§ MR. HOLMSasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether the Treasury has come to any decision as to the application of that portion (about £45,000) of the late Mrs. Brown's fortune, which she shortly before her decease left in the hands of trustees, and intimated that she wished should be applied to providing 1029 further bathing accommodation in the four Royal Parks of the Metropolis; and, if so, what that decision is?
MR. GLADSTONEI am sorry, Sir, to say I cannot give an answer to my hon. Friend now, nor can I promise him an early answer. All I can promise is that the matter shall be carefully considered when the time arrives; but, according to the rules of the Treasury, the time has not come to consider this interesting question, for the Treasury never interferes in a matter of this kind till the administrator has got in his estate. He, however, has not performed his function in this case, and, consequently, we have not yet arrived at the first stage of the business. I am informed that the sum in question is rather larger than that stated by my hon. Friend—about £55,000—and even when the administrator has concluded his operations I believe the time will not have arrived for the Treasury to take the matter in hand, because the right of the Crown would only arrive then in cases where there were no persons who could make good their claim as next-of-kin. Now, I understand that notice has already been given by several parties claiming to be next-of-kin who will take legal measures for the purpose of making good their claim to the money, and it is not until these claims are disposed of that the Treasury can exercise any jurisdiction in the matter.