STAFFORD HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1634, 28 December 1912, Page 2

STAFFORD HOUSE.

SALE OF FAMOUS LONDON PALACE. Stafford House, the Duko of Sutherland's magnificent palace in London, has beon sold to Sir William H. Lover, of soap-hiaking fame. It was when sho visited Stafford Houso that Queen Victoria said to tho Duke of Sutherland: "I come from my houso to your palace." The most interesting part of tho news is that Sir William Lever intends to devote it to somo public or national purpose, but as he has left for tho Congo and will bo absent for four or five months it is impossible to question him, and Mr. George Harley, of Liverpool, and Mr. Howard Frank, who havo been given power to enter into arrangements to carry out his wisheß, will give no hint about them. Tho wildest speculations have been made. One suggestion (says tho "Manchester Guardian') is that just as Sir William Lever has shown us what a model Village is he is now going to show us what a model palace might bo. His collection of pictures although- of courso it is a small thing compared to tho great assembly of old masters _ and English eighteenth-century paintings—the catalogue gives 317 works, and includes Titian's "Education of Cupid," tho famous Veronese, and ends with Sargent's fulllength of tho present Duchess—is a remarkable modern collection. Whatever his purposo, however, he possesses the most stately palace in London. You havo to go to Genoa or Rome to find anything in its way so impressive as tho double staircase at Stafford House. It was 011 this staircase, by the way, that tho "staircase plays" in the competition last year were performed. It may bo added that for somo tim\) now Stafford Houso has been a good deal used for public and national purposes. The celebration thero in 1907 of the Garibaldi centenary reminded us that it was Stafford Houso that offered its hospitality to him at tho timo of his memorable visit to London. Nearly every wool: during the season th-ore has been a meeting there for somo charitable or patriotic object, and the philantliropfo activities of tho Duchess havo, always given it a different atmosphere to that of any of tho other big private palaces of London. Is Sir William Lever going to put Stafford House exclusively at the service of social causes? Such a rendezvous is much needed. It would bo a noUfi destiny to this nobis honso.