AN AMERICAN ON THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 138, 2 June 1876, Page 4

AN AMERICAN ON THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

iThe following account, of the opening of | the English Parliament we take from the Fhiladelphih Press. '~ • O A snug -little corner seat on a canopied balcony I have secured for a guinea, and bejqw me are men, women, and children (fointing and [screaming < with hbrrorjal the appalling oriish of civilians behind the military and police officers on the limited side-walks, while troops ? of .Horse Guards, and.^. three, thousand extra I ' policemen are streaming - by in continuous procession. Of coarse evjery standing-place, in: the street is occupied. On the very roofs of Government Buildingß, every window-sill, evjen the niches and abutments of the ' glorious old Abbey, where the Queen was crowned so many years ago, are v occupiad by _e f ager spectators of the gorgeous 'procession. As no one of the Royal family accompanies the Queen, ~«xcept the PrincesscofiAWales and the Princess Beatrice, there is continued exoiteiaent at [the passing ;of 'Stjate carriages with their precious contents. It is .amusing , to hear ..the <; Bpjeeches of English subjects at my aide, > utterly unconscious of the presence of' an American observer, ;" Ob I here comes the Lord- Mayor's, turn-out;'; ißjoft itj showy ? blue velvet and: orange trimming's, and what 'a> sight those flunkies are,. crowded on behind ! " The Lord-Mayor is a wonderful-looking rmao, completely obscuring, -in his enormityV the little frightened-l ooking ladies in Court toilet who. occupy with him.. his, immense carriage. What is that roar P Dr Keneally comes dashing through the streets in an .open brougham with his family, and amidst rojars of applause and, hieaes from the balconies, he springs to his, feet and uncovers his head, and salutes, the excitpd.qrowd with the cool impudence of a Lamartine. That is r the Archbishop of Canterbury's carriage — black and gold, and his attendants in black; .liveries : with pink silk fleshings. The ' AJustriWh' Ambassador dames in gold' and crimsen, his: page in: green trim: m'ings. Royal carriages .withi four and six horses caparisoned in'gold and crim- . sdn carry the different members of the household to be., in readiness for the Queen's arrival in . Westminster. The Ljght Guard, part on foot, come dancing along with heads erect, and steps, as light as a Court lady's in a minuet. These red and silver coats, whito pants^ and beautiful plumes move past me t like the rhyth'metic musio of Scott's poetic visions. Grenadiers follow in) their enormous fur hats, and the band is excelling itself in triumphant Partial airs. Ahl here are the Horse. Guards. Now the black. mass of, peo? ; ( pte surging over i Westminster Bridget and all the way through the avenues Reading to Buckingham Palace, will be lighted up by these grand sentinels, who stand , along, the line in their motionless splendor, as if meri and hprses wer e , carved, from one block pf mjarble. ~"" The Queen is coming I" I look up the street. X see a flash of gold aodalw.aving'ofi pluiines ; pursuivants,', heralds, squires, gentlemen, and grooms in waiting to her Majesty, accompanied ■I by pages and outriders, the magnifioen.t -horses, with their gorgeous caparisons, treading the ground as if conscious of the part they were playing in a royal \ pageant. And here followed the order /of procession. ' Now the 'climax' is reached, and the acclamations of the 'peoplertestify 4heir delight at .the beau-tifulodouble-chain of . cream-colored; . : >bj>rßeß, covered with gold, and led by ippges, who, on their peril, walk step "by step with the eight, coursers, bounding along while the Queen herself seems amazed at the enthusiastic shouts that greet, her pasEa^e to Parliament Halls. ' The Princess ; .of , Waljty oji the Queen's left, is Bmiling and Ipvejyi a? ever/ 'endearing' the hearts of the British peopje r by, her 'aa|iable recognition of every tribute to her lo^elineafj. princess Beatrice,' sitting: before" the \ Queen, robed in pure white,) and veiled "With filmy tulle, boWßiher acknowledge nienta to her^subjepts.wjjth; the' grace" ajid delicacy of a child. It is a touching sight — these three women <sutfr6unded by so muchjspjendor, and yet receiving with unmistakable gratification and emotion the homage of the ipporest and lowliest of the crowd. ■^•ftpTx the--,Qaeen ;tbe procession ;cpmes( in order,:; behind the* mistress of the ■,rul,es p and tfceJady-in.-waUing, as. (q\- r , lbws^:— Th.erjliprd Steward, the Lord-; ii-waitin'g : ' to, ;heri Majesty, Pages of Honor, -the: Groom of- the Robes,- f ,the Master of the Horse, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, the <3rqld Stic&j Cjaptaia of the Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arme^ th,e,Silver Stick-in. Waiting, and Jihe petd Officer in the Brigade, Wait-, iog. Now the cannon begin to roar at tjie interval of the cortege at Westminster Palace, and^ the tumult that follows beggars:- description,; I cover ,'my face, for I hear cries that will rend triy heart as well as my ears, and I only wait ; a'" chance to, escape from ; my imprison men t to mail this. meagre description to^ you of the grandest display I eyer beheld. < , E. Di M: ;