THE WELLINGTON MONUMENT. (Hansard, 21 April 1899)

§ THE EARL OF HARDWICKE
My Lords, I rise to ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to complete the monument of the Duke of Wellington in St. Paul's Cathedral; who are responsible for the preservation of the full-sized model of the equestrian statue, the head of which has been detached from the trunk; and where and in whose keeping is the head at the present time? I trust I need not apologise to your Lordships for bringing this matter to your notice. It is one, in my humble opinion, of very great importance. It. is within the knowledge of your Lordships that on the death of the Duke of Wellington the sum of £100,000 was voted for a public funeral. Only £80,000 was spent, and in pursuance of a Resolution of Parliament the remaining £20,000 was voted for the erection of a monument in St Paul's Cathedral. A few years afterwards—I think it was in 1855—from a large number of competing designs, that of the late Alfred Stevens was selected. I wish to know whether it is intended to complete that statue as Alfred Stevens designed it. Alfred Stevens is recognised as one of the best sculptors this country has had, and it is necessary to go back to the time of the Italian Renaissance to find any sculpture so perfect in design as this monument and the Duke of Wellington. I went to St. Paul's Cathedral to see this monument, and found that the equestrian statue was hidden away in the crypt of the Cathedral, but minus the head.

§ *THE EARL OP WEMYSS
It is in bronze?

§ THE EARL OF HARDWICKE
No, in plaster. I trust Her Majesty's Government, if they cannot use any influence with the Dean in reference to decoration, will be able to give some assurance that, in discharge of what is almost a national obligation to the memory of our greatest soldier, and in justice to the sculptor, the original design shall be carried out.

§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
My Lords, I hope I may be forgiven if, in my answer, I show that my knowledge of this matter is not quite complete; but, as far as I can ascertain, the money that was voted by Parliament to the erection of this monument has been expended, and full-size plaster east of an equestrian statue was completed from Mr. Stevens's design. Somehow or other the model appears to have belonged to Mr. Stevens, and from his executors it was purchased by a pupil of Mr. Stevens—a Mr. Stannus—and he from the Cathedral authorities obtained permission to store it in the crypt. It is not the statue, it is the model from which the statue will be afterwards made in bronze; but the money having run short, work was arrested in its present stage of development. It is fair to add that not the whole of the statue is in the crypt; the head has been separated—it is a very extraordinary thing how the heads of distinguished persons have become separated from their bodies—and has been retained by Mr. Stannus at his private house. That is the exact stage of the affair. I imagine that it is a question of money whether the development shall be carried to its natural conclusion, and for the answer whether the required money will be furnished, I am afraid I must refer my noble Friend to the proper authority over the way.

§ *THE EARL OF WEMYSS
Although Her Majesty's Government profess ignorance, and are not prepared to take action with regard to the so-called decoration of St. Paul's, they have at any rate made themselves fully acquainted with the present position of this horse's head.

§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
It is not the horse's head; it is the hero's head.

§ THE EARL OF WEMYSS
I quite agree with all that my noble Friend has said about the excellence of the monument. An experiment has been made as to the effect of placing the statue under the middle arch of the nave, on the left-hand side looking towards the choir. Lord Leighton was mainly instrumental in having the monument removed to its present position, where it has destroyed the effect and harmony of Sir Christopher Wren's great work. If this monument is to remain where it is now placed, the only thing that will restore the symmetry and balance of the nave will be the placing of a counterpart monument in the corresponding archway on the opposite side. And to whom could such a monument be more appropriately raised than to the Duke of Marlborough, the contemporary of Wren and a worthy companion to Wellington?