§ MR. LAFONE () (for Mr. MORGAN HOWARD) (Camberwell, Dulwich) Southwark, Bermondseyasked the Secretary to the Treasury, If any Report has been received by the Government from 1347 the Director of the National Gallery respecting certain successful experiments made by Mr. W. E. Jones, of Melbourne Grove, East Dulwich, in removing, by a new method, the varnishes of pictures at the Gallery; whether it appears by such Report that certain injurious chemicals usually employed in this work have been superseded by Mr. Jones's method, and whether the varnishes of valuable pictures at the Gallery have been thereby removed without the least detriment to the paint, and without the slightest "skinning" of the pictures; whether the Director has expressed his great satisfaction with these experiments; and, whether the Government will recommend the Trustees of the National Gallery to ascertain the secret of the discovery referred to, in order that the National Collection of valuable pictures there may be protected and preserved?
§ THE SECRETARY (Mr. JACKSON) () Leeds, N.I understand that some experiments were made by Mr. Jones in the presence of the Director of the National Gallery, and that they were successful; but the Director does not think it necessary to adopt Mr. Jones's process in lieu of that already in use in the Gallery.