§ MR. CAVENDISH BENTINCKsaid, he wished to ask his right hon. Friend the Chief Commissioner of Works, or some other Member of the Government, to explain the circumstances under which the "Wellington Funeral Car," with wicker-work horses, trappings, &c., is exhibited to the public at 6d. a head by the vergers in St. Paul's Cathedral. He had no desire to make any complaint, either against the right hon. Gentleman, or the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, or the vergers, who he believed received no regular emolument; but he was anxious to know why the Funeral car, which cost the country £13,000, was handed over to the Church, and why 1446 the vergers were allowed to charge 6d. a head for permission to see it. During the Exhibition he understood that the vergers made from £120 to £150 a week by showing the car, part of which was to be appropriated to the decoration of the Cathedral by the Dean and Chapter. Through the Ecclesiastical Commissioners a large sum of money had been given to St. Paul's, and a portion of it could be properly applied to the payment of any expenses arising from the exhibition, which, in his humble judgment, was quite unsuited to a church, though it might be suited to Chelsea Hospital. He hoped, as the subject had been brought under the consideration of the Government, they would remove the car, because its exhibition on such terms was rather a scandal. The same thing had been once done in Westminster Abbey. He recollected, when he was at Westminster School, that there was an exhibition of wax-works in Westminster Abbey, but the Dean and Chapter afterwards shut up the exhibition, and he hoped the same thing would be done with regard to the exhibition of the car at St. Paul's.
MR. COWPERbelieved that for a very long time the vergers had been in the habit of receiving payment for admitting and conducting persons below the Cathedral of St. Paul's into what was called the crypt. He did not mean to express any opinion as to whether the Dean and Chapter were right or not in authorising the vergers to receive 6d. a head for persons going into the crypt. He understood the son. Member to complain that some property belonging to the public had been placed in the crypt, and that money was exacted from those who saw it; but he, on the contrary, thought that the Government had reason to be obliged to the Dean and Chapter for having allowed the car to be placed in the crypt, where, in connection with the tombs of the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson, it was an object of much interest to the public. They had no cause to complain that the Dean and Chapter had maintained the ordinary regulations in respect to the crypt after the admission of the car in it which existed before. The hon. Member should remember that there were other attractions besides the car to induce the public to visit the crypt, and that no additional sum was charged for the car. The reason for levying a sum of money was, that it was necessary that the visitors who penetrated those dark subterranean passages should be accompanied by 1447 vergers. These guides, must, of course, be paid for their services; and as the outlay could not be thrown on the public purse, and as there were no Cathedral funds for the purpose, it was deemed fair and reasonable that those who availed themselves of the privilege of exploring the crypt should bear whatever expense was thereby incurred. His hon. Friend had taken the opportunity of criticising the ear. He would not, however, enter upon that controversy. Some thought the car was a work of decorative art, very creditable to its designers, while others took a different view. However, that might be, it was certain that, like all other relics of one of the greatest of English heroes, it possessed much interest for the public, who flocked to see it whenever it was exhibited. When the temporary structure at Marlborough House, in which the car was originally placed after the funeral, was no longer available, no place seemed more appropriate and fitting for its reception than the subterranean vaulted chamber in immediate contiguity to the tomb of the Duke of Wellington in St. Paul's. Not merely the car itself, but a large quantity of trappings, banners, and other furniture used at the lying in state were also deposited there, and gave a very good idea of the general decorations of the funeral pageant. Some of the trappings and other articles which were of less importance were disposed of, and the proceeds handed over to the Wellington College. The fee demanded was for admission to see the whole crypt, and there did not appear any necessity for placing one portion of it under a different arrangement from the other.
§ MR. BERNAL OSBORNEsaid, he was very glad his hon. Friend opposite had called attention to the matter, for the answer which his question had elicited really showed to what depths "poor science and art" had fallen in this country. In that answer spoke the true genius of the Brompton boilers. He did not know whether this exhibition of the car, and what the right hon. Gentleman had very properly termed "other articles of furniture," included the celebrated wicker-work horses which the right hon. Gentleman had sedulously excluded from his explanation. He had been under the impression that that hideous article of upholstery called the Duke of Wellington's funeral car had long ago been sold off as old furniture; but now it turned up actually in the crypt of St. 1448 Paul's, with the trappings, flags, and other things which made up the raree show, at 6d. a head, on the interest of which the right hon. Gentleman had expatiated so enthusiastically. It was debasing the taste of the country to exhibit such articles. The whole affair was perfectly ridiculous. The right hon. Gentleman, while he was about it, might as well get a hurdy-gurdy and play it to the public who flocked to see the car. He had no doubt the right hon. Gentleman in his official uniform would draw immensely. If such absurdities were perpetrated, at least, it ought not to be in the name of science and art. He wished that the explanation which the right hon. Gentleman had given them in mumbling tones had been more explicit, and that he had told where the wicker work horses were to be seen.