§ MR. W. F. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether, before incurring any expense in providing other accommodation for the antiquities now lying in the cellars of the British Museum, and having regard to the willingness of the authorities at Liverpool, as appearing from a letter from Sir James Picton, to provide accommodation where they could be properly exhibited, he will consider the propriety of offering some of such antiquities to the care of the city of Liverpool?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)The letter of Sir James Picton referred to states that it is to be regretted that such valuable historical monuments as the sculptures now lying in the cellars of the British Museum should be utterly useless and unseen. I am informed by the authorities of the British Museum that there is some degree of misapprehension on this point. Many of the sculptures, and those the most attractive, are placed, on exhibition, although in indifferent light and much crowded; the portion lying in an altogether badly-lighted room consists of the sepulchral monuments, and I am informed that it would be very injurious to the general interests of the Museum Collection to remove this class of antiquities. There is a room now vacant on the ground floor in which they can be exhibited in a good light, and another room on the upper floor will soon be available for 1174 the reception of some of the sculptures in the basement.