§ MR. B. OSBORNEwished to ask the hon. Member for Lancaster whether it was in contemplation to take down the gallery 103 in the new House of Commons at the back of the Speaker's chair, which was intended, he believed, to be devoted to the ladies, and also whether any estimate of the probable expense of its removal had been obtained by the commission?
§ MR. T. GREENEsaid, it had certainly been suggested that the removal of the screen at the end of the House behind the Speaker's chair, and the carrying it back in the same manner as was done at the other end of the House, would afford the opportunity of erecting there a good gallery for the public, where they could hear and see remarkably well. Some alteration was required in consequence of its being proposed to allot the gallery at the bar end of the House to Members. Some other accommodation was, therefore, absolutely requisite for the public, but it was not thought desirable to make any alteration whatever till the new House had been temporarily occupied by Members, as it might then be ascertained what alterations would be most convenient. He wished to take this opportunity of stating that the architect had, in 1844, submitted to a Committee of the House a plan of the House agreeing with the plan upon which he had finally constructed it, and that he then gave the Committee a detailed account of the accommodation afforded in the late House of Commons and the present House, and the accommodation proposed to be afforded in the new House. It was but due to Mr. Barry to state that he proceeded with the plan then proposed in consequence of no objection having been taken by the House to his suggestions. He (Mr. Greene) also wished to correct himself upon a point on which he had misunderstood a question put to him by the hon. and gallant Member for Middlesex the other night. He had stated, in reply to the hon. and gallant Gentleman's question as to sonic ventilating apparatus erected in a courtyard, that it belonged exclusively to Mr. Barry; but he did not mean it to be understood that the ventilation of the new House of Commons was to be carried on by Mr. Barry. The commissioners at their appointment received instructions to employ Dr. Reid to arrange the ventilation of the new House of Commons and the division-lobbies; but the ventilation of the Committee-rooms and other parts of the House had been committed to Mr. Barry. He wished to be understood that Dr. Reid was intrusted exclusively with the ventilation of the new House.
§ MR. ROEBUCKinquired whether there had been any deviations from the plan originally submitted to the Committee by Mr. Barry?
§ MR. T. GREENEsaid, there had been a deviation, arising from the circumstance that Mr. Barry, in the plan he had submitted to the Committee, had proposed the erection of a gallery behind the Speaker's chair capable of containing 120 Members. He (Mr. Greene) thought that every one acquainted with the ordinary practice of the House, and the mode in which business was conducted, would be of opinion that a gallery for 120 Members behind the Speaker's chair would be extremely inconvenient. The commissioners had therefore felt it their duty to prevent that gallery from being erected, and the accommodation proposed by Mr. Barry had consequently been much limited.
§ MR. HUMEasked whether it was likely, when the new House was occupied as an experiment, that it would contain one-half the number of Members?
§ MR. T. GREENEsaid, the new House would probably have been occupied tomorrow; but, in this intensely cold weather, he did not think hon. Gentlemen would like to submit to the experiment. The House would be occupied, experimentally, after Whitsuntide, and he thought it would be found to accommodate as many Members as the present House.
§ MR. ROEBUCKasked whether they would be accommodated in the body of the House, or in the gallery opposite the Speaker's chair, which was to be substituted for the gallery that had been proposed to be erected behind the Speaker's chair?
§ MR. T. GREENEhad spoken of the House altogether. He could not say, from recollection, what was the precise number of Members for whom accommodation would be afforded in the body of the new House.
§ Subject dropped.