§ LORD ELCHOsaid, he wished to put a question to the First Commissioner of Works relative to the late exhibition in Westminster Hall of Designs for New Public Offices. The exhibition had now been closed for a fortnight in order to enable the Commissioners to report on them, and adjudge the prizes, and the question he wished to put was, whether after the judges had decided, the exhibition would be opened for a few days, in order to enable the public to compare the designs which had obtained prizes with those which had not; for although the public placed every 21 confidence in the ability, integrity, and impartiality of the Commissioners, yet it would be more satisfactory if they had an opportunity of comparing the prizes with the other designs?
LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, that the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Commissioner of Works stated on a former occasion that he hoped shortly to receive the Report of the Commissioners. He begged to ask when that Report would he presented to the House?
§ SIR B. HALLsaid, that although Westminster-hall was a large space it was only sufficient to hold all the designs sent in for public exhibition; and on the very day that the exhibition of the designs closed, the models for the Wellington monument began to arrive, and they now occupied a portion of the Hall. The 25th of this month was the last day for receiving the models, and, though some of those which were the productions of foreign competitors had already come in, he believed that a great many were still on their passage. The models were likely to be of a very valuable nature, and the whole of Westminster Hall could not be thrown open without exposing them to great damage. Neither would it be fair to the authors of those models to allow them to be seen until they were fixed in their respective places for exhibition. With regard to the question as to when it was likely the judges would come to their decision on the designs, he had every reason to believe, from the communications he had had with those gentlemen, that they would be able to make their award on or about the 25th instant. As soon as their award was given he would take care to make it known to the House. But in order that the public might view the designs which had been selected by the judges he proposed to place around the enclosure within the Hall all those to which premiums might be awarded, and the models would be arranged upon tables in the centre of the Hall in a manner well adapted for their proper inspection. The public, therefore, having already had the fullest opportunity of forming their own judgment as to the merits of the designs, would then have an opportunity of seeing those which the judges had selected, and they would, at the same time, be enabled to appreciate the talent of British and foreign artists as displayed in the models for the Wellington monument.