The Express.
London, England, 1849-08-13 00:00:00

TO THE QIIEEN'S HOST EXCELLENT MAJESIT.

Mostoriciout;Soversign,—We, your Majesty's most duti-
ful and loyal subjects, the mayor, aldermen, and councillors
of the borough of Belfast, beg leave to present to your Ma-
jesty oar heartfelt welcome to our shores, to return our hum-
ble thanks for the high honour of your royal visit, and to
express the earnest hope that your loyal subjects may here-
after be gratified by many similar instances of your Ma-
jesty's ciondeseension.
And we beg to suggest to your Majesty that our province
mistake many places of deep historical interest, and our
county an example of coast scenery not merely of load ode-
brity, bat famous throughout the world.
Your Majesty's town of Belfast, nAwithstanding the ag-
ricultural and commeircial difileultiis of the times, will be
found in • Mate of rapid improvement, and affording the
most satisfactory evidence of the national advantages deriv-
able from the legislative union of the empire—advantages
which are duly appreciated by a peaceful, industrious, enter-
prising, and loyal population.
May we beg leave to add that the delight which, in com-
mon with our fellow townsmen, we derive from your Ma-
jesty's visit is much enhanced by seeing you accompanied,
not only by hie Royal Highness, your illustrious consort, but
ago by some of your royal children, for they bring to our
minds the many blessings derived in pa' timea from the sc-

Her Majesty, having thus disposed of the first part
of the (*frau:tidal, stepped out upon the covered plat-
form, and, escorted by the mayor, Sir G. Grey, the
Marquis of Londonderry, Marquis of Donegal, Earl
Lortescue, &0., proceeded to the Marquis of Lon-
ilooderri's earriege, which was in attendance., drawn
by four t; reys, with outriders, and the procession began
to move. In the royal carriage were the Queen,
Prince Albert, Lady Jocelyn, and Miss Dawson, the
Marquis of Londonderry, in the full dress uniform of
the 2nd Life Guards, occupying the dickey. It is
almost needless repetition to say that, the moment her
Majesty became visible to the people, the cheering
was enthusiastic. Indeed so loud was it as greatly to
disturb the equanimity or the hones, especially
those in Sir George Grey's carriage. They
reared and plunged so fere fully under the arch
as to induce the right hon. gentleman to make •
speedy exit, pref.rring the set wily of terra firma to
the absurd notices of vehicular dignity. The crowd
here was very great, but certainly not so great as
those of Cork, and not at all to be compared to the
dense masses that had packed the streets of Dublin.
But the feeling was the same. The same anxiety to
see the Queen, and to give M r the " Cead snide
rants." By the way, I could not help noticing that
the northern., who dieeaitned all Celtic sympathies
when the rate in aid was under discussion, became
quite M'lesian in the moment of enthusiasm and ',l-
aity. Their beautiful triumphal arch, at the bottom
of High-street, bore the far-famed Celtic welcome. for
its motto, and was surmounted with an Irish harp, or-
namented with undeniable shamrock'. It would
appear that there are some affitiitiee of race after all;
for if ever there was a moment when the national,
unadulterated Irishman was brought out in full per-
fection, it is the present moment r f national jubilee.
The procession went on, followed by the muss of the
teople, through sped ms streets, adorned with hand-
some balconies, some of them decorated in the most
costly manner, and all the windows filled with well-
dressed people, until it came to the Linen-hall, which
had been must tastefully decorated in anticipation of
her Majesty's visit. Th.y ate as fend of dahlias as
the English, these people of the north, and twist them
reactfuhy with every variety of ornament. At the
Liven-hail her Majesty was re caved by the Marquis
of Downshire, the Earl of Erne, Mr. J. T. Crawford,
and the oilier members of the committee, and pro-
ceeded carefully to inspect the various stages of the
flax manufactures, from the plant in its raw state
until it was span to a fineness that made it wo:th
thirty guineas a pound. Her Majesty expressed her-
self gratified, much gratified, with the exhibition, and
gave some extensive orders for the fabrics she had
Just been admiring. Trio next visit her Majesty paid
was to the Queen's College, where the president,
Dr. Henry, the vice-president, Mr. Andrews, ar.d
several of the fellow.,_ were in waiting to conduct her
I over the building. Her Majesty, as is her wont in
all matters connected with the education of the
people, evinced the most live ly interest and curiosity,
as did also Prince Albert, in Vie affairs of the est.-
; bliehment. The illustrious couple asked minute and
searching questions respecting the prospeets of the
col ege, and, on hearing that it would r.ot open until
October, did not appear to thick it wculd be a bit
too soon. The lord president informed her Majesty
that a sort of album was being prepared, to serve as
a sort of chronicle of the history of the college, when
Prince Albert promised that .f the book were sent
to him, he would have inserted in it the
Queen's signature, as also bid own. Iler
Majesty then visited in surcession the Deaf and
Dumb Institution and the Botanic Garden, being
everywhere followed and cheered by her people, and
attended by her loyal and zealous town council, of
whom this may be as good a place as any to mention
a rather amusing anecdote : When, is the first ex-
citement of the promised royal visit, they had
valorously ordered new municipal robes, which the
tailor, as much excited as themselves, made all of one
size, the consequence was, that to-day! the shorter
of the worthy burgesses were sadly embarrassed by
the length of their robes, whilst one or two municipal
Goliahs looked like boys who had outgrown their
clothes. As usual, the mob, the natural enemies of
civic dignitaries, only laughed at the mishap. Her
Majesty, having completed her tour of inerct:on,
commenced her return, and was, if possible, more
rapturously greeted than in the morning. The people
crowded to the very house-tops, and cheered most
lustily; and the royal lady, "The cynosure of neigh-
bouring eyes," was unsparing of her gracious and
condescending acknowledgments. As in Cork and
Dublin, her Majesty became at once and universally
the object of popular affection. Like Una, she had
come to