The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-06 00:00:00

FUNERAL CAR OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

The Lord Chamberlain having requested the
Superintendents of the Department of Practical Art
to suggest a suitable design for the Car, the following
are the arrangements which have been approved of by
her Majesty :—The leading idea adopted has been to
obtain soldier-like simplicity, with grandeur, solem-
nity, and reality. Whatever there is, coffin, bier,
trophies, and metal carriage, all are real, and every-
thing in the nature of a sham bas been eschewed.
The dimensions have been controlled by the height
and width of Temple-bar, which will not admit any-
thing much higher than seventeen feet. The design
of the car, based upon the general idea suggested by
the superintendents, was given by the Art Superin-
tendent, Mr. Redgrave,but its constructive and orna-
mental details have been worked out and superintended
by Professor Semper, whilst the details relating to the
woven fabrics and heraldry, have been designed by Mr.
0. Hudson, both being professors in the department.
The car, with its various equipments, consists of four
stages or compartments. 1. The coffin will be the
principal object on the car, at the summit uncovered,
having simply the usual military accoutrements, cap,
sword, &c., upon it. To shelter the coffin and pall
from rain, a small canopy of rich tissue, formed of a
pattern suggested by Indian embroidery, will be sup-
ported by halberds. The tissue will consist of silver
and silk, woven by Messrs. Keith, of Spitalfields ;
and at the corners will be hung chaplets of real
laurel. (This canopy will not be used if the day is
fine.) 2. The bier will be covered with a black
velvet pall, diapered alternately with the Duke's crest
and Field-marshal's batons across, worked in silver,
and having rich silver-lace fringe of laurel leaves, with
the legend, "Blessed are the dead which die in the
Lord." The frieze has been embroidered under Mr.
Hudson's directions, and worked partly by students
of the Female School of Ornamental Art. 3.
The platform of the car will be of an architec-
tural treatment, gilt, on which will be inscribed
the names of the Duke's victories. The construction
and modelling are executed by Mr. Jackson, of Rath-
bone-place. In the centre, at the four sides, are to
be military trophies of modern arms, helmets, guns,
flags, and drums, being real implements furnished by,
the Ordnance. The whole will be placed on a car-
riage richly ornamented in bronze, about 20 feet long
and 11 feet wide. Professor Semper has directed this
portion. The modelling has been executed partly by
Mr. Whittaker, a scholar, and Mr. Willes, a student
of the department, and partly at Messrs. Jackson's
establishment. The modelling of the Duke's arms
has been entrusted to Mr. Thomas. The castings
have been apportioned as follows : the wheels to
Messrs. Tylers, of Warwick-lane ; the corner figures
of fame holding palms, to Messrs. Stuart and Smith,
of Sheffield ; the panels of fame to Messrs. Hooles, of
Sheffield ; the lions' heads to Mr. Messenger, of Bir-
mingham; and the spandrels, moulding, and Duke's
arms, to Mr. Robinson, of Pimlico. The carriage,
built by Messrs. Barker, will be drawn by 12 horses
draped, with the Duke's arms, three abreast, lead by
serjeants of the Horse Artillery. The superintend-
ence of the whole is entrusted to Messrs. Minting.

MAIDSTONE versus MACAULAY.

We received last night the following letter, which, like
hat of yesterday, we print verbatim et liberatim:—

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

71, South Audley•street, Nov. 5, 1852.

Sir,—lf I were to say, as you pleasantly express
(" artistically speaking,") that you had been guilty o
garbling a Mss, the " purely artistical purpose," or even
the " intention of grotesque contrast," which I might
plead, would hardly bear me blameless ; but if I bring
the charge against you apart from these high literary
considerations, and prove it, too, the matter must rest
between you and your conscience.
You certainly stated in this Morning's Times, that you
had puhlish'd my letter to Mr. Macaulay, verbatim. If
so, what has become of this sentence which as certainly
form'd a part of it, when it came into your hands.
" Recollect I This is not the first occasion upon which
Scotchmen of your (Mr. Mucaulay's) station and preten-
sions, have had cause to regret an unprovoled onslaught
upon Englishmen of mine."
So much for your good faith; now for your leading
article. You appear to me to misstate or wilfully per-
vert the whole drift of Mr. Macaulay's argument. His
text when strip't of fluff and bustle is simply this—
" Lord Derby's followers, as a body, will profess any-
thing to get a seat in Parliament"! There is the charge
fairly stated; and believe me, it is ono which has nothing
whatever to do with Hexameters, or Pentameters.
Now, Sir ! it may be within the range of your recol-
lection, that when the late Mr. O'Connell deed to charge
the Committees of a House of Commons of which I was
a Member, with perjury in the lump, I thought it my
duty to resent the scandalous imputation. For the same
reasons which actuated me then, I now resent an equally
scandalous imputation advanced by Mr. Macaulay.
My Free-Trade Hexameters are fair game to him or
any other critic. As a political squib, they seem in fair
way of securing more than an average share of Eaten-
! tion. I complain of nothing on this head ; but my
honour shall never lie at another's mercy, if I know it.
A propos de bottes, Pray don't continue to propagate a
strange error ; viz, that " there is nothing light and
cheery about me." Get into a patent Hansom ! Drive
to Bruton St ! Ask the clerk of the Council, (and even
you consider him an authority,) if you are not mistaken
on this head ! I will abide by his decision.
But to return to the record: Mr Macaulay goes down
express (accidentally of course, but just two days before
tho meeting of Parliament) to the cock-pit of modern
Athens. Ile there exhibits himself as a sort of literary
Shake-bag, and crows immoderately, till his voice at
length fails him. Very well! Yet for all that, he must
take the rough with the smooth. "Caw me! caw thee,"
is a local air which ho cannot expect to carry away with
him. It requires an orchestra of Provosts, Baillies, and
finnan haddock eaters to elicit all its beauties.
To conclude, you are utterly mistaken in supposing
that I have any intention of damaging Mr Macaulay, as
you term it. I like a good stand up fight, and can shake
hands both before and after it; but while it is in pro-
gress, the more I punish my adversary the better I ate
p!eased. After it is over, I shall be among the first to
run for surgeon for him, if he needs one.
I am, Sir, your obedt. servant,
M AIDSTONE.

BELGtAfe COIN.—The Belgian Minister of Finance has
just introduced into the Chamber of Representatives a
bill for demonetizing 25-franc pieces, and replacing
by pieces of 20 francs each. According to the
05- flrsatnne
January,pieces w i
IcBesa3s e,
andto be
wille
theta
f
iteogrmalsnontr.
rtehnee yb lafter th 2
be received in Treasury payments, and even exchanged
by the receivers of Government taxes till the 30th
December next. The new 20-franc pieces will be one
gramme in weight, and as regards the extent to which
they will be admitted in ordinary payments, the same
regulations will apply as are at present iu force with re-
ference to the 25-franc pieces.
MIDDLESEX FREETIOLD LAND SOCIETY.—Last night
a meeting of the above society was held at the Castle
Tavern, Kentish-town—Mr. William Dyke in the chair.
Although this society has only existed ten months,l,3so
shares have been taken, and above 36 acres of land have
been purchased on the Finchley-road. The estate will
be forthwith divided into 256 ullotteents for distribution
among the members. The meeting having been addressed"
by Mr. Lewis, the secretary, and several other gentle-
men, nearly the entire meeting enrolled themselves
members of the society.
IRISH TRADE.—There has been a very remarkable
improvement in the trade between Dublin and Liver-
pool since the commencement of the present year, ex-
tending to exports as well as imports. On Friday and
Saturday last, five steamers belonging to the City of
Dublin Company, left that harbour for Liverpool fully
freighted with cattle, corn, provisions, and various arti-
cles of produce; and the exports are steadily augment-
ing. On the other hand, the imports, chiefly of Eng-
lish manufactured goods, are now, perhaps, greater in
amount than at any termer period.