Vie (Tourt.
KING Lours PHILIPPE has gone again ; but there remain some incidents to be related of his memorable visit to England. On Saturday, the Lord Mayor and a deputation from the Common Council went to Windsor Castle to present an address of welcome and congratulation. With the officers of the Corporation, the number that went was not less than sixty. They travelled by railway ; but state and private carriages had been sent down from London to Slough ; where the civic body formed a kind of procession, and thus entered the Castle.. They were received by officers of the Household, at the en- trance of St. George's Hall, and conducted to private rooms ; where they had luncheon. Their arrival was then notified to the King of the French ; and he received them at once. They found his Majesty in the reception-room of his apartments, surrounded by his Ministers and the officers of his suite. The Recorder read the address. It congratulated the King on his visit ; hailed it as a sure indication of the reciprocal sentiments of respect and confidence which subsist between two mighty countries, capable of maintaining peace among the nations of the earth; wished that his valuable life might long be spared ; and alluded to the domestic union which he found in the Royal circle that he visited, and which he would return to at home, to dispense the blessings of paternal government. Having read the address, the Recorder gave it to the Lord Mayor, who presented it to the King. On taking it, his Majesty said to the Lord Mayor— 'I well remember your father, Mr. Magnay. I had the happiness of seeing him in the Egyptian Hall of the Mansionhouse, when he filled the high situa- tion which you now hold. I remember hint with much pleasure, and the hos- pitable manner in which he receiverme. It affords nte great pleasure to re- ceive such an address at your hands."
The King then read the following reply from a written paper-
" My Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, I re- ceive with heartgelt satisfaction the address of congratulation which you have just presented to me by the gracious authorization of your beloved Sovereign. In coming to offer to the Queen of these realms a proof of the sincere and un- alterable friendship I bear to her Majesty, I am happy to find that the civic representatives of the city of London—that illustrious city which beide so prominent a place in the world, and which represents interests of such magnitude—are come to the Royal residence to manifest to me sentiments so perfectly congenial to my own feelings, and to the sense I entertain of my duties towards my country, towards Europe, and towards mankind. "I am convinced, as you are, that peace and friendly relations between France and England are, for two nations made to esteem and honour each other, a source of innumerable and equal advantages. The preservation of that good understanding is at the same time a pledge of peace to the world at large and secures the tranquil and regular progress of civilization for the benefit of all nations. I consider my cooperation in this holy work, under the protection of Divine Providence, as the mission and the honour of my reign. Such has been the aim and the object of all my efforts, and I trust that the Almighty will crown them with success.
"1 thank you in the name of France and in my own for this manifested= of your sentiments. They will be fully appreciated in my country, coupled as they are with the many tokens of friendship which I have received from your gracious Sovereign. "I thank you most cordially for your kind feeling towards myself and my family. The impression produced upon me by the presentation of your address will never be effaced from my heart." The King spoke this with emphasis, and delivered the two last para- graphs without looking at the paper that he held in his hand. Having concluded, he handed the reply to the Lord Mayor and cordially shook hands with him. He then entered into more general conversation with the deputation ; of which the following particulars have been pub-. lished- " The Lord Mayor having expressed a wish that his Majesty could have. visited the citizens of London before his departure, the King replied= I assure you, that if I bad time, etiquette should not interfere with my hearty wish;, but my time is limited. I should wish very much to visit Guildhall, the Man- sionhouse, and Fishmongers Hall.' " Tbe Lord Mayor then presented to the King, Mr. Alderman Humphery, the mover, and Sir Peter Laurie, the seconder of the address in the Court of Aldermen, and Mr. Moon and Mr. Lawrence, the mover and seconder of the address in the other Court. His Majesty conversed with them all. Previously, on Sir Claudius Hunter being presented to him, his Majesty mistook him for Sir Peter Laurie, and addressed him by that name. The mistake caused some laughter, in which the King joined. He observed to Sir Claudius Hunter, that • he remembered to have seen him abroad. On Sir Peter Laurie being presented by the Lord Mayor, his Majesty said that the name of Sir Peter was quite familiar to him. Be added, addressing Sir Peter= Ah! Sir Peter, you are an old acquaintance of mine. I remember dining with you at Fishmongers Hall many years ago. It is a great pleasure to me to meet you again.' To Mr. Moon, his Majesty said, taking him by the hand= Alit Mr. Moon, I have beard of you : I know you well from your connexion with the fine arts ; and I have derived great pleasure from the examination of your admirable engra- vings. I find, too, that you have an excellent way of making speeches.' This- was probably an allusion to Mr. Moon having moved the address the other day. "As his Majesty moved round the circle, which be did more than once, he addressed complimentary speeches to more than one of the Aldermen. On the Recorder being presented to the King by the Lord Mayor, his Majesty said- ' Mr. Law, I am happy to see you. I knew Mr. Thomas Law, an uncle of yours, in America. He married a granddaughter of General Washington.' The King also spoke to Mr. Lawrence; observing to him, as he had done to the Lord Mayor, how sorry he was that his time was so short that he could not stay to enjoy the hospitality of the City. His Majesty added, It will be a great privation to me, I assure you.' Subsequently, in conversation with the gentle- men of the Common Council, his Majesty observed, that he knew all the Wards almost as well as they did themselves, having lived so long in this country. "The King then bowed to the whole deputation ; and, as they were leaving the room where he was, he again addressed the Lord Mayor, expressing his gratification at this manifestation of respect and approbation from the City of London ; adding, that he trusted the Lord Mayor would allow his portrait to be taken, that he might place it in the Palace at Versailles, to commemorate this to him most interesting occasion. The Lord Mayor having thanked his Majesty, the deputation left the saloon ; the King bowing to them till the last individual had gone out."
After the City deputation had gone, the party at the Castle, including the Ministers and suites of the two Sovereigns, proceeded, partly in carriages and partly on horseback, to Eton College. King Louis Philippe sat beside the Queen in her carriage ; and Prince Albert was opposite to them, on the front seat. The roads were crowded with the sight-seers with whom Windsor was thronged, and the cheering was loud. The boys, nearly seven hundred in number, were in the quadrangle,. and pierced the ear with their shrill greetings. The King laughed heartily ; and, taking off his hat, bowed repeatedly to th youth of Eton. The visiters were received by the Provost, Vice- Provost, Head Master, and the Senior Fellow. A wish was also ex- pressed for the attendance of the subordinate masters ; who were found in the Library, which the visiters entered in making the round of the buildings. A visiters-book is kept there, in which Prince Albert had formerly written his name : the Queen now wrote—" Victoria R., October 12, 1844 " ; the Duke of Wellington wrote his name under the Queen's ; and the King filled the opposite page, writing—" Louis Philippe, encore emu de l'accueil que ltd out fait les fileves de cet honorable college." In the Upper School, Prince Albert took some pains to point out to the King the names cut by boys in the walls, and he mounted on a form the better to point them out : he par- ticularly drew the King's attention to the name of Charles James Fox. On returning to the carriages, a little trait of the familiar friendliness of the two most illustrious persons was observed—. "Her Majesty stepped first into the carriage, and took the left hand seat facing the horses, which was not the seat she bad before. A small foot-mat was at the bottom of the carriage under the seat she had before occupied. The King of the French was about to get into the carriage, but, seeing that the Queen had changed her seat, he stood for a few moments at the door, leaning forward and pressing her Majesty to resume her original seat. Her Majesty, however, continued where she was ; and the King, laughing, at last got in and occupied the vacant seat."
Prince Albert having taken his seat, the carriages drove off; the King again bowing, with his hat off, to the boys ; who cheered lustily. That day, the Duke and-Dutchess of Cambridge and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Dutchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz left the Castle, for Kew. The Dutchess of Gloucester arrived, on a visit to the Queen. On Sunday, the King of the French, with his suite, attended divine service in the Roman Catholic Chapel at Clewer. Scarcely any persons but the usual congregation, numbering about one hundred and twenty, were admitted. When the King first entered, the impulse of cariosity was so strong that all in the chapel stood up and stretched forward to obtain a sight of him ; but they soon sat down, and afterwards paid great attention to the service. His Majesty wore plain black clothes, with the blue riband over his shoulder, and a star. The Reverend Mr.
Wilkinson took for his text---" Render an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest no longer be steward." But there was no allusion to the Royal presence, except the words, at the beginning of the discourse, "May it please your Majesty." In the afternoon, the Queen and her guests, numerously attended, walked on the terrace, in the sight of a great concourse of persons ; but the bad weather that came on soon drove the illustrious party in-doors. Among the guests at dinner on Sunday, we observe the names of Lord Melbourne, Lord and Lady Beauvale, Lord John Russell, and Lord Ellenborough. Monday was the day fixed for the King's departure ; but the bad weather, which came on by ten o'clock, and increased during the day, caused a considerable change in the route which he took. At first, however, the original arrangements were observed. The guests who had been invited to meet his Majesty took their departure in the morn- ing. At twelve o'clock, Queen Victoria, leaning on the arm of the King, conducted his Majesty down the grand staircase, preceded by the Lord Chamberlain of the Household ; next came Prince Albert, the Due De Montpensier, and the Dutchess of Kent ; the several suites bringing up the rear. At the entrance, the Dutchess of Kent, Sir Robert Peel, and the Earl of Aberdeen, took leave of the King and his son. The party entered seven carriages, and proceeded under escort to the Farnborough station of the South-western Railway ; where they were suitably received, at a quarter to two o'clock. On the engine of the special train was hoisted the tricoloured flag : on the tender the royal standard of England. In spite of the bad weather, attempts at loyal demonstrations were made at several places as the train shot by ; people collecting to cheer, bands playing, and flags, English and French, waving. The Gosport station was fitted up nearly as it was when the King landed ; only a triumphal arch at the entrance bore the new inscription, "Welcome Louis Philippe, Victoria, and Albert." Loudly cheered, the party at once entered carriages, and proceeded to the Clarence Victualling-yard; the road to which was lined with foot soldiers. Great preparations had been made for the embarkation : the yard was filled with soldiers, among whom was the Duke of Wellington on horseback, wrapped in a coarse brown greatcoat to protect him from the heavy rain ; a large crowd of spectators also braved the weather ; a wooden pier, extending from the quay, was covered with bunting and sailcloth ; and at the end of it were a great number of boats, full of spectators. Many of these patient watchers were driven to the expedient of lying down at the bottom of their boats and covering themselves with sailcloth. The travellers were received, at about twenty minutes to four o'clock, at the Victualling-yard, by Sir George Cockburn and other Lords of the Admiralty, Sir Charles Rowley, the Port-Admiral, Sir Hercules Pakenham, Lieutenant-Governor of the Garrison, and other naval and military authorities. Every- thing, however, looked cheerless : the naval officers, in their white trousers, (for Monday was the last day of the season in which the regulations require white trousers to be worn as a part of naval full-dress,) were drenched; the soldiers were dripping with wet. The Queen's party hastened into the office of Captain Carter, the Super- intendent of the Victualling-yard ; and there they remained for a con- siderable time, the anxious spectators wondering at the delay. Pre- sently, the Duke of Wellington was summoned to a consultation, in which M. Guizot, the Count De St. Aulaire, Sir Hercules Pakenham, Sir Charles Rowley, and Sir Hyde Parker joined. The Queen and Prince Albert were to have accompanied the King on board the Gower, and then to have entered the Albert and Victoria yacht to go to the Isle of Wight. The reports from the seaward, however, were most unfavourable : a violent gale was blowing, the water of Spithead was a sheet of surf, and a heavy sea was rolling in. It was feared that, if the King were to cross the water, he would not be able to land on the in- convenient coast of Treport. It was therefore arranged that he should go back to London, and proceed to France by way of Dover and Calais or Boulogne ; and that the Elan should cross over to Treport, to send a message on shore, if possible ; the objects being to secure the King's safety, and to save as much suspense as possible to Queen A melie. Orders to that effect were at once issued ; and the Duke of Wellington and Colonel Bouverie immediately started at half-past four o'clock for town, to forward the necessary arrangements. Meanwhile, the royal party repaired to the house of Mr. Grant, the Storekeeper, in the Vic- tualling-yard, where refreshments had hastily been prepared ; and there they remained for some hours. It was observed, that in spite of all these mischances and inconveniences the whole party were merry, and that every now and then a hearty laugh came from the room in which the principal persons were. The soldiers had already been dismissed from their irksome exposure to the weather ; which had also driven away most of the spectators.
At a quarter past seven o'clock, the King of the French and the Due De Montpensier took leave of the Queen and Prince Albert, and set out by the railway for London, accompanied by the Count De St. Aulaire and part of the suite ; the remainder having been sent on board the steamers of the squadron. There were still many spectators at the station to cheer the King ; who acknowledged the salute with his usual courtesy. After fresh delay, in fitting the luggage and providing places for the suite, the train started at a quarter to eight o'clock.
It reached Nine Elms station at half-past ten. Here the King was received by some of the Directors, and by Sir James Graham, who con- ducted the King and the Duc De Montpensier in a royal carriage to the New Cross station of the South-eastern Railway ; the rest of the suite following in other carriages. At this place a new disaster appeared. A large building at the New Cross station was on fire. The flames had been raging for nearly two
hours, and by that time great part of the banding was destroyed. The scene, on the arrival of the King, was striking : the roaring names shed a glare on all around; firemen and the officers of the Company were run- ning in every direction ; and the thumping sound of the engines at work mingled with cries of direction or warning and the shouts of welcome to the King. The pageantry of the Royal progress was an unwonted incident in such scenes. The glare of the flames was reflected in the helmets of the escort ; the King had to pick his way over the hose of several engines ; and in the midst of the turmoil and the destruction of property the presence of royalty was marked in the crimson carpeting laid down on the platform, and in the deferential attendance of Directors, forget- ting every duty but that of expediting the departure of the special train. With his usual considerate manner, King Louis Philippe expressed his regret at the disaster, and his hope that the Directors were well insured. Having taken leave of Sir James Graham and the Count De St. Aulaire, the King once more set out, at a quarter past eleven o'clock ; but in the confusion it was found impossible to provide carriages for the whole of the suite, and the remainder, with the luggage, followed two hours later.
The King arrived at Dover at half-past two o'clock on Tuesday morning, and took up his lo lging at the Ship Hotel. There he was re- ceived by Colonel Jones, Commandant of the Garrison, and Captain Mer- cer, Commandant of the Naval department ; who, with Captain Stnithet, of the Princess Alice packet, were invited to sup with his Majesty and the principal persons of the suite. At daybreak, a royal salute from the batteries announced to the puzzled inhabitants some unexpected event : Dover was soon in a commotion ; the news of Louis Phi- lippe's arrival flew from mouth to mouth ; and the Corporation hastily assembled to prepare an address. Meanwhile, a deputation waited on the King to know when he would receive the address ; and ten o'clock was named. The weather was very bad ; the Corporation entered some eight or ten cabs, and went in that strange impromptu procession to the hotel. The King was not ready to receive them, and they waited in the coffeeroom nearly an hour before they were admitted to the pre- sence of the King ; who stood in the midst of his Ministers and suite. Some ladies were also allowed to enter the room as spectators. The address having been read by the Town-Clerk, the King replied as follows- " Mr. Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the ancient town of Dover, I leave this country with a heart deeply impressed by the general greeting which I have received from, and the feelings which have been evinced towards me by, all classes of her Majesty's subjects ; above all, by the many tokens of friend- ship and affection which I have received from her Majesty. They give me a favourable opportunity of manifesting towards your country those sentimenta of amity, so essential to the maintenance of peace and to those good under- standings between the two countries which have ever been the aim and object of my policy. I am most happy to find these sentiments congenial to the wishes of the British nation ; and I have no doubt but that they will be appreciated in my country. Two such nations, mutually calculated to be of so much ad- vantage to each other, will, I trust, equally estimate what I have so deeply at heart, and what I have ever so deeply felt." We copy this document from the Morning Chronicle ; whose corre- spondent accounts for the Italic type by relating a little incident- " On being respectfully asked if a copy of the reply could be furnished to the Corporation that it might be enrolled in their minutes, his Majesty expressed
his regret that no copy had been prepared ; but, seeing me close to the Mayor, with my note-book in my hand, his Majesty inquired if I was present in con-
nexion with the press ? On my stating that I was so, on behalf of the Aforn- ing Chronicle, the King expressed a desire to revise the copy of his speech pre- vious to its being made public. I accordingly furnished it to his Majesty as speedily as possible ; and received it back with corrections, which I have printed in Italics."
Having conversed with the deputation, and said a few words of com- pliment to the ladies, the King retired, and took a hasty breakfast It had been arranged that he should cross the Channel in the French Post- office steamer Nord, which was laid alongside of the pier about eleven o'clock. On learning that the steamer was ready, without waiting for carriages that had been ordered, the King sallied out on foot, with all his suite, and walked in the mud and under a pelting shower to the steamer. Hearty shouts and other marks of loyal feeling greeted him
wherever he appeared; and he repeatedly uncovered as he bowed to all. On board the steamer, the Count De Jarnac, who had accompanied the King from London, took his leave ; and soon after the vessel left the harbour, under a royal salute. Several of the suite and great part of the luggage went on board the Princess Alice, which followed the French steamer. Two other English Government steamers, the Ariel and Swallow, attended the Nord as an escort, and put to sea with it ; the weather being still boisterous and squally.
Soon after Louis Philippe had taken his leave on Monday evening, the Queen and Prince Albert entered an Admiralty barge, and went on board the Albert and Victoria yacht ; which, at the moment that the Queen stepped on board, shot forth one dazzling blaze of blue stars. That night, the Queen and Prince remained on board in the harbour. Before eight o'clock next morning, Sir George Cockburn, Admiral Bowles, and Mr. Corry, Lords of the Admiralty, came on board to pay their respects, and remained in attendance. At eight, the yacht's moor- ings were cast off, and it steamed out of the harbour. It had beer] pre- ceded by the Caiman French war-steamer and Favourite brig; and it was attended by several vessels belonging to the Royal Yacht Club. As the steamer went on its way, it was saluted in the usual fashion by the vessels at anchor, with gnu and flag; the French war-ships, Inflexible and Belle Poule, which had arrived on Saturday, saluting after the manner of their navy, with full broadsides. At Spithead, the yacht made close to the Gomer ; and, notwithstanding the rough weather, the Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by Lady Gainsborough, Lord Liverpool, and the Lords of the Admiralty, went on board. The Gamer is a war- steamer of the largest class, exceeding any steamer of the English navy in size, and powerfully armed with guns of a heavy calibre : and it was temporarily but splendidly fitted up for the use of the King ; forming a complete contrast to the smaller, unarmed, plainer, but luxuriously fitted-up Victoria and Albert. The Queen and the Prince were received by Vice-Admiral Baron La Susse, Captain Goubin, and the other officers of the ship ; and were conducted over it, minutely viewing every part. Her Majesty seemed to be much struck with its size and power. After partaking of a dejeitner provided by the Admiral, and remaining on board for nearly an hour, the Queen and her party returned to their own yacht ; the French war-ships again thundering forth salutes, and man- ning their yards as the yacht passed; a compliment which the Queen acknowledged by bowing and the Prince by taking off his hat. The Queen and Prince Albert landed at Cowes, which was crowded with vo- ciferous spectators, at twenty minutes past eleven o'clock ; and, entering a royal carriage, proceeded, with a very small suite, to Osborne House. A sailor, who is supposed to have been intoxicated, rudely suffered his boat to touch the royal barge as it reached the shore; and the inhabit- ants were in fear lest the discredit of the act should attach to the whole of the place. The Queen, however, treated it as an accident, and did not appear at all discomposed.
The Lords of the Admiralty returned to Portsmouth in the Comet steamer.
On Wednesday, the Queen and Prince Albert took a short cruise in the Albert and Victoria yacht, which lay off the grounds of the house ; and on Thursday they embarked again, and proceeded towards Hyde, on a more extensive cruise ; passing Spithead in the course of it. Yes- terday, another trip was taken. The Royal couple have constantly been seen walking about the grounds and beach.
Poneys had been brought from the Scottish Highlands, for Prince Albert in his shooting excursions ; and they have been used.
It was understood that the Queen and Prince Albert would remain at Osborne House until today.