HC Deb 03 May 1861 vol 162 cc1487-8
MR. DUDLEY FORTESCUE

said, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Whether, in consequence of the late period of the Session at which the designs for the Foreign and Indian Offices were exhibited last year having prevented many Members from seeing them, he will allow Mr. Scott's original designs for these Offices, both Gothic and Italian, to be exhibited at the same time with those approved of by the Government, in order that Members may be enabled to form a fair opinion on their respective merits?

MR. COWPER

said, these designs would be exhibited in a Committee Room of the House, to enable hon. Members to judge of the character of the building for which a Vote was to be proposed. That object, he thought, would not be promoted by placing with the drawings which were intended to be executed other drawings which were not so intended. That, he considered, would rather tend to confuse and divert the attention of hon. Members from the points to be brought before them. The latter set of drawings had, however, been made known far and wide, and if any hon. Member wished to see them he had abundant facilities for doing so.