§ MR. HUNTsaid, he wished to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Whether the statement which appeared in the public papers in reference to the outbreak of fire on Monday last in the corridor of the House of Commons is correct? That statement was to the effect that there was a brick out 702 of the flue where the fire originated, and that it was supposed this defect existed since the construction of the building. If that were the fact, he desired to ask the right hon. Gentleman who was responsible for this. He also wanted to know whether the Government had directed any examination into the other flues similarly circumstanced, that was, with woodwork abutting on the flue? He happened to be in the library when the lire broke out, and he rushed into the corridor, where the woodwork was burning. There was a water main immediately over where the fire was, but the service tap was so stiff in the joint that no person there could lay on the water by reason of its being out of order. The water, however, was got in an adjoining corridor, and in that case no harm was done. But the delay of those few minutes might have caused great damage. He therefore wished to know who was responsible for the water service of the House being kept in an effective condition?
MR. COWPER, in reply, said, the fire did originate from a hole in the flue of the chimney of the kitchen of the House of Commons. That hole was about four inches wide. It appeared that the soot had been forced through this hole during the process of cleaning the floe, and had accumulated outside the flue, just above the wooden panelling of the ceiling of the corridor. A large quantity of soot having accumulated for several years, it ignited, and produced fire. There were no means of ascertaining how this hole originated. But from the size, appearance, and position of the bole it would seem to have been made during the construction of the building to receive one of the iron girders. As it was not used for that purpose, it ought to have been filled up, but somehow or other the bricklayer had omitted to do so. He (Mr. Cowper) had given directions that all the flues in the building should be examined so far as circumstances would allow, in order to ascertain whether such an accident was likely to occur in any other place; and the recurrence of such an accident was very unlikely. The fire was very rapidly extinguished, but the stand-cock at the spot was certainly found too stiff to be worked at the moment when it was wanted. The persons present ran immediately to the next stand cock and procured a sufficient quantity of water to extinguish the fire. The first stand-cock was afterwards put in proper order in the space of two minutes. Those stand-cocks must be made very tight, 703 in order to prevent the leakages of water from a tank which contained 12,000 gallons. The police who were employed in managing the fire arrangements of the Houses of Parliament, were required to examine those stand-cocks from time to time—about once a fortnight. When they were last examined, they were all found to be in good order. He thought it well to state to the House the precautions that had been adopted against the recurrence of a similar accident. The stand-cocks are directed to be examined at short intervals of time, and their condition registered every week. There was only a slight, stiffness in the stand-cock first tried, owing to its having been turned on too tight. But if no other stand-cock had been available, the stand-cock in question could have been easily made to act. The persons on the spot, however, thought, on the whole, that the most expeditious course was to go to the next stand-cock for the necessary supply of water required. There were thirty-seven stand-cocks in the building and twenty outside. The police force kept in the House during the night was one inspector, two Serjeants, and twenty-six men. A policeman was required to pass every portion of the building every half-hour. There were fire-hose places in various parts of the building and in the immediate vicinity of the stand-cocks. He believed the arrangements in this respect were perfect.