The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-23 00:00:00

MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

THE RECEPTION OF THE PELNCEM ALEXANDRA.

The committee appointed by the corporation of
the City to arrange for the reception of the Princess
Alexandra continue to devote much time and attention to
the details of the oaremoniaL At the meeting held on
Saturday it was understood that arrangements would be
made which would enable the Princess Alexandra to arrive '
off °messed on Friday night, and not at noon on Satur-
day, as ham been stated. It is probable, therefore, that1
the Princess will land at Gravesend at about ten o'clock
in the morning of. Warder., and thus ample time will be I
afforded for mach*, Windsor by daylight, and much un-
seoeseary fatigue will be spared to the illustrious visitor.
It has been arranged that the Prince of Wales and the
Princess shall, oo their arrival at the Bricklayers' Arms
Station, be received by the Lord Mayor sod Sheriffs sod
members of the reception committee, aldermen, and com-
mon councilmen, as a deputation, and that the remainder
of the corporation who may take part in the procession
shall fall in ►t the entrance to the City on London-bridge.
The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs will wear their civic robes,
and the state carriages of the Lord Mayor will be brought
into requisition to emery his lordship and his usual atten-
dant officers. The time-bmoured custom of presenting •
long and prosy address will be dispensed with on this occa-
sion. At • special meeting of the Court of Limteoancy of
the City of London, the sommittee appointed to make suit-
able szranmeneats for the romptioa of the Princess Alexandra
rsoommended that the gmeral body of the oomminioners

should be invited to attend in full dress uniform on the south
end of London-bridge to join in the procession, and that &depu-
tation, consisting of as many conambnioaers as could be
accommodated, in full dream uniform, should be selected to
attend in open carriages, with the Lord Mayor and City
authorities, at the Bricklayers' Arms railway terminus, to
receive the Princess on her arrival there ; and that the oom-
misnomers, as lords lieutenant of a county, should take
rank in the procession next below the Lord Mayor and
Sheriffs. This decision was on Saturday communicated to
the reception committee, and was acceded to, with the
exception of that part of it in which the commisaioners
claimed precedence over the off ners of the corporation.
A triumphal arch is to be erected, by the authority of
the corporation, over the dry arch of London-bridge on
the north side, and London-bridge will be decorated
throughout its entire length with Hap and trophies. In
front of the Mansion-house a gallery for 400 people will

be constructed, and the portico of the building appro-
priately ornamented. The whole of the open space within
the enclosure on the seat, south, and west sides of St. Paul's
Cathedral will be occupied by seats, rising tier over tier,
and with canopies for the accomodation of about 10,000 peo-
ple, including the Dean and Chapter, the governing bodies
of the whole of the livery companies, nearly 80 in number,
with their friends, and about 700 boys from the City of
London School and the Orphan School. Refreshmentiand
retiring rooms will be provided. The expense will be
borne jointly by the corporation and the livery companies.
Temple-bar is to be elaborately decorated, and on the even.
jog of the nuptial day that and the Mansion-house, Guild-
ball, the Monument, and London-bridge will be illuminated.
The triumphal arch at London-bridge will remain until the
marriage, and will be available for illumination
at night. The twelve great City companies will provide
that number of carriages for the procession ; some of the
minor companies will also join. The banners of the comps.
nies will be borne in the procession. There will be no display
of military force in the whole procession, and it is even
stated that, in order not to detract in any way from the
popular and spontaneous character of the movement, theme
will not be even an escort of the household brigade.
At a meeting of the vestry of St. James's parish, the
Hon. F. Byrig stated that be believed it was the intn
Mon of the City authorities to accompany the Pnacess
Alexandra not only through the city of London, but through
the city of Westminster; but he considered that the
latter city ought to receive the Princess at Temple-bar, and
thus relieve the corporation of the duty they proposed to
take upon themselves. After some discassioo, it was re-
solved, " That the High Bailiff be communicated with, and
that a committee be appointed to solicit a co-operation
of the various vestries and distrkt boards ; also to make
the necessary arrangements for carrying out the wishes of
the vestry, so that the Princess may be met at Temple-bar
by the authorities of the city of Westminster." In &mord-
ems with this resolution a deputation mated upon the re-
ception committee on Saturday, and stated that the iniuthi-
Meta of St. James's were anxious to co-operate in every
way with the City, in order to give a worthy reception to
the Princess ~..korsodra ; and it was arranged that West-
minster should be duly represented at Temple-bar by the
High Bailiff and burgesses of the city of Westmieeter, and
probably elm by the Duke of Buocleuch, who holds the
office of Lord High Steward. Along Pall-mall the win_
down and balconies of the clubs will be draped, aed the tine
thoroughfare will on this occasion present a really magnifi-
cent appearance.
. .

In Southwark every preparation is making to give a cor•
dial welcome to the princess. It fortunately happens that
at the present time, in consequence of the cutting up of the
district by the Londoo, Chatham, and Dover and the
Charing•cross Railway Companies, there are a great many
empty spaces along the route of the procession. These
have been taken full advantage of. Prominent amongst
them is the empty apace where St. Thomson Hospital once
stood. It is proposed to erect on that space a platform
capable of containing 40,000 persons, a large portion
to be appropriated to the accommodation of the children
attending the pariah schooL A little further on, in the
High-street, Borough, on the site when once stood the old
Town-hall, and upon what was celled St. Margaret's-hill,
the churchwardens and managers of St. Saviour's parish has•
resolved on erecting upon the vacant site platforms and
mats for the accommodation of the charity school children
- • ' ' "

of the parish. It baa also been decided by the Southey;
committee that a triumphal arch shell be erected at the

[TWOPENCE

junction of the Old and New Kent roads, sod another
opposite St. George's Church. It is likewise in contem-
plation to convert the arch which crosses Wellington-street
to useful purposes by decking it in holiday attire.
At Gravesend, the decoration of the town and piers will
be placed entirely in the hands of a Mr. Spelling. The
Terrace-pier will be magnificently decorated, and, when
filled with an elegantly-drained company, will hay*
a most brilliant effect. Sixty young ladies, between the
ages of 14 and IS, dressed in white, red, and blue drams,
have been chosen to act the part of flower girls, and
will matter abundance of flowers before the young bri-
dal couple. It was first proposed, in addition to fitting up
the Terrace-pier, that the sweep directly in front of it
should be partly covered over and seats erected, bat this
idea bas been abandonei, as it might interfere with the car
riages. The pavement, however, on each side to the bottom
of Harmer-street will be fitted up with seats. Along
Harmer-street, at every 40 feet on each side of the road,will
be placed high poles, richly decorated with flags and
streamers emblematical of the occasion, which will be
hung from pole to pole across the street, so as to give
the appearance of one continued gaily decorated arch.
At the top of Harmer-street, where the Milton-road and
the Grove meet, there will be a grand arch, with its four
ribs meeting in the centre, over the intersection of the
road. At the end of the Grove, facing Harmer-street, as
elegont stand will be erected, to which those who are fortu-
nate enough to obtain tickets from the corporation will
have acmes. The route will then be along King-street, the
New London-road, to St. Jame's-church, where the pro-
cession will turn off to the railway. The whole of the
houses in the streets through which the royal party is to
pus will be decorated, and efforts are being made to induce
the occupiers to adopt one uniform plan, so u to improve
the general effect. The railway station will be magnificently
decorated, the directors of the South Eastern Railway Com-
pany having wisely resolved to spare no expense. The
Kentish volunteers will take a prominent part in the pro-
ceedings, and will form one continued guard of honour
along the entire route. On landing, the Princess will be
presented by Mrs. Barns, the lady of the mayor of Graves-
end, with a magnificent bouquet, placed in an elegant
silver gilt holder, in the form of a cornucopia, decorated
with pearls and corals. The bouquet holder is a present
from the ladies of Gravesend, and will be a coldly and
Madill gift.

As some doubts appear to be entertained whether
any other than Metropolitan Volunteer Corps will
be allowed to take part in the general assembly in
Hyde-park on the occasion of her Royal Highness
the Princess Alexandra's entry into London on this
7th proximo' we are authorized to state that per-
mission will also be given to all country corps Who
may apply for it to the Secretary of State for War,
through the lord-lieutenant of the county.

Tax Qum; AND THE COVENTRY RIBZONS. —The
Queen has been pleasedto patronise the ribbon favour mann-
facture at Coventry on the °comics of the marriage of his
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Colonel Phipps hag,
by command of her Majesty, ordered several hundreds of
these favours to be supplied to the court by a firm at
Windsor, who bad the honour of submitting specimens to
her Majesty a few days ago.

With the unction of the War department the
fireworks which have remained in store at the Royal
Arsenal, Woolwich, since the peace rejoicings at the termi-
nation of the Crimean war, will be used for a grand
pyrotechnic display which will take place on Woolwich-
common on the evening of the wedding-day of his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales. During several nights of
the put week a number of these fireworks have been
tested, and notwithstanding the time they have been ma-
nufactured, they are found to be in excellent condition.
Other fireworks of a magnificent description are now being
prepared at the Laboratory department, and it is stated
that a considerable number will be forwarded for a display
in Hyde-park, and also at Windsor. On the morning of
the wedding-day royal maletes will be fired by batteries of
artillery and from the Fiagard flag-ship, and a review of
the troops in garrison will take place on Woolwich-common.
All the available flap, banners, &c., belonging to govern.
aant will be lent to the corporation of Gravesend, to be
used for decorating the streets of that town on the disem-
barkation of her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandra ;
and it is stated that arrangements are being carried oat
which will enable the artisans at the Royal Arsenal to
observe a holiday from the night of Friday; the Gth, to the
morning of Wednesday, the llth of Yard.

The ladies of Edinburgh are raising s subscription
fora handsome bridal giftto the princes{ and the ladies of Dub-
lin are called upon by Lady Rachel Butler to subscribe for a
like Woos& In her letter to • local piper her ladyship
says :—" One of the titles borne by his Royal Highness the
Prises of Wales is that of the Had of Dublin, and I think
that we may hope that her Royal Highness the Princess of
Weis and Countess of Dublin would appreciate • specimen
of Irish induatry,end be gratified at receiving from the
ladies of Ireland—in the shape of a complete set of the moat
beautiful late our island can produce—a pleasing proof of
the taste and skill of our manufacturers, and with it our
cordial wishes for her Royal Highness's long continued pros-
perity and happiness is her new career."

- The following letter, dated the 19th inst., has
been received by Mr. Dement, of Cowes :—" Lieutenant-
Generalilys presents his compliments to Mr. Dement,
sad in reply to Lis letter, inquiring whether the Priam sad
Princess of Wales will laud at East Cowes or at Osborne
landing place on the day of their marruge, begs to inform
him that as at present arranged their I :coy id Highnesses will
land at Past Cowes."