HC Deb 10 May 1852 vol 121 cc432-4
MR. ROEBUCK

begged his hon. Friend (Mr. Alderman Humphery) the Chairman of the Committee who superintended this portion of the arrangements of the House, to state under what circumstances the person who had had a stall in the central hall, had been forbidden to continue the sale of refreshments there?

MR. ALDERMAN HUMPHERY

said, that when he arrived at the House at twelve o'clock that day, the person who had been appointed by the Committee to sell refreshments in the central hall, informed him that he had, on Saturday last, received a letter from Mr. Burrell, the secretary of Lord Willough byd' Eresby, the Lord High Chamberlain, desiring him to cause his stall to be removed. The correspondence which had taken place on the subject was this. In the first place, Mr. Lucas, who had established the stall, received from the Lord Great Chamberlain this letter:— Lord Great Chamberlain's Office, Palace of Westminster, May 8 ."Sir—Having been informed that you have established a stall for the sale of provisions, wine, spirituous liquors, (fee, in the central hall of the Palace at Westminster, I am directed by the Lord Great Chamberlain to desire that you will cause the same to be immediately removed.—I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, R. BURRELL, Secretary. Mr. Henry Lucas, 20, Bridge-street. Upon receipt of this letter, Captain Gosset had an interview with Mr. Burrell, the result of which was the following letter from the latter gentleman:— Palace of Westminster, Lord Great Chamberlain's Office, May 10. My dear Sir—I have reported to the Lord Great Chamberlain the substance of our conversation yesterday, and I am directed by Lord Wil-loughby to inform you that he has assented to your wish as an act of courtesy towards Lord Charles Russell, to allow the refreshment stall to remain in the central hall until one o'clock this day, after which I have received the Lord Great Chamberlain's positive directions to see that it is forthwith removed.—I remain, my deal Sir, yours faithfully, R. BURRELL. To Captain Gosset. On the same day the Lord Great Chamberlain directed an order, in the following-terms, to the superintendent on duty in the Palace:— Palace of Westminster, Lord Great Chamberlain's Office, May 10. Sir—Lord Willoughby having been informed that refreshments have been supplied and sold in the central hall of the Palace of Westminster, I am directed by the Lord Great Chamberlain to request that you will give strict orders to the police constables on duty in the Palace of Westminster to prevent for the future any refreshments whatever from being supplied or sold in the central hall.—I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, R. BURRELL, Secretary. To Mr. Superintendent May. Subsequently Lord Willoughby had given permission for the stall to remain two days longer, but it was then to be finally removed. The Committee were anxious that Members attending the Committees, who were that day nearly 100 in number, should be able to obtain what refreshment they required. This stall had therefore been placed in the central hall, the charges having been fixed at a very moderate amount; and he believed that up to the present time every one had been satisfied. He believed that the House would not suffer the stall to be removed in this way.

MR. ROEBUCK

would ask the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the House was to put up with what they had just heard was the determination of that most important personage, the Lord High Chamberlain? Were they, after having determined that certain refreshments should be sold in that hall, upon the command, and upon the most impertinent interference of that functionary, to be prevented from having what he believed they had a perfect right to have, their own refreshment in their own House? He wished to ask whether the right hon. Gentleman would direct his attention to the matter, and what course he would hereafter pursue with respect to it?

The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

said, that had he been aware of these grave circumstances he should have been prepared to deal with them in a fitting manner. He was not prepared to say whether the course which had been taken was a breach of the privileges of the House, but he was sure that it was a great inconvenience to every Gentleman in that House. Perhaps the hon. Member for Sheffield would allow him a few hours to consider the circumstances; and he could assure him that for his (the Chancellor of the Exchequer's) own sake, as well as for that of his companions in that House, he would endeavour that some satisfactory arrangement should be come to.

Subject dropped.