§ (1.) "That a sum, not exceeding £36,379, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for the Buildings of the Houses of Parliament."
§ (2.) "That a sum, not exceeding £110,824, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for the Maintenance and Repair of Public Buildings in Great Britain, including various special Works; for providing 66 the necessary supply of Water; for Rents of Houses hired for the accommodation of Public Departments, and Charges attendant thereon."
§ (3). "That a sum, not exceeding £4,500, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for the Extension of the Admiralty Buildings."
§ (4.) "That a sum, not exceeding £12,800, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for the Supply and Repair of Furniture in the Public Departments of Great Britain."
§ (5.) "That a sum, not exceeding £210,614, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for the Customs, Inland Revenue, Post Office, and Post Office Telegraph Buildings in Great Britain, including Furniture, Fuel, and sundry Miscellaneous Services."
§ (6.) "That a sum, not exceeding £24,740, granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for New Buildings for County Courts, Maintenance and Repair of Courts, supply of Furniture, Fuel, &c., and for Charges attendant thereon."
§ (7.) "That a sum, not exceeding £22,000, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st of March, 1890, for the Metropolitan Police Court Buildings."
§ (8.) "That a sum, not exceeding £6,717, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for one-half of the expense of Erecting or Improving Court Houses or Offices for the Sheriff Courts in Scotland, and for the Government contribution towards the cost of Maintaining Courts so Erected or Improved."
§ (9.)"That a sum, not exceeding £175,000, be granted to Her Majesty, to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1890, for the Survey of the United Kingdom, including the revision of the Survey of Ireland, Maps for use in proceedings before the Land Judges in Ireland, publication of Maps, and engraving the Geological Survey."
§ Resolutions read a second time.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Committee in the First Resolution:"
§ *MR. H. H. FOWLERI want to ask one question with reference to the re-arrangements for the convenience of Members which my right hon. Friend the First Commissioner of Works said yesterday he is going to 67 make in consequence of the alterations in Westminster Hall. All the First Commissioners of Works for many years past have been smokers, and therefore they have been predisposed to take a favourable view of the representations made to them by hon. Members who indulged in the habit of smoking as to the accommodation for smokers. But there are many Members of the House who do not smoke, and I should like to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether he will not have some compassion on such inferior beings in any rearrangements he may make. My right hon. Friend the late First Commissioner of Works, held out to us the prospect of a new room in the Lobby leading to the House of Lords; but he had no sooner made the promise than it was rescinded, and the room devoted to the purposes of a Grand Committee. There is really no reasonable accommodation for the non-smokers, and it has occurred to me that the present Tea Room might be converted into a News Room and the present News Room turned into a Tea Room. I know the right hon. Gentleman is most anxious to promote the convenience of all sections of Members, but he always seems to be overcome by the arguments of the hon. Member for Northampton (Mr. Labouchere), who sympathizes with smokers and who is so powerful on such questions as this.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREI can speak quite impartially, because I am at once a smoker and a tea drinker; but I do protest against the suggestion that we should give up the Tea Room to my right hon. Friend to read newspapers in. We had a claim on that room and we gave it up on account of the late Mr. Beresford Hope. If the right hon. Gentleman would desire to see the place where the smokers are sent to he would realize the fact that the smokers are really worse off than the tea drinkers. I trust that if the right hon. Gentleman does consult the tea drinkers in any re-arrangements he will also consult the smokers, and if I can act as a go-between in the matter I shall he only too glad.
§ *MR. PLUNKETIf it will facilitate a settlement of the matter I shall certainly avail myself of the invitation of the hon. Member for Northampton. I desire to consult with all the different sections of Members, and I will try to 68 make the new rooms go as far as possible.
§ MR. W. M'ARTHUR (Cornwall, St. Austell)I wish to recur to a question I put to the right hon. Gentleman last night. I find in the Estimate for the Houses of Parliament there is a charge of £2,000 for oil lamps used in the building. As far as I can reckon the cost ought not to exceed £150 to £200. The right hon. Gentleman told me the great cost arose from the fact that we had to hire the lamps. I should like to know where the lamps are hired, and what is paid for their hire?
§ *MR. PLUNKETI have asked for information, and if the hon. Member will put a question in the House on the subject I will be glad to answer it.
§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne Division)I should like the right hon. Gentleman to endeavour to improve the accommodation afforded in the Ladies' Dining Room. The present accommodation for ladies is extremely inadequate. On one occasion when I was anxious to obtain the use of a table I found all the accommodation had been taken up a long time previously. There is no limit to the number of guests one Member may invite to dine in the room. I do not complain of that, but I think if there are any additional rooms to be placed at the disposal of Members it is only fair to Members and their lady friends that some better accommodation for ladies should be provided.
§ DR. TANNERI think we are entitled to some answer on the subject raised by my hon. Friend. I very seldom entered the Ladies' Dining Room until the present year. Now I have sometimes to make use of the room and I invariably find the tables are taken up by supporters of Her Majesty's Government. I suggest that a book should be kept to show who are the monopolists of the tables night after night.
It being Seven of the clock, the debate stood adjourned.