the Earl of Elgin’s Collection of Marbles, &8c. 275 
committee, after inspecting them, venture to consider as more 
than equal to their value. 
It is true that an English gentleman*, concerned in disco- 
vering them, was ready to give the same sum; and therefore no 
Sort of censure can attach on those who purchased them abroad, 
for our national gallery, without any possible opportunity of 
viewing and examining the sculpture, but knowing them only 
from the sketches which were sent over, and the place where 
they were dug up, to be undoubted and authentic remains of 
Greek artists of the best time. 
When the first offer was made by the Earl of Elgin to Mr. 
Perceval, of putting the public in possession of this collection, 
Mr. Long, a member of your committee, was authorized by Mr. 
Perceval to acquaint Lord Elgin, that he was willing to propose 
to parliament to purchase it for 30,0002. provided Lord Elgin 
should make out, to the satisfaction of a committee of the house 
of commons, that he had expended so much in acquiring and 
transporting it. 
Lord Elgin declined this proposal, for the reasons stated by 
him in his evidence: and until the month of June 1815 no 
further step was taken on either side; but at that time a peti- 
tion was presented, on the part of Lord Elgin, to the house, 
which, owing to the late period of the session, was not pro- 
ceeded upon. Lighty additional cases have been received since 
1811, the contents of which, enumerated in Mr. Hamilton’s 
evidence, now form a part of the collection. The medals also, 
of which the value is more easily defined, were not included in 
the proposal made to Mr. Perceval. 
Against these augmentations must he set the rise in the value 
of money, which is unquestionably not inconsiderable, between 
the present time and the year 1811; a cause or consequence of 
which is the depreciation of every commodity, either of necessity 
or fancy, which is brought to sale. 
Your committee, therefore, do not think that they should be 
justified, in behalf of the public, if they were to recommend to 
the house any extension of Mr. Perceval’s offer to a greater 
amount than 5000/.:; and, under all the circumstances that they 
have endeavoured to bring under the view of the house, they 
judge thirty-five thousand pounds to be a reasonable and sufii- 
cient price for this collection. 
Your committee observing, that by the act 45° Geo. III. 
c. 127, for vesting the Townleyan collection in the trustees of the 
British Museum, § 4, the proprietor of that collection, Mr. 
Townley Standish, was added to the trustees.of the British Mu- 
* Mr. Lee, of Warwickshire, 
ao 
OD a 
zeum, 
