The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-27 00:00:00

INVESTITURE OF THE NEW KNIGHT OF

THE GARTER.
(FROM A MINISTERIAL PAPER.)
IN consequence of the urgency of the present political crisis, and the
inconvenience which would have been occasioned by the summoning
a Chapter of Knights of the Garter for the investiture of the Right
Honourable the Earl of Aberdeen,' it was resolved to hold a " Private
Chapel" for that purpoae. This, our readers may be aware, the head
of the Order can, by " dispensation," allow, and those who are curious
upon the subject may consult the Garter annals for precedents, as
also Giraldus Cambrensis, Boanerges, Gustave de Brerg, Planche,
Hypochondriacus, Baron Zozimus, and other authorities. An addi-
tional reason for this special arrangement is understood to have been
the fact that, although the Earl of Aberdeen deemed himself entitled
toldemand the Garter, and as under all circumstances the fountain of
honour, was not advised to reject the claim, it was most desirable to
confer the distinction in a way which should not contribute to the
object sought by the new Knight, namely, the conveying to the
public the impression that the giving the ribbon in this case was
more than a formal compliment to an elderly nobleman who had
filled and was retiring from certain offices of State.

A document entitled a " Private Chapel Garner Warrant Dimis-
sory " was therefore issued from Windsor, and placed in the hands
of the Earl of Aberdeen. Its effect was to permit him, after visiting
the ,clerk of the Order, and taking the oaths, to conduct his own
investiture at any place and in any form which mig4ht be convenient
to himself. His Lordship lost no time in tilting the presoribad
affidavits, and he then applied by letter to a great number of the
Knights of the Order, asking them to attend and assist in the cere-
mony. By a curious coincidence, they all happened to be engaged
on the night selected by the Earl. The Dukes of Norfolk and
Somerset were not very well, the Duke of Bedford had arranged to
spend the evening with Lord John Russell, the Duke of Devonshire
had gone to Chatsworth with Sir Joseph Paxton, the Duke of
Buckingham was off to Scotland to shoot, the Marquis of Lansdowne
had to join the Duke and Lord John, the Marquis of Salisbury had
special business at Hatfield, and Lords Ellesmere, Exeter, Camden,
Normanby, De Grey, Abercorn, Spencer, &c., had parties at their own
houses. But the perseverance of the Premier is not easily bathed,
and he managed to get together three individuals, a number which,
according to the rules of the Order, makes a quorum. These were
Lord Clarendon, K.G., who could hardly refuse such a favour to his
nominal chef; Lord Carlisle, K.G., who is too kind to refuse anything
to anybody, and who, moreover, preserved grateful feelings towards
Lord Aberdeen for having sent him the Garter to Turkey, to console
him for not having office ; and, lastly, Lord Clanricarde, who is not
a member of the Order, but who was enchanted :o act as proxy to the
Emperor of Russia, who is, and whose written " deputation " had
been sent over by the Czar to his friend of forty years standing.
The Bishop of Winchester, as Chaplain to the Order, was of course
required to attend ; but his Lordship being prevented by his other
ecclesiastical occupations from obeying the summons, Mr. Bright
volunteered his services. He explained that, so far as a clerical
character was required, his own success as a preacher in a Quaker
connection fully qualified him for the duty, and that " his admiration
for Lord Aberdeen's Russian policy induced him to forget, for once,
the contempt in which he held all such fooleries as that about to be
perpetrated."
The Noble Earl charged himself with the purchase of the Blue
Ribbon, which he procured in Tottenham-court-road. Upon exami-
nation he was found to have bought too short a bit, but this piece of
economy was not attended with much inconvenience, one of his
Lordship's housemaids ingeniously pinning the end ever his shoulder,
so that, while he kept his face to the company, the shortcoming was
not manifest.
His Lordship's library was fitted up as the private chapel for the
occasion. The Emperor of Russia's pennant was the only ornament,
except a large bouquet of very fine thistles, indicative of the other
national Order of which the Earl is a knight. A playful not or Lord
Clarendon, who, on seeing the thistles, said, "Oh ! we have come
into the supper-room by mistake," was received with great good
humour by the distinguished party. Some little stubbornness on the
part of Mr. Bright, who was willing to take off his hat as matter of
.
politeness and custom, but insisted on keeping it on during the reli-
gious ceremony, occasioned a slight delay t but a compromise was

A long silence followed this speech, during which _Herbert humour by the distinguished party. some utue BLltuum
motioned to Frederick Peel for a scissors. It was to cut off a lock of part of Mr. Bright, who was willing to take off his hat as matter of
his. hair. Keogh, opening his pocket-book, took from it a bill of politeness and custom, but insisted on keeping it on during the reli-
t) Flaherty's. " 4iro this to my tailor," said he, " with my parting gious ceremony, occasioned a slight delay I but a compromise Wall