§
(3.) Motion made, and Question proposed,
That a Supplementary sum, not exceeding £4,750, be granted to Her Majesty, to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March 1876, for the Maintenance and Repair of Royal Palaces.
§ LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISHthought these Votes ought not to pass sub silentio, and would like to know whether the £1,500,000 of Supplementary Estimates which the Committee was being asked to vote was covered by the Budget Estimate of the Chancellor of the Exchequer? He considered the question of some importance, looking at the narrow surplus of last year.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, the Revenue for the year was sufficient to cover the whole.
§ MR. FAWCETTthought the question of the noble Lord an important one. Would these Supplementary Estimates make the year's expenditure exceed the year's Revenue? He would move to report Progress.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Chairman do report Progress, and ask leave to sit again."—(MR. Fawcett.)
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERsaid, he must repeat that there would be revenue sufficient to cover these Estimates, leaving out the Suez Canal purchase.
§ MR. DODSONexpressed dissatisfaction with the statement of the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Original Question put, and agreed to.
252§ (4.) £18,944, Sheriff Court Houses, Scotland.
§ MR. MONKasked for some explanation. The original estimate of the cost in connection with these Court Houses was £14,700, the sum which had been already voted was £8,550, and now they were asked for £18,944 more.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, the money had been expended under the authority of an Act of Parliament. It had been found necessary to increase the accommodation of the Sheriff Courts in Glasgow, and when the purchase was made, the Treasury had no alternative but to pay the money.
§ Vote agreed to.
§ (5.) £1,233, National Gallery, Enlargement.
§ (6.) £1,500, Ramsgate Harbour.
§ (7.) £250, Chapter House, Westminster.
§ (8.) £36,920, Public Offices Site.
§ (9.) £4,200, Public Buildings, Ireland.
MR. SULLIVANcalled attention to the disgraceful state of the pavement under the portico of the General Post Office in the City of Dublin. The pavement had been laid down in 1815, and was in a worn out, broken, and most dangerous state, abounding in holes. What did the Committee think the Government did recently? They set two stonecutters to patch, plaster, and darn the holes in the pavement at a cost of about £2 10s.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHpromised to enquire into the matter.
§ Vote agreed to.
§ (10.) £2,762, British Embassy Houses and Consular and Legation Buildings.