§ LORD JOHN MANNERSasked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether he can inform the House of the decision taken by Her Majesty's Government with respect to the Wellington Statue?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVRESir, hon. Members will recollect that at the end of last Session I informed the House that the Committee of eminent men to whom I have referred the question of the disposal of the statue of the Duke of Wellington had advised that, on account of its colossal size, they were quite unable to recommend any site for it near to its present position or elsewhere in the London Parks; and, further, that as in their opinion the statue is a very bad work of art, they advised that it should be broken up, and a new statue made of the ordinary heroic size, which would be suitable to the present position, where, for many reasons, it is most proper that a statue of the great Duke should be placed. Since that time I have become aware that a very considerable number of people object to the statue being broken up, and this is especially the case with the Army, whose contributions to the statue were very large. Under these circumstances, the Government will not carry out that part of the recommendations of the Committee. The main reason for removing the statue from its present site is that from its colossal size it would overtop everything else, and make it impossible to decorate the "place" in a suitable manner. At present the "place" is in a very unfinished state; in fact, it is a mere sketch which requires filling in. The House will learn with pleasure that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who is always ready to come forward to assist in any great public object, has invited a number of Gentlemen to form a Committee for the purpose of considering the best means of decorating the "place" in a suitable 176 manner, and of raising funds for the purpose. Their first task will be to complete the triumphal arch according to the designs of the architect by the erection of a quadriga. His Royal Highness has made this proposal upon the understanding that the Government would carry out the intention they announced last year of asking Parliament to contribute £6,000 towards the cost of a new statue of the Duke. His Royal Highness further suggested that the present statue should be removed to Aldershot. The Government have acceded to this course, on the understanding that they will not be called upon to pay more than £6,000 towards the new statue of the Duke, with the exception of a small sum required for the removal to Alder-shot. I may add that it has been decided that the new "place" shall in future be called Wellington Place.