THE BRITISH MUSEUM. (Hansard, 11 February 1836)

§ Mr. Estcourt
moved that a select Committee be appointed to inquire into the condition, management, and affairs of the British Museum.

§ Mr. Warburton
was glad the hon. Member had moved for the appointment of a Committee on this subject; and he hoped that, in addition to the opinions that had been expressed by the witnesses who were 309 examined before the Committee of last Session on the subject, the opinion on the constitution of the Board of Trustees, which had been published within the last few days, would be laid before the Committee, because he considered it to be the opinion of one who was a great authority on the subject. It was that of a late President of the Royal Society, Sir Humphrey Davy. The hon. Gentleman then read an extract from the publication to which he had referred. After stating that of late years the trustees had always been chosen from a branch of the aristocracy, or of gentlemen who possessed some Parliamentary influence, Sir Humphrey proceeded to say, "that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, were considered as the really acting governors of the institution. But overwhelmed as those great officers must be with the religious, legal, and legislative affairs of the country, it could not be supposed that they could have much leisure or opportunity to attend to the government or management of a national institution of that kind. All the officers of the Museum —librarians and curators—were elected in turns by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Speaker of the House of Commons, for the late Lord Chancellor, Lord Eldon, always refused to act as trustee, considering (and very properly so) that he had other duties more essential to discharge. It was not to be wondered at, therefore, that among the curators, librarians, and sublibrarians, there should be found many persons taken from the inferior departments of the church and public offices. The places were, no doubt, filled with respectable and well educated men, but not by men naturally fitted to hold them, either by their knowledge as naturalists, or as being profound in taste for antiquities and collections of works of art." Sir Humphrey Davy then stated this emphatic opinion:—"There must be a general change in every thing belonging to this institution before a proper system of radical improvement can be effected." This was not the opinion of a Radical Reformer, for he believed that in politics Sir Humphrey Davy was a great Tory. Sir Humphrey proceeded to say, "that it appeared to him this was the best moment for a distinct, radical, and fundamental change to be made in every thing belonging to this ancient, misapplied, and he might almost say, useless institution;" in consequence of the care of this great institution being devolved upon a Board com- 310 posed of gentlemen who could not be supposed really to understand the affairs and circumstances of it. Meanwhile men of science formed themselves into different societies, and at their own accord, and at their own expense, undertook the promotion of those various departments of knowledge to which they were peculiarly devoted, feeling that it was hopeless to look to the British Museum, as at present constituted, for that encouragement to those different branches of science and art which, as a national institution, it ought unquestionably to afford.

§ Mr. Estcourt
hoped that the Committee would have the valuable assistance of the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Warburton) in the examination which would ensue into the condition of the institution, as one of the first names placed in the list was that of the hon. Member. He would in his place then have every opportunity he could desire of making his communications with practical effect, and it would, perhaps, be better to reserve any discussion on the constitution of the Board till then. He also hoped to have the assistance of the several Members who sat on the Select Committee last year, as their names would also remain on the list if the House had no objection.

§ Mr. Hume
contended that there ought to be a radical change in the system of management. The way the funds were applied showed that the Board were not sufficiently at leisure to attend to considerations of economy and public utility. Where an individual had six or seven engrossing and important duties to perform it was impossible that he could discharge them all satisfactorily, and it was the duty of those who granted the means of supporting the establishment to arrange measures so that in future there would be nothing for the public to complain of. Looking at the present state of its affairs, he must declare that it was imperative on the Gentlemen connected with that institution to defend themselves, and unless they make a good defence it would be impossible for Parliament to allow them to continue in their present position.

§ Mr. Ewart
agreed with the hon. Members for Bridport and Middlesex on the necessity of Reform which existed in the management of this great national institution, and change in the constitution of its Board, composed as the latter were of trustees of three kinds—hereditary, ex-officio, and elective. It could not be denied by any rational, man that this great institution should be thrown open, to the public who 311 paid so liberally for its maintenance. He thought it ought, for the convenience of that public, to be kept open all day, particularly in the evening, and every day, Sunday and holiday. It contained the only public library in the metropolis, and it was a national reproach that it was not rendered more accessible and useful. It appeared by the Report of last Session, that there were in Paris five libraries, open at all times to the public, and to all persons, whether they came on foot or in a carriage; and here he begged leave to give his opinion, that a great obstacle and a great bar to the utility of our library, consisted in our requiring tickets of admission, which, though they could be procured by properly asking for them, were yet the means of keeping many out who would otherwise avail themselves of its advantages. At the Bibliothèque du Roi, on the contrary, any one could enter at once without any question, and every one enjoyed the opportunity of improvement. He thought there ought to be a library open to the public in. every section of London, and hoped that the establishment of such libraries would be one of the earliest fruits of Municipal Reform.

§ Lord Sandon
said, he had heard that great inconvenience resulted from the Parisian system of indiscriminate admittance—that books were constantly lost from the shelves, and nothing was more common than to see books for sale on the stalls in the street marked with the stamp of the Royal Libraries. He had heard no complaint of that kind made of carelessness or loss of property concerning the British Museum, but on the contrary, was happy to find that, with the best arrangements for safety, the public were afforded increased facilities, both for the inspection of the Museum and the library, and that the readers were becoming more numerous every day. He deprecated the discussion which had been thus prematurely started, and which, he felt, would have the effect of prejudicing the question in the eyes of the public. He had every wish that the state of the institution should receive thorough investigation and impartial consideration. The Committee had sat long last year, and he hoped it would sit longer this year, as he anticipated that great advantages would arise, which, however, it would be premature to enter on at present.

§ Mr. Hawes
begged to acknowledge the obligations which the Committee of last year had been under to the noble Lord (Sandon) for the great care and kindness 312 he had manifested in procuring every valuable information for their use. The returns which he had furnished them formed the best foundation for the proceedings of the Committee, and had received the attentive consideration they were justly entitled to.