§ LORD LAMINGTONasked Her Majesty's Government, Whether it is intended, when the houses in Parliament Street are taken down, to let the ground for private buildings? If that were done, its effect, as far as appearance and the re-arrangement of Government buildings was concerned, would be ruinous.
LORD THURLOW, in reply, said, that, considering how large a question was involved in the construction of new Public Offices, and in dealing with a site so expensive as that in Parliament Street, their Lordships would not be surprised if he said it was impossible to give an off-hand opinion, or arrive at any immediate decision. It had not been decided, up to the present moment, how the land fronting Parliament Street, which the Government proposed to acquire, was to be occupied. When the block of houses was pulled down, a considerable time would be allowed to elapse before anything further was done, so that a full discussion might take place, with the aid of plans and models; and then would be the time for Parliament and the public to criticize any plan that might be laid before the House.
§ House adjourned at half past Six o'clock, to Thursday next, a quarter past Four o'clock.