The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-08 00:00:00

THE ROYAL VISIT TO GUILDHALL

THE PREPARATIONS AND REGULATIONS.

The chaos which bag reigned in and about the
Guildhall for the last month was reduced to some-
thing like order late ou Saturday night, when the
general effect of the decorations was tested by a
thorough lighting up of the buildings. The flying
platforms with their loads of busy painters that had
been so long clinging against the lofty roof of the
old hall were lowered, like balloons, about nine
o'clock, the ladders and ropes were cleared away,
and the gas was set flaring iu every direction. The
result was most satisfactory. The rich colours laid
on with no sparing hand under the direction of Mr.
Crace ou every available inch of wall shone out
as brilliantly under the new light as any of Mr.
Beverley's artistic triumphs and pantomimes. The
indefatigable entertainment committee, with Mr.
Truscott at their head, made a tour of in-
spection later in the evening—looking into
every stray nook, police court, council cham-
ber, or lumber closet, giving hurried directions
I for a little more drapery here, a classical bust there,
or a fountain, a shrubbery, or a picture to be placed
in corners usually devoted to the stern details of
corporation business. The ingenuity with which
old sooty fireplaces were turned into overflowing
bouquets of flowers—iron safes were concealed by
drapery, and small dark passages were made to
appear vast and light by a plentiful casing of
mirrors, is worthy of all praise. Every corner of
the old hall presented the appearance of a house
turned inside out, in preparation for an evening
party. The crypt—that fine old, damp ill-ventilated
Gothic vault—restored to something like its original
architectural condition by the exertions of Mr.
Bunning, was the only part of the building not
flaunting in new paint and tinsel. On former con-
vivial occasions it has been used as a supper-room,
but this time it is turned into a storeroom and
kitchen. Though the supper to be served to-night
will be cold, a vast deal of preliminary cooking is
required, and this has rendered the lower parts of
the building savory for the last 48 hours.
The new buildings erected in Guildhall-yard,
which comprise a reception-chamber on the ground-
floor, and a large supper-room above, were nearly
completed by midnight on Saturday. As soon as
the painters and carpenters were cleared out, the
waiters entered, and the tables were laid out for the
banquet. The minor supper-rooms, erected on the
same level in the law courts, were even in a more
forward state of preparation, lighted with gilded
chandeliers, and decorated with pink and white
calico. The council-chamber, set aside as a supper-
room for the Prince and Princess, and sixty chosen
guests, was still in the hands of the car-
penters and upholsterers, though the whole
of the work in this part of the Guildhall
will doubtless be got through by noon to-day. The
antechamber of this apartment—fitted up in a
Cremornelardens style with a picture of the Prin-
cess's late home in Denmark, set in a cavern frame,
and lighted with footlights—seemed to attract the
chief attention of the numerous privileged visitors.
Some of the workmen on duty were amusingly sen-
timental about this picture, and one described it
to the lookers-on much in the style of a street
showman. He was particularly anxious to impress
upon the visitors that the young lady on the lawn
in the picture was the Princess Alexandra, and that
she was precisely in that position when the Prince
of Wales first saw her from the drawing-room of
the mansion.

The lighting up of the Guildhall—the chief ball-
room—has led to many alterations in the arrange-
ment of the lights. The bows of gas jets, which
were intended to mark the arched line of the win-
dows at each end of the ball, have been abandoned.
They blistered the new paint, and brought down
the tinsel stars in fluttering clusters from the roof.
The perpendicular hooped lights at each bunch of
banners were also felt to be objectionable, and these
will doubtless be altered. The tone throughout
will be gay and brilliant, and the general effect will
atone for any faults of detail. The short time given
to Mr. Crace, and Mr. Taylor, the City painter, to
execute the work, must be taken into consideration
by all artistic critics.
Their Royal Highnesses are expected to arrive at the
Guildhall at nitre o'clock, when they will be received by the
committee appointed by the corporation, who will precede
their illietrious guests., making the circuit of the hall along
a apace enclosed by silken ropes, and conduct them to the
dais in the following order :

H. Field, Esq. H. H. Heath, Esq.
E. Burkitt, Esq. W. Hartridge, Esq.
G. Cuthbert, Faq. W. Lawley, Esq.
The Chairmen of Sub-Committees :

John Kearns, Esq. Lowman Taylor, Esq.
The Town Clerk.
Sheriff Jones.
Alderman and Sheriff Lawrence.
The Chairman of the Committee :
F. Wyatt Trmoott, Eaq.
Alderman Gibbons.
Alderman Abbiu.
Alderman GabrieL
The Recorder.
Alderman Carter.
The Swordbearer. The Macebearer.

Ilia Royal Bigheads the Prince of WALES, with the Lady

Mayoress.

The Lord Mayor, with Her Royal Highness the Princess of
WALES.
Suites of their Royal Highnesses
and of the Lady Mayorees.

The Guildhall will be open for visitors at six o'clock, and
it is scarcely necessary to sty that on those occasions all
visitors honoured with invitations are bound in strict
politeness to be present before the hour fixed for the
arrival of the royal guests. At half-pest eight all approaches
to Guildhall will be closed to the carriages of visitors until
after the arrival of their royal highnesses. At the foot of
the dais the freedom of the City will be presented to his
royal highness, enclosed in a casket of solid gold. The first
supper will be served for the general guests soon after 12,
and the second about 1 o'clock.
The police arrangements, so far as they are known, are
well adapted to prevent anything like a repetition of the
confusion which marked the public entry of the Princess
Alexandra. From half-past 5 no carriage or other
vehicle will be allowed to enter or remain in Fleet-street,
Ludgate-hill, SL Paul's-churchyard, Cheapaide, or the
Poultry, unless provided with a ticket for Guildhall. The
barriers in the neighbourhood of the hall will bs closed as
early as five o'clock, and after that hour no person, except-
ing servants attending upon the carriages of guests, will be
allowed to enter or remain in Guildhall-yard or the imme-
diate ►pproaches. Carriages containing persona provided
with tickets may pass the barriers up to half-past eight
o'clock, after which time no carriage will be permitted to
do so on any pretence until the Nino* and Princess shall
have passed. All carriages with guests for the hall must
approach from Cheopside, through King-street, and set
down in Guildhall-yard. Oa leaving the ball, carriages
will pas off through Guildhall-buildings and Basinghall-
street.

In consequeoce of the serious illness of the Lord Mayor
doubts have been expressed as to the possibility of his lord-
ship being present at the ball. We are glad to be able to
state that the Lord Mayor had so far recovered from his
iodispoeition u to be able to leave Brighton on Saturday to
be present at the dinner given by Sir George Grey in honour
of her Majesty's birthday. The Lord Mayor, as head of the
corporation of the City of London, will, we have no doubt,
be present to receive the royal visitors this evening.
The royal promotion will leave Marlborough-house for
the grand civic ball at Guildhall shortly after eight o'clock
this (Monday) evening, and proceed for the City along
Pall-mall, Charing-eras, Strand, Fleet-street, Chespeide,
ka The stately e ortige will complies several of the royal
carriages, conveying the Prime and Princess of Wale., and
the *bole of their royal highnesses' honseitold, io's;:9"r
with the Duke of Cambridge, the Dowager Duchess of
Cambridge, Princess Mary of Cambridge, and suite, escorted
by • squadron of Life Guards. A guard of honour of the
Royal Artillery Company, under the command of Lord Col-
ville, will be drawn up in line at the top of King-etreet.

Sir Alexander Cockburn, Lord Chief Justice of
England, presided on Saturday afternoon at the distribu-
tion of prises to the successful students connected with St.
Mary's Hospital Medical School. In the course of so inte-
resting address, his lordship urged strongly the necessity of
a careful study of medical jarisprudeime.