The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-18 00:00:00

gout ant lastion.

HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO FRANCE.
ACCORDING to the arrangements for this visit the
Queen wag to embark in the Royal yacht at Osborne
yesterday (Friday) evening, and start thence this
morning about six o'clock, or in time to arrive at
Boulogne at about half-past one o'clock. The dis-
tance is about 110 knots. The passage is expected to
occupy about seven hours. Allowing the Royal yacht
to run the distance in the given time, she will be at
Boulogne just in time to get into the harbour with the
first rise of the tide. Preparations for her Majesty's
reception at Boulogne, and elsewhere on the route to
Paris, have been actively making. The town autho-
rities of Boulogne are having constructed a triumphal
arch opposite the Customhouse, where the landing
will take place. The Northern Railway Company is
erecting another at the terminus. The terminus of
Boulogne will rival in decoration that of Strasburg.
Ornaments for it have been sent off from Paris
several times a day. The Emperor was to leave
Paris on Friday at one o'clock for Boulogne, to re-
ceive Queen Victoria. Their Majesties will leave
Boulogne early in the afternoon of to-day. It is
thought that there will be a short stop at Amiens,
and that the principal authorities will be admitted to
Qresent their homage to the illustrious party. The
ueen will make her entrance into Paris about six
o'clock in the evening, and will proceed from the
Strasburg terminus to the Palace of St. Cloud. The
following is the route of the royal cortege :—Boule-
vard de Strasbourg, the Boulevards from the Porte
St. Denis to the Madeleine, the Rue Royale, the
Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysees, the
Avenue de l'lmperatrice, the Bois de Boulogne, and
the Pont de St. Cloud.

A quantity of splendid fruit has been despatched
to the imperial palaces in Paris and its vicinity from
Southampton, vitt Havre, for the use of the Em-
peror's royal visitors.
The Marchioness of Ely will be the Lady-in-
waiting in attendance upon her Majesty during the
approaching royal visit tc the French Court.
The following programme has been published of
the arrangements made for each day's proceedings
during this brief but memorable visit :
SATURDAY, 18.—Progress through Paris and arrival at
St. Cloud, as already announced in the 3fonileur.
SUNDAY, 19.—Rest. At 6—Dinner en famine. At half-
past nine—Concert of the Conservatoire de Musique
(sacred music).
MONDAY, 20.—At 9—Breakfast at St. Cloud. At half-
past 10—Start in carriages for Paris. At 11—Visit to the
Exposition of Fine Arts. At 2—Lunch at the Elyeee.
At half•past 2—Reception to the Corps Diplomatique.
At 3—Visit to the Sainte Chapelle and drive on the Boule-
vards. At half past s—Return to St. Cloud. At 6—Rest.
At B—Dinner of 00 covers. At 9—Theatricals at St.
Cloud. Representation of the Theatre FlSticSiS.
TUESDAY, 21.—At 9—Breakfast at St. Cloud. At half-
past 10—Start for Versailles. At 2—Lunch at Trianon.
At half-past 3—Return to St. Cloud. At balf•past 4
Rest. At half-past 6—Dinner en female. At half-past 7
Start from St. Cloud. At $--Visit to the Grand Opera.
WEDNESDAY, 22.—Breakfast at St. Cloud. At hslf-past
10—Start for Paris. At ll—Visit to the Universal Exhi-
bition. At 2—Lunch at the Tuileries. At half-past 4
Return to St. Cloud. At s—Rest. At S—Dinner of 60
covers at St. Cloud. At ti—Theatricals at St. Cloud
by the artistes of the Theatre Ida Gymnase (Le ills de
famille).
THURSDAY, 28.—At 9.—Breakfast at St. Cloud At
half-past 10—Visit of Prince Albert (alone) to the Exhibi
tion. At half-past I—The Queen to start for Paris. At
2—Lunch at the Tuileries. At half-past 2—Visit to the
Picture Galleries of the Louvre. At s—Rest. At 7
Dinner en 'milk at the Tuileries. At 9—Grand ball at
the Hotel de Ville.
FRIDAY, 24.—At 2—Breakfast at St. Cloud. At 11—
Start for Paris. At half-past 11—Grand review in the
Champ de Mars. At 2—Lunch at the Ecole Militaire.
At half-past 2—Visit to the Hotel des Invalides. At half-
past 3—Visit to the Universal Exhibition. At half-past
s—Rest. At I—Dinner en fatnilk at the. Tuileries. At
half past B—Visit to the Opera Comique (Auber's
Ilairlic).
SATURDAY, 25.—At 9—Breakfast at St. Cloud. At 11—
Start for St. Germains and drive in the forest. At
3—Return to St. Cloud. At 4—Rest. At 7—Dinner en
famille.
SUNDAY, 20.—Rest.
MONDAY, 27.—Departure for England.

At a Privy Council held by the Queen on Monday
Mr. Robert Lowe, Mr. Wm. blonsell, the Hon. Wil-
liam Cowper, and Rear Admiral the Hon. M. F.
Berkeley, were sworn members of the Privy Council,
and took their seats at the hoard.
Windsor Revel took place yesterday, and has re-
ceived the patronage of her Majesty, Prince Albert,
the Duchess of Kent, and a host of the neighbouring
gentry. Extensive preparations were made, and
many of the leading men of the day contended in the
games of single-stick, wrestling, hurdle racing, and
jumping. In the evening dancing and fireworks
formed the grand feature.
An official dinner was given on Wednesday at
Albert-gste Hope br his livaleacy the kotaiisador

782

of France, on occasion of the fête of his Imperial
Majesty the Emperor of the French. The company
consisted of Viscount Palmerston, the Marquis of
Lansdowne, the Earl of Clarendon, Viscount Har-
dinge, the Count de Flahault, Sir Charles Wood, Sir
George Cornewall Lewis, and a large muster of mem-
bers of the corps diplomatique.
A letter from Rome says that the Duke of Nor-
thumberland has spent an enormous sum of money
in the purchase of a small number of pictures. In
one of them the figures are painted by Gian Bellini,
and the landscape by Titian. The Government, for
granting the requisite permission to leave the coun-
try, have made, it is said, nearly as good a thing of
it as the Camuccini family, who sold it.
By the death of the Duke of Somerset, Lord Pal-
merston will, for the first time, have to advise her
Majesty as to the bestowal of a blue ribbon.

PEACE OR WAR.
A PUBLIC meeting was held on Wednesday at St.
Martin's-ball, convened by a Mr. Hamilton, for the
avowed purpose of freely " taking the opinion of the
public upon the momentous question of peace or
war." The attendance, which was comparatively
scanty at the opening of the proceedings, became
more numerous towards the close, while the discre •
pancies of opinion on the subject in hand among the
parties present were strongly marked and somewhat
vociferously expressed.
The CHAIRMAN, in a long, rhapsodic speech, con-
tinually interrupted by tempests of mingled cheers
and hisses, proceeded to state his opinions upon the
war, and its consequences, assuring the meeting that
he did not know the amount of treasure expended,
nor did he know how much sacrifice of liberty bad
been made ; but he would say without hesitation that
nearly five hundred thousand human lives had been
lost, and hundreds of millions of treasure wasted
already. He could not tell them what they fought
for, unless he were to utter dark suspicions; but if
the Christian religion had never been known, and
if there had been no recognition of eternal justice
on earth, there could not have been a war more
recklessly carried on ; and history, he believed,
would brand the war as an atheistical one. (Hisses
and cheering.) In conclusion, the chairman, as the
best advice he could give them, recommended the
people of England to refuse to supply to their
Government those materials of war which were only
used for their own destruction. (Uproar.)
MT. BRONTERRE O'BRIEN, after reading a furious
peace oration characterising the war as an aggres-
sion upon the part of England, and making a fierce
attack upon the Governments of England and
France, concluded by proposing a long resolution
condemnatory of the war and strongly protesting
against its further continuance. (Uproar.)
Mr. J. G. HARRIS, in seconding the resolution, ex-
pressed the assurance that it would be unanimously
adopted, and that it would have an electrifying effect
throughout the country, that the Government would
be turned out, and universal peace prevail. (Loud
laughter.)
Mr. PASSMORE EDWARDS rose to propose an amend
ment, denouncing the war "as a mockery, a delusion,
and a snare ;" but the meeting decided that this was
no amendment, and refused to hear him.
About fifteen other gentlemen, anxious to address
the meeting, then jumped to the front of the rostrum,
contending for a long time for precedence, amid a
scene of indescribable confusion. Ultimately,
Mr. HORACE ST. JOHN, whose age seemed some-
where about eighteen, obtained a hearing, and
moved as an amendment, "That this meeting re-
cognising both the justice and necessity of the war in
which we are engaged, and seeing that the great ob-
jects for which it was undertaken are still unaccom-
plished, pledges itself to support any honest Go-
vernment that will vigorously prosecute it to an
honourable and victorious termination." Mr. St.
John, in speaking to his resolution, aroused the ire
of the peace party, one of whom advanced and shook
his hand in the speaker's face, and another scene of
uproar took place which it is impossible to describe.
Afterwards,
Mr. H. COOKE seconded the amendment, asserting
his opinion that the people of England had not
abated one jot of their determination to carry on the
glorious war. (Confusion.)

Mr. W. WILKEs vehemently opposed the amend-
ment, characterising the bombardment of Sweaborg
as the crowning proof of Ministerial treachery, be-
cause it was calculated to do more harm to the Fins,
our friends, than to the Russians, our enemies—an
announcement which was met by a storm of ridicule
and disapprobation. He advised them to stop the
war until they had put down Palmerston and got
universal suffrage.
Mr. SAMUEL KvnD observed that the wishes and
ascendency of Russia could not possibly be better
promoted than by stopping the war unconditionally.
He loved peace ; but peace, iu the present state of
Europe, meant fighting and conquering Russia.
(Loud abeam) War was a great games and they