§ Lord R. Grosvenorwished to ask a question of the noble Lord at the head of the Woods and Forests on a subject which involved the comfort and happiness of a very large number of poor people, who were located not far from the spot in which hon. Members, were now assembled. In order to make himself intelligible, he would briefly state the circumstances which had already occurred. In the beginning of last year, 664 when the attention of Her Majesty's Government was directed to the sanatory condition of the people of this and other large towns, it was thought by all those who were acquainted with the locality near the Penitentiary and Vauxhall road, that it was exceedingly important that the space of open ground lying near the river Thames should not be covered by building, but should be enclosed for the recreation of the numerous poor population so thickly located in its neighbourhood. It was thought exceedingly improper to check, in any manner, the free circulation of fresh air, so necessary to the preservation of health in that particular quarter. Upon inquiring into the circumstances, he found that the property in question belonged to the Crown, and that it had been let on lease to Mr. Cubitt. He then represented the matter to the head of the Woods and Forests, who met the question as the noble Lord always did meet any question affecting the health and convenience of the people; and, accordingly, a plan was submitted to the Government, and when he (Lord Grosvenor) left town last year, he felt that he had given satisfaction to those persons whom he represented on that occasion. Subsequently he was informed that difficulties had arisen; and that the plan which had met with the approbation of the head of the Woods and Forests, and of the Secretary for the Home Department, was now refused to be concurred in, upon the ground of expense. The expense he (Lord Grosvenor) understood would be about 1,000l. in the first instance, and about 300l. afterwards, by way of less rent to the Crown. The question he wished to put was this—whether, notwithstanding the Report of the Commissioners on the Health of Towns, who had stated that it was of the utmost importance that these open places should be retained in such localities as he had described — whether, notwithstanding the expense and inconvenience which the people were put to, in order to make new thoroughfares in places which had been improperly built upon, it was determined by the Government that this spare space of unoccupied ground should still be built upon, to the serious inconvenience to the health, comfort, and happiness, of a very large number of the very poorest classes?
The Earl of Lincolnsaid, that the circumstances were these: the land consisted of about sixteen acres, on a part of 665 which the Penitentiary was built. About five or six acres remained unbuilt upon; and which had been let on a building lease to Mr. Cubitt. When his noble Friend called his attention to the subject, he made application to Mr. Cubitt as to the apportionment of the rent of the part unoccupied by buildings. Mr. Cubitt conceived the proportion of the rent to be 100l.; but he would not bind himself to that sum, because it was possible that the land might be so appropriated as to cause a deterioration of his other property. The exact expense, then, in the first place, would be a reduction of the rent to the Crown of 100l., and an outlay of 2,000l. The only way in which his right hon. Friend (Sir J. Graham) was concerned in this matter was this—the prison inspector having heard that this ground was to be occupied by building, was apprehensive that it might be prejudicial to the health of the prisoners in the Penitentiary. His right hon. Friend, therefore, desired to know what was the plan by which it was proposed to occupy the ground; and having had it laid before him, his right hon. Friend was quite satisfied that the buildings should proceed. That was all his right hon. Friend had to do with the matter. He considered it very questionable whether the Commissioners of Woods and Forests could depart from the present contract without a special Act of Parliament. Besides, this was not one of the localities that so specially required such an expenditure on the part of the Government. There existed greater claims in such neighbourhoods as Whitechapel. A Report would be laid on the Table in a few days, to which he would call the attention of his noble Friend, and there he would see that it was considered very desirable to open a broad roadway between Battersea and Vauxhall for the accommodation of the poorer classes. At any rate, without a special Act of Parliament, he should not feel himself justified in submitting to the Government and the House any arrangement such as had been suggested by his noble Friend.
§ Subject at an end.