HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICES. (Hansard, 4 May 1911)

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH)

My Lords, I ask the House to consider and approve this Report from the Select Committee. There are only two points which require special notice. One indicates a slight change of policy with regard to the appointment of messengers. At present there are some messengers who are called temporary messengers, and are only employed during the weeks that Parliament sits. This has not been found by the Clerk of the Parliaments to be an altogether satisfactory system, because while those who are appointed temporary messengers have a sort of claim to a permanent post, the temporary nature of the first employment does not always tend to attract those whom the Clerk of the Parliaments thinks would be the best men. Under the policy indicated in this Report the temporary messenger will be absorbed in the regular staff, and it is hoped by adding one to the staff and not having temporary messengers at all that a more satisfactory arrangement can be made. I need hardly say that appointments to this staff, as a matter of practice not by any order, are made by the Clerk of the Parliaments from those who have served in some portion of His Majesty's Dominions.

The last paragraph of the Report is, I think, worthy of notice by your Lordships. It states that— The First Commissioner of His Majesty's Works reported that the Trustees of the National Gallery had kindly offered to lend for exhibition within the precincts of the House of Lords Copley's picture of "The Death of Chatham. The Committee accepted that offer with gratitude, and the picture is now hung at the head of the Royal Gallery. I hope that it will remain there, and, as is indicated by the First Commissioner of Works, that he will be able to induce the Directors of the National Gallery to send us some further pictures which will adorn the walls of this House. I think the House owes a debt of gratitude to the First Commissioner of Works for the interest he has taken in this matter, and I hope his policy will go further. I would also call attention to the fact that the First Commissioner himself has made us a gift of a coloured engraving by Nash representing the opening 193 of Parliament by Queen Victoria in 1858. I am sure the House will cordially approve, and thank the First Commissioner as the Committee has already done. I beg to move the adoption of the Report.