§ MR. T. P. O'CONNOR (Liverpool, Scotland)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, Whether pictures and other works of art have been lent to Buncombe Hall, North Islington, by the South Kensington Museum; whether he is aware that this is not a public Institution under 1828 public management, but a private adventure, at the sole cost and risk of the hon. Member for North Islington (Mr. Bartley), the so-called Museum (the charge for admission to which is 1d.) being a concert room in connection with, a coffee and refreshment room; whether he is aware that for some time after the Museum was opened admission was only obtainable by tickets from the hon. Member for North Islington; and, whether he will consider the propriety of such an application of public property to the private hall of a Member in his own constituency?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT (Sir WILLIAM HART DYKE) (Kent, Dartford)A loan was made in 1886 to a temporary exhibition at Duncombe Hall, which, it was understood, had been organized with the view to the establishment there of a permanent Museum under local management, an undertaking being given that any profits from the temporary exhibition would be devoted to that object. When it was found that a permanent Museum under local management was not established, the loan was, in accordance with the Rules, withdrawn in July, 1887.
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORThe grounds on which the loan was asked for turned out not to be well founded.
§ SIR WILLIAM HART DYKEThe purpose in view was not realized.
§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman, whether it is not a common practice to lend works of art to promote Science and Art Museums in different parts of the country; and, whether this is not one of the objects which the Department have in view?
§ SIR WILLIAM HART DYKEI think my answer to the Question is conclusive. It was an attempt in that direction; but it was not consummated.
§ MR. T. P. O'CONNORIs there a single instance in which the Department has made a loan of this kind to the Member for a constituency, the admission to the Museum being in the hands of that Member?
§ SIR WILLIAM HART DYKEI cannot answer that Question offhand. The loan was made before I entered upon my present Office.
§ MR. BARTLEYMight I ask, whether it is not true that a Committee was 1829 appointed to carry out that object, and that a Local Committee is being established at the present time with the object of establishing a Museum in that part of London?
§ SIR WILLIAM HART DYKEThat does not affect my original reply, that these objects were withdrawn because the necessary conditions had not been complied with.