LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEasked Her Majesty's Government, Why there are not a larger number of free seats in Hyde Bark and Kensington Gardens, as in Battersea and other public Parks? He could not see why the public should not have the privilege of sitting down in these Parks without having to pay for it. The poorer classes on Sunday were specially incommoded by such an arrangement.
§ LORD SUDELEYadmitted the desirability of there being a large number of free seats provided for the use of the public, and assured the noble Lord that the Board of Works had given great attention to the subject. The noble Lord was mistaken in supposing that there were more free seats in Victoria and Battersea Parks than there were in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, although, perhaps, they did not make quite so much show in the latter as in the former. Between the Victoria Gate and the Marble Arch there were no fewer than 52 large seats, and the other parts of the Park were provided in a similar proportion. During the last five years 81 new large free seats had been placed in Kensington Gardens, being an average of 16 yearly, and 65 in Hyde and St. James's Parks, an average of 13 yearly; while during the present year, 22 additional large seats would be placed 176 in Kensington Gardens and 31 in Hyde Park. He trusted that the noble Lord would consider that this was a sufficient provision, for the time at all events. They proposed to continue adding largely to these numbers every year.
LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEremarked, that Hyde Park being so much larger than the other Parks, it was a singular calculation to supply it only with about the same number of seats, in a given time, as the other Parks.
§ House adjourned at a quarter past Six o'clock, till To-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.