§ SIR ELLIOTT LEES (Birkenhead)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if he has any information whether the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral propose to remove a monument erected by King George III. at the request of Parliament to the memory of a distinguished naval officer. Captain Burgess, of the Ardent, who fell in the service of his country at the battle of Camperdown, in order to erect in its place a memorial subscribed for by private individuals to the memory of the late President of the Royal Academy; whether it is within the competence of any ecclesiastical authorities to interfere with public monuments erected by the Sovereign and Parliament in honour of those who have died for their country; and whether there is any opportunity of discussing the subject on any Vote in Committee of Supply?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYIn answer to my hon. Friend, I. have to say that I am informed there is no legal objection to the course which was proposed to be taken with regard to Captain Burgess's monument, but the Dean and Chapter, after reviewing all the circumstances of the case, have decided not to remove it. ["Hear, 1601 hear?"] I pronounce no opinion on the matter myself, but I think it ought to be stated, in justice to the Dean and Chapter, that they only intended to move the monument down to the crypt of the Cathedral, where are the monuments of Lord Nelson and Lord Napier of Magdala, heroes near wham I think any warrior might be proud to lay his bones.
§ SIR ELLIOTT LEESThe objection was not to the removal of the monument to the crypt, but to its removal in order to make way for another monument.