THE WELLINGTON STATUE

HL Deb 08 July 1847 vol 94 cc13-7

LORD BROUGHAM

wished to call their Lordships' attention to an important sub- ject, and he should do so by moving for certain papers and the correspondence connected with the Wellington Statue. He would briefly state what the facts were. On the 18th of June, 1837, a meeting was held, at which it was determined to erect a statue in honour of the Duke of Wellington; and for this purpose the sum of 13,000l. was raised by public subscription. Applications were made to the Government for a site for the statue, and the arch on Constitution-hill having been given, it was found that the money subscribed would be insufficient to obtain a statue of the size required for such an elevation: this was made known to the public, and an additional sum of 12,000l. was raised. This second sum had been subscribed on the faith that the statue should be placed on that arch, and it was given by the grateful countrymen of the Duke in all parts of the world. Some clamour was raised on the part of the public, and was responded to in one House of Parliament, but not here, and that clamour so echoed was hostile to the continuance of the statue in its present position. The extent of the clamour had however, been represented in very greatly exaggerated terms; it was really confined to a few, and people of good taste were now very much coming round in opinion, and approved of the present position of the statue. He (Lord Brougham) professed no knowledge of the arts; but, as far as his own opinion went, he had no particular admiration of the statue. The horse especially was not much like the Elgin marble horses. It was more like a real horse than an ideal horse, such as sculptors say ought to be represented when they are making horses. But of the present position he must express his unqualified approval. Placed whore it was, all eyes could see it—all eyes could rest upon it—and he really should say, from all the quarters in which he had viewed it, he could not conceive a more commanding, a, more admirable exposure. But there was another reason, independent of this, which arose out of the offer made by his noble Friend (Lord Morpeth), that if the Committee would agree to take the statue and put it on another pedestal, the Government would furnish them with one. He was sure that inflexibility, whether as to Bills or statues, formed no part of the character of his noble Friend. He bad so often given way on more important matters, that he might again on this. But the statue was not his to take. The statue did not belong to the Government; it belonged to the Government no more than the pictures in Belvoir Castle, or the watch in the pocket of the noble Lord opposite. It belonged to the subscribers, at the head of whom was his (Lord Brougham's) noble and most esteemed Friend the owner of that castle (Duke of Rutland), whose unavoidable absence from town compelled him (Lord Brougham) now to address the House. For the Government to take it, would be an act of confiscation, of spoliation. There was another reason why he, and why the owners of the statue, wished it to remain there: it was in the neighbourhood of the illustrious Duke's mansion; and they would have it rest there, that, while he enjoyed that repose, to which who has so great a right as he who has given repose to his country and the world?—he should be enabled to rest that eye which has gained the fight, and pacified the world, upon a monument not erected to his fame, to perpetuate which all brass and all marble would utterly fail, but that the attempt would be needless, a fame defying all time as it defied all rivalry—yet a monument which he might be gratified and soothed to contemplate—which his grateful countrymen have erected, not to do that which would be alike superfluous and vain, but to redeem themselves from the charge of forgetting services which no gratitude can repay. He knew that his illustrious Friend would feel hurt beyond expression if that statue were to be removed. And let no man fancy that his silence on the subject is to be taken as betokening consent. Why was he silent? Because it had been his constant, his characteristic, his magnanimous, his graceful practice above all things to abhor speaking of himself. Full forty years ago, Mr. Pitt said that he had talked with this great man on his return from India, where he signalised the dawn of his illustrious life; and, said he, "To hear him speak of his Indian campaigns, you might have thought that he was a regimental surgeon, rather than the General of the army." Therefore it was that his noble Friend could not bring himself to complain. He could not stoop to talk about himself or of any services which, to use his own expression, he might have chanced to render to his country; but, he added, those must be idiots who could suppose that he should not feel insulted and held up to ridicule if that statue were now removed. My Lords (said Lord Brougham), I have now stated this case to the noble Lords opposite—I defy them to persist in their removal. Let them do so if they dare. The noble and learned Lord concluded by moving for the correspondence on the subject of the Wellington Statue.

The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNE

having observed on the inconvenience which attended the practice of making such a Motion without giving previous notice, proceeded to remark that the subject was unquestionably an important one in itself, as everything must be which was connected with the name of the illustrious Personage in question; and it was also deserving of attentive consideration, because anything was important which had reference to the national taste of the country. The statement with which the noble and learned Lord had prefaced his Motion having been made without notice, he was relieved from the duty of entering into an examination of it in detail. He did not feel himself called upon to do so; but he wished to have it understood that by his silence he did not at all mean to bind himself to the perfect accuracy of that statement in all respects. But notwithstanding that notice had not been given of the Motion, he would nevertheless at once accede to it, as it had reference to papers which there could be no inconvenience in granting. He would at once consent to the production of the papers required, and would take care to accompany them with other papers which might throw light on the transaction, and especially on that part of it respecting which the noble and learned Lord could not have properly informed himself—namely, the condition on which the Statue was originally erected. He was anxious that the whole of the papers should be laid before their Lordships; but while assenting, as he did without hesition, to the Motion, he was bound to declare that throughout the whole of the matter he had not detected in the mind of any individual any other feeling than that of deep anxiety that for fame, reputation, and glory so immortal as that of the illustrious Duke was destined to be, there should be a testimonial worthy in some degree both of the country and of the man. The subject of the Statue had been referred to the consideration of the persons who, from their acknowledged experience, skill, and taste, were thought to be most competent to decide upon it. He would express no opinion himself respecting it; but he could assure their Lordships that the Government were most solicitous that that course should be taken, whatever it might be, which would be most acceptable to the feelings of the country, and to those of the illustrious Personage whom it was the general object to honour.

Motion agreed to.