§ MR. ALDERMAN LAWRENCEsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Under whose authority and responsibility the New Law Courts will be erected and the approaches to them formed, whether of the Treasury, or of the Commissioners of Works and Buildings, or of the New Courts of Justice Commission; from what funds is the whole expense of these Courts and approaches to be paid; and whether, before any contracts are made for executing any portion of the works, the House of Commons will have an opportunity of inspecting the plans, elevations, and description of the building, and the plans of proposed approaches?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, in reply, if the hon. Alderman would refer to the Act which regulated these matters he would find that the plans were to be settled by the Treasury with the advice of the Commissioners. With regard to the funds, the Act provided that £200,000 should be voted by Parliament in consideration of certain buildings now occupied as Law Courts on the western side of Westminster Hall to be surrendered to the Government; that £1,000,000 should be paid out of the Surplus Fee Fund, and the remainder was to come out of the fees paid by suitors other than those in the Court of Chancery, extending over a period of fifty years. With regard to the contracts lie was unable to answer that part of the Question, for this very day there was a meeting of Commissioners to consider the question of the final plan; and therefore whether it would be possible to decide on the general plan before the meeting of Parliament be was unable to say.