§ VISCOUNT DUNGANNON rose to call attention to the propriety of a painting of Her Majesty's Coronation being placed in the House of Lords; and asked the President of the Council whether it was in contemplation to purchase for that object the original painting of that event by Sir George Hayter, now on sale. It would be generally agreed that their Lordships' House was a very proper receptacle for those works of art which recorded events in the history of the country which were more than ordinarily interesting; and it had occurred to him that it would be most desirable and appropriate that the painting recording the Coronation of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen should have a place found for it within some one at least of their Committee-rooms. The original picture of that splendid subject, by Sir George Hayter, was now for sale; and when they remembered that many of the illustrious men who took part in that State ceremonial had since been removed from among us, this great work of art became one of additional historic interest. Moreover, the new palace of Westminster having been erected in the reign of the present Sovereign, it was only fitting that a pictorial representation of the Coronation of Her Majesty should adorn its walls. He wished to ask the President of the Council whether it was in contemplation to purchase for the House of Lords the original painting of the Coronation by Sir George Hayter?
§ EARL GRANVILLEsaid, that the Government had nothing to do with the decorations of the Houses of Parliament. That was a subject which had been referred to a Royal Commission, of which the Prince Consort was President, and to which several distinguished Members of both Houses belonged. He was not one of those Commissioners, and he could not, therefore, give the noble Viscount any information. At the same time, he thought it undesirable that the Commissioners should be called upon to explain the reasons why they did not purchase any particuar pictures that might happen to be in the market.