Suction II , 1904, [ 213 ] Tuans. H. S. C. 



IV. — The Monument fo Wolfe on the Plains of Ahrahani, and the Old 

 Statue at " ]]'o//c's Corner." 



By P.-li. Casgraik, Quebec. 



(Communicated by George Stewart, D.C.L., and read June 23, 1904.) 



In a correspondence addressed to the Editor of The Chronicle, 

 Quebec, July 8th, 1903, a loyal Englishman, of London, England, H, 

 0. Mordaunt, Esq., as one of the thousand visitors to Quebec, praises 

 this beautiful city, its unique panorama, fine buildings and statues, etc., 

 but goes on to remark: — 



" But will you allow a visitor from the Old Country to point out 

 " how, in one respect, Quebec has fallen far short of what might natur- 

 " ally have been expected of her. I refer to the column erected to the 

 " memory of Wolfe. A hero so illustrious in the Annals of the 

 " Empire, and associated at all times with the early history of Quebec, 

 "is surely deserving of something better than this insignificant and 

 " mutilated memorial, utterly dwarfed by the huge jail at its side, and 

 " not easily found, owing to the site selected being a side lane." 



The truth of these remarks must be admitted to a certain extent. 

 It may be said in extenuation thereof, that no appeal has ever been 

 made to the pu1)lic in general to raise funds for the purpose of erecting 

 such a befitting monument on the Plains as one erected to Wolfe and 

 Montcalm, in the Governor's Garden, in the year 1828. 



The existing column, though modest in appearance, is not alto- 

 gether unbecoming, when it is remembered that it was due to the public 

 spirit and liberality of the few British officers serving in Canada, at the 

 head of whom stood Sir Benjamin D'Urban, then Commander of the 

 Forces therein, who had it erected in the year 1849, to replace the 

 former dilapidated one, a truncated column, which was buried under- 

 neath, and which had been raised by Lord Aylmer in the year 1832, at 

 his private expense. 



ISTow that- these Plains have lately been purchased by the Govern- 

 ment of the Dominion, and have been given over to the city, they are, 

 by express agreement, set apart as public domain for all time, with the 

 view of making a park which shall be dedicated to the memory of the 

 gallant foes who fought the celebrated battles thereon. Thus, the 

 occasion is offered to take the proper steps to build, among others, a 

 monument in keeping with the brilliant victory and glorious death of 

 Wolfe; and more appropriate as commemorating the immense poli- 

 tical results which followed this pregnant event in Xorth America. 



