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

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.