§ MR. WARRENsaid, he would beg to ask the right hon. Baronet the First Commissioner of Works whether any and what steps remained to be taken by Her Majesty's Government to complete the monument to Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square, and if so when the completion might be expected?
§ SIR BENJAMIN HALLsaid, there seemed to be a very general impression that the erection of the column in question had been originally undertaken by Government. The facts of the case, however, were that about the year 1840 some naval officers had been desirous of opening a subscription for the erection of a monument to Nelson, and had raised about £20,000 for that object. They seemed, however, to have undertaken the work without due regard to its ultimate cost; for he found that Sir George Cockburn, the chairman of their Committee, had, in 1844, addressed a letter to the Treasury, stating that a sum of £12,000 over and above the 532 amount already subscribed, would be required for the completion of the monument. That was in the early part of the year, and in the following July, Sir George Cockburn had written another letter stating that £14,800 would be the requisite sum, and between that time and the year 1850 that sum had been voted by the Legislature. The estimate had, however, been found to be incorrect, and the completion of the monument had been assigned to the Commissioners of Public Works. They had accordingly employed their architect, Mr. Rendel, in the work, and it appeared that since that time the sum of £15,464 had been expended upon it. From information which he had received within the last few days he believed that if the monument were to be completed in a manner corresponding with the original plan, a sum of £4,000 or £5,000 more would be required for the purpose. The bassi-relievi upon the pedestal had been executed under the superintendence of the Office of Works, and paid for, and all he had to say in direct answer to the question of the hon. and learned Gentleman was, that if Parliament would only vote the money, the entire work would be completed; but he must add that he did not think it would be expedient to ask the House—during the present year—to make any further advances.