§ MR. LAYARDsaid, he rose to ask the First Commissioner of Works, Whether it be true that the Royal Academy has nearly completed its premises at the back of Burlington House, and that they will be ready for the annual Exhibition of 1869, but that the Royal Academy will be unable to take possession of them until the Library of the Royal Society has been removed from Burlington House; and, whether he will take immediate steps to find proper accommodation for that Library, so that the Royal Academy may at the earliest period remove from the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, in order that adequate space may be provided for the exhibition of the National Pictures?
§ LORD JOHN MANNERS, in reply, said, the building for the Royal Academy behind Burlington House was being proceeded with very rapidly; but whether it would be ready in time for holding the Exhibition of 1869, owing to the shortness of the notice, he had not been able to ascertain. With regard to the very large Library belonging to the Royal Society, which consisted of something like 100,000 volumes, it was obvious that to ask the Royal Society to remove twice over so large and valuable a collection of books would be a course that could not be taken without grave necessity. If it were found impossible to complete the building in time for the Exhibition of 1869, he still hoped that some temporary arrangement might be made; and he could assure the hon. 1581 Member that no efforts on his part would be wanting to the attainment of so desirable a result.