THE ALBERT STATUE MOVEMENT.
A meeting of the principal metropolitan Statues took place yesterday morning at Exeter Hall. Time was when such an assemblage would have been looked upon as rather an extraordinary event; but recent manifestations have prepared the public mind for the phenomena of statue moving and statue talking: and this convention of sculptures created more interest than astonishment. The object of its attendants was to take into consideration the proposal for the increase of their number by the addition thereto of a monument to His Royal Highness Prince Albert.
The Statue of Fergus Mac Ivor—from the shop-front of Mr. Sanderson, tobacconist—having been voted into the chair, stated the purpose of the gathering. Of course the costume of the Prince's statue would be determined with reference to the associations of Balmoral; and he should hail the introduction of the illustrious new member to the clan. The only question was, where to place the Statue? For his part he should have much pleasure in affording it a site by vacating his own post at the door, and retiring into the shop.
The Statue of George the Third would willingly resign to the new comer a position which was painfully conspicuous, and withdraw into an obscurity where a pigtail would cease to attract perpetual derision.
The Statue of George the Fourth, equally with the effigy of his Royal Parent, would be glad to abdicate in favour of the Statue of the Prince Consort. He was nervously sensible of constituting, together with his quadruped, something very unlike one of the Elgin Marbles. It would delight him to dismount, and let the Prince get up instead.
King Charles the First's Statue at Charing Cross said, perhaps the taste of the Committee would determine that His Royal Highness should get up behind.
The Duke of York's Statue felt that there were peculiar reasons why, if any site were relinquished in favour of the intended testimonial, it should be his own. The country owed something, anyhow, to Prince Albert; but whatever Prince Albert owed the country, he paid his debts, and his representative would not be exposed to continual banter on that score.
The Statue of the Great Duke, from Burton's Arch, said that he had the honour to represent Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington. Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington had been awarded by the country a Statue during his life. The same tribute was about to be paid to Field-Marshal Prince Albert. The Statue of Field-Marshal the Duke had nothing to say to any estimate the country might think fit to form of the comparative necessity for a Statue of Field-Marshal the Prince. But that point being settled, the proper place for the Statue would be parallel to his (the Statue of the Duke's) own. His own was the top of the arch on one side of the road, and Prince Albert's might be that of the gateway on the other.
Nelson's Statue considered that the suggestion of the Statue of the Noble Duke was founded on the notion that the monument to Prince Albert was intended to commemorate the Great Exhibition. In that case the gateway at Hyde Park Corner certainly would be the fittest place for it; near enough to the scene of the triumph, and alongside of the memorial to the Hero of Waterloo. But, to speak straightforwardly, the fact was, that the scheme of a Statue to the Prince was a device of the Corporation of London to ingratiate themselves at Court. The Statue was meant to be a propitiatory concern—to conciliate the protection of Royalty for the City—and the proper situation for it would be over Temple Bar, to serve as a Palladium to that edifice and the interests therewith connected.
Gog and Magog, rising together, loudly expressed their approbation of this view; the adoption of which would tend to secure themselves in their own places, which they wished to retain as long as they were able, like all others holding comfortable situations in Guildhall.
A motion embodying the concurrence of the meeting in the opinion that the Statue of Prince Albert should surmount Temple Bar was then put and carried unanimously, when, after the usual vote of thanks, the meeting broke up, and the molten and graven images departed to their respective sites.