§ MR. HUMEmoved an Address to Her Majesty—
For a Copy of the Minutes of the Trustees of the National Gallery during the years 1845 and 1846, with the names of all the Trustees present at each Meeting: Also for Copies of the Orders and Instructions to the Keeper of the Gallery respecting the Cleaning of the Pictures, and any directions in respect to their arrangement; and of any other Documents relating thereto.
§ SIR R. PEELbegged leave to second the Motion. The trustees had no other object than to give the fullest information to the House of Commons, who had always behaved so liberally and generously to them. He thought the hon. Member had pursued a proper course in refraining from comments until he was in possession of the papers. The Motion, he believed, was for a copy of the minutes for the last two years. As he had already said, there could, of course, be no objection on the part of the trustees to supply the fullest information. There had been a meeting of the trustees the other day, and in consequence of the observations which had been made elsewhere, they had called upon the gentleman under whose imme- 499 diate charge the institution was placed, to make the fullest report to them on the subject; and he hoped, in consideration of that gentleman's high character, his great eminence as an artist, and his consummate knowledge of that art of which he was so distinguished an ornament, hon. Members would suspend their judgment for a short time, until that report and the other documents were laid before the House, which he hoped would be in a few days.
The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERentirely concurred in what had been stated by the right hon. Baronet opposite. He assured the House that the fullest information would be laid before them.
§ Motion agreed to.