§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland, whether the use of the Galleries on the Mound, in Edinburgh, can be given for an Exhibition by the Society of Scottish Artists this autumn, or in the course of next year?
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir GEORGE TREVELYAN, Glasgow, Bridgeton)I am informed by the Board of Manufactures that they kept the whole of this summer and autumn free as regards the use of the Royal Scottish Academy Galleries, in order to enable the North British Railway Commissioners to carry out the repairs of the damages to the National Gallery buildings caused by the recent tunnelling operations under the Mound, and also to enable the Board to reorganise and re-arrange the interior of the National Gallery proper. The arrangement, however, which the Board has just concluded with the North British Railway Commissioners to postpone further operations until after 1st October next, leaves the Royal Scottish Academy Galleries free during the months of July, August, and September this year, and the Board would be in a position, if application is made to them, to consider whether they should exercise their power of permitting the Society of Scottish Artists to hold an exhibition in their Galleries during these months. I hope no time will be lost in making the application.