CLASS I.—PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS. (Hansard, 29 February 1884)

§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH
asked what was the present state of the arrangements with regard to the new Admiralty and War Office; and whether it was intended to present any Estimate for the building this year?

§ MR. COURTNEY
said, his right hon. Friend the First Commissioner of Works (Mr. Shaw Lefevre) was not in his place; but he (Mr. Courtney) thought he would be able to give a satisfactory answer to the question of the right hon. Gentleman. Sketch plans had been invited to be sent in, and a small Committee had been appointed to select 10 competitors from those who sent in such plans. The 10 competitors would be invited to send in more detailed plans from which a selection would be made. There would be a small allowance in the Estimates this year, not, however, for the actual expenses relating to the building, but to meet the expenses of the Committee.
Vote agreed to.
(4.) £290, Metropolitan Police Court Buildings.
(5.) £5,005, New Courts of Justice and Offices.

§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH
said, it seemed to him that the description of the Vote did not altogether correspond with the account given in the foot note. The sum of £5,005 appeared to be required to— Reimburse the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn for the sums expended by them since 1840, out of their own funds, in the erection, and 241 fitting up of Courts for the use of the Judges of the Court of Chancery, and otherwise for the benefit of the said Courts, and not to meet expenses incurred during the erection of the New Courts of Justice.

§ MR. COURTNEY
said, that the Courts of Justice Act provided that this sum should be repaid to the Society of Lincoln's Inn, and, in that sense, the sum became part of the expenditure involved in the erection of the New Courts of Justice. The right hon. Gentleman would be aware that two Vice Chancellors were appointed a considerable number of years ago, and the Society of Lincoln's Inn undertook to find the Courts in which the Vice Chancellors should sit. The Courts, however, were of a temporary character, and it was understood that by the scheme for erecting new Courts of Justice the Benchers of Lincoln's Inn should be repaid the actual expense to which they had been put in fitting up the two Courts in question.

§ MR. WARTON
said, that, as a member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, he was astonished at the smallness of the sum to be paid to the Society considering the amount of good it had done. For 40 years it had consented to the appropriation of part of its dining hall for the purpose of the Courts in which the Vice Chancellors could sit. He agreed with the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. Sclater-Booth) that the Vote under consideration was not very clearly explained. He earnestly hoped that they had not yet got to the end of the expenditure upon the Royal Courts of Justice. It was his misfortune last month to sit in one of the Courts, and the discomfort which he suffered was such as he had never experienced in any Court of Justice previously. He asked the right hon. Gentleman the First Commissioner of Works (Mr. Shaw Lefevre) to visit No. 5 Court some day and sit for an hour behind the Queen's Counsel. The right hon. Gentleman would find a door on each side of him from which came a most cutting draught. The counsel felt the full force of the draught—indeed, their position was a most unhappy one. The whole furniture of the Courts was of the shabbiest and poorest workhouse style. The woodwork was of a very poor and indifferent description—indeed, it had not that quiet 242 and respectable appearance it was fitting it should have. The accommodation for counsel was positively disgraceful. There was not sufficient space in which to open a brief—indeed, the arrangements throughout were exceedingly bad. He trusted the right hon. Gentleman would cause the woodwork to be toned down in colour or grained. The country had been put to tremendous expense in the erection of the new Courts. The public, therefore, had a right to expect that their convenience would be consulted in the interior arrangements of the Courts.

§ MR. SHAW LEFEVRE
said, prevalence of draughts in the new Law Courts had, no doubt, been a source of great trouble to the officials. They had made great efforts of late to cure the draughts, and in the case of most of the Courts their endeavours had been successful. With the experience they had gained the authorities hoped they would be able to mitigate, if not to totally remove, the evil in all the Courts. He did not think the hon. and learned Member (Mr. Warton) was quite correct in saying that the furniture of the Courts was of a very poor and shabby character. The desks and whole fittings of the Courts were arranged by the late Mr. Street, and he (Mr. Shaw Lefevre) believed that it was at Mr. Street's instance that the woodwork was not grained as the hon. and learned Member had suggested. From an artistic point of view the fittings and woodwork were considered satisfactory.

§ MR. WARTON
asked that the desks should be covered with red baize if they were not to be grained.
Vote agreed to.
(6.) £2,003, Shannon Navigation.
(7.) £1,000, Lighthouses Abroad.