenditure will be rigidly scrutinized before it is sanctioned by the Poor Law Board.