§ SIR HENRY HOAREsaid, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether he intended to withdraw, postpone, or proceed with the obnoxious Bill called the Kensington Road Improvement Bill? He would ask the right hon. Gentleman to reply to the Question with his usual courtesy, and also the following Questions:—Whether it is true that plans showing the deviation of the Kensington Road into Hyde Park, proposed by the "Kensington Road Improvement Bill," were prepared by Mr. T. A. Dash, Land Surveyor to Her Majesty's Office of Works, lithographed by Messrs. Water-low and Son, and issued from the Office of Works to a limited number of persons not being Members of this House, five or six weeks since; and, if so, whether, when copies of plans were promised the House, it would not have been practicable within two days from the promise to 487 serve printed copies of those plans upon every Member; and when it is proposed to place plans and explanations in the possession of the House; whether any, and if any, what agreements exist between the owners of property adjacent to the Albert Hall of Arts and the Exhibition and Kensington Roads on the one side, and the Committee of the Albert Hall or the Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851 on the other side, on the subject of the land proposed to be given them by the Kensington Road Improvement Bill; what consideration is to be obtained for the land; and whether any arrangement is made that land shall be given up to the Exhibition Commissioners or the Hall Committee to form a way into the Exhibition Road from the Hall in the rear of Gore, Stanhope, Upper Gore, Merrion, and Eden Lodges; whether the stoppage of Rotten Row to the west of the carriage-road leading from the Alexandra Gate to the Victoria Gate of Hyde Park is not a part of a large scheme of proposed alterations in the locality, sanction for which has not yet been obtained from this House; whether the details of that scheme are not shown on a plan in the possession of Mr. Mann, the Superintendent of Gardening to Her Majesty's Office of Works; and, whether he is prepared to submit that plan to Parliament, and to afford early opportunity for its consideration and approval by this House; and to suspend execution of that plan pending such consideration and approval?
§ MR. AYRTONThe question, Sir, with regard to plans seems to refer to the plan which was deposited, in accordance with the Standing Order, with the clerk of the peace, which is described in the Preamble of the Bill; of which, therefore, the House has been informed ever since the Bill was introduced and laid upon the Table. Those persons who are entitled to have copies of the usual deposited Parliamentary plans of course had them. With regard to any agreement existing between the owners of property and the Committee of the Albert Hall, I am acquainted with no such transaction. If there is any agreement, it can be obtained by Motion; but it is not a transaction with which I have any concern. The only agreement entered into is with the Exhibition Commissioners to make over to them a certain part of the road, in consideration of their contributing a certain 488 sum to cover the expenses of carrying the Act into effect, so far as it relates to the public road—that agreement being an indemnity to the Chancellor of the Exchequer against any charge in that respect in the event of the sale of the lands under the new Act. With regard to the stoppage of Rotten Row to the west of the carriage-road leading from the Alexandra Gate to Victoria Gate, he will merely observe that the internal alterations of the Park are being made under proper authority—namely, the authority of Her Majesty, with the advice of Her Majesty's Ministers; and it is not usual to come to the House to ask for authority to lay out the roads and paths in the Park. Such a thing has never been done. What is done is to lay on the Table of the House the cost of the works generally to be carried out in the Parks. Such Estimate has, in the usual course, been laid on the Table, money has been voted on account, and expenditure has gone on in the usual course. It will, however, be quite competent, when that Estimate is considered in Committee, for any hon. Member to discuss it as much as he pleases, and propose any course in regard to that Vote. The hon. Baronet also asks whether the details of the scheme are not shown on a plan in the possession of Mr. Mann, the Superintendent of Gardening to Her Majesty's Office of Works. My reply is, that the details as stated in the Parliamentary Papers have not yet been finally settled, and consequently there is and could be no such plan in the hands of Mr. Mann. With, regard to what is finally to be done with this Bill, I stated, in reply to the hon. Member for one of the Divisions of Yorkshire, that, if he would be good enough to put his Question on a day agreed upon between us, I would give him the answer he desires.
§ SIR HENRY HOAREsaid, he wished to ask, Whether the right hon. Gentleman intends to proceed to-night with the Kensington Road Improvement Bill?
§ MR. AYRTONIt is not my intention to proceed with that Bill to-night of course.