§ MR. BENTINCKsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether an Architect for the New Courts of Justice has been appointed, and, if not, what is the present state of the question?
§ SIR GEORGE BOWYERsaid, before the hon. Gentleman answered this Question he would wish to ask another on the same subject. He understood that the Commission on the Courts of Judicature had under their consideration a proposition which was laid before them by Lord Justice Cairns, the effect of which would be to abolish all the Law Courts in London, and to have only Courts of Appeal in London, confining the Courts of First Instance to the country. He wanted to know if Her Majesty's Government had had that subject under their consideration, because if it were adopted so large a building as was originally projected would not be necessary? He also wished to ask the Government if they were aware of this proposition, and what its effect, if adopted, would have upon the building which was now proposed to be erected?
§ MR. HUNT, in reply, said, in answer to the first Question of the hon. Member 733 (Mr. Bentinck), that no Architect had yet been appointed. The present position of affairs was this: In consequence of what passed in that House during the short Session a communication had been made from the Treasury to the members of the Commission, and the Commission had replied by a suggestion to the Treasury that the opinion of the Attorney General should be taken on the subject of what would be the legal effect of the recommendation of the judges of designs. The Treasury had adopted that suggestion, and a case was now being prepared for the opinion of the Attorney General. As to the other Question, put by the hon. and learned Member for Dundalk (Sir George Bowyer), the Commission had not yet made its Report to the Government, and therefore the Government was not in a condition to take the subject into consideration.