§ Resolutions [9th April] reported.
§ Notice taken, that 40 Members were not present; House counted, and 40 Members being found present,
§ First Resolution agreed to.
§ Second Resolution read a second time.
MR. DICK-PEDDIEsaid, he had no intention of offering opposition to the Vote; but he desired to put a question, which, perhaps, the right hon. Gentleman the Postmaster General could answer. One thing was very remarkable in the plans for the new buildings—the inordinate portion of space which was to be occupied by passages and staircases. He had no objection to the plans; so far as a hurried examination of the competing designs enabled him to judge, that selected seemed to be the best of those submitted; but he wished to know what was the addition to the cost of the building caused by the great proportion of space allotted to staircases and passages? The unusual 1432 proportion of space allotted to staircases and passages was the result of the principle of arrangement adopted by the architect—namely, that of having rooms on only one side of the corridor. Could the right hon. Gentleman give, upon paper, a statement showing the area on the first floor of the building occupied by walls and partitions, the area occupied by staircases and passages, and the area occupied by rooms?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREsaid, he thought there would be no difficulty in giving such a Return, and he would communicate with the Office of Works. Comparing the plans with the Home Office and the Colonial Office, the advantage of the proposed arrangement as to light and convenience would be apparent.
§ Resolution agreed to.
§ Remaining Resolutions agreed to.