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A.—2

No. '?5. New Zealand, No. 188. • My Lord, — Downing Street, 26th May, 1911. With reference to Lord Elgin's (General) despatch of the 23rd November, 1906, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the accompanying copy of the report of the committee appointed by His late Maje ity King Edward VII to consider the question of the erection of a suitable memorial to Queen Victoria. I have, &c, L. HARCOURT. Governor the Right Hon. Lord Islington, K.C.M.G., D.5.0., &c.

Enclosure. Queen Victoria Memorial. May it please Your Majesty : On 19th February, 1901, the first meeting of the committee appointed by Your Majesty's beloved and deeply lamented father King Edward to consider a suitable memorial to Queen Victoria of blessed memory, was held under the presidency of the late Marquis of Salisbury. The committee consisted of the following : The Marquis of Salisbury, K.G. (Chairman), Right Hon. A. Akers-Douglas, M.P., Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, M.P., Right Hon. Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Right Hon. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, M.P., G.C.8., Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., Right Hon. Earl Cadogan, K.G., Right Hon. Sir Henry Fowler, M.P., G.C.5.1., Right Hon. Lord George Hamilton, M.P., Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley, K.G., Right Hon. the Earl of Rosebery, K.G., Right Hon. the Lord Mayor (Treasurer), Lieut.-Colonel Sir Arthur Bigge K.C.B. (Hon. Secretary). At their first meeting the committee resolved —(1) That the memorial should be architectural, with a personal reference to the Queen; (2) that it should not be utilitarian, and that it should include an effigy of the Queen ; (3) that it should be in London ; (i) that the Secretary of State for India and the Colonies should confidentially ascertain whether these parts of the Empire are desirous of takingpart in the undertaking ; (5) that subscriptions should be received from all quarters. These resolutions having been approved by King Edward, another meeting was held on the 21st February, at which it was decided that a small committee should be appointed to develop the idea, and, if possible, to obtain sketches or designs for a suitable memorial. The committee was selected as follows : A nominee of the President of the Royal Academy, a nominee of the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Lord Mayor, and Viscount Esher; together with a representative, to be named by King Edward. At this meeting, Sir Arthur Bigge having been commanded to accompany Your Majesty and the Queen during Your Majesty's tour in the colonies, Viscount Esher was appointed honorary Secretary to the general committee. On the following day a letter was addressed to the President of the Royal Academy and the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, inviting them to a private conference at the Mansion House on the 25th February. Among the various schemes considered at that meeting was a plan prepared under the auspices of Mr. Akers-Douglas, at that time First Commissioner of Works, to remove the row of trees in the centre of the Mall, and to transfer the carriage-way from the side to the centre thus formed; to place a statue of Her Majesty, seated under a canopy, upon a base 40 ft. square in a wide place to be formed in front of Buckingham Palace, and to erect an arch at the eastern end of the avenue. Of the schemes considered, this appeared to be the best, and on the suggestion of the Lord Mayor it was decided that an immediate appeal should be made for subscriptions, without stating the nature of the memorial proposed, but explaining that it would be personal and monumental, and would be erected in London. It was also suggested that a sculptor should be selected and a certain number of architects should be invited to prepare designs for the scheme approved ; that from these designs a selection should be made; and that the subcommittee should then nominate the artists to be intrusted with the duty of carrying out the work. A meeting of the general committee, under the presidency of the Marquis of Salisbury, was held on the Ist March, and, as a result of their deliberations, the following announcement was made in the Press : " The committee appointed by the King recommend that a memorial be erected in the neighbourhood of the Abbey and Palace of Westminster, or of Buckingham Palace ; the memorial to include as its most prominent feature a statue of the Queen. This recommendation has been submitted to the King by Viscount Esher (Hon. Secretary), and a subcommittee has been appointed to consider the means which should be employed to carry this resommendation into effect. Subscriptions will be reieived by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, E.C., and at the Bank of England." On the 11th March a meeting of the subcommittee was held at St. James's Palace. Present: Viscount Esher, Lord Windsor (now the Earl of Plymouth), the late Sir Arthur Ellis, Sir Edward Poynter, Mr. A. B. Freeman Mitford (now Lord Redesdale), Sir W. Emerson, and Mr. Sidney Colvin ; and it was unanimously resolved that—(l) A monumental memorial should be crested in front of Buckingham Palace, to include a statue of the Queen ; (2) an arch commemorative of the progress of art, science, &c, during the reign of Queen Victoria should be erected at the eastern entrance of the Mall, near Spring Gardens ; (3) this to be an architectonic scheme, involving a modification of the Mall, in order to centre the avenue of trees with the proposed monument and Buckingham Palace, giving an opportunity for ad&faing the avenue with sculptural groups in consonance with a memorial of the Queen.