§ MR. WELLSsaid, he would beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government had come, or was about to come, to any decision as to the removal of the National Gallery of Pictures from Trafalgar Square to the site recently purchased at Brompton, in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee of 1854; and whether any, and if so, what, opportunity would be afforded to the House of expressing its opinion on the subject of that recommendation?
§ VISCOUNT PALMERSTONsaid, that the matter to which the question of the hon. Member referred had engaged the earnest consideration of Her Majesty's Government, and had been the subject of investigation by a Committee of that House who sat during three or four months. The result was, that it was the opinion of a large majority of that Committee that the present site of the National Gallery was injurious to the preservation of the collection of pictures there exhibited; that it was in the middle of the town, and it was difficult, if not impossible, to preserve the pictures from injury. The recommendation of the Committee, therefore, was, that the collection of pictures should be removed to that ground at Knightsbridge now appropriated for that purpose. Her Majesty's Government intended to abide by the decision of that Committee, and to take steps for the removal of the National Gallery to that ground. For that purpose it was intended to obtain plans and estimates. Of course, until those plans and estimates were obtained, and until a decision had been come to as to the best mode in which the ground could be prepared for the purpose, no definitive steps could be taken. No arrangements could be made without coming to that House to supply the means, and the subject would therefore necessarily come under the consideration of the House.