§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury what arrangements have been made with reference to the transference of a certain portion of the National collection of pictures to the Tate Gallery of British Art?
§ MR. HANBURYNinety-seven pictures of the Modern British School have been transferred from the National Gallery to the Tate Gallery, where they are now hung. The general principle of selection adopted by the trustees and director has been to transfer to the Tate Gallery all works by British painters born after 1790. But certain exceptions have been made to this rule. For instance, almost all the pictures by Sir Edwin Landseer have been retained in the National Gallery, and on the other hand a few small paintings by Constable (born 1776) and a few examples of Wilkie (born 1785) have been removed to the Tate Gallery. All pictures of the earlier British School, including the works of Hogarth, Wilson, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Morland, Copley, Romney, Stothard, Opie, Crome, Lawrence, Turner, and others, will remain in the National Gallery, and have been hung in the western wing of the building. I may add that the Tate Gallery will also contain not only Mr. Tate's own gift of modern British pictures, but also the modern British pictures and sculptures bought by the Chantrey trustees out of their trust fund, and at present housed at South Kensington.
§ DR. FARQUHARSONasked when the transfer would be made.
§ MR. HANBURYI think very shortly.