The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-03 00:00:00

41

THE VOLUNTEER REVIEW AT BRIGHTON.

(711Q11 0611 OWN 117011111 a.)
BRIGHTON, Moamar Neese.
At ten minutes pest 11 the signal guns predefined
the arrival of the royal train. Hata were re to
ved, the
stiessiblage roes, and eyes wire strained to witness
the reception of 'the royal party. As far as could be
seen, the Mayor received the Prince and Princess,
and there were, with the Mayor, the Mayoress, the
lewd Lieutenant, the Brighton corporation in its
aches, and other gentlemen. The reception cere-
mony was commendably brief, and the Prince and
Princess were escorted by the Mayor to the door
of exit, followed by the Duke of Cambridge and
the Princess Mary, the Prince and Princess Ho-
hada', the Prime of Tack, the noblemen of the
suite, the corporation, and other local notabili-
ties. Without entering the elegantly furnished
reception room that had been provided at the
'tenon, the royal party, amidst cheering from the
gentlemen inside, proceeded at once to the car-
riages. Bouquets were presented to the Princesses
by the Mayoress and other ladies.
• The crowd outside was dense, almost to danger,
but they were looked after by the mounted.
Dragoons and Volunteers, who were " told oft' to
that particular duty. The first glimpse of the
Prince's bearskin, and the pale lady in black velvet
irbo walked by his side, produced a roar of welcome
that must have spent itself far away in the Channel.
The Princesses were handed into an open carriage
drawn by four horses, and the Prince, the Duke,
and the other gentlemen mounted their
in the station yard, which had been keephtari=
of the populace. The procession went through
the chief streets, the route having been changed
from the original design. The royal party
delighted with the place, and the
Domel they had experienced to it. The
cheers were everywhere hearty and loud ; not
even the keen north wind could chill them. At
two or three points the crowds were so packed that
danger was apprehended, but prompt dealing with.
the gaups who were inclined to be frightened
owed them from panic. Twice the carriage* had
to stop for a moment, and in Bedford-street a plat-
form fell with its occupants. No serious Mini/
arose from it, and it appeared to be the onlymiallep
that occurred throughout the journey. Handker-
chiefs were waved from windows and balconied
above, and hats and voices from below kept up the
acclamation from the first appearance of their
royal highnesses until the review ground was
reached. There were plenty of decorations in
every street, but they were of the customary ever-
green' bunting, and motto type, and do not require
more than a paining general notice.
The arrival of the Princess of Wales at the course,
accompanied by the Princess Mary, and attended by
her royal highness's suite, was the signal for loud
and general cheering. Spread over a long line in
the crowd just then the presence of her royal
highness was not made manifest to all at once,
but gradually as the news was carried along, the
cheer was taken up, and, minutes after the first
buret, we could notice the distant echo rolling it
beck again from the far extremity of the line.
A portion of the stand at the south end bad been
railed off and carpeted for the accommodation of
the royal party ; a few chairs were the only fur-
niture, and beyond the rail were the re-
served seats well filled with the elite of the
residents and the visitors. Immediately after
the royal party had taken their seats, the com-
mander-in-chief, accompanied by the Prince of
Aupstenburg, Prince Coma, and several officers
of high rank, took his place at the flag-staff, and
the march past commenced in the order given in
the official programme published by us last week.
The weathers which had loured, and even rained
during the entire morning, now cleared up wonder-
fully, and permitted all who were well placed to
witness a splendid military spectacle. On the hill
Was encamped the whole volunteer army, in greater
numbers than had ever assembled before, and in
magnificent order. The muster of artillery was very
strong, and all the corps present were fully repro-
sent. The bands took their places under the grand
stand, and the military music was commenced
by the band of the Ist Dragoons (Royals),
the only regulars on the ground. When all
was ready, The Duke" took his place,
Casting an anxious look, however, now and then
at the dull canopy of clouds overhead, but reso-
lutely making up his mind to face the battle and
the breeze like a true soldier. At the head of the
vast column ease the fine mounted troop of the
Hon. Artillery Company, commanded by his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales in moon, and war-
n]; his uniform of captain-general of the company.
His royal highness, having placed the Princess of
Wales in her box, had immediately mounted his
horse and at once taken up his command. The
old " Trainbands " were in unusual force and in
the most magnificent order. Their guns were
aplendidy horsed and manned, and their infantry
company marched so steadily as to be taken by one
half of the spectators for the Grenadier Guards.
After these came the let Dragoons (Royals), one of
the finest regiments of heavy. cavalry in the world.
As each troop paced magnificently past, with its
officers prancing in front and its non-com-
missioned officers steadily watching the line
in the rear, whilst men and horses seemed
to act with a perfect mutual intelligence,
the crowd raised cheer after cheer, and obviously
exulted in their regular army, which thus, in the
perfection of its drill and equipment, formed so fine
and unerring a model for their equally gallant To-
lunteers. After the cavalry had passed, the lino-
maim of infantry corps seemed almost intermin-
able, more, in fact, like • " march past " on the
Champ de Mars than an ordinary English military
pageant. It would be impossible to notice all the
corps in detail, as it would be invidious to praise
any particularly where all obviously did their
best. We must not omit, however, some mention
of one or two popular favourite's, such as the Lon-
don Scottish, who under Lord Elcho, fully sustained
their high reputation, or their sister corps, the
London Irish, whose members answered to the
inspiriting strains of " Garry Owen," with a most
elastic pad gyeeneetique. The public cheered both
vociferoualy, and kept up the welcome until the
two corps had at last passed out of sight. The
Bt. George's were in great force, and marched well ;
but the 4th Middlesex, once so "crack," were hardly
up to the mark. The " Working Men's Corps"
looked splendid in their scarlet uniforms, and their
marching evidently met the approval of the Com-
mander-in-Chief. To praise the City of London
Rifles would be to paint the lily. They are always
perfect in everything pertaining to the citizen
soldier. They made • splendid show on this occa-
sion, and along with their worthy commandant,
Major Rose, received a hearty welcome. The
various engineer corps, both town and coup ,
marched with groat precision, and, gene:all s -
ing, all the Hampshire corps might fairly
comparison with their metropolitan comrades.
Towards the end of the march past a little confu-
sion was created by the eagerness of the crowd to
break in upon the course, in order that they might
obtain a clear view of the Princess of Wales as her
loyal highness ascended her carriage to witness the
evolutions. There were two or three batteries of
gems of position still to pass the flag-staff, which the
rash of the crowd brought to a regular stand-still.
The Prince of Wales and the Commander-in-Chief,
thinking the whole of the volunteers had painted,
lad ridden away from the flagstaff ; but on being
informed that the sailors of the Cinque Porta had
still to bring up their heavy guns they promptly
returned to their poste, whilst excited sides-de-
camp rode frantically into the crowd, and at last
succeeded in obtaining some sort of clearance. The
artillery hurried on, and being the last, the crowd
could be restrained no longer, but premed in thou-
Muds towards the grand Am; carrying every.
thing—dragoons, police, royal princes, trusty aides-
de-camp, and foreign visitors—along with it. The
Primess of Wales was about to descend to her
liorriage, and this was to account for the tre-
liiiidous congestion of , humanity. The=
Caere pouring in from every side, above a
thousand in number, and their cheers were &dm!
isig as the Prime handed the Princess to her care
siege. Her royal highness graciously and repeatedly
acknowledged the viva* of the crowd, but the