The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-16 00:00:00

THE BELGIAN
_VOLUNTEERS.

The original p e of the Reception Com-
mittee contemplated t yesterday should be devoted to
an excursion up the riser to Richmond or Kew, and that
whilst our Belgian guests should make it on beard •
sufficient number of up-river steamers, the various boating
clubsshould, as it had been promised they would do, turn
out and form • procession, returning to Cremorne to dine
and finish the evening. Apart from the weather, however,
another difficulty stood re the way of • part of the pro-
gramme. Mr. Charles Dickens, junior, the boo. secre-
tary
of the boating clubs, at a very late hour
intimated that in consequence of certain previously
arranged matches the club., could not turn out their boats
in the force they could have wished, and consequently
this portion of the entertainment was abandoned, and the
festivities of Cremorne only were adhered to. The dinner
was to have taken place in the Asbburnham-park, but in
consequence of the weather. Mr. E. T. Smith prepared the
grand ball-room of the theatre for the purpose, which was
adorned with roses and other flowers and flags of all na-
tions, the Belgian, Turkish, and Eaglish flags being the
more prominent. Cce•ers were laid for 1,700 persons,
and all the details connected with seating such
• large number were worked out in • satisfac-
tory manner. The stage was devoted to the officers and
committee, and was raised several feet above the
diniug tables in the hall. The sham fight on the Thames
with the grand display of fireworks, is postponed to Friday
evening next, on which night all the Belgian volunteers
are invited, and every volunteer in England in uniform
will be admitted free. The programme of last evening,
.although not fully carried out, embraced a number of en-
tertainments, musical and otherwise. At seven o'clock
the guests sat down to dinner, but owing to some
misapprehension not attributable to the reception com-
mittee, the full number of guests expected were not
present ; there were however, about 1,000 Belgians at
dinner. Thep roessectits were of the must enthusiastic
and exciting character. r. E. C. Cockeraft, hon. secretary
of the Belgian Reception Committee, proposed the toasts
in French. The musical honours to the toasts of " The
Queen " and the " King of the Belgiens " were encored,
and were given upstanding. Mr. Cockcraft apologised for
the shortcomings in the carrying out of the programme,
but the Belgians with one accord rose, and cheered lustily
for the reception committee for • lengthened perio
At the conclusion of the dinner the company adjourned to
the grounds and continued the fetes with oonsiderable spirit.
An incident occurred at the conclusion of the presentation
of the medals by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales
on Saturday which at the time gave rise to much astonish-
ment and disappointment on the part of some four hun-
dred Belgians, who had endured all the fatigues of the
day, and a thorough soaking into the bargain. Although
the Belgian Reception Committee had provided con-
siderably over the requisite number of badges for the
Belgians who had inscribed their names, it was found when
the distribution had concluded that the number of medals
fell short by some four hundred. It was found on inquiry
that some four hundred Belgians who had never inscribed
their names, had arrived by various means in England,
and basing brought over their uniforms, had placed them-
selves in the trout ranks and had received the medals,
leaving their comrades who were entitled to them without
any. The committee have resolved that no Belgian who
could not produce the " livret," or red book, given to him
to Brussels, or by the Belgian authorities, should partici-
pate in the subsequent fetes. On the occasion of the
English volunteers visiting Brussels last year, only
some 500 or 600 iniferibed their names, but at the lit
hour more than double the number made their appearance,
and many of whoni,who had done **thing to entitle them to
it, just arrived in time for the King's banquet and the badge.
Mr. Chatterton, the lessee of Drury-lane Theatre, has
forwarded to the Belgian committee • beautifully chased
silver cup and cover to be shot for by the Belgian volun'
teen. To-day will be occupied by the visit to Windsor.
The riflemen who engage at shooting are to be at the camp
at Wimbledon at 10 o'clock those who do not shoot, to
attend the fetes at the Crystal Palace. On Thursday
there will be the ball at the Agricultural-hall. On Friday
the parade is to be at Albany-street Barracks, at 12.30
p.m., the 29th North Middlesex Rifles to be the guard of
honour to march the Belgians to Miss Burdett Coats's.
Concert at Agricultural-hall in the evening. Saturday,
the Wimbledon review.

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