MR. ALDERMAN W. LAWRENCEasked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether, as it has been found impracticable to remove the Arch at the top of Constitution Hill bodily, as originally intended, and as it is now decided to take down the Wellington Statue, and pull down the Arch, and reconstruct the same on a new site, he can state the cost of such removal and reconstruction; and, whether he will not consider the advisability (by a slight modification of the original plan) of allowing the Arch to remain in its present position, and place some handsome gates at the entrance to Constitution Hill, and thereby save an outlay of nearly £20,000?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREMy hon. Friend, in the second part of his Question, has greatly over-estimated the cost of the operation of pulling down and reconstructing the Wellington Arch. The contract price for the whole improvements, including the levelling of the ground and making the new roads, is under the estimate I stated to the House in May last. It is £24,000, of which between £10,000 and £12,000 is the cost of pulling down and rebuilding the Arch. I stated in the discussion on the Vote of £3,000 that the removal of the Arch from its present position to the new place indicated in the model is an essential part of the scheme, and that I could not be responsible for the improvement unless this were agreed to. I cannot, therefore, now make any change.
MR. ALDERMAN W. LAWRENCEasked if the Estimate included the expense of a new pedestal for the statue?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREreplied, that it did not, because it was possible that the old pedestal would do for the statue in its new position.