The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-25 00:00:00

BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS, TUESDAY.
The French envoy was not present at the marriage
ceremonies. The French government was entirely
unrepresented on the occasion.
Brussels was brilliant', illuminated last night.
About 10 p.m. five of the royal carriages left the
palace to traverse the principal streets. In one of
these were the Duke of Brabant and the Count of
Flanders, attended by the Burgomaster of Brussels ;
in another the Princess Charlotte, attended by Ma-
dame Martinez. The carriages stopped at the
entrance of the Gallery St. Rupert, near the
Marche-aux-Herbes, and the young princes and
princess descended and entered the gallery. They
were welcomed with a loud hurrah, but in
the narrow passage, were nevertheless, and inevita-
bly, rudely elbowed and jostled by the admiring but
closely-packed crowd. A serenade had been given
to the royal family, in honour of the marriage, at 8
p.m., by the Royal Society of the Grande Harmonie.
To-day the festivities still continue. The great
event of the day has been, or rather it is still—for it
is not yet over—the grand historical and allegorical
eavaleade, representing the Flemish trades, corpora-
tions, communes, municipalities, and costumes of the
16th century. Immense cars, "giants," and ships,
with all quaint and curious devices, have been
keeping, during the last few hours, hun-
dreds of thousands of people in a state of amaze-
ment and merriment, and crowds are still hurrying
to other points whence the long and magnificent
recession may be viewed. Some seven or eight
" nations " were represented—each of those" nations"

comprising several trades, enlisted, in the olden time,
under the banner of some favourite saint—for ex-
ample, Peter, John, Christopher, Giles, Lawrence,
Our Lady, &c. The costumes were remarkably cor-
rect, and any one with a little imaginative power
might easily fancy himself in the scene of other days
—those days when the cities and towns of this again
flourishing
kingdom were the most wealthy and the
most thriving in Europe, and when the trade of the
world was transacted within their walls. The hal-
berdiera of Charles-Quint again appeared as it were
en the Belgic soil, and the very language
still spoken by the majority of the inhabitants of the
city, viz., the Flemish, contributed to keep up the
delusion. But the industry of our own times was
not forgotten. The lace trade and the -
for -

carriage
tad., . which Brussels is still justly celebratea,
were duly honoured, each having its allegorical car;
and the " press," "typified' by all its implements on a
towering carriage, flung amongst the assembled
crowds copies of the programme of the day. The
ear of the Belgian constitution drew forth enthu-
siastic plaudits whenever it came in sight—a hint,
perhaps, that the Austrian alliance shall not exer-
cise, any undue influence over the liberal institutions
of this country.
Last night, the old Hotel de Ville, that unique
specimen of Gothic architecture, was one blaze of
light, not lees than 15,000 lamps illuminating it.
The principal streets were also brilliantly illumi-
nated, and the Arcade, the longest and the hand-
sweat in Europe, had a fairy-like appearance, being
lighted up with Chinese lamps all down the centre
and on each side. Altogether the marriage festival of
the Duke and Duchess of Brabant has been one of
the most splendid of modern days.

BRUSSELS, WEDNESDAY.
The non-appearance at the marriage of the Duke
of Brabant of the French Minister Plenipotentiary
to the Belgian Court,—France ha►ing been repre-
sented at the ceremony only by the charge d'affaires
ad interim,—has created an unpleasant impression in
this capital, and alarmists have not failed to attach
much importance to the circumstance.