§ SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, If an opportunity will be given to the House of expressing an opinion on the matter before the Government commits itself to the renewal of large grants to the National Gallery for the purchase of pictures, contrary to the arrangement that the grant for the Blenheim pictures should first be made good?
§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)inquired, whether the arrangement referred to by his hon. Friend was communicated to the National Gallery authorities before the purchase of the Blenheim pictures under the deliberate authority of the House of Commons?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN) (St. George's, Hanover Square)I gather that that was not done, and that it was not communicated to the authorities of the National Gallery before the purchase was made. In reply to the former Question, there is no proposal for the renewal of large grants to the National Gallery for the purchase of pictures. It was a part of the understanding, at the time when the usual annual grant of 512 £10,000 was suspended until the sum spent upon the Blenheim pictures had been made good, that during the suspension of the grant the Treasury would consider any proposals which the Trustees of the Gallery might make for the acquisition, under exceptionally advantageous circumstances, of works important to complete the representative character of the collection. Several proposals for such purchases have been made by the Trustees; but in no instance—though admitting the case of the Trustees to be strong—have the Treasury regarded it as so overwhelmingly strong as to justify a special grant and a Supplemental Estimate. But the controversies which have arisen between the Trustees and the Treasury have convinced me that the present arrangement is unsatisfactory; and therefore, regarding the Treasury as pledged to some relaxation of the suspension of the Vote, I have agreed to £5,000 being put down in next year's Estimates for the purchase of pictures. Of course, this concession will be subject to the approval of Parliament when the Estimate comes on. I must remind the House that, of the £87,000 given for the Blenheim pictures, £40,000 have been made good by the suspension of the annual grant for four years.