§ MR. CHARLES REEDasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether the portion of the Turner Collection of Drawings, now about to be withdrawn from Birmingham, may be exhibited in the Bethnal Green Museum, after the removal of the Wallace Collection?
§ MR. BAXTERMy hon. Friend is not perhaps aware that the collection of Turner Drawings now at Birmingham, which he wishes to be sent to Bethnal Green Museum, consists of only 58 small sketches, and would not cover the side of an ordinary sitting-room. There would, however, be no objection to the exhibition at Bethnal Green of these sketches, provided that the same precautions are taken there for their safe custody as have been required at other places.
§ MR. CHARLES REEDasked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Whether the arrangements directed to be made in December, 1870, for the establishment "of a School of Science and Art and a Library, in connection with the East London Museum on Bethnal Green," are completed; and, if not, what steps have been taken in this direction?
§ MR. W.E. FORSTERsaid, in reply, that the hon. Member for Hackney used rather too strong a term when he said that arrangements had been directed to be made in 1870 for the establishment of a School of Science and Art and a Library in connection with the East London Museum on Bethnal Green. Chiefly on account of the large collection of pictures which, through the liberality of the hon. Baronet opposite (Sir Richard 1284 Wallace), had been placed in the Bethnal Green Museum, it was impossible at present to find room for a School of Science and Art in the institution. As regarded the Library, however, if the Government saw reason to believe that one would be of use in that locality, they would be happy to form one there from the collection of books at South Kensington.