The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-02-24 00:00:00

ORDER OF TILE PROCESSION.

The procession will leave Buckingham Palace about
half-past eleven. It will pass through St. James's
Park as far as the Prince of Wales's Gate into Pall-
mall. Thence it will continue along the north side of
Trafalgar-sipare, pass tbe National Gallery, emerging
into the Strand by the street opposite Charing--
cross Hotel, continuing along the Strand until
it arrives at Temple-bar, the formal ceremony
of handing the keys of the City over to her Majesty
will there take place. The procession will then
move on through Fleet street, up Ludgate-hill, to
the west entrance to St. Paul's, where her Majesty
the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children
will alight. The illustrious party will be received by
the grand officials of state, and conducted along the
western nave to the Royal pew under the dome. The
service—which will consist of a Hymn, written for the
occasion; a Te Deum, expressly composed by Mr. John
Goss, chiefly taken from the 111th Psalm; and a ser-
mon, by the Archbishop of Canterbury—will last about
three-quarters of an hour. Upon leaving the cathedral
the procession will re-form, anchreturn down Ludgate
Hill as far as the Old Bailey. Passing along the Old
bailey on to the Viaduct, it will continue along
Holborn through New and Old Oxford-streets to the
Marble-arch, through Hyde Park, down Constitution-
hill to Buckingham Palaoe—the whole journey occupy-
ing, it is estimated, about four hours.

The Royal procession will consist of nine open car-
riages, of which the first seven in order will be filled
by the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Steward, the
Lords and Ladies in Waiting, Grooms, Equerries,
and other attendants. In the eighth carriage will
sit their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Edin-
burgh, Prince Arthur, and Prince Lecpold, and the
ninth carriage will contain the Prince and Princess
of Wales, and one of their Royal Highnesses'
children, Princess Beatrice, and Her Majesty. "If
the procession consisted only of the last carriage
(remarks The Tomes), we may be sure that wherever
it moved it would be greeted with a burst of en-
thusiasm. Nevertheless, we conf tee we are still MI.
able to see any good reason why her Majesty and the
Royal Family should not on this great occasion be
aixernpanied in their progress thrcugh the streets by

some dignitaries more fitly representative of the nation
and the Empire than a few Court official& Why
should not the Lord Chancellor and the Speaker, the
Ministers who conduct the Government of the country,
the Commander-in-Chief of its Army, the Judges who
administer its laws be invited to join the procession?
If there be a precedent in the way, which we do
not know there is, it might be breken through with
the greatest advantage. The Speaker and, Lord
Chancellor at least are to go in their State'carriages,
and instead of going alone tbey had much better
go with the precession. The Speaker is to have an
escort of one Life Guardsman, and, though no doubb.
this is all according to etiquette, it is difficult to ima-
gine anything more ridiculous than an arrangement
which sends the First Commoner of England to St.
l'aul's on a State occasion separately and under the
chit! ge of a solitary cuirassier. To make the proces-
sion as worthy of the occasion as it ought to be would
coot no one the least trouble or inconvenience, and we
venture to hope that the present arrangements may yet
be altered."

The Daily News remarks that the House .of Com-
mons made merry on Monday evening when Mr.
Ayrton brought up the report of the Committee ay.. I
pointed to look after the comfort of members on their
visit to St. Paul's Cathedral on the 27th inst. One
important fact may be inferred from the report
namely, that the ceremony will take place at midday.
The right hon. gentleman [stated that steamers would
leave the House of Commons' steps at twenty minutes
past eleven on the morning in question, and return
to the House at two o'clock. The officers ‘4 the House
will be in attendance at St. Paulo-wharf, and at
the Cathedral, to prevent imposition. The Lord
Chamberlain will issue tickets to the wives of
members ; but the House appeared to be chocked
and gricved at a fact mentioned by Mr. Ayrton.
I In reply to the Member for Hastings; the wives'
tickets are not to be transferable. Mr. Craufurd
gravely inquired whether members' wives would have
to produce their marriage certificates. Soule of the
members laughed, but Mr. Ayrton made no answer,
except that the same regulations would be applied to
the lady commoners as to the peeresses. Mr. Guest
having inquired whether unmarried members might
take their sisters, Mr. Ayrton acknowledged frankly
that the Committee had considered the accommoda-
tion of ladies a question foreign to its functions. From
a casual remark he made, it would seem that the mem-
bers and their lady friends will sit together.

Among the bodies represented in the Cathedral will
be the Church—inclpding Abe curates—the Army,
Navy and Marines; the Law, Medicine, and Science;
Lords Lieutenants, Sheriffs, and Mayors ; the Non-
conformists, Learned Societies, various Colleges, the
City of London, the Metropolitan Board of Works,
the Civil Service, the Diplomatic Body, and Fox eigners
of note.

A suggestion made in the Daily Nocs is to be acted
upon to a certain extent. Mr. Martin, the eminent
composer and conductor, is making arrangements for
et attendance of 30,000 school children in the Green-
park, as close to Buckingham Palace as possib:e.
They will sing the National Anthem on her Majesty's
return.

The Ludgate-hill committee are not without hopes
of realiring a sum sufficient not only to -decorate the
street, but to afford a surplus for the purchase of a
Bible—to be pl esented through the hands of the
Princess of Wales, to Prince Albert Victor, as a souvenir
of the day.

Signs of increased activity are manifest in all the
thoroughfares which are to be traversed by the State
proces6ion on the 27th inst. The great stand which
was in course of construction upon the Thames
Enibankment for the accommodation of 7,000 London
vestrymen and their friends, is now to be erected in
Hyde park. The sermon in St. Paul's Cathedral is to
be preached by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Ten waggon loads of timber left the Royal Arsenal
at Woolwich, on Monday morning, in charge of a de-
tachment of military artificers, to be fitted up as a
stand in front of the War office, Pall-mall, for the
accommodation of the officers belonging to that de-
partment. It is expected that the day will be observed
as a general holiday in the Government establishments,
but no orders have yet been issued on the subject. The
21st Brigade of the Royal Artillery will furnish a
Guard of Honour to receive her Majesty and the
Prince of Wales at St. Paul's Cathedral.

The committee for the decoration of Ludgate-bill
have received permission from the ComniiEsioners of
Sewers to erect the Venetian manta which for some
days past have been a subject of contention between
the authorities and the inhabitants of the different

thoroughfares. 'l 'he Committee having got their
money together, are going to work in earnest, and are
well forward with their decorations. To judge by the
drawings of the scheme which they intend to follow,
Ludgate•hill will be very prettily decorated. The
Venetian masts" of which so much has been said,
will be poles 40 feet high. Long banners will float
from them, and festoons if garlands will stretch across
the street, looped up to ropes fasteLed to the roofs of
the houses. The flowers will be only of paper, but
they will have a very pretty effect. Against the
masts will also be fixe 1 the shields of English SOVe-
reigns from Alfred to Victoria, and as Alfred's shield
is dated 872, exactly 1,000 years of English history
will be illustrated. Between the masts will he shorter
poles ornamented with Prince of Wales's plumes, and
hung with silk bannerets bearing the names of the
principal cities of the Empire, including Indian and
Colonial Capitals.

A good account is also given of the decorations for
Fleet-street. One committee have undertaken to de-
corate the street from Chancery lane to Temple
Bar, and another will do the remainder. The
latter committee have raised nearly £.550, and
have signed a contract with Messrs. Pigott, of
Bishopgatmitreet. Their plan is to fix a line of scarlet
cloth, fringed with yellow and four feet deep, between
the first and second floors of the houses for the whole
length of both sides of the street. This they consider
wi I give 'a balcony effect." Upon the cloth will be
fixed mottoes and devices, and the remainder of the
money will be spent in trophies of Hags, in Venetian
masts, and in stieamers from parapet to parapet.
The solid and expensive arch which is being erected
between the obelisks in Ludgate-circus is the work of
the City authorities, and will be a very splendid affair.
The railway bridge across the foot of the Hill is being
finely painted in bronze, and though the decorations
hereabouts will scarcely harmonize, they will show an
amount of energy and good-will, such as,.we fear, will
not be visible throughout the route.

Temple Bar has been washed white preparatory to
being clothed in the City Architect's design.

The general thanksgiving prayer will be as follows :
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we Thine unworthy
servants do give Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all
Thy goodness and loving kindness tons and to all men ; par-
tiothrly to Albert Edward Prince of Wales, who desires
now to offer up Isis praises and thanksgivings for
Thy late mercies vouchsafed unto him. We bless Thee
for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings
of this life ; but, above all, for Thine inestimable
lov% in the redemption of the world by our lord Jesus
Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And we beseech Thee, give sin that due sense of all Thy
mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful,
and that we show forth Thy praise, not only with oar
lips but in our liven, by giving up ourselves to Thy
service, and by walking More Thee in holiness and
righteous.vs all our days, threugh Jesus Christ our
Lord, to whom, wills Thee and the lloly Ghost, be
all honour anti glory, world without end. Amen.-0 rather
of mercies and God of all comfort, we thank Thee that Thou
host heard the prayer of this nation in the day of our trial.
We praise and magnify Thy glorious name for that Thou
has raised Thy servant Albert Edward Prince of Wales from
the bed of sickness. Thou castest down and Thou lifted up,
and health and strength are Thy gifts. We pray Thee to
perfect the recovery of Thy servant, and to crown Ides day
by day with snore abundant blessings both for body and
soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.