§ SIR HENRY HOAREasked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether it is true that Mr. Cole has retired from the office of Director of the South Kensington Museum, and has been allowed a retiring pension equal to his full salary; whether General Scott has vacated his office of Secretary and Acting Commissioner for the estate purchased out of the surplus funds of the Exhibition of 1851 in order to succeed Mr. Cole; and, whether Mr. Cole has been appointed to succeed General Scott at a salary of £1,000 a-year in addition to his retiring pension?
§ MR. AYRTON,in reply, said, his hon. Friend persevered in putting a Question to him, not merely with reference to the Exhibition Commission, of which he was an ex officio member, but also to a Department with which he was not connected. He might state, however, that it was quite true that Mr. Cole, after a long and honourable service, had retired, and that he had been awarded the pension to which he was entitled, and which was equal to the salary of the office he had held. With regard to the successor to be appointed, he believed he was correct in stating that the matter was under the consideration of the Department of Education. He was not on the Committee of Council, and was not able to say what their views might be. He had not heard before that General Scott had vacated his 153 office as Secretary and Acting Commissioner of the Exhibition Estates, and as he believed that General Scott had not vacated the office, he could not therefore have succeeded to that lately held by Mr. Cole. It was true that Mr. Cole had since his retirement from the public service been appointed by the Commission to discharge very important and necessary duties—namely, to act as manager of the great International Exhibition which was now carried on from year to year, and for the very important duties he had to discharge he was to receive a salary of £1,000 a-year, which was to be paid not by the Government, but out of the receipts of the Exhibition.