§ MR. WALDEGRAVE-LESLIEsaid, he wished to ask Mr. Attorney General, What provision is to be made in the New Palace of Justice for the safe custody of Wills and for the due transaction of the business of the Court of Probate?
THE ATTORNEY GENERALSir, designs are to be given in by a certain number of architects, who are called competing architects, before the 15th of December with reference to the whole accommodation to be provided in the new Palace of Justice. Instructions have been issued to the competing architects, pointing out, among other things, the amount of accommodation that would be required, they were very elaborate and are at the service of my hon. Friend if he should desire to consult them; but I may add they are much too elaborate to be stated in this House. In addition to sufficient accommodation for the administration of justice in the Court of Probate there will be accommodation for the wills. In addition to strong rooms and offices for receiving and dealing with wills for temporary purposes, there is to be permanent fire-proof accommodation below comprising an area of 350,000 cubic feet.
§ MR. WALDEGRAVE-LESLIEsaid, he would now beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works, what arrangements will be made for the safe custody of wills 1847 and for the due transaction of the business of the Court of Probate between the present time and the building of the New Palace of Justice, seeing that the Metropolitan Board of Works will very shortly take possession of the buildings of Doctor's Commons for the purpose of carrying on the new street from Blackfriars Bridge to the Mansion House?
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSI have to say, Sir, that negotiations are pending between my office and the Metropolitan Board of Works for the transfer to the Office of Works of a piece of land on the west side of the present principal Registry of the Court of Probate, upon which a building will be erected fully sufficient for the safe custody of wills and the transaction of the business of the principal Registry of the Court of Probate. The land has a frontage of sixty-six feet, and is sixty-two feet in depth, with an area of 3,400 square feet. With respect to the latter portion of the question, until the new building has been erected and the wills have been transferred into it, the Metropolitan Board of Works will not interfere with the existing strong room in which the wills are at present deposited.