The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-06 00:00:00

VISIT OF THE EMPEROR OF THE FRESH.

The LORD MAYOR said he had summoned a special
court in consequence of a requisition, signed by the
whole of the members of the Court of Aldermen, as well
as by a great number of commoners.
Mr. \VOODTHORPE then read the following requi-
sition :

" To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor.
" We, the undersigned members of the Court of Com-
mon Council, respectfully request that your lordship will
be pleased to call an early court to consider the presenta-
tion of an address of congratulation to his Majesiy the
Emperor of the French upon the auspicious visit of him-
self and the Empress to her Most Gracious Majesty the
Queen, and as to whether any other mark of respect
should be paid to those august personages."
Then follow the signatures of 25 aldermen and 117
commoners.

Mr. J. WOOD rose and said—My Lord Mayor, I do
not remember any occasion upon which a requisition
has been more numerously signed by the Court than
the one which has just been read by the clerk at the
table, and it must be most highly gratifying to those
gentlemen who have signed it to know that not
only every member of the Court of Aldermen, but that
men of all shades of opinion in this court have likewise
done so. It is not necessary for me to go into any
lengthened statement of the reasons why I think this
Court should be induced to pay respect to the Emperor
of the French, and also to his illustrious consort. I will
not say one word with regard to any opinion I entertain
politically. We are now side by side with the French
nation, with the elected monarch of that great people,
in, I hope, a firm, and faithful, and a sincere alliance—
an alliance that I trust, in God's providence, will never
be disturbed. That is the point to which I would ask
members to direct their attention—that is the main prin-
ciple that has induced me and other gentlemen whom I
have consulted, and who have consulted me, upon the
subject, to say that it became this corporation to pay a
mark of respect to this illustrious man upon.that visit
which I believe is one of cordiality to our motiar6ll, and
one of cordiality on the part of our most gracious Sove-
reign towards him and his consort. My Lord Mayor,
I could desire, in looking at this question, that we were
sot only at peace and amity with the mperor of the
French, but also with the whole world, and I hope and
trust that the day is not distant when that state so de-
.

voutly to be wished for will be happily realised. We
have had a most serious interruption to that peace which

has existed now for more than forty years. it is import-
ant to us as a country—it is important to us as a great

i
commercial city—it s important to every man an inha-
bitant of this city to cultivate and cement the good feel-
ing which now subsists between one of the most power-
ful countries on the face of the globe and ourselves.
(Hear.) My Lord Mayor, lam informed that the visit
of that powerful monarch to these shores will be of
short duration, but I trust that this Court will unani-

mously agree, short as that visit may be, that all becom-
ing respect on our part shall be shown to him and his
illustrious consort. We have seen enough in the conduct
of that great man to justify us in admiring his talent and
ability, and I may bay (and I desire to speak with the
most unbounded respect for him) that he has deceived
the expectations of many, many men ; he has proved
himself to be in every sense of the word a great man. It
would not have been possible for him to have conducted
himself as he has done.— to have gained the respect of
his own people as well as of surrounding nations—unless
there was talent in him —born in him, I may say, and

gro wing with his growth. I have individually- a feeling,
and I believe it to be the unanimous feeling of the ma-

jority of the people of France and of this country, that
the Emperor Napoleon is as sincerely desirous of culti-
vating the peace of the world as we are. I approach
this question with the firm conviction that he thus desires
to continue in a firm and friendly alliance with this coun-

try--that he desires, in common with us and our allies
promoting the common cause of justice, the peace of the
world, but I am also satisfied that the Emperor of the
French, with the people and monarchy of this country,
would -not desire to purchase peace at any sacrifice of
national honour. (Hear, hear.) Ido certainly deplore
the war, but I say, Prosecute the war to an honour-
able termination ; and if the people of this country have
already submitted to sacrifices of time and money,
they will, I am assured, contentedly make further sacri-
fices for the prosecution of a just war, and for the attain-
ment of an honourable peace. I need give no other
instance of this, I am sure—if instance were wanting

—than the manner in which the people of this country
voluntarily came forward in aid of subscriptions to the
Patriotic Fund, already amounting to more than a mil-
lion sterling, in addition to the taxation with which they
have been burdened. Thanking the Court for the very
great patience with which they have listened to these
few observations, I beg to_move—" That this Court do
Present a suitable address of congratulation to his Ma-
jesty the Emperor of thq French, upon the auspicious
visit of himself and the Empress to her Most Gracious
Majesty the Queen ; and that this Court do also consider
whether any other mark of respect should be paid to those
august persolages upon the occasion." (Cheers.)
Alderman WIRE—My Lord Mayor, I will not attempt
to disturb the unanimity of the Court by saying a single
word more than that I do most cordially and heartily
second the motion. (Cheers.)
The RECORDER having put the question,:-
Mr. PARKER said—My Lord Mayor, concurring in
every word that has fallen from my friend Mr. Wood, I
rise for the purpose of suggesting to the mover and se-
conder of the motion whether it does not contain some
little inaccuracy. It is proposed to present an address of
congratulation to his Majesty the Emperor of the
French. I would submit that it would stand much
better if it were thus—an address of congratulation to
their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of the
French upon their auspicious visit to her most gracious
Majesty the Queen. My Lord .layor in considering the
merits of that great man of whom my friend Mr. Wood has
spoken, I think there is one most important fact that
ought not to be lost sight of at the present time, and
that is, that throughout the entire dominions of the
Emperor of France freedom of religious worship is per-
mitted, not only amongst foreigners, but by his own sub-
jects. It is remarkable that this freedom of religious
worship has been more conspicuous since the happy
event of his Majesty's marriage, and it may not be too
much to infer, if not to conclude, that even the great
and mighty mind of the Emperor of France is not alto-
gether insensible to the influence of a lady who I believe
stands paramount as one who is tolerant in every sense
of the word. But, my Lord Mayor, I tllik the Em-
press of France has other claims of interest with the
people of this country, independently of the circum-
stance that I believe her Majesty has Scottish blood in
her own veins. (Hear, hear.) It may not be known to
the Court that she is also the sister of the Duchess of
Alba, the Duke of Alba himself being the Duke of Ber-
wick, and who boasts of being descended from our own
Stuarts. He signs his name "James Stuart El Duque
de Alba y Berwick." It may be said with truth that no
lady or princess in Europe or the world was better fitted
to become the Empress of so great and mighty a mo-
narch as the Emperor of the French. Seeing the desire
of the Court to proceed immediately to, I trust, a unani-
mous vote upon this most interesting subject, I beg to
express my entire concurrence in the motion, and hope
that its mover and seconder will consider the suggestion
I have thrown out for their adoption.
The RECORDER then put the motion, which was car-
ried unanimously amidst loud cheering.
Alderman WIRE moved " That a committee be ap-
pointed to prepare an address forthwith for the approval
of this Court."
Mr. GRESHAM seconded the motion, which was carried
unanimously.
A committee, consisting of the aldermen present and
a commoner from each ward, was immediately formed,
and they retired and proceeded to prepare an address.
After an absence of nearly an hour, they returned into
court, when, with closed doors, the address which they
bad trained was, after some discussion, unanimously
carried amidst enthusiastic cheering.