The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-27 00:00:00

STATUE OF SIR W. WALLACE.

On Thursday a preliminary meeting was held in
the Royal Hotel, to promote measures to have a cast
made from the gigantic model of Sir William Wal-
lace, by Mr. Patric Park, sculptor. The work has
been in progress for some time, and it is ulti-
mately intended to serve as a model for a group
commemorative of one whom popular legend
has long regarded as " the Deliverer of Scotland."
Among those present were—the Lord Provost, Mr.
Sheriff Gordon, Professor Aytoun, Professor Miller,
A. S. Logan, Esq., J. H. Burton, Esq., Geo. Monro,
Esq., advocates; Councillor Fraser, Wm. Tait, Esq.,
Francis Abbott, Esq., Charles Jenner, Esq. The
Lord Provost presided.
The LORD PROVOST said that the meeting had been
called by circular, walla view to consider the propriety
of raising a subscription to have a cast made from the
splendid model of Sir William Wallace, the deliverer of
Scotland, by Mr. Patric Park. He was quite sure that
all those present must have seen it, otherwise it would
have been his strong recommendation to them to visit
the artist's studio in Picardy-place, and view that
magnificent work of art. He had himself been very
much struck with it ; and he trusted that there would
be spirit enough, if not in Edinburgh, at least in
Scotland, to have a cast of it, in the first instance, and
ultimately to have it erected in the Scottish metropolis
in a more permanent forni.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Sheriff GORDON said that he was very glad to
see present gentlemen who represented every class
and interest in the city, and whose labours, he hoped,
would be successful in promoting the object of the
meeting. Most of you are aware (said the Learned
Gentleman) that Mr. Park has been engaged for some
time in this great work; and certainly it becomes
the enlightened inhabitants of this great city to en-
deavour, if possible, to give timely and efficient assist-
ance to a man whose genius is well known by the
many admirable specimens of art which he has exe-
cuted, who is endowed naturally with a very lofty
spirit, and who is characterised by an energetic zeal
and fervid love for his art and profession, which
ought to reward him with the approbation of his
countrymen.— (Hear, hear.) Now I would appeal to
the public in favour of this statue, at all events to
this extent, that it should be cast, if not carried out
at present, upon three very distinct grounds. The
first is, that I look upon it, having seen and examined
it with considerable care, as being a work of high art.
I do not at this moment think it necessary to pledge
this meeting, or any gentleman who may have seen it,
to every minute detail ; but it appears to me to be a
work conceived with all the bold design of an
original conception, and which no one can examine
without being struck with its vigour, force and
dignity.—(Hear, hear.) In the second place, I
cannot help thinking that the time surely is come
when Scotland shall have a monument worthy of that
great name. It is very true, as has been said, that
Wallace has left his deeds scattered like wild flowers
all over his dear native country ; but I imagine that
his name stands high enough in the history of his na-
tive land, and in our associations with his great ex-
ploits, to entitle him to have such a memorial erected
by the national feeling to his memory.—(Applause.)
In the third place, I say that it is an appeal to the
public, in order that a man of Mr. Park's abilities,
feelings, and aspirations should not be left unsup-
ported at such a very critical moment—and I would
add that, independent of its merits, I hope that
we, and others who may be induced to join
us, may now interpose not merely to prevent
that great statue of clay being crumbled into useless
dust, but also to prevent the crumbling away to de-
struction of the aspirations of a very generous spirit,
of the cheering visions of a man of hopeful nature,
and the ripening fruits of what I know to be many
a care-worn and toilsome day.—(Applause.) Mr.
Sheriff Gordon concluded by proposing a series of re-
solutions in favour of a subscription, for enabling the
model to be completed, and a cast in plaster made ;
which shall then be exhibited, to enable the public to
determine whether it shall be erected in a more per-
manent form; and that a committee to consist of the
Lord Provost, Mr. Sheriff Gordon, Professor Aytoun,
and Mr. Logan, advocate, be appointed to carry these
objects into effect—Mr. Christie to act as secretary.
Mr. Wu.Lism TATS seconded the adoption of the
resolutions.

Professor AYTOUN, as one of the parties who had
signed the circular, stated that he had received letters
from a number of gentlemen, expressing themselves
most friendly to the undertaking, but pleading special
excuses for their absence. He was happy to add that
the prospects of the subscription were highly favourable.
The whole sum required for the completion of the
model, and to have the cast ready fur public exhibition,
he estimated at 2501. They were not engaged in
considering whether it would not be a proper thing,
and creditable to the country, that a statue of the
greatest man whoae name appears in our annals
should be erected in Scotland. That must be a
national concern ; and Scotland, he hoped, would
resolve upon its execution. He believed that there
was no other country possessing such a hero
which bad not done honour to his memory. He had
seen the Walhalla, with its statues of the greatest
men in Germany • and he had witnessed the same at
Munich and at Msyence. Scotland, however, had
allowed many centuries to pass by without making a
decided effort to express, in a visible form, her admi-
ration for that great man, whose name is embalmed in
the hearts of her people. But that was not the time
for taking that question into consideration ; what
they had now to do was to see that this most enthu-
siastic attempt upon the part of a zealous, able, and
energetic man, to perpetuate the memory of Wal-
lace, should not be allowed utterly to fail without
their assistance, or the energies of that genius to be
depressed or palsied from the absence of sympathy
and relief.—(Applause.)
Mr. LOGAN, advocate, as one who had taken some
interest in Mr. Park's labours, and who had agreed
to act upon the committee, said he could not doubt
that an appeal to the community of Edinburgh—
though they did not wish to limit it to the metro-
polis—would be a successful one, for the reasons stated
by Mr. Sheriff Gordon and Professor Aytoun. The
man in whose honour the proposed statue was in-
tended to be a commemoration was one regarding
whose worth and fame every Scottish child heard
almost as soon as he beard of the wisdom of Solomon
or the Psalms of David.—(Applause.) The Learned
Gentleman then stated that the great object in view
was to carry out the measures contemplated, not
by. large subscriptions given from a few, but by
contributions from every quarter. The cause
being 'common to all Scotchmen, the committee
expected such men as the Duke f Buccleuch and
the Marquis of Breadalbane to come forward ; but
they did not wish or expect that the burthen should
be thrown upon the aristocracy of the country, bUt
that the statue of Wallace, in that respect bearing
some likeness to the great original, should be sup-
ported by the commonality of the land.—(Applause.)
He trusted, therefore, it would be generally
known that, in order to complete that grand model,
with the view of placing it before the country, as a
jury to decide upon the question whether or not it
was to assume a permanent and public form, in stone
or metal, they would get subscriptions from every
quarter where there was cherished any honest and pa-
triotic feeling for the name of Wallace.—(Applause.)
The resolutions were then cordially adopted.
Subscription lists having been placed on the table,
about 701. were subscribed, including handsome
contributions from the Duke of Buccleuch, the
iiicaitrotiseonferal, Mr. Sheriff G
Breadalbane,theorLdoornd,
Professor Prov ost
Wilson,
, the
sSoon:
Professor Aytoun, Professor Miller, Mr. Logan, Mr.
Burton, Mr. Tait, Mr. Miller, C.E., Mr. Jenner,
Mr. Ritchie, Mr. Malcolm, of Poltaloch, &c.
Thanks having been voted to the
Chairman, the
meeting separated.—Edinburgh Courant.

The potato blight, we regret to state, has made its
appearance, and is fast increasing in the island A cold
rainy fog enveloped us on the evening of Sunday last, and
en Monday (the very day which is noted in the "Financial
Almanack" as the time when this destructive disease spread
over England in the year 1848) the crops bore unequivocal
appearances of having been attacked ; luckily most of the
early sorts are fit for the market, and we trust, therefore,
that the damage will not be entirejy irremediable. Some of
our gardeners have resorted to the plan of cutting away the
haulm close to the ground, an experiment which is said to
have succeeded in former years, when the blight was seen on
its first appearance upon the green stalk.—Hampshire In-
dependent.

SOUTHAMPTON CORN MARKET.--I' RIDAT.--To-
day's market was fairly attended. Wheat was held at an
advance of Is. to 23. per quarter. Barley inquired after;
the advance of Is. per quarter tend to check sales. Oats
steady, at late improvement. Beans and peas without
change. Flour steady at late quotations. Wheat, 40s. to
485.; barley, 225. to 265.; oats, 17s. to 225. ' • beans, 245. to
325. per quarter.—Flour, 31s. to 335. per sack.
STRONG ATTACHMENT TO HOME.--A gentleman
from the neighbourhood of Bath purchased and brought
home a large flock of sheep from one of the counties of South
Wales. The morning after he had placed them in his field
he found the entire flock gone. Search was made for days
without the slightest trace. At last an old shepherd sug-
gested that they might be found in their own fields in
Carmarthenshire, and there, sure enough, they were. They
must have travelled an immense way to have crossed the
Severn.