HC Deb 22 June 1857 vol 146 cc140-1
MR. LIDDELL

said, he wished to ask the Secretary of the Treasury, what progress had been made in the Ordnance Survey for the county of Northumberland?

MR. WILSON

said, that the Ordnance surveys of Newcastle, Tynemouth, and Alnwick had been completed, as well as that of the mineral parts in the south-west of the county of Northumberland. The maps would have been published almost immediately upon a twenty-five inch scale but for the decision which was arrived at by the House the other night. They would therefore now be published on a six-inch scale. He had been informed that the maps would be published towards the end of the year. The remainder of the county would be surveyed upon a six-inch scale.

SIR DENHAM NORREYS

said, he wished to ask the Under Secretary for War, Whether any communication has been received from Colonel James (the Director of the Ordnance Survey Department) stating that the plans appended to the Army Estimates, which were signed by him in October, and were issued to the Members of the House of Commons in February last, were incorrect, in so far as they represent the county of Durham to have been surveyed and drawn on the scale of six inches to the mile, whereas, in fact, they were drawn to the scale of twenty-five inches to the mile? When such Communication was made, and why it was not communicated to the House previous to the Report on the Army Estimates being brought up? By what authority the Survey of the county of Durham was drawn to the scale of twenty-five inches to the mile; and whether there will be any objections to lay on the Table of the House Copies of the authority under which such Survey on the enlarged scale was adopted, and of any Correspondence relating thereto?

SIR JOHN RAMSDEN

said, no communication of the kind referred to had been made by Colonel James before the bringing up of the Report on the Army Estimates. The map contained in the Army Estimates is published in order to show the state of the publication of the survey of England and Wales. It was perfectly true that Durham was drawn on the twenty-five-inch scale, but the drawings would be reduced by the photographic process, and would be published on the six-inch scale. The authority on which Durham is drawn on the twenty-five-inch scale was the Treasury Minute of the 18th May, 1855.