§ COLONEL HUGHES -HALLETT (Rochester)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, If it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to place the affairs and funds of the Imperial Institute for direction and control in the hands of the gentlemen who had the conduct of the various South Kensington Exhibitions?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster)My hon. and gallant Friend cannot have noticed the answer which I gave on a former occasion with regard to the Imperial Institute. Her Majesty's Government are not in any way responsible for, or in any way mixed up with, the management of the Imperial Institute. It is an en- 1248 tirely independent affair, under the control and direction, in the first instance, of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. We are, therefore, quite unable to give any assurance as to the way in which the management shall be conducted, or as to the officers who may be employed to carry it out; and I think it would be almost impertinence on our part if we were to seek to exercise any influence over an Institute to which no Government funds of any kind, no funds under the control of the House of Commons, are intended to be contributed.
§ MR. BRADLAUGH (Northampton)asked, whether any of the accounts of any of the Exhibitions held under Royal Commissioners had been audited and published?
§ MR. W. H. SMITHsaid, that he had been informed that the accounts had been audited; but he had no personal knowledge of the fact.