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tbink of their site further towards the "Angel" and Mr. Dixie
suggested the Cattle-lairs in St. John Street Road, whilst
Mr. Johnson said Sadler's Wells Theatre. The Rev. Mr. Abbott
said he would be sorry to see anything put up without a gymnasium,
and the Commissioner thought it desirable. But he would
like it understood that the Conmissioners had the poorer people
in their mind's eye in distributing their money, and that the class
of institute would not be on a par with the Finsbury Technical
College in Cowper Street. In reply to Sir Edmund Currie, the
Commissioner said he should not count the free library as anything
off the amount which Clerkenwell would be expected to
contribute to the scheme in the event of a grant being made. With
regard to the financial aspect of the affair, the Commissioner
said undoubtedly the districts represented that day would have to
do the same as South London, viz.: offer £ for £ for any grant
they got. It was not correct that South London had been given
£150,000; the fact being that the Commissioners said they would
give up to that amount providing South London found a similar
sum. One of the Northern parishes wanted to do something ;
but when they heard the terms, they withdrew their application.
Captain Penton—But suppose we raised a sum of money which
would not be equal to £ for £ for what we should require, would
you be willing to give the remainder? The Commissioner said
he could not promise. The Rev. Mr. Abbott submitted there was
no analogy between South and South West London, and North
and North East; because one might be able to pay and the others
could not. The Commissioner replied that there were many
poor in Lambeth and Battersea, and even St. George's, Hanover
Square. The Commissioner said there must be a little more
activity shown than in coming to Whitehall and asking for money.
Sir Edmund Currie sought to reassure the deputation on the
financial point by stating that the money contributed to East
London did not come out of East London, but as a result of very
systematic and tenacious begging. He had seen what South
London was doing, and there the promoters were giving their
time and attention to the work ; and he had not the slightest
doubt that between now and October, they would be able to get
the money. With regard to the position of the institute that
would not so much matter, because he had people coming two or
three miles to the People's Palace. There was not so much
difficulty in getting the first cost as the endowment, and this he