THE EARL OF CADOGANrose to ask the Lord President of the Council, Whether any, and, if any, what Progress has been made towards the Completion of the Monument to the Memory of the late Duke of Wellington in St. Paul's Cathedral, and which was voted by both Houses of Parliament in the Year 1856? The noble Earl said, that in putting this Question he was afraid he should render himself liable to a similar rebuke to that administered to the noble Marquess who was sitting near him, as his object was not only to elicit the very scanty amount of information he was afraid he should receive, but to bring the pressure of public opinion to bear on that Department of the Government to which those matters belonged, so as to induce Her Majesty's Board of Works to exercise the authority which they undoubtedly possessed to compel the artist who was charged with the execution of this work to hasten its completion. He was induced to put the question because the artist to whom the work was intrusted had already occupied an unreasonable time upon it, and had, he believed, received a very large sum of the public money in advance, while he had treated with apparently the most contemptuous indifference all the remonstrances that had been addressed to him on the subject, forgetting the obligation he owed to the pub-lie as well as to those who employed him. If he required any justification in introducing this subject to their Lordships' attention, he trusted it would be found in the fact that had he put this question a short fortnight since his noble Friend would have been in the unenviable position of having to rise in his place in the House, and to state that he had no information upon the subject to give, and that he was as ignorant of everything relating to it as any of their Lordships or any one out of doors. Since that time, however, he had heard from a private authority upon whom he could rely, that there was a dawn of better things. His informant was an eminent person connected professionally with the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral of St, Paul's, and also with the Board of Works; who had stated to him (the Earl of Cadogan) that after a series of ineffectual attempts which he believed had extended over nearly five years, he had at length obtained 726 the consent of the artist, Mr. Stephens, to enter his studio; further, Mr. Stephens had stated that the model was in a forward condition, and that in the course of a very few months, provided he retained his health, he hoped he should be able to allow the work to be inspected by his right hon. Friend in the other House, in company with any other Gentleman whom he might select to accompany him. Now, that certainly was something; but he trusted that their Lordships would be of opinion that that was not enough, and that something more was required. He hoped that that something more would be an assurance, on the part of his noble Friend, that every possible means would be resorted to, and every possible pressure put upon the artist in order to induce him to bring this work to a completion within a reasonable time. He had often heard this subject discussed in private; he did not think it had over been thoroughly discussed in either House of Parliament. He had heard various reasons given—he could not say excuses—to account, for the delay. He was told that Mr. Stephens, the artist, was of a peculiarly sensitive temperament, and had two idiosyncrasies—one of which was that he never could bring himself to the continuous labour requisite to complete any work on which he was employed, and the other was that he was most intolerant of anything like observation, criticism, or interference. He should be the last to object to extending indulgence and forbearance to an artist charged with a work like this; but there was a certain amount of consideration due to the relatives, friends, and admirers of the illustrious man to whom that monument was to be erected, and whose feelings of reverence for his memory if it had not been outraged had been much wounded by the delay attending the prosecution of the work. The noble Earl concluded by asking the Lord President of the Council whether any, and if any, what Progress had been made towards the Completion of the Monument to the Memory of the late Duke of Wellington in St. Paul's Cathedral, which was voted by both Houses of Parliament in the Year 1856?
§ EARL GRANVILLEMy Lords, it would be most unreasonable on my part to make any complaint of the noble Earl, as I felt myself bound to do of the noble Marquess opposite. I am bound to admit that I think the noble Earl has got an admirable case, and, further, that he 727 certainly stated it in the most courteous and temperate manner. I do not know whether the House is aware of the circumstances attending the ordering of this monument. Mr. Stephens was selected for the task by Lord John Manners as a man of great genius, and I believe there is no doubt whatever on that point. Since then, it is quite true that years have elapsed. I have myself gone through the correspondence, and I am bound to say that it has certainly not been wanting in the most urgent appeals, written in the strongest language—language calculated to excite the deepest regret on the part of any artist that he had not fulfilled his contract, and to stimulate him to the utmost exertion. But the state of things is as follows:—There have been delays and consequent remonstrances on the part of the Board of Works. Sometimes want of money was pleaded—a difficulty which was met by the Department; sometimes his state of health was pleaded, and this has been the general excuse; but I cannot say I consider them sufficiently valid. At the same time, as the noble Earl is perhaps aware, the monument has been placed under the superintendence of Mr. Penrose, the architect to the Cathedral. This gentleman has seen the model within the last few days, and he reports that it promises to be a work of very great importance and very singular merit. Under these circumstances, although I quite admit they would not warrant unlimited delay, considering that large sums have been already disbursed, and that an assurance has now been given, I hope for the last time, that about the month of August the model will be in a fit state to be inspected by the proper authorities, it has been felt right to give to Mr. Stephens, whose genius, I am happy to say, was not controverted by the noble Earl, the opportunity of finishing the work which has been so long in hand.