THE NATIONAL GALLERY. (Hansard, 4 April 1889)

THE EARL OF MEATH
, in rising to ask the Government whether they intended to remove the unsightly wooden hoarding which surrounds the vacant space in front of the National Gallery on its eastern and northern sides, to level and turf the ground, and to cover the blank walls of the Gallery with ornamental trellis work, said: The National Gallery is perhaps the most important building in the Metropolis. Those who have passed on the eastern side of that building, opposite St. Martin's Church, will have noticed a hoarding hiding a considerable space on the north and east of the Gallery. Formerly there was a building on the north which partly hid this space from view. But this building has been destroyed, and the hoarding now erected in its place is simply hideous to the eyes. If such a disfigurement had surrounded a County Council hall, it would long ago have been denounced. No such eyesore would be tolerated in any Continental City. I believed it is the permanent officials who are to blame for this, and I say that although I have for many years been a permanent official myself. The present Government is, I think, more alive to the improvement of the Metropolis than any other Government has been. I hope that I shall not be told that the Government are impecunious. 1553 I do not believe the country would grudge the expenditure necessary to make the National Gallery worthy of this Metropolis. We are told that the Government are going to build. But how soon? Why should not the ground be nicely laid out as an open space with flowers and shrubs until the final use of the site was decided upon?

§ LORD LAMINGTON
I am very glad that the noble Lord, who takes so much interest in the well being of the Metropolis, has put this question. There is another matter to which I might also call attention. Nothing has been done in regard to that hideous structure, Queen Anne's Mansions, which are, I believe, to be raised another 20 feet. Again, there are the new buildings at Albert Gate, which are being raised to an enormous height. I believe we shall never have proper regulations with regard to buildings until we have some permanent authority vested with power to prevent the erection of buildings which effect a disfigurement of the Metropolis.

§ *LORD HENNIKER
My Lords, the right hon. Gentleman the First Commissioner is, as a matter of course, always quite ready to take the responsibility of the care of any of the buildings and works entrusted to him, and he has no wish to say that it is not the duty of the Office of Works to look after the National Gallery. I am glad that it is not necessary for me to plead on this occasion that the reason for not making the improvement he suggests is that we cannot get the money, although I think the noble Earl who brought forward the question will find that it is not so easy to get money out of the Treasury for improvement as he seems to suppose.

THE EARL OF MEATH
On the contrary, I put that as a most important point, but I said you ought to get the money.

§ *LORD HENNIKER
With regard to what my hon. Friend has said about the height of the buildings in Hyde Park, I think he is misinformed. I have no special information at the present moment, because I had no notice of the question, but from the information I have, I think I am right in saying my right hon. Friend the First Commissioner has succeeded in reducing the height of these buildings very considerably. The question brought forward by 1554 the noble Lord will, I need hardly say, receive every attention, for we all know the great interest that has been taken in the improvement of the buildings of the Metropolis; but I may say that this is a question which requires a great deal of consideration, and there are some very great difficulties to be overcome. As I suggested just now, it is not a question on this occasion of asking for money; it is a question of spending money wisely. I am told that it would be very expensive indeed to remove this hoarding and to put up railings round the National Gallery. There are also some walls round the National Gallery which must be dealt with, and if operations are undertaken at the present time, they might do no permanent good, for the ground of which the noble Lord speaks may before long be required for building purposes.

THE EARL OF MEATH
How long?

§ LORD HENNIKER
We can hardly say how long. The noble Lord will see that under the circumstances the matter requires more consideration than he at first supposed. All I can say is that I will undertake that the question the noble Lord has brought forward receives immediate and careful consideration.

§ *EARL FORTESCUE
My Lords, I think there is one point that has been too much lost sight of by successive Governments. They take down buildings for improvement, and we know how large a sum is spent in renting private buildings for official purposes, and that is because there is always a difficulty in finding the requisite money for providing proper permanent offices on the spaces thus extravagantly kept vacant. Now, when a large space is even temporarily left vacant in a populous district, I think it would be worth while to spend some money to give the tens of thousands living near the temporary enjoyment of an open space thus for a while rendered available to them, and to the hundreds of thousands passing by the sight of something pleasing instead of the reverse during that time; and I am glad to hear that Her Majesty's Government will take this matter into their consideration. I am informed that near the Law Courts the private munificence of a generous man, who does not wish his name to be known, is about to do what, even temporarily, will be a source 1555 of great enjoyment and health to many in that crowded district.