36

EXHIBITION OF 1851.

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tion of a site in Kensington Gardens, in case the outlay which would be involvedby making such a purchase should be deemed inexpedient.

It was for obvious reasons, that this Commission alluded only in the vaguemanner above shown to the locality in question, as any greater precision would havehad the inevitable effect of enhancing the price that would be asked for the land,core House Es- It is understood that the late Government were actually in negociation for a

late purchased by , t */ o

commissioners, piece of ground, for public purposes, of the character referred to. From some causethat negociation was broken off. It appeared to us so important to secure thislocality that, through the zealous and disinterested instrumentality of Mr. Kelk,the builder, we have obtained possession of the land for which the Governmenthad been treating.

The estate, which is very nearly opposite the site of the Exhibition Building, isbest known by the name of the “ Gore House Estate/’ It contains about 21 ^acres, and is situated at Kensington Gore, about midway between Prince’s Gateand Kensington Gate, and faces Hyde Park, possessing a frontage of between 500and 600 feet. The cost of the estate has been G0,0()()i.oxtem cUml in Th e above property presents great advantages of position, and will be foundextremely valuable in serving, as far as its limited extent permits, as a locality onwhich to develop any scheme of public utility, the execution of which involves,as a necessary condition, the acquisition of a site. But it appeared obvious to usthat a space of little more than 20 acres would be quite insufficient to admit ofthe full and satisfactory development of a plan so comprehensive as the onesuggested by us, and which is intended to meet, not only existing wants, but suchas in the progress of time the advance of knowledge in Science and Art may renderapparent. For this object, a much larger extent of ground would be required.

Evils of want of It is unnecessary for us to point out the evils which have unfortunately sohiding for public frequently arisen in practice in this country from a want of foresight in thisrespect, attention having generally been confined to the absolute and pressingrequirements of the moment, without providing for their inevitable extension.It has been usual, in purchasing property for public purposes, to obtain only theexact space needed at the time of the purchase, and even to re-sell any amount ofground that might remain over and above that called for by the exigencies of thecase. The invariable consequence of this mode of proceeding is, that 'adjacentland, which might have been procured on reasonable terms in the first instance,immediately rises in value, passes into the hands of other persons who investlarge sums in erecting houses and buildings upon it, and when at length itbecomes absolutely necessary to obtain it, in order to satisfy the public wants—which will not remain stationary, and cannot be disregarded—the most exorbitantsums have to be paid for it.

Nor is it necessary to point to the lamentable fact that, even when this liasbeen done, most of our public buildings remain subject to the disadvantages ofbeing placed in such a situation, from the crowding of surrounding houses, thatthey are without light or air, have no convenient access, and cannot be seen toany advantage, and that the extensions which may have been effected, are ill-arranged for their purpose, inconvenient, and inharmonious in their effect.

Examples of cost , . A A ,

of obtaining A striking instance of the cost of obtaining space for the extension of greatiMitsii iiiisfsni. national objects, is to be found in the case of the British Museum , where a sum