The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-19 00:00:00

0143 rt ,
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[STAMPED, ld. ADDITIONAL.]

war is declared), the war shall be prosecuted by rays struck so directly and with such ardour upon ! mittee, but by the populace who lined the banks of
their Majesties the Kings of Prussia and Italy with the die that nothing but a salamander could en- the stream. Only one race was rowed while they
all the forces which Providence has placed at their dare them for more than a few minutes. Under were present, and in this a crew from Paris, com-
disposal, and neither Prussia nor Italy shall con- these cacumetancee her Majesty did not leave the posed, I believe, of three French and three Eng-
elude either peace or armistice without mutual palace, and the King having seated himself for an lisp gentlemen, defeated a Belgian crew.
consent." • iestaili upon the throne prepared for him walked I In the evening, the King and Queen and the
acmes the square to the Military Club, from the Count de Flendre were entertained at a grand
balcony of which he witnessed the " march past" banquet given by the citizens of Liege. The health
of the representatives of arts and arms. Speaking of their Majesties was proposed by the burgo-
jof arii and arms reminds me that in the centre of the master, M. F. Piercot, who dwelt at some length
LIIGE, Jinx 17. I Pim:Wilt. Lambert there had bean erected a won- I upon the advantages which Belgium had derived
The King and Queen of the Belgians, who derfill trophy, or series of trophies—in itself, or from= independentand constitutionalgovernment,
were accompanied by the Count de Flandres, themselves, a "little" exhibition—intended to re. and elicited great applause by declaring that
reached Liege shortly after 11 o'clock. The preset the value of industry. The basis of the Belgium knew what she had got, and that
old station has long been too "mall to so- struebure was a large platform, in the centre of I what she had got she meant to keep.
oommodate the traffic of the line, and • which was a plaster figure of glory, "holding in , The toast was most enthusiastically received.
new one has just been completed immediately ad- her hand " a laurel wreath, and at the four corners lln responding to it, his Majesty said that he re-
joining, which was used to-day for the first time. were similar figures, intended to represent various joiced to have the opportunity of expressing to the
It has been built principally of iron and glass, and branches of industry. Upon the platform itself • heads of establishments, and to the courageous
in style resembles the Charing-croasorCannonortreet were disposed-1 cannot say arranged—various I and intelligent working population of Liege, all his
terminus in London. No great attempt had been produces of the manufactories of the province : here solicitude and all his sympathies. He bad been
made to decorate it, the only ornaments being a a portable steam-engine, and there a group of , moved as well as gratified at seeing pass before him
few trophies formed of the national flags, and a brow° statuettes ; here a field-piece with its wheels lithe army of workmen, whose acclamations he should
dozen or two of evergreen bushes, in tubs, which adorned with rifled carbines or extra sharpened I never forget, and whose well-known patriotism
were ranged along the path which their =land there a steam plough or some equally would, he warn sure, never fail. In conclusion, he
Majesties would have to take in paining t and useful specimen of hazdwars. It was I drank to the town, and to the whole province of
from the train to their carriage. In the a woadesfnl, and I have no doubt most artistic I Liege.
principal waiting room were assembled the combination ; but I bad no time to study it and When we returned from the benquet,
the which took
Ministers of Finance, of Justice, and of Foreign fathom the whole depth of its meaning. place in the very handsome saloon of Casino,
Affairs, M. de Leussman, the governor of the pro- His majesty., progress from the peteee to the little way out of town, we found Liege brilliantly
vine, the burgomaster of Liege, General Fleury du Military Club afforded a new opportunity for the pleasure-seekingilluminated, and the strztaonfillz!owifthounadlivelynanendt
Ran commander-in-chief of the 3rd corps "rind° display of the affection of the multitude, and itxpressionfor theil;frtlinags criesof "Viverreckloi"
and of the provinces of Limburg, Luxembourg, and most frankly and heartily was that affection and "Vive la Reine." Their Majesties went to the
Liege, and a number of other gentlemen connected manifested. The young shouted and cheered at I opera, where there was a performance of Don Pas-
with the administration, either general. provincial, the very top of their voices, and the old more quale by singers from Paris, and where they were
or municipal, as well as some of the principal in- quietly invoked benedictions upon the representa- most
evlclethreuklasted ybwetilreinalence On their entrance
thew
habitants and manufacturers of Liege. There were tive of a system under which they bad grown grey performance was interrupted, and the band played
but a few ladies within the station, the represen- without having to endure the sufferings or en- I the " Brabanconne," which was repeated when
tatives of the sex having apparently preferred counter the losses which either civil convulsions or they rose to go away.
to place themselves at their windows and view foreign war must entail upon industrial popula- I The day was remarkably fine throughout, but
the cortege as it passed. The arrival of the tone. More than one of these • elders did I I the
to_dtaemperature.far too highi to. be
hot. Their
and
royal train was received with loud acclamations, observe, as we passed along, lift their hands to Majeltiest pwilmriby tht: time ctilluiteleallaves Liege, have
not only from the civilians, but, contrary to all our Heaven and invoke a blessing upon the son pad a visit to the Exhibition of Arts and Menu-
notions of discipline, from the guard of honour, of the good King Leopold, whose father factures. Afterwards we shall have the inaugura-
consisting partly of the 4th regiment of the line had kept them so long in peace and tion of the statue of Dumont and the races.
and partly of a couple of companies of the artil- security, and who himself promised to pre- I
lery of the civic guard, which was drawn up on the serve to their descendants all the advantages
platform. which they have enjoyed. Upon his arrival at the
The King and Queen remained but a short time club the King was moat warmly received by the
in the station, only stopping to exchange a few members, and after acknowledging their felicita-
words with some of the principal personages, who lions he took his place in the balcony which had
had assembled to meet them. Without any con- been appropriated to hie use. I am told that up-
siderable delay they took their seats in the carriage wards of 10,000 of the representatives of the indus-
which had been prepared for them, and drove slowly trial classes of Liege and its vicinity passed before
towards the palace of the old Bishops of Liege in his Majesty, and from my own observation I can
which there are apartments specially reserved for testify that all those who took part in the procession
the occupation of royalty. And now commenced manifested the most ardent loyalty and devotion.
one of the most genuine and ardent exhibitions of Not only did they cheer loudly and enthu-
loyalty and enthusiasm which it has ever been my elastically, but by gestures and signs, such
fortune to witness. The royal cortege after leaving as placing their bands upon their breasts,
the Rue de Guillemins' which leads immediately and then extending them towards the King, they
to the railway station, passed along the Quay and signified their willingness to do all and dare all for
Boulevard d'Avroy, the Boulevard de la Sauveniere, his sake and for that of their country. In general
the Place du Theatre, the Place Verte, and the there was little difference between the appearance
Place St. Lambert, a distance of probably at least and demeanour of the representatives of different
a mile and a half, and along the whole of this ex- trades, but a body of tanners, who, besides the
tended route were ranged crowds, consisting ordinary blue blouse, wore the brown apron die-
of all ranks and classes of the people of tinctive of their calling, passed by singing a chorus
Liege and the adjoining district, who cheered the which had been adapted to the air of the " Braban-
royal couple to the echo, and never desisted from tonne." Besides the trades there were also rept-
their manifestations of loyalty until the carriage sented some benefit and charitable associations, and
which contained them was quite out of hearing, if by no means the least interesting of these latter were
not out of sight. I have already toldyou (in my letter a number of orphan boys, who marched past carry-
of yesterday) how all the houses were covered with ing in their hands the instruments of various trades
flags, and the whole way was lined with banners to which they were being educated, such as black_
and bannerets. To-day every window had its full smiths, carpenters, or gunsmith'. Almost before
complement of occupants, mostly ladies, who the industrial procession had passed the civic
waved handkerchiefs and small tri-coloured flags in guard, who in some respects, if not in all, answer to
honour of the visitors, and in some instances indeed our volunteers, began to defile before the King.
became so excited by their loyal feelings as to shout The first corps to pass was a very fine-looking regi-
" Vive le Roi " and " Vive la Reine" almost as ment of tirailleurs, or riflemen, clad in dark green,
loudly and a good deal more shrilly than their and wearing a hat and plume similar to
sterner fellow-citizens. At intervals along the that lof the Italian Bersaglieri. I noticed
route detachments of the civic guard were drawn that not only this regiment, but all those
up in line, and the men cheered warmly as the royal who succeeded them, and whose uniforms bore
carriage passed by. About the middle of the Boule- a greater resemblance to that of the regiments of
yard de la Sauvenibre were assembled some hun- the line, had with them a due proportion of niacin-
dreds of the students of the university, and these diires, with their bright glasses and little barrels of
representatives of young Belgium gave admirable spirits (to say nothing of nether garments, the use
promise of their future loyalty and devotion to of which distinguish them from most of their sex),
their country by the hearty shouts of welcome and and in the heat of the afternoon it occurred to me
felicitation with which they rent the air. that this was a practice which, on the occasion of
It was not by shouting alone, however, that " marches out " at all events our own volunteers
the people exhibited their delight at seeing might not disadvantageously imitate. These civic
their beloved sovereign. There were no military guards, of whom about three thousand were re-
and but few police to keep the road, and the escort viewed, displayed an almost frantic loyalty.
round the royal carriage was very slight, Their Entirely neglectful of anything like military
Majesties had relied entirely upon the good taste discipline, they cheered, and some almost
and good feeling of their subjects, nor had they danced as they passed before the King. All their
any reason to regret their confidence. Along the bayonets were decorated with the national colours,
whole route there was no breach of order, no and upon these many of them elevated their shakoes
attempt to interfere with the progress of the and waved them as they went by. Nay, some of the
cortege. More than once, however, some persons— officers, seduced by bad example, or led away by
not one or two, but ten or a dozen at a time—over. their own feelings, adopted a similar course, and
powered by the excitement of the moment, rushed waved their hats on the points of their swords.
towards the carriage, shook the King warmly by the The troops of the regular army who followed them
arm, or kissed the hand of the Queen ; and in several were eV so demonstrative, but if one might judge
instances it required the utmost exertions of the from the glances which both officers and men cast
aides-decamp who were in attendance to preserve towards their sovereign, not less sincere
these enthusiastic individuals from sustaining in- in their loyalty. Of these there were two
jury from the horses or carriage of their or three regiments of infantry, and as many
sovereigns. batteries of artillery, the guns belonging
Arrived at the palace, their Majesties, after a to which were, I was assured, " according to
few minutes' retirement, presented themselves on the Prussian system." At the conclusion of the
a balcony which overlooks the Place St. Lambert, review the King was requested by the president of
the largest and finest square in Liege, and then there the club to inscribe his name in the strangers
met their eyes that which might well gladden the book, but in the course of some complimentary
heart of any monarch who values his position, remarks he proposed to become a member, a pro-
not for the power or dignity which it confers upon position which elicited the loudest applause from
himself, but for the opportunities which it affords the atanders-by, and in that capacity both he and
him of promoting the happiness and securing the the Count de Flandre signed their names.
love of a grateful people. The whole of the vast Upon his return to the palace the King gave
square was covered with an eager and enthusiastic audience to Adjutant-General Von Breuchetz
multitude, and as soon as the King and Queen ap- and M. Kuhlwetter, president of the province of
peared upon the balcony there arose from thou- Aix-la-Chapelle, deputed by the King of Prussia,
sands of throats the most earnest declarations of and to M. Vanderdoes de Villebois, governor of
attachment to all the members of the royal family. the Dutch province of Limburg, sent by the King
It seemed as though they would never tire of cry- of Holland, to congratulate him upon his visit to
ing " Vive le Roi, Vive la Reine, Vice le Conte de Liege. A great part of the afternoon was occupied
Flandre," varied with " hip hips " and " hur- with the reception of addresses from various public
rahs," and it was not till some time after the royal bodies in the Province of Liege. Among those who
party had retired into the palace that they desisted presented such addresses were the members of the
from these manifestations of their loyalty. It had Court of Appeal and the Tribunal of First Instance,
been arranged that their Majesties should witness the senators and representatives of the province,
a procession of the working men of Liege and its the members of the Provincial Council, and the
vicinity, and that the civic guard and the troops students of the University. All these addresses
quartered in the district should also defile before were couched in the most patriotic language, and
them, and for this purpose a dais had been erected to each the King replied in a few words calculated
in front of the palace, and two chairs of state had to encourage the national spirit by which they
been prepared for the reception of the King and were inspired.
Queen. Unfortunately those who had charge of In the course of the afternoon their Majesties
I the arrangements had paid no attention to the were present for a short time at a regatta which
I elevation of the sun and the heat of the season, was being held upon the Meuse, and they were most
and when the time came for the performance of this warmly received, not only by the ladies and gen-
' part of the ceremonial it was found that the solar tlemen who occupied the area reserved by the owe-