The "Paris in London " scheme, recommended by the Improvements
Committee of the London County Council, was discussed at the weekly meeting of that body on Tuesday. The debate revealed the existence of' a strong opposition to the scheme, and Mr. John Burns made a spirited speech in support of the amendment referring the recommendation back to the Committee. "Paris in London," he declared, would be no more like the real Paris than the Italian Exhibition was like Florence, Venice, or the Vatican. They were asked to hand over the finest site in London to "a nebulous coterie of indeterminate financiers,"—a phrase worthy of Lord Beaconsfield. The amendment was finally carried by 77 votes to 28. This decision, which probably means the abandonment of the scheme, is a matter for general satisfaction. The entente cordiale is no more likely to be affected by this result than it would be if the Munici- pality of Paris rejected a scheme to convert a portion of the Bois de Boulogne into an imitation "Lord's."
Previous page
