The Press. — London, England, 1855-08-25 00:00:00

AUG. 25, 1855. bers of the Government, Lord Cowley, and the foreign ambassadors had the honour to receive in. citations. At nine o'clock there was a representation in an elegant little theatre fitted up at St. Cloud, by the artists of the Theatre Francais. The piece selected by ber Majesty for performance was Les Demoiselles de St. Cyr, by Dumas, a piece which her Majesty had previously seen performed at St. James's by the same company. TUESDAY. This day her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the Prince of Wales paid a day visit to the palace and grounds of Versailles. At the town of Versailles considerable preparations bad been made to give a cordial welcome to the royal visitors. Among other matters, a very tasteful triumphal arch extended across the road at the end of the Avenue St. Cloud, near to the Gate de Picardie. Their Ma jesties and suites travelled in six carriages, and were received at the palace by Count St. Marsault and M. Remaly, the Mayor of Versailles. A long line of troops, consisting of the 48th Infantry of the Line, two regiments of Cuirassiers, and two regiments of Carbineers, formed a complete line of troops through the town and up to the palace. Owing to a somewhat indistinct announcement in the Moniteur as to the admission of the public on the day of the visit of her Majesty to Versailles, there was not so large an assemblage of persons present as there would otherwise have been. The public were, however, admitted, and not a few who were there congratulated themselves highly on the excel lent opportunity which they had of seeing Queen Victoria, and, what can scarcely be second in the eyes of Parisians, " les grandee eaux." Their Ma• jesties paid a short visit to the grand apartments of Louis XIV. and the magnificent salons of the Musee Historique, admiring many of the works of art and grand pictures which they contained. On leaving the palace their Majesties drove in the gardens to witness the display of the fountains. The grand basin of Neptune, with its lofty jets and towering columns of water, its hoary Neptune and his loved Amphitrite, its nymphs, its tritons, and its dragons throwing forth their gaceful and varied jets of water, was greatly admired. The basins of the Pyramid, of the Dragon, of Apollo, the fountains of the Salle du Bal and of the Colonnade, and the smaller jets so well known to the public, were all visited and duly praised. Leaving the fountains, their Majesties proceeded to the Grand and Petit Trainon, where lunch was provided for the royal visitors in the room where Marie Antoinette as a shepherdess, her husband, Louis XVI., as the bailiff, and the Comte d'Artois as "le garde-chasse," were wont, in days of yore, to unbend their minds from the cares and burdens of State and royalty. In the evening the state visit of her Majesty and the Emperor to the Grand Opera contrasted greatly with the comparatively quiet trip to the Palace of Versailles. The whole line of the Boulevards was illuminated, the streets were thronged, and once more a grand ovation, as on the entry of her Majesty, was paid to the august visitors. The whole distance from the Champs Elysees to the hotel was one blaze of light. The entrance to the Opera was tastefully dressed with crimson velvet and gold, and illuminated by festoons of gas, which appeared to support the rich drapery. At the top of the drapery there was an enormous golden eagle with extended wings, and the steps of the Opera had been converted into a garden of the richest and choicest flowers. The grand entrance was ornamented with orange-trees and vases of flowers. In the midst of the fairy-like scene which the grand entrance displayed figured the beautiful gold candelabras with which the director of the Opera preceded their Majesties, and con ducted them to the state-box. The staircase was ornamented by rich tapestries, with garlands and festoons of flowers, and mirrors on every side reflected the enchanting beauty of the scene. Seats were erected in the grand foyer, which were filled by elegantly-dressed ladies. in the Opera itself, the salle for the reception of the royal visitors was fitted up with imperial splendour and exquisite taste. The front was formed of embroidered crimson velvet draped with golden cords ; on the top in the centre was the imperial eagle, and at each corner the arms of England and France. Cent. Gerdes in full uniform formed a guard of honour at each side of the imperial salle and also at each side of the stage during the performance. At about twenty minutes after eight o'clock the illustrious visitors entered the theatre, and her Ma jesty entering the salle leaning on the arm of the Emperor, and the Empress on that of Prince Albert, was the signal for loud and continued applause and " vives." Her Majesty and the Em - mrire white dresses, richly trimmed with lace. the ribbon of SO Order of the tare of diamonds. The Empress iagniflcent tiara and suite of bril iperor was in the dress of a general the ribbon of the Order of the ' lbert in the uniform of a field. m ar- press wore white drE Her Majesty wore • Garter, and a fine tiE also wore a most mai liants. The Empen of division, with thl Garter, and Prince All THE PRESS. shal, with the grand cordon of the Legion of Honour Both her Mtkiesty and the Prince were looking re markably well ; the Empress, however, appeared to be suffering considerable indisposition, and its effects were strongly marked upon her beautiful and inter esting features. Her Majesty and the Empress, seated side by side, occupied the centre of the box. By the side of her Majesty was seated the Emperor, and Prince Albert by the side of the Empress. The Prince Napoleon sat on the right of the Emperor, and the Princess Mathilde on the left of Prince Albert. The piece selected by her Majesty for perform ance was the ballet of La Fonti, a piece which has for some time been a great favorite in Paris. It is a ballet pantomime in six tableaux by M. Idlazilier, and the music, which is very graceful and pleasing, is by M. Theodore Labarre. It was first represented at the Opera on the Bth of January, 1855. The dancing of La Fonti (Mme. Rosati) was graceful and exceedingly beautiful, as was also that of Mlle. Plunkett. In the first act of the tableaux M. Merante, Mme. Rosati, Rousseau, and were the principal artistes; in the second act M. Bauchet, Mlle. Plunkett, and Mine. Rosati. The remainder of the performance consisted of a trio from Guillaume Tell, by Gueymard, Obin, and Merly ; variations of Hummel by Mlle. Alboni ; duo from La Reine de Chypre, by Roger and Bonnehee; bolero from the Vipres Siciliennes, by Mlle. Cruvelli. Mlle. Alboni was in magnificent voice, and her florid and graceful variations were warmly applauded by the audience, her Majesty joining in the applause. The famous bolero, from the new opera of The Sici lian Vespers, was also charmingly sung by Mlle. Cruvelli, and evidently appreciated by the illustrious visitors. Gueymard, as Tell in the Swiss trio, was unusually fine ; and in the noble duet from The Queen of Cyprus, MM. Rogers and Bonnehee well sustained the interesting characters assigned to them. At the conclusion of the ballet the whole of the artistes of the Opera assembled on the stage and sang the National Anthem, a scene in the background showing a beautiful representation of Windsor Castle. The solo passages of the anthem were sung by Mlle. Cruvelli and Mlle. Alboni. At its conclusion her Majesty was about to retire, when the National Anthem was most vociferously encored, and, amid repeated cries of " Vivo la Reine !" for which her Majesty gracefully curtseyed her acknowledgements, the whole of the illustrious visitors returned to the front of the salle, and once more the simple strain of " God save the Queen " resounded through the magnificent Grand Opera, a very large number of the French portion of the audience joining in the chorus. It was half past eleven when the royal and imperial party quitted the theatre, amidst the plaudits of the assembled multitude outside. By midnight they were safely housed in St. Cloud. WEDNESDAY. According to prearrangement, the first visit of her Majesty to the Industrial Exhibition took place on Wednesday. The royal party arrived in front of the palace at about a quarter-past eleven o'clock, amidst cries of " Vive la Reine " and " Vive l'Empereur " from the crowd gathered around. Her Majesty was received on alighting by Prince Napoleon, whom she cordially saluted. Then, taking the Emperor's arm, she entered the palace, repeatedly bowing to the commissioners on both sides of the vestibule. As she advanced into the building she was received by loud and ardent cries of " Vive la Reines' The Emperor first led her to the transept, where she paused for a moment to take a glance at the magni ficent coup d'cril which it presents. Then, turning to the right, the illustrious party ascended by the French stalls and turned into the courts containing the bronzes of France. They quitted the French court by Froment Maurice's stall, after having first stopped to admire the tine productions of that great silver. smith. Proceeding onwards, until they reached the top of the transept, they turned to the left, and there gave a passing glance at the productions of Prussia. Passing on to those of Austria they stopped for a mi nute or two to examine the stall containing the glass of Bohemia. They next looked at the productions of Belgium and the United States. Then proceeding onwards they arrived at the stall of Meyer, the Emperor's jeweller. Here her Majesty seemed greatly to admire some diamond snuff-boxes prepared by that firm. They next turned into the court con taining the splendid furniture of Fourdinois and other French ,makers, and then visited the court of El kington and Mason, in the English department. Descending a little way the gallery at the back, they crossed another court and returned to the transept, just opposite the English marine trophy. They then proceeded down the transept to the porcelain cases of Copeland, Daniel, and others, and passed from this spot into the court set apart for the pottery and porcelains of Staffordshire. Here the productions of Minton and Co., and of Wedgewood attracted their no tice. Passing through the Sheffield court, they entered the Manchester department. An English organ near this ispartment pealed forth the notes " God save the Queen ;" and a number of her own subjects here gave her Majesty a vigorous English "Hurrah." The illustrious visitom then ascended to the French compartments. Arrived at the trophy of war, which contains the new cannon invented by the Emperor, the Queen seemed disposed to pause here, but was gently led on by his Majesty, who probably wished to avoid any appearance of courting a personal compli ment. I'rince Albert, however, stopped and examined the contents of the trophy with much apparent inte rest. After a glance at the trophy of the " Industrie Parisienne," and at the bronzes of Barbedienne, her Majesty seemed to examine with some interest the diamonds of M.Halphen. The illustrious party now quitted the palace by the great door leading from the transept to the Rotonde. Having advanced a little, they paused for a moment in the garden to the left, and there enjoyed the fresh air. They next passed round the pourtour of the Rotonde, and afterwards advanced into the Rotondo itself. Here they remained for a considerable time examining the famous jewels of the French crown, and then stopped to admire the magnificent produc tions of the manufactory of Sevres, and the suberb tapestries of the Gobelina and of Beauvais. The inspection of the Rotonde being over, her Majesty sat down on a bench ; but chairs having immediately afterwards been brought, she occupied one of them while the Emperor sat on a bench by her side. The august party here partook of choco late and some other light refreshments. They next proceeded to the Annexe, through which they advanced somewhat rapidly, and indeed they even left a large portion of it altogether un visited. They then passed out by its eastern door way facing the Place de la Concorde. Here they again entered the royal carriages at half-past one o'clock and proceeded to the Tuileries. During the whole of this visit her Majesty seemed much interested and pleased, and the Emperor was most affable and gracious. The Queen frequently conversed with Prince Napoleon, and received from him, from time to time, explanations with respect to the various objects which attracted her notice. Some slight inconvenience was occasionally felt from the pressure of the large crowd of commissioners, or their friends, who followed the royal party. While the Queen was in the Rotonde, the Marquis of Breadal bane and some other members of her suite were shut out from her for some moments. The august party lunched at the Tuileries, and probably went over the principal rooms of that sump tuous palace. After some time spent there, her Majesty proceeded in a close carriage, with an equerry of the Emperor riding in attendance, to the hotel of the British embassy, the principal apart ments of which she examined with attention, and afterwards received some English persons of dis tinction. She then returned to the Tuileries, and Sejoined the Emperor. Prince Albert, in the course of the afternoon, paid a visit to Prince Napoleon at the Palais Royal, and then came back to the Tuileries. After a short period of repose the cortege returned to the Palace of St. Cloud, where in the evening there was a grand dinner of sixty covers, and afterwards a performance in the theatre of the palace by the artistes of the Gymnase, the piece represented being Le File le Famille, with M. Bressant lending his assistance. RETIREMENT OP THE SPEAKER.-It has long been reported that the Right Hon. 3. Slum Lefevre, Speaker of the House of Commons, was likely to re ceive the honourable reward for his long and inde fatigable services, by being promoted to a peerage. During the last few weeks these rumours have assumed a more tangible shape, probably on account of the right honourable gentleman's health having apparently been affected by his arduous and respon sible duties. It is now stated that her Majesty's Government will offer the Speaker a peerage, under the title of Baron lieckfield, taken from the right honourable gentleman's estate in Hampshire. Several honourable members have been mentioned as the probable successors in this honourable post. Amongst others, Sir George Grey and Mr. Baines. THE RIGHT Hort. E. P. BOUVERIE, who has been appointed President of the Poor-law Board, was re-elected member for Kilmarnock on Thursday week. There was no opposition, and Mr. Bouverio himself was not present at the proceedings. LORD Jour; RUSSELL has purchased Hill-house, Rodborough, near Stroud, until lately the seat of Sir John Dean Paul, Bart., and intends making it his country residence. "By some," says the Gloucester Journal, " political motives are attributed to the noble lord in fixing his residence at Stroud. It will be remembered that he sat in Parliament for the borough from 1835 till 1841." Mu. EDMUND WODZHOUSE, late M.P. for East Norfolk, died on Tuesday, at his residence, Thorpe, near Norwich. The hon. gentleman represented Norfolk from 1817 till last June, when he retired in favour of Mr. H. Stracey. In politics he was a strict Conservative. inffiniAMMEMIINIMMIIM.