§ Mr. Haweswished to ask the right hon. Baronet if he had taken into his consideration the propriety of decorating the new Houses of Parliament with statues of distinguished persons.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, the hon. Gentleman and the House would probably recollect, that there had been some discussion on this subject a few nights ago, and the hon. Gentleman had proposed that commissioners, appointed to the particular duty of inquiring into the best mode of encouraging the arts in connection with the building of the new Houses of Parliament, should be empowered to consider whether it would be advisable that statues or other records of public gratitude to persons who had distinguished themselves in the departments of literature, science, and the arts, should be placed in them. He rather objected to giving a general 1014 power to the commissioners, but said at the time that he had no objection to authorise them to ascertain whether there was any part of the edifice now being constructed for the two Houses of Parliament which could be appropriated to the reception of such statues or memorials, and if they were of opinion that any part could be so appropriated, that they should have full powers to consider what would be the best mode of attaining the double object of raising a lasting record of public gratitude to distinguished persons, and, at the same time, encourage the arts; and he fulfilled his pledge in a few days after it was made, by giving to the commissioners full power to consider the question.