THE NEW PUBLIC OFFICES. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 7 April 1870)

§ LORD REDESDALE

said, that, pursuant to the promise of the noble Marquess (the Marquess of Lansdowne) on Tuesday night, the plan for the extension of the new Public Offices had been placed in the Library for inspection by their Lordships. It did not, however, show the manner in which the frontage would be carried relatively to the whole of King Street and Parliament Street. He wished to know whether such a plan could be produced, and he hoped that an arrangement would be made for connecting the Privy Council Office by an arch or otherwise with the proposed buildings, so as to lessen the discordance which would attend a different angle and line of frontage. It was much to be regretted that it was not the duty of some office or person to keep a look-out for improvements which might at onetime be effected at little cost, but which, if the opportunity was allowed to pass, became costly or impracticable. Their Lordships would no doubt have observed that the house at the corner of Spring Gardens, which was of small value and importance, and might no doubt have been secured at a reasonable price, had just been pulled down, having been purchased by a banking company, who were about to raise a large and handsome structure on the site. Now, had this site been secured an entrance into the Mall might have been made at a small expense, and thus formed a communication through the Mall to Charing Cross, 1425 avoiding several narrow thoroughfares, and offering to Her Majesty a direct route to the City. Now, however, the improvement, if ever carried out, would be done at an enormously increased cost. By a little foresight great improvements might be effected at a comparatively small cost.