§ VISCOUNT HARDINGE, in rising to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Whether any decision had been arrived at with respect to a site for the National 1636 Portrait Gallery, said, that in consequence of the fire at South Kensington in July last, and repeated protests on the part of the Trustees as to the insecurity of the building, the Government determined to send the National Portraits to Bethnal Green. This was carried out in August on the understanding that the portraits were to remain there for two years. In the autumn Mr. Plunket, the then First Commissioner, fixed upon a site and prepared plans. Had he remained in Office, in all probability progress would have been made by this time. He was succeeded by the noble Earl who had lately resigned (the Earl of Morley); and now the noble Earl opposite (the Earl of Elgin) had taken his place. He could not see why, because every three months we had a new First Commissioner, the question should be hung up. At the last meeting of the Board, a resolution was proposed by Mr. Stanhope, and seconded by the Earl of Derby, that no delay should take place, and that a Vote on Account should be taken. This was forwarded to the Treasury, and he hoped to have a satisfactory reply from the noble Earl on the subject. The site was a very good one; it was next to the India House, on the vacant space, which was Crown property, so that there would be no expenditure on the score of site. The plans would provide galleries lighted from the top, and would extend from King Street to Delahay Street, with ample room for offices below, and with a handsome façade towards Parliament Street. One advantage of this site would be that when once the Gallery was built there was little chance of the block of buildings between King Street and Parliament Street being allowed to remain. Under these circumstances, he thought any further delay was inexcusable.
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (The Earl of ELGIN), in reply, said, he regretted that he was not in a position to give an answer which the noble Viscount (Viscount Hardinge), who had correctly stated the present position of the matter, would consider satisfactory. The First Commissioner was not absolutely a free agent. He stood between two parties—the Trustees, who were responsible for the custody of the Collection, on the one hand; and, on the other, the Treasury, who had to provide 1637 the funds for any building. As their Lordships were aware, the National Portrait Gallery Collection had been removed to the Bethnal Green Museum for safety. As to the future permanent home for the National Portrait Gallery, the Trustees were of opinion that a more central site than the one which the Gallery had occupied should be found; but, as their Lordships were aware, central sites available in London were not very many in number, and were very costly; and that was especially the case with a Picture Gallery, where the necessary provision for light made it impossible to make up for the expense of the surface by the height of the buildings erected thereon. In fact, there were great difficulties in the way of the erection of a National Portrait Gallery on a really central site, and in a building worthy of the occasion, unless it could be done as part of a larger scheme. It was true that there were some plans and sketches before Mr. Plunket; but they were never drawn out very much in detail, and they did not altogether stand on Government property, as stated by the noble Viscount, but involved the taking of a considerable amount of private property, for which large expense would have to be incurred. Their Lordships did not discuss the details of public expenditure; but they must be perfectly aware of the unprecedented demands now made on the public purse, and also of the state of trade and the general condition of the country. No Government at this moment would embark on any scheme which would involve the expenditure of a large sum of money which could not be provided out of the funds at their disposal, or at all without further taxation. The Government recognized fully the necessities of the case, and were determined to deal with it at the first opportunity; but they were obliged to allow this and other matters to remain in abeyance until the general financial condition of the country exhibited some improvement or the extraordinary demands of the Services showed some abatement. There was a special reason why he was unable, with reference to the plan to which the noble Viscount had alluded, to give a definite answer, and that was because the House of Commons had appointed a Committee to investigate a plan already 1638 approved for the new Admiralty and War Office, though the names of the Members to serve on the Committee had not yet been approved. He did not know whether they would go into the whole subject; but, if they did, the question might arise as to the sites available to the Government at Whitehall. Therefore, it was impossible for him to contemplate proceeding with a plan which involved the disposal of any of those sites now available. He was extremely sorry that he was obliged to give a reply which the noble Viscount would not consider satisfactory; but the Government recognized fully the necessity of providing, as soon as possible, for the safe and convenient housing of this valuable Collection, and it would be the duty of whoever was First Commissioner to bring the subject under the consideration of the Treasury at the first opportunity.