The City State Bed.
The Times, 1824-12-07T00:00:00

in the Cernmittee of General Purposes, held a few days ago, the subiect of thc lamentable dilapidatioxis of the grand City State Bed, in the Mansion-hou6c, underwert a very serious discussion. This bed, v hich is nine feet long, and six feet eight inches broad, vras built in the mayoralty of Alderman Staines, and cost the city the enormous sum of 3,0001. The ourtains were of the richest damask satin, and the bed-clothes corresponded in cvery respect with the magnificence of the embroidery. As it has not becn considered ab- solutely a part of the duties of a Lord Mlayor to repose in this gteat bed, the present Lord iMlayor suggested the propriety of getting rid of it altogether, as a thing very little ornamental, and of no utility whatever. Soine of the members of the Corporation shook the head at this proposition, considering the bed as a sort of "privilege," which they could rtotresign to the hammer without sustaining a loss of a portion of their independence; whilst others approved of tbe idea of substituting a bed of ordinary dimensions and properties, and dis. posing of the emblem ofcivic gorgeousness to the highest bidder. Trel'he casewans accor(dingly breught forward in the comnittee. Ar. WALTERt in the chair. One of a deputation of gentlemen appointed to examinethe condition of the bed, stated to thecommittee that in its present condiEion it was really a disgrace to the city. He believed that very few "heads" ofthe city had rested upon thepillow ofthegreat "pulvinar" since themayor- alty of Alderman Sir Charles Flower, who gave a very high descrip- tion of its qualities. That worthy magistrate declared in the pre- sence of ladiesand gentletnen,who mnight be supposed to be interested inte equestion, that hebad never slept soconfortablyin his lifeas in the" ptulvinar." Indeed, he did nothing but sleep in it during his mayoralty, it was so soft and beautiful. The opinion of such a judge of luxuries ought to have somec weight with the committee, and therefore it would be advisable to have an estimate of the probable expensje of repairing the bed, and redippinO- the curtains andl decorations. ~ ~ ~ al mirat M1r. SAVAGE agreed in the opinion, that the bed was not fit to be seen, but lie thought it absurd to entertain a notion of repairing and rc-dippinir. He had examined it as closely as he durst do, and he ascertained that there was livi7ng evidence of the impropriety of keeping it any longer in the grand dorntitory. (Itaughter.) i Mlember..You don't mean- Mr. SAvAGE.-Indeed I do. It is almost incredible to most people, but I assure that it is the receptacle of all sorts of vermin. (outl laughter.) To tlink of repairing and re-dipping is absurd. ihe cartains are all in tatters, and who would tallI of patching the " pulvinar?" The best thing that can be doneis to get it out of the way, and put tip a clean bed'in which people can lie and not be tor. mented. (Laughter.) Mr. Dep:uty FARRANcE differed from Mr. Savage in opinion as to the Whole of the merits of the case. He considered that before the Conmittee could be justified in renieving the state-bed, the Aldermen who had the civic chair in prospect shoald be consulted. It was natural to suppose that every Lord Mlayor would wish to enjoy the same luxuries which had been at the command of his pre- decessors, and it was a question whether the removal of such a mnassive piece of furniture would not be considered a sort of indig.| nity. hle believed that the bed would be unexceptionable if the in. genulty of thl upholsterer were exercised a little upon it. The win- dow-curtains and the bed-curtains were rnade of the same material. Now the bed-curtains, which were certainly in a state of decay, miglht be very well mended and repaired by being pieced from the window-curtains, and a new set of window-curtainis miiight be put uip at an expence not exceeding 801. The whole would not probably exceed 8001. Mlr. SAVAGE observed, that the ingenuity of another person, be- sides the upholsterer, would be necessary, if the Committee deter- miiied to repair and redip-he meant the ingenuity of the scavenger. (A laugh). Besides, it would be expedient to have the assistance of a conjuror, to clarm away the present innmates of the bed, which lie assured the meeting had presented themselves to his astonished vision in incaleulable nttmbers. The committee might, to be sure, redecorate, and repair, and redip, the vwhole of the concern; but it would be infinitely more creditable to get rid of the cumber- soene article at once, than to fit it up to deceive the eye, for a deception it certainly would be, as the pillow must trove as *leep- less an one as that of Mfacbeth, although for a very different reason. (Loud laughter.) A Mlember coincided in the proposition for the repair of the old bied. He wislhed to give the Committee a little information on the subject, as he had picked it up. It was certain that the projector of the bed comutemplated a considerable size of Chief Magistrate It was equally certain that Sir WVm. Curtis, when Lord Mavor, delighted to roll about in the " pulvinar," and that Sir Claudius Stephen lHunter, as well a.R Sir Charles Flower, repaired to it after a feast a.s if to a forns genialis, or bridal bed-so high were its qualites above these of any other bed in the Alansion-liouse. Now, alehough his present Lordship did not seem to have the samp opinion of the bed, (indeed, lie vas not heavy enough to formna fair estimate), vet there were some gentlemen who wore approaching to the chair likely tohave a taste for it, from their comfortable halbits of life, and the increasing rotun- dity of their persons. Viewing the bed as an appendage to the civic state, and a symbol of the comforts of the Corporation, it was im. possible to think of parting with it. The member therefore moved that the Committee should recommend to the Court of Common Council to order that the state bed be repaired and redipped forth- with,' at an expense not exceeding 7001., and that new window-cur- wains be put up, at an expense iiot exceeding 801. Alderman WOOD observed that the bed ought niot to be removed without some very cogent reiason. It had been ptit up at a vast ex- pense, and probably wouild produce but a trifling sum towards the more modlerni and plai, fitting up of tile apartmePt in which it stood. He bad, iii fact, questioned soume of his brother Aldernmen, who had not yet enjqyetl the honour of claiming a right to thc bed, on the subject of removing it, and thev certainly did not at all relish the proposal. He should, therefbre; in justice to those who had snot yet passed the chair, one atom of whose pleasures or privileges he did not wish to take away, oppose any motion for the removal of the bed, and support that which had been Just proposed. A rvlcmber ttated, in support of the motion, that it had never en- tered the heads of those who wished to introduce a bed of ordinary dimensions and properties, that not onlv an Alderman, but his lady were to repose in it. If a nCew bed were to be coiistructed, it would be absolutely necessary to have it as broad, if not as long, as the " pulvinar," and agreat expense would of course be incurred. It was a strange fact, that in cases ivhere the size of the magistrate was not renmarkable, the size of his lady supplied the deficienev ; and it must be recollected that the Lady Mayoress had a voice in deciding upon the paraphernialia of the bedeliamber, of which the bed was so im- portant a feature; (Laughter.) Air. SAVAGE said,his objections to the state bed were insurmount- able. Whatever milght be thie ambitious views of future Lord Miayors, he certainly thought that it reflected upon the Corporation to have such an old battered tottering filthy piece of furniture in a bed-room in the Alansion-house. Theupholsterer had been consulted on the subject, and he decla.red, that although the bed liad cost 3,0001. he could allow no more than 1001. for it. Ar. Savage then proposed that the Committee recommend to the Cotirt to order that the old bed should be removed, and ttiat the chamber be fitted up with useful furniture at an expense not exceeding 5001. This motion wvas negatived, and that for patching up the old hangings was carried. In the Court of Common Council, however, on Friday last, it was determtsetl that the state bed, its curtains, end the windfow- curtains, should be expelled from the Mlansion-house, notwithstand- ing the vote of the comrnittee, and that a new fitting up be substi- tuted rt the expense of 5001. The state bed is, wee understand, to be sold by public aaction. THE CITY STATE BED.