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The State and It has become increasingly clear that during forthcoming finance bill which was to be
the past year the Paymaster General is submitted for enactment by Parliament.
the arts in interpreting his duties in a different way from Though various institutions, and in particular
that of his predecessor, and fears are being the two which are the subject of my
Great Britain aroused that, instead of acting as the champion Memorandum, made clear their objections in
and representative of the arts within the principle and sought to obtain agreement for
Andrew Faulds MP Government, he is tending to arrogate to free days and exemptions for various categories
himself and so to his office powers which would of visitors, it was recognized that if this measure
constitute a new departure—a new precedent—in became the law of the land in a finance act it
this country. would naturally be necessary to conform to it.
In Great Britain there is no written The whole project was, however, given an
constitution, and this is symptomatic of the entirely new aspect when no financial legislation
way in which public business is conducted. was tabled or passed, and the fact was gradually
Everything depends on respect on all sides for extracted from the Government that they were
accepted conventions and for previous relying on a number of autonomous non-
precedents. But this does not result in rigidity if governmental bodies (the Boards of Trustees) to
changes take place openly and by general take the responsibility of imposing the charges
agreement. If, however, such a system is not to on their own authority. At this juncture it must
be abused, vigilance is necessary to perceive be explained that several Boards of Trustees
when these conventions are not being treated (among which those of the National and Tate
with sufficient respect : and then it becomes Galleries) have power to impose admission
necessary to publicise them and resist them. charges to raise funds for their own purposes.
It would appear that the growing And in fact, though this power has remained
apprehensions concerning the Paymaster dormant, it was exercised for a brief period in
General's conception of his role as expressed in 1921-4, when the proceeds were added to the
his actions are not just confined to members of Galleries' funds for the purchase of pictures.
the political party now in opposition. Mr Denys But it was made clear as early as November of
Sutton, the editor of Apollo, could not be last year that the present project provided for
claimed to be such; and yet his editorial in the the proceeds to go straight to the general funds
June issue of that periodical (which is widely of the Exchequer.
read all over the world) was a powerful exposé This awoke a particularly sensitive nerve in
of the Minister's apparently dictatorial British constitutional practice. Ever since the
inclinations. loss of the American colonies, great pains have
We may now turn to some explanation of the been taken to avoid any opportunity whatever
context of the issues raised in the Memorandum. being given for the cry being raised of 'no
The majority (though not all), of the national taxation without representation'. And it was
museums and galleries in this country are by arguable—so an eminent lawyer implied, who
law under the authority of independent Boards had until recently held the office of Lord
of unpaid and non-political Trustees, who are Chancellor—that what was proposed was
Trustees for the nation as a whole and not part tantamount to taxation. But taxation cannot be
of the Government machine: not, therefore, imposed other than with the approval of
The Memorandum which follows was sent by mere appendages of a Department of State. Parliament, and if bodies which were in no
myself, as Opposition Spokesman for the Arts There is, of course, the problem that the running sense governmental took it upon themselves,
in the House of Commons, to the Chairmen and of the national museums is supported from the even though at the behest of the Government,
Trustees of the National and Tate Galleries, to public purse, and this means of course that the to do so, it seemed that it was open to any
members of the Government, and to Opposition Department very properly has some say (but not ordinary citizen to challenge the propriety of
leaders. Although your readers in Great Britain the only say!) in the way in which the affairs of such action in the Law Courts.
will understand the points at issue, it seems to the institutions are conducted. For such a Though one would assume, for the time being
me that some preliminary explanation may be of system to work, tact, understanding and at any rate, that the Government would not wish
use in a periodical with an international continuous consultation on both sides is gratuitously to run any risk of this kind over
readership and contributors from all over the required; and it has worked well in the past what, after all, in financial terms is a very minor
world. precisely because these have been forthcoming. matter compared to their immense present
Unlike many countries, Great Britain has The Department responsible for the National preoccupations, their scheme, which it is
never possessed a Government Department and Tate Galleries until 1965 was the Treasury, charitable to regard as too hurriedly thought out
specially qualified to deal with the arts. And which was always careful to respect the (if; indeed, thought out at all!) has a further
it is only very recently that a Minister has been autonomous powers of the Trustees, and not to demerit from the point of view of many who
appointed to look after the interests of the arts, interfere with the prerogatives naturally have at heart the best interests of the national
the present Minister, Lord Eccles, being the attaching to bodies which, on behalf of the institutions. If the Boards were to acquiesce in
second to carry this responsibility. It should be nation, were the collective owners at law of the imposing charges in this particular way, they
explained for the benefit of foreign readers that national treasures entrusted to their charge. would be consenting to the establishment of a
the nominal post which he holds, that of Just a year ago the announcement was made new precedent which would amount to a
`Paymaster General', is merely a historic office, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that renunciation of their independent status in an
the holder of which is assigned special duties by admission charges were to be imposed at such important respect. Whether or not it is desirable
the Prime Minister. In practice Lord Eccles is national museums and galleries at which that a Government Department should assume
one of the Ministers within the Department of entrance was hitherto free, and it was implied more and more the powers which have hitherto
Education and Science, at the head of which is that this comprehensive and uniform scheme was been exercised by quasi-autonomous bodies is
a Secretary of State. to be a financial measure embodied in the no doubt debatable. But at any rate it should
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