§ MR. EYKYNasked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether the description of the new Post Office published by a member of the council of the Institute of Architects is correct; and, if so, whether any steps will be taken to improve the elevation of that building?
§ MR. AYRTON, in reply, said, that to make both Question and Answer intelligible, he might explain that a member of the council of the Institute of Architects had described the design of the new Post Office as the ugliest ever conceived, as entirely devoid of all architectural knowledge and treatment, and as the result of the want of skill in the Department of Works consequent upon the arrangements recently made for carrying on the business of that Department. Perhaps the best answer to that was to state exactly what had occurred. The design for the new Post Office was originally prepared by an officer of the Department of Works, under the direction of the noble Lord the Member for North Leicestershire (Lord John Manners), when First Commissioner; but on Mr. Layard taking charge of that Office he had to deal with the design and did not approve it, but in conjunction with Mr. Fergusson, then in the Office of Works, he directed to be prepared what they deemed an improved design, which was sent to the Postmaster General and the Treasury. Being approved by both those Departments, tenders were invited for carrying out the design before he (Mr. Ayrton) became First Commissioner. To show the value of such architectural criticism as the question referred to, he might add that the Council of the Institute of Architects themselves recently recommended that Mr. Fergusson should receive Her Majesty's gold medal for his great knowledge—of which everyone was aware—in matters connected with architecture, and for his instructive writings on the subject, Mr. Fergusson being the gentleman who approved and settled the design for the new Post Office.