The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-25 00:00:00

Peabody Memorial.

On Thursday a public meeting, convened on a re-
quisition to the Lord Mayor, signed by three of the
members of Parliament for the city, and by magis-
trates, bankers, merchants, and others, was held in
the Egyptian hall of the Mansion-house, to consider
in what way the citizens of London can best testify
their gratitude to Mr. George Peabody for the act
of unparalleled munificence on his part towards the
poor of London with which the whole civihsedworld
is familiar. The meeting was well attended, and
there were present, among others, besides the Lord
Mayor, Sir Moses Montefiore, Mr. Alderman Law-
rence, M.P., Mr. Jones Loyd, Mr. Russell Sturges
(of the house of Baring, Brothers, and Co.), Mr.
R. N. Fowler, Mr. Sheriff Figgins, Mr. Charles
Reed, Mr. Edmund Burke, Mr. Fitzwilliam, Mr.
Marmaduke Sampson, Mr. T. B. Simpson, Mr.
Newberry, Mr. Alderman Stone, Mr. Alderman
Waterlow, Mr. M‘George, Mr. Deputy Snelling,
the Rev. Michael Gibbs (chaplain to the Lord
Mayor), the Rev. William Rogers (Rector of
Bishopgate), Mr. W. F. Rock, Mr. John Finlay,
and Mr. Joseph Gibbs.
The LORD MAYOR, on assuming the chair, said
he had great pleasure in meeting so many of his
fellow-citizens on an occasion interesting not only
to them, but he thought he might say of universal
interest. They were convened together for the
purpose of submitting for public consideration in
what manner they could recognise the generosity of
a great public benefactor—(cheers)--a man who be-
longed to the whole world and was the friend of
every one who had a love for charity and the well-
being of his fellow-men. For some time he had
enjoyed the happiness of being a personal friend of
Mr. Peabody, and he thought he might say without
hesitation that one endowed with a higher love of
freedom and of his fellow-men, or more entirely un-
selfish, he never knew. (Cheers.) Happy for them
in this free country they were surrounded on all
sides by men distinguished for highmindedness and
for universal philanthropy ; but they must bear in
mind that, although Mr. Peabody had been resident
among them for 30 years, another land claimed him,
and proudly claimed him, as its son. Still, he had
been long enough among them to win for himself an
unusual amount of public regard and admiration,
and they were all happy to recognise him as a friend
and fellow-citizen. (Cheers.)
Mr. R. N. FOWLER, the banker, who was called
upon from the chair, moved the first resolution. It
was—" That in testimony of the gratitude enter-
tained by the citizens of London and the public at
large to George Peabody, Esq., for his munificient
benefaction of £250,000 for the benefit of the in-
dustrious poor of London, a public statue to his
honour be erected on some conspicuous spot in the
city of London." The resolution, he said, was one
which he most heartily commended for their adoption,
believing that a statute was the highest honour in the
power of the citizens of London to confer upon any
public man either of our own country or from any
kindred nation, and that such an honour ought not
to be conferred upon light grounds. (Hear, hear.)
Already the city was adorned by statutes of two
very distinguished Englishmen—one the greatest
soldiers of this century, whose sword had secured
for Europe 40 years of peace, who after the advent
of that peace took a most conspicuous part in public
affairs, and of whom it had been said,
"Through storm and darkness, terror and dismay,
The star of duty was his guiding ray ;"

the other a statesman who for well nigh 50 years
was identified with the public life of England, and
whose name would always be connected with the
practical recognition of the principle of free-trade.
The guildhall, too, was graced by statues of the two
Pitts and of Nelson ; but on this occasion it was
proposed to perpetuate the name of a man whose
public services had been of a very- different kind,
who had taken no part either in the strife of politics
or of war, but who in an equally useful though less
ostentatious manner had served his generation, and
served it according to the will of God. (Cheers.)

In the history of the world there was no act of
munificence equal to that which Mr. Peabody had
performed, and it was on that ground that the
citizens of London were now invited to erect a
statue in his honour. In this city the path of com-
mercial advancement was open to all ; some of the
most eminent of its merchant princes, including the
Rothschilds and the Barings, among others, were not
of English origin ; and from whatever clime a man
might come, they rejoiced in his success and recog-
nised the merits by which it had been achieved.
They had now an opportunity of erecting a statue
to a man who was not an English citizen, but who
was still a citizen of a kindred nation sprung from
the great Anglo-Saxon race ; and in embracing that
opportunity they would really be doing honour to
themselves and evincing their desire that peaceful
relations should always subsist between the two
countries. (Cheers.)

The motion was seconded by Sir MOSES MONTE-
FIORE, who on presenting himself to the meeting to
do so met with a flattering reception.
Mr. R. W. BILLINGS said in this country our
marble statues were unfortunate. On a rainy day
in the Royal Exchange streaks of dirt might be seen
running down the face of the marble statue of the
Queen, and in the case of the equestrian statue in
front of the building, where the use of marble was
avoided, the figure of the "Iron Duke" was more
like that of a negro than of an Englishman. (A
laugh.) The truth was that the climate was not
suited to statues in marble. Besides, Mr. Peabody
had distinctly declined an honour which her Majesty
had wished to confer upon him ; and he had also
re-
fused to be " be-dinnered," and were they sure that
he would not also decline that which was asPeabody's
posed ? Supposing it met
approval, they would not be do
not? Were
his munificent gift convey a moral.t e
hip h man who had
they going to embody in marble the to house the
given a quarter of a million of iwnigthhearlf enogh. Did
manner, standing in a
industrious poor in a London without a
hat? (A laugh.) shivering attitude in
Peabody, and
but to
Tashuseittareqeutesitnion, therefore, was,
goinntgutpo do this. He would suggest
in every improved building
snheooufl dMbre. rai
thathow tahey statue were
that with that view .
In Lon-
donwhich bore thebhe.opnolurfeudnndai
wh
there were 300,000 men who would :willingly
which there should be no large subscription.
contribute to such a fund, according to their means,
and what the men did not make up the women
would.

The motion of Mr. Fowler was put and carried.
Mr. Alderman LAWRENCE, M.P., moved the next
resolution, to the effect that, for promoting the ob-
ject in view, a subscription be opened ; that the pre-
liminary committee be appointed the committee for
the purpose, with power to add to their number 3

The motion was seconded by Mr. Russell Sturges,
representing for the occasion Mr. Thomas Baring,
M.P., who was unavoidably absent, and carried.
ROBERT FILLINGIIAM a working carpenter, sug-
gested that a penny subscription should also be set
on foot, with the view to found in the metropolis an
institution on the principle of the Sailors' Home, to
which poor Americans in London of the working
class might resort for a time when in want of em-
ployment. He was sure to such a fund every Sun-
day-school child throughout the country, with
thousands of working men and women, would con-
tribute, and in that way a memorial of Mr. Pea-
body's munificence would be raised expressive of the
gratitude of the poor and likely to be grateful to
his own feelings.
On the motion of Mr. Alderman WATERLOO, se-
me oenedtieldl
gb yw
eArler.
vSohteerdi ff
byF I GaGeleNl
aSin,
at ltlieo
nthtaon thanks the
Lord
Mayor for convening it and presiding on the occa-
sion.

The LORD MAYOR, in acknowledging the compli-
ment, said he had no doubt the matter would be
brought to a successful issue, and that whether
they saw their honoured friend in marble, with his
face a little begrimed (a laugh), or lighted up with
aperpetual smile, they would always look upon him
as a true and exalted type of a noble, kind, and
generous man. (Cheers.)
With that the meeting separated.