The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-17 00:00:00

THE PURCHASE OP SHAKSPERE'S HOUSE.

Mr. THOMAS WHITB brought forward his motion,
"That the Court subscribe a sum of money in aid of the
subscription for the purchase of Shakspere's house."
Other public bodies had, he said, come forward to
contribute to the purchase of the souse, which was
well known to have been once the residence of the
immortal poet, and which was an object of such
powerful interest to the nation, and he trusted that the
Corporation of London would not hesitate to join in
the attempt to prevent the destruction of that national
monument,—(Hear, hear, and some murmurs.)

Mr. R. TAYLOR seconded the motion. He thought
that every means should be adopted to render
honour to the greatest name in this or any other
country. The Court had expended a large sum in
the purchase of a single signature of Shakspere,
and they could not consistently refuse to join with a
number of other bodies in saving from destruction the
house in which the greatest genius the world ever
produced was born.
Mr. ANDERTON.—No, no ; he was not born in
it.—(Laughter.)
Mr. TAYLOR said it was well known that his friend
Mr. Anderton did not like to follow what other men
begun, and that his opposition might of course have
been calculated upon. The Court would not, how-
ever, be jeered out of its good feeling, nor prevented
from adding moderately to a subscription to which
were affixed the names of the Sovereign and her
Consort, and of the highest nobility in the land, by
the comments of that gentleman. It was the fashion
of an individual who was once a member of the Court
of Common Council, and who had also become a
Member of the Legislature, to accuse the Corporation
in the House of Commons of being an ignorant as-
semblage of persons, to whom intellectual imnrove-
ment was matter of great indifference. It happened
that the gentleman to whom he alluded had had no
education at all himself, and the speeches in which
he abused his brethren afforded abundant proof of his
deficiency. It was to be hoped that the Court would
not be induced, by the opposition of Mr. Anderton,
to give colour to the charge.—(Hear, hear, and a
laugh.) It was to be hoped that they would, by
adopting the motion, do honour to a genius which
raised the name of England above that of any other
country in the world.—(Hear, and murmurs.)
Mr. ANDERTON said he had as much respect for
the genius of Shakspere, and for the character of tho
country and of the Court of Common Council, as
any man ' • and, impressed with that feeling, he was
convinced that the honour and dignity of all would
be best consulted by an acquiescence in the amend-
ment, that the question be not put.—(Hear, and a
laugh.) It was said as argument in favour of the
motion, that the money was to be paid for a house in
which Shakspere lived. It was not the only house in
which that great man had lived, and if they were to
join in the purchase of that house it might be reason-
ably expected that they would subscribe to buy up
every house in which he had resided, and every theatre
in which his masterly performances had been repre-
sented. It was true the Corporation had purchased
the autograph of Shakspere, but that signature related
to property within the city of London, and was a
literary curiosity connected with the transactions of
the corporation itself.—(Hear, hear.) Very different,
indeed, was the sulject of the present discussion. It
would reflect but little honour upon Shakspere to put
a large sum of money into the pockets of the present
owners of the house in which he was stated to have
resided, and which, in all probability, was so com-
pletely transmogrified that, if he could start up from
the grave like one of his own wondrous creations, he
would not be able to speak to its identity.—(Hear.)
There was not even the argument of a fixed sum to
be pleaded in excuse for the motion. The auctioneer
was to go to work to raise the biddings to the highest
amount, and all for the advantage of the present pro-
prietors; so that the money of the Corporation would
be merely instrumental to the pleasant occupation of
adding to their inordinate demands.—(Hear, hear.)
He trusted that the Court would not acquiesce in the
proposition. If they subscribed to buy the house of
Shakspere, what excuse could they have for not buy-
iug the houses of Milton, Newton, and Wellington ?
Such a mode of testifying admiration for extraordi-
nary powers of mind would certainly have the cha-
racter of originality about it, but it would, at the
same time, be attended with inconvenience and ex-
pense greatly disproportioned to the honour it could
confer.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BLAKE was decidedly in favour of the motion.
He wished to know whether it would be consistent
that in one page of the Corporation record it was set
down that, in the year 1844, the sum of 1401. was
given for the autograph of Shakspere, and that, in
1847, the same Corporation refused to aid in pre-
venting the destruction of the house which had been
always recognised as the favourite residence of the
poet.—(Hear, hear.) Whatever the Court might
think proper to do, the purchase would certainly be
made, and he hoped they would participate in the
honour.—(Hear, hear.)
Here a voice cried out, " Nobody has seconded the
amendment of Mr. Anderton, That the question
be not put.' "
Deputy PEAcocK—lndeed you are greatly mis-
taken. I seconded the amendment.
Mr. WRITE replied. He hoped the Corporation
would not be influenced by the objections which had
been raised Jo the proposition to do honour to them-
selves, but would at once aid the subscription.
The question was then put, and
The LORD MAYOR declared the amendment to be
carried.
Mr. WnrrE demanded a division.
The RECORDER, on informing the Court that a
division was to take place, said—The Lord Mayor
says those who are for the' amendment must go to
the right, those who are fur Shakspere's house to the
left.—(Loud laughter.?
b For the amendment :-62 commoners, a er-
The Court then divided, when there appseareldd to
o r Smhaajko srpi
Majority
e 's
against h ouse :—sh3a6kspcom:
ere
moneys,
house, house, 31.
le2lierstellerFs.
men, 2

NONEVENT TO =MESTERE.
Sir PETER LAURIE, who entered the Court at the
conclusion of the last discussion, rose to give notice of
a motion that a sum of money be subscribed by
the court towards the erection of a suitable monu-
ment in the metropolis in honour of William Shaks-
pere.—(Hear, hear.) He had lately returned from
Scotland, where he had seen with admiration a great
monument to the memory of Sir Walter Scott. From
that monument he determined to submit a motion to
the corporation on the subject of raising a monument
to tat:lld
obtaingreatest
theeager man thatea everr assistance
lived, andof every man
he knewht that
he
who knew anything at all about the poet of England.