(NO. 18.) SECOND READING. (Hansard, 15 March 1883)

§ EARL GRANVILLE,

in rising to move that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that the National Gallery was an institution in which the country felt a just pride, for its merits were on a level with the most distinguished galleries in the world. The object of this Bill was to enable the Directors and Trustees to make loans of pictures to Provincial museums and institutions, and to extend the present buildings. With regard to the works by the Old Masters, there were very few of them which could be 16nt, for they were either of intrinsic value in themselves, or, what was just as important, were instructive as furnishing a history of Art and representing different schools. But as to modern pictures, to which his observations would more particularly apply, there were a certain number that might be dispensed with, and it was quite clear that to lend to galleries in the Provinces pictures that were not wanted in the National Gallery would be a gain to all parties concerned. With regard to the extension of the National Gallery, he might say that the Government proposed to ask the other House to grant a sum of money, £5,000, for the purpose, in order that more space might be provided for the National Collection. He would now move the second reading.

§ VISCOUNT HARDINGE,

as one of the Trustees of the National Gallery, said, the Bill would be a great boon, because it would give some room for the rearrangement of the pictures it contained. At present it would be difficult to carry out that re-arrangement, owing to want of space. The weeding-out, however, would not give the Trustees much more room, as it must not be supposed that they would part with any of their gems of art; but they would lend what modern pictures they could spare. What they wished to do was to distribute to Provincial museums as many pictures of the British school as they could, thus benefiting the artists, the museums, and the public. As for the enlargement of the Gallery, he was glad that a Vote for the purpose was intended to be proposed by the Government. That extension could be very well made in the rear of the present building, and he would suggest that the barracks at present existing in that quarter should be removed, as they only accommodated three companies, and they could easily be provided for in other barracks in the Metropolis, especially at Chelsea, where there were very extensive ones. On behalf of the Trustees, he heartily thanked the Government for the measure.