MOTION FOR AN ADDRESS. (Hansard, 23 June 1871)

§ MR. HAVILAND-BURKE
, in rising to move— That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that She will be graciously pleased to direct that carriage traffic may have free access to the Houses of Parliament by way of Constitution Hill, said, that during the present Session that part of St. James's Park between St. James's Palace and Storey's Gate had been thrown open to carriage traffic, and he might appeal to the general sense of the House that it had been found a very great convenience. The object of his Motion was to complete the thoroughfare from Hyde Park Corner through Constitution Hill, past St. James's Palace to Storey's Gate. He had formerly asked that there might be carriage traffic through the Horse Guards also; but, at the request of hon. Gentlemen, he had postponed that part of the question. If he thought the opening of Constitution Hill to carriage traffic would be the slightest inconvenience to Her Majesty he would be the last to propose it; but the House must recollect that the traffic existed already on one side, from St. James's Palace to Buckingham Gate, and it would be almost impossible that there should be any additional inconvenience from what he proposed. Very great expense had been incurred, which somebody would have to pay, by opening the now road from Piccadilly into Park Lane. That new road would be found to be a great convenience. But one of the advantages of the course which he proposed was, that it would be attended with no additional expense whatever, while the general traffic would be relieved, and the convenience of Gentlemen both in that House and out of it 502 would be promoted. He begged to move the Address of which he had given Notice.

MR. GLADSTONE
said, the subject was one considerably larger than his hon. and learned Friend seemed to suppose. His hon. and learned Friend appeared to think that it was a mere question of allowing certain additional modes of traffic to pass along the road which now existed without a shilling of additional expense. That was not the view of the Government. The present road was of very moderate and limited width, and of very inadequate capacity for horse traffic and carriage traffic taken together. As this was a gravel road, it could not receive any considerable access of traffic without re-construction; and if thoroughfares here and elsewhere were to be opened through the Parks, the question was who should bear the expense? If they were to be altered for the general advantage of the Metropolis to any extent, was the nation to be at the charge of supplying the Metropolis with that portion of its roads? This was a point requiring a good deal of consideration; and as the widening of the road would require some time, it was not a practical question which concerned the convenience of Members of Parliament during the present Session. In the view of the Government the position of the Parks in reference to the Metropolis was a subject which required serious attention. On the one hand, they should not offer an undue and needless obstruction to the traffic of the Metropolis; and, on the other hand, they should be preserved for their great and primary object—the enjoyment of the mass of the people. That was a serious question; and, in the opinion of his Colleagues and himself, it required careful examination with reference to larger considerations than those embraced in the Motion of his hon. and learned Friend. On that ground, and not because the Government were prepared to say there was no case for consideration, he hoped his hon. and 503 learned Friend would not press his Amendment to a division, for, if so, it would be the duty of the Government to vote for the Speaker leaving the Chair to go into Committee.

§ LORD JOHN MANNERS
said, he would remind the House that the question of making the Parks the medium of carriage traffic had already been referred to a Select Committee, which recommended one alteration—namely, the admission of carriages to the Park by Marlborough House; but, with that exception, were of opinion that the Parks should be jealously guarded against the admission of carriage traffic.