MR. OTWAYsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, If he will state the name and profession of the gentleman who is responsible for the large excess over the Estimate given for the repairs of the Embassy at Constantinople; and, whether it is not true that no Officer of the Corps of Royal Engineers is responsible for the Estimate or the expenditure in question?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTHreplied that no Officer of the Royal Engineers could be held responsible for the works performed at the Embassy. He supposed the hon. Gentleman alluded to complaints made in that House a few years since with respect to the withdrawal of the clerk of the works from Constantinople. No doubt the expenditure at that time was incurred by the Office of Works here through their agent at Constantinople; but he was not prepared to say that the expenditure showed any excess over the Estimates.