WORKS, BOARD OF. By 46 Geo. III. c. 142 (altered by 50 Geo. III. c. 52), the man agement and control of public works and buildings, of which the expenses are defrayed from the crown revenues or parliamentary grants, were intrusted to an officer called the surveyor of his majesty's works and public buildings, whose duties included the super intendence of the erection and repair of royal palaces, and buildings used for the vari ous branches of government, and the management of public museums and parks. In 1832 the duties of this officer were transferred to the commissioners of woods, forests, and land revenues (see WOODS AND FORESTS); but this arrangement eventually resulted in a complaint that the crown revenue was applied too easily to the execution of public works and improvements, by which means the exchequer was deprived of the funds which were due to it in exchang,e for the civil list, and parliament was unable to exer cise the proper control over an important branch of public expenditure. The depart ment of public works was therefore again separated, in 1851, from that of the woods and forests, and placed under the management of a new board, culled the board of works and public.buildings, composed of a first commissioner, specially appointed, who is a political officer, and has a seat in the cabinet, together with the secretaries of state, and the president and the vice-president of the board of trade, who are ex-officio com missioners. In addition to the control over public works and buildings, possessed by
the former united board, the board of works has also the management of the parks in the metropolis, including the public parks formed under recent acts, and of Richmond, Greenwich, Bushy, Pheeuix, and Holyrood parks, and the public gardens at Kensing ton, Kew, and Hampton Court. Among the duties of the board are, the providing of public walks, and access to the national buildings and collections—a branch of adminis tration which has, of late years, assumed a prominence which it did not formerly possess. The board is also chargea with many arrangements and responsibilities connected with the making of new streets and roads, in London and elsewhere, and the erection and repair of public statues. The board of works is under control of the treasury, to whose sanction all large estimates for public works must be submitted. The treasury appoint the secretary, clerks, and other officers of the establishment; and with the sanction of the treasury, the commissioners appoint or employ such architects, surveyors, etc.. as may be necessary. The salaries and expenses of the department, and the charges for all her majesty's public works, are annually voted by parliament.