The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-19 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 19, 1867.

THE CITY ENTERTAINMENT TO THE
SULTAN.

The preparations made for the reception of the
Sultan at Guildhall last evening were equal to an
occasion which was great and interesting. Having
once resolved to invite the Sovereign of Turkey
into the City, it was determined to do the utmost
to give him a worthy welcome. The Corporation
did their utmost, and their welcome was
worthy. The inhabitants of the metropolis were
delighted to behold a revival of state
entries into the City ; and the novelty of
closing up some of the leading thoroughfares for
festive requirements was once more experienced.
At four in the afternoon Fleet-street, Ludgate-hill,
St. Paul's-churchyard, Cheapside, the Poultry,
and approaches were closed and guarded by vigi-
lant policemen, whose time was fully occupied in
preventing obstinate drivers from breaking the
published rules. And to say that the traffic of
London was diverted is to say that there were
numerous obstructions and incoveniences until
the pageant was over. Crowds of persons
lined the way from Buckingham Palace,
Cheapside being especially thronged. No vehicles
but the carriages of guests and her Majesty's mails,
which were pretty numerous about six o'clock,
were allowed to appear in the prohibited streets.
The Sultan, with a full suite, left Buckingham
Palace at half-past six o'clock in several state
carrriages, and proceeded through the Strand to
Guildhall. In the park and streets loud cheers
marked the program of the cortege, and Turkish
flags and colours, side by side with the
Union Jack, might be seen here and there
suspended across the street. An escort of Life
Guards (Blues) accompanied his Majesty. The
Prince of Wales and other members of the royal
family, also escorted by Life Guards, and in a string
0: state carriages, proceeded previously to the City,
leading many of the spectators to imagine that the
Sultan had passed.
Guests began to arrive soon after four o'clock,ard
by fivenearly half of the3,oooexpected had been set
down at the entrance. Some of them went at once
into Guildhall., while others took up positions in
the reception-ball, quite willing to wait for three
hours for the chance of being in close quarters with
the Sultan and other notabilities. Gentlemen
with long white wands, tipped with golden
crescents and stars, glided about giving directions ;
others in uniforms of divers descriptions came with
clanking swords across the floor tote announced in
stentorian tones by Mr. Harker; ladies chattered and
were gracious and pleased at all around,whilework-
men put finishing touches to the preparations. The
reception-hall soon became filled, and the white
wands had to make and keep a clear
from the door to Guildhall. At six o'clock
of the guests showed symptoms of being tired, and
the arrivals of Lord Stanley, the Duke and
Duchess of Sutherland, Mr. Disraeli, Earl Russell,
and other celebrities, became matters of lively in-
terest Faint cheers were given to a few of the
guests; and in the case of the Earl and Countess
Russell the cheers were very general.

I The company came fast and thick just about six
o'clock, for between that hour and the arrival of
the Sultan no carriage was to enter King-atreet.
It was in truth a memorable thing to see the
brilliantly dressed throng within and the uniforms
without, and to catch a glimpse of crowds of the
public all eager for the appearance of the chief
guests. By-and-by a band outside struck up the
National Anthem, and the cry was " They come,
they come." It was a false alarm, however, and
the occupants of the reception-hall relapsed into re-
signation. There was nothing for it but to wait;
the announcement of an earl no longer caused

ladies to leap into their chairs ; baronets passed
without notice ; members of parliament were at a
discount. In the distance the National Anthem
was again heard, then the cheers of people in
Cheapside and King-street, then a band nearer
Guildhall took up the air, and then the good-
'humoured countenance of the Duke of Cambridge
appeared. He entered, followed by Prince Took
and Princess Teck, while the royal heralds,
Godfrey'. Coldstream band within, and another
band immediately without, produced a fine
discord by playing all at once. Prince=
Mary, as the guests would persist in call-
ing her, and her handsome, frank-looking
husband, both here and subsequently, were more
loudly cheered than any of the distinguished
visitors. A few minutes later the royal liveries
were again outside, this time the arrivals being a
number of the Sultan's suite. The Lord Mayor
and his officers, who had been stationed inside the
door for some time receiving the plaits? conducted
these gentlemen into Guildhall to wait for their
royal master. At seven o'clock there was a re-
newal of the previous excitement, and the
Lord Mayor and other representatives of
the corporation received the Prince of Wales,
Princess Louis of Hesse, Prince Louis of Hesse,
Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, and
the Grand Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg-
Strelitz. They were cheered as they passed in at
the rear of the civic procession. About a quarter
peat seven the Sultan, with a large retinue, arrived
amidst much cheering and music, the Life Guards
galloping off down a aide street without halting.
The Lord Mayor received his Majesty inside the
hall, and a deputation appointed by the corpora-
tion, consisting of six commoners, the town clerk
and sheriffs, Deputy Fry (the chairman of com-
mittee), Aldermen Copeland and Wilson, the Re-
corder, and Aldermen Besley and Lawrence. fol-
lowed by the sword and mace, preceded the Lord
Mayor and the royal guest into Guildhall.
All the chief personages upon their arrival were
conducted to the end of Guildhall, where seats
were reserved for them before the dais. Upon this
carpeted eminence there were Owed three thrones
and two velvet-cushioned chairs. Guildhall, vast
as its area is, was filled by six o'clock, and from
that time all who wished to obtain admission could
only do so through much crushing and inconve-
nience. At no time could all the guests be accom-
modated. The best known noblemen were ap-
plauded as they passed to their seats. The old
hall newly cleaned and decorated required no
special adornments to make it grand and effective.
The dais had an imposing canopy, with a conspicu-
ous array of crimson velvet, spangled with crescents
and stars, and two elegant candelabra were added
to the existing gaseliers. Beyond this, and a
few growing flowers placed over each doorway, no
attempt bad been made to decorate. The Prince
of Wales and his royal relatives passed through the
I denealy packed hall to the end, amidst general
applause, and the party broke up into groups and
ceemereed with some of the nobility. Everybody
nee whoa the Sultan was announced, and applause
spas broke forth. The Sultan seated himself on
the centre throne, and the Lord Mayor, after a
brief pause, on behalf of the corporation, pre-
sented the following address
We, the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and commoners of the
City of London, in common council assembled, desire to
offer to your Imperial Majesty the tribute of our sincere
=‘;tln common with the people of this country, we
and cordially welcome to our shores the sovereign of
• great empire, with which this nation has long been in
don alliance, and in whose continued prosperity we take
the deepest interest. We rejoice, toot to see in your
Imperial Majesty an enlightened sovereign who unites to
• arm attachment to his owe faith the desire to afford to
all his subjects the free exercise of their religion. We are
anxious to recognise the honour conferred upon ourancient
City by the visit of your Imperial Majesty on this the Hid
occasion on which yes or any of your predecessors have
elided the kingdoms of the west, and we Mud that the
effect of this visit may be to strengthen the relations
which have so long subsisted between this country sal
the Ottoman empire.

This address was inscribed upon parchment, and
enclosed in a valuable and beautifully-worked
gold casket, manufactured by Messrs. Howell and
James, and warmly approved of by the Queen
when she inspected it. The Sultan having had
the address mad to him, the following reply from

his Imperial Majesty was read to the Lord Mayor,
as the representative of the corporation :
_ . _

I aim:twoly thank the Lord Mayor,Aldermen, and Commons
of this great and noble City of London. lam happy to
proclaim the gratitude which I feel for the cordial and
hearty reception I bare met with from your gracious
Queen! my august ally, as well as from his Royal • hness
the Prince of Wales and the great English nation. have
two objects in view in visiting thin and other parts of
Europe—one, to see in these centres of civilisation what
still remains to be done in my own country to complete
the work which we have begun ; the other, to show my
desire to establish, not only among my own subjects, but
between my people and the other nations of Europe, that
feeling of brotherhood which is the foundation of human
progress and the glory of our age.

Alderman Copeland, Alderman Wilson, the
senior alderman, and others, having been presented,
the Sultan seated himself on the centre throne, with
the Prince of Wales to the right, the Lord Mayor
to the left, and the Lady Mayoress and Princess
Louis of Hesse in the end chairs. There was a large
space beneath the dais. Several hundreds of the
general aompany were seated, but an equal number
had to stand and submit to a continual crushing
that must have sadly interfered with the subse-
quent enjoyment of at least two-thirds of the
audience during the concert that followed. The
Sultan did not appear entranced with the music,
but looked really as if he were being somewhat
bored. The audience also seemed listless, ap-
plauded but faintly, and talked incessantly, partly
no doubt from the confusion arising from the
hustlers and hustled.

After the concert, the Sultan and a few of his
suite retired for a quarter of an hour, sad then re-
turning, a procession was formed from the dais to
the Council Chamber, where a magnificently
served supper was partaken of. About W select
guests were invited.
The other guests meanwhile supped in several
rooms set apart for the purpose in different parts
of the building. Food, wines, and fruit were plen-
tiful, and of the best description, and, with the
exception of the crowding, the arrangements of
every part of the entertainment— which was one of
the grandest of the kind given in the City for many
years—were excellent. The lobbies were so many
cool grota, with fountains playing, and perfumes
filling the air. Choice plants and flowers were
scattered in profusion, and the general effect of all
was heightened by being lighted up with wax
candles made specially of red, white, and green
tints by Messrs. Whitmore and Craddock, Bishops-
gate-street.
The Sultan left shortly before 11 o'clock, and re-
turned to Buckingham Palace as he came, and the
other royal guests left shortly after. A ball then
took place in Guildhall.
The guests numbered about 3,000.