The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-03 00:00:00

MEMORIAL.

(From the Manchester Guardian.)

The inauguration of the Manchester memorial to the
late Duke of Wellington, which is placed at the Portland-
street end of the Royal Infirmary, took place on Saturday
afternoon; the ceremony being most successful throughout.
It would be useless to attempt to estimate or guess the
number of persons, residents and from the neighbourhood
of Manchester, who assembled to witness the inauguration;
any such estimate must be fallacious. We can simply say
that the crowd was an immense one, extending far along
Piccadilly and Market-street; and that, in addition, all the
side streets commanding a view of the memorial were
crowded almost as denselysas the area and Piccadilly. In
the neighbourhood of the Infirmary, as well as in other
parts of the city, numerous flags and banners were dis-
played; and many house-tops, and all the windows from
which a view could be obtained, were occupied. Notwith-
standing the extent of the crowd and the great pressure
there was no accident of which we have heard, and only
one or two cases of personal robbery have come to the
knowledge of the police.

We subjoin a general sketch of the proceedings in con-
nection with the memorial, from the holding of the meet.
ing at which its erection was resolved upon ; of tho pro-
ceedings of Saturday afternoon ; of the memorial itself ;
and of other matters of interest.

The Duke of Wellington died at Walmer Castle, at 23
minutes after three o'clock, on the afternoon of the 14th
September, 1852; his death, which resulted from an epi-
leptic attack, having been wholly unexpectel and very
sudden. So soon as the loss sustained by the nation could
be fairly realised, a unanimous feeling arose, and was ex-
pressed, that the funeral of such a hero and statesman
must be undertaken by the Government, acting for the
nation. That point being thus settled, another equally
natural feeling arose ; it was not less deep or general, but
for its development and the completion of the object to the
contemplation of which it led, communal action necessarily
took the place of action for the nation as a whole. In all

the great cities and towns meetings were held; and at each
it was resolved, without a dissentient voice, that some-
thing should be done that should show the gratitude and

the regret of the community, as well as serve to perpetu-
ate the memory of the great departed, his deeds, and the
estimation in which be was hold by his generation.
On the 25th September, 1852, we announced the inten-
tion to hold a meeting of the leading citizens of Manches-
ter fur the object mentioned; and a meeting, numerously
and most influentially attended, was held in the Town
Hall, on Tuesday, the 28th September. The mayor, Ro-
bert Barnes, Esq., was compelled, from ill health, to ab-
sent himself ; and the chair was occupied by Alderman Sir
John Potter, the ex-mayor. Mr. Thomas Bazley, presi-
dent of our Chamber of Commerce, proposed the followir g
resolution : -

That in order to testify the high admiration entertained by
this community for the exalted talents and distinguished pub-
lic services of the late lamented Duke of Wellington, both as
a soldier and as a statesman, it is, in the opinion of this
meeting, desirable that a statue should be erected in Matt.
chester, by public subscription, to his memory, in grateful
recognition, as wall of the transcendent genius and undaunted
courage which, under Providence, secured to himself the ro-
putatiou of the greatest general of the age, and to his country
the enjoyment of prosperity and liberty—as of the delibera-
tive wisdom, di6interested judgment, and noble spirit of pa-
triotism, which ever directed his endeavours to perpetuate
and extend the invaluable blessings of peace.

The resolution was seconded by Frank Ashton, Esq., then
mayor of Salford; and it was unanimously agreed to. The
subscriptions obtained by Mr. J. C. Ilirter, and some other
gentlemen previous to the meeting, together with those
given at the close of the proceedings, amounted to 2,)73/.
By the Ist October, the amount was increased to 3,9;71. ;
on the Sth it had reached 5,40014 on the 13th, 6,4201. ; on
the 223, 6,797/. ; and it was subsequently increased to moi e
than 7,0001.

About the close of the year it was determined to estab-
lish in the metropolis a " Wellington College ;" and the
question was raised here, as elsewhere, whether the local
subscription should be give❑ in aid of that general object,
or be devoted, as it first resolved, to a Manchester memorial
to the Duke. In this city, the matter caused but little dis-
cussion ; the feeling being very decided that Manchester
had raised the necessary means, and ought, from her
position, to do honour to Wellington for herself and actor
dant with the views of her citizens.

On the 10th February, 1853, we were able to announce
the decision come to by the committee appointed at the
general meeting, as to the first step to be taken in pro-
curing designs for the contemplated memorial. The com-
mittee had (speaking generally) resolved that a certain
number of associates of the Royal Academy, and other
sculptors of celebrity, should be invited to compete; each
competitor being at liberty to send in two models, but not
more. Sculptors other than those invited were to be
allowed to compete, upon specified conditions. If it should
bo decided that the design selected as the best in point of
artistic merit could not be erected, from considerations of
site, cost, or otherwise, the committee would pay to the
contributor of such design 2001. ; but in taro such design
was carried out, that payment would not be made, nor,
under any circumstances, was any reward to be given to
unsuccessful competitors. To the artist of the selected dc-
sign the committee undertook to pay 7,C00/. for the erec-
tion of tho statue ; that sum to cover every expanse con-
nected with the work of producing the statue in bronzo, as
well as of the pedestal, &e. All the models were to be
sent in anonymously. The 6th August, 1853, was ap-
pointed as the last day for receiving models; and the re-
suit of the competition was, that 37 models were sent in
by 29 sculptors, eight of them having each forwarded two.
The models were arranged in a suite of rooms in the south
gallery of the Royal Institution, which were placed at the
disposal of the committee by the council of the institutior.
The committee had during the interval allowed for caw-
petition agreed to leave the decision as to the most merito-
rious model to the Earl of Ellesmere and the Right Rev.
the Lord Bishop of Manchester; they being directed to
chose a third umpire to act with them. Lord Ellesmere
had, however, been chosen as the representative of tLe
British people at the New York Exhibition ; and the d. -
lay which resulted from his visit to America in his offieir.l
kapacity was prolonged by an attack of illness to which
his lordship was subjected immediately after his return.
So strongly did his lordship feel the unfortunateness of
this delay, that, knowing some time must further elapse
before he could come to Manchester to act as umpire, he
sent in his resignation, and urged that the Earl of Wilton
shoul t be selected as his substitute. The committee,
however, were most decidedly averse to losing the services
of the Earl of Ellesmere, provided they could possibly be
secured ; and it was felt, also, that were his resignation
accepted, there would be much difficulty in selecting a
third ure, ire whose position locally, combined with his
artistic taste, was such as to be likely to give satisfac-
tion to the competitors, the public, and the subscribers.
The Earl of Ellesmere was, therefore, urged to withdraw
his resignation ; the urgent appeal of the committee was
supported by the Lord Bishop and the Earl of Wilton ;
and his lordship acceiing, the Earl of Wilton was
chosen as the third umpire. This was about the end of
October, 18o3; and on the 4th November, the three
umpires assembled at the Royal Institution, and unani-
mously agreed in selecting as the most meritorious, and
for erection, the model which proved to be that sent in by
Mr. Matthew Noble, who had previously bron selected
unanimously, from amongst a very large number of com-
petitors, as the artist of the statue to Sir Robert Peel,
which it had been determined to erect in the Peel Park,
Salford. At the time of the selection, the statue on the
pedestal of Mr. Noble's model represented the Duke in
middle life, and in military costume; but Me. Noble sub-
mitted two other designs for the statue, oue representing
the Duke in early life, the other in advanced age. We
stated at the time our reasons for approvin,g of the l ist-
named statue, in preference to either of the others ; and
was subsequently chosen unanimously by the umpires to
be substituted for the one upon the pedestal. Tho 37
models were exhibited to the public for a week, and daily
attracted large crowds of visitors. Since the commence-
ment of 1834 the sculptor and the founders have been at
work ; we have occasionally noticed the progress of their
labours, and the details as to the erection of the pedestal
must be fresh in the memory of our readers.

THE INAUGURATION.
At ono o'clock about 200 gentlemen sat down to a cold
collation in the large room of the Town Hall, which had
been provided by the comm ittee, the guests comprising many
of the friends of the committee, subscribers to the memorial,
and the membeis of the corporation. Mr. Alderman
Barnes presided, as chairman of the committee. To his
Tight were Jas. Watts, Esq., mayor; R. N. Philip, Esq.,
high sheriff; Lieut.-General Sir Harry Smith, G.C.8., in
command of the northern and midland districts ; J. F.
Foster, Esq., chairman of the Salford Sessions ; the Hon.
Algernon Egerton ; Colonel Scott, of the staff; John
CheeLhanu, Esq., MP. South Lancashire; E. Loy.), Lsq. ;
Rev. Canon
; Mr. Commissioner Jemmett ; an.' the
Clifton.lc To the chairman's left wore tht
Right Rev. Lord Bishop of Manchester; Mr. Commis
sioner Skirrow ; Colonel Brook Taylor, of the staff; Si)
James L. BardsleY ; Colonel Griffin, Royal Artillery ;
Joseph Brotherton, Esq., MY. Salford ; M. Noble, Esq. ;
J. C. Harter, Esq.; Colonel 'Servant° ; James Kershaw,
Esq., MP. Stockpoit ; Oliver Heywood, Esq. ; and Colonel
Smith. The vice-chairmen were Aldermen Sir 'Join
Potter, Alderman Sir E. Armitage, Alderman Watkins,