Lords Sitting of 28 May 1883

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—Second Reading—Municipal Corporations (Unreformed) (59); General Police and Improvement (Scotland) Provisional Order (Broughty Ferry Paving)* (55).
Committee—Report—Local Government Provisional Orders* (54).
Report—Local Government (Ireland) Provisional Orders (No. 2)* (27).
Third Reading—Customs and Inland Revenue*, and passed.

MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (UNREFORMED) BILL.—(No. 59.)
(The Earl of Rosebery.)
MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (UNREFORMED) BILL.—(No. 59.)

  SECOND READING.
  Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
  THE EARL OF ROSEBERY,in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, he need not trouble their Lorships with any remarks, beyond saying that it was practically the same measure as had passed through that House last year. Its object was simply to remove certain small and anomalous jurisdictions, to the removal of which the boroughs affected had no objection.
  Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2ª"—(The Earl of Roselery.)
  Motion agreed to; Bill read 2ª accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday nex.

PARKS (METROPOLIS)—RICHMOND PARK—THE ROEHAMPTON GATE.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEasked Her Majesty's Government, Whe-

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  ther any arrangements have been made by which the public may gain free entrance by the Roehampton Gate to Richmond Park? That gate, at the present time, was practically at the disposal of Mrs. Prescott, who owned the lane leading from it, and who had erected a barrier just inside it; but he understood that the gatekeeper had a key of the Park gate and could admit the friends of Mrs. Prescott into the Park. The gate was two miles nearer to London than either of the other entrances to the Park, and, being adjacent to Barnes Common, it was more easily approachable. If it were opened it would be a great blessing to all classes of people, and would tend greatly to facilitate excursions to Richmond Park. It was highly desirable, therefore, that this gate should be opened to the public.
  VISCOUNT MIDLETONsaid, he hoped his noble Friend's Question would draw the attention of the Government pointedly to this subject. At one time he had the honour of representing in the House of Commons the constituency in which this gate was situated; and 14 years ago he brought a deputation of his constituents to Mr. Ayrton, the First Commissioner of Works, when they received an assurance that the matter was under the consideration of the Administration, and that there was a hope that it would be speedily set at rest. The inconvenience was serious. It had gone on from that time to the present, and successive Governments seemed to have made no effort whatever to remove it. It was ridiculous that the rights of a private individual over some 10 yards of space should cut off the public from what would be a most important accommodation, to which the illustrious Duke the Ranger of Richmond Park had no objection. It was simply a dog-in-the-manger prevention placed in the way of the public by one selfish individual.
  LORD SUDELEYsaid, it was understood that Mrs. Prescott was willing to sell Clarence Lane for £2,000. The First Commissioner, however, did not think it would be rig-lit that the general taxpayer should be called upon to effect a purchase of purely local interest, or to incur the permanent expense of maintaining the road hereafter. The proper course would be that those persons in the neighbourhood who were interested in the matter should themselves purchase
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  the lane, and hand it over to be maintained by the parish. If this were done, the First Commissioner would advise the illustrious Duke, the Ranger, to open the Roehampton Gate in the same way as the other gates were opened. Unless the purchase were effected, it would be useless for him to open the gate when a closed barrier immediately met those who passed through it. As regarded the question of the gatekeeper having a key which enable Mrs. Prescott and her friends to use the gate, he could only say that although certain keys were issued in former days to some privileged persons, the system had been long discontinued, and no keys whatever were now issued. He was not aware that Mrs. Prescott had special power to use the gate, and it was understood that she never received a key.
  LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEsaid, that the gatekeeper also kept the key of the barrier. Consequently, Mrs. Prescott and her friends were the only people who could use the gate at all.
  LORD SUDELEYsaid, there were very few keys in existence, and the Chief Commissioner of Works was not aware that Mrs. Prescott possessed one, or that the gatekeeper opened the gate to those who passed the barrier.

METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS—HYDE PARK CORNER.

  QUESTION. OBSEBVATIONS.
  EARL FORTESCUEasked Her Majesty's Government, Whether they will object to complete their admirable improvement at Hyde Park Corner by opening a second carriage exit close to the lodge opposite Apsley House, as there is already a second carriage entrance there for the westward traffic; or, still better, making that a second carriage entrance, and the present second carriage entrance an exit on account of the rule of the road? He congratulated the Government on the great improvement which they had effected; and he hoped they would complete that improvement by providing a second carriage exit, for which there was ample room. There was space for a carriage way of 10 feet wide, like those through the three arches, with a footway on one side.
  EARL CADOGANsaid, he cordially joined with the noble Earl in his con-

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  gratulation of the Government upon the admirable and substantial improvement they had effected at Hyde Park Corner, and in the suggestion which he had made; but he would like to embrace that opportunity of asking the noble Lord whether the Chief Commissioner of Works contemplated taking any steps to obviate the congestion of traffic between Hamilton Place and Piccadilly? Now was the time when such steps could be taken by the Department, either by widening Piccadilly or by some other means; and without this were done the improvement which had been made would be inadequate.
  VISCOUNT SIDMOUTHasked whether the Government would postpone their decision in reference to the final disposition of the Duke of Wellington's statue until after the Notice on the Paper—but without a date—by the noble and gallant Lord (Lord Strathnairn) should have been disposed of, as the noble and gallant Lord was a great authority on the subject?
  THE EARL OF REDESDALE (CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES)said, that the Notice had recently been placed on the Paper for Thursday.
  LORD SUDELEY: The question of making a second carriage exit from Hyde Park, opposite Apsley House, has been for some time under the consideration of the Office of Works. They have also received a very large number of other suggestions and recommendations, some practical and some very unpractical. The First Commissioner does not, however, propose to make any other alteration at Hyde Park Corner until sufficient experience has been obtained during the next few months of the result of the great alteration and improvement which have lately been carried out. In any case it would be necessary to obtain further money, and no additional Vote is intended to be taken this year. As regards the congestion of Hamilton Place, it is, no doubt, perfectly true that some accumulation of traffic exists there; but the noble Earl must admit that it is considerably less than it was before Hyde Park Corner was thrown open. The First Commissioner is watching the subject very carefully, though he does not see his way to make any proposal at present. The congestion might be very considerably altered if the Metropolitan Board of Works were to see their way
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  to open another through route from the north to Piccadilly. There are at present only two, and a large portion of the traffic is thrown on to Hamilton Place. As the Notice on the subject of the Duke of Wellington's statue is coming before your Lordships on Thursday, I will defer my remarks upon it till that day.
  House adjourned at Five o'clock, till To-morrow, a quarter past Ten o'clock.