The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-28 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO FRANCE.

13onnoaNE, Monday Night.--The Queen's visit t:1
France and the Emperor Napoleon will have terminated
before the following hastily written details of its closing
scenes are in print. She embarks to-night at 11 o'clock
on board the Royal vacht, and by 1 o'clock it is ex.
pected that she will be on her way to Osborne. Thus
has been happily concluded an event the magnitude of
which it is impossible to exaggerate, which has been
achievel without a singe drawtack, and upon all the
details connected with which not only the illustrious
personages most directly concerned, but the population
,f two countries the most powerful and civilised in the
world, have every reason to congratulate themselves.
From the spectacle of such accord between Sovereigns
who, being independent of each other, yet are proud to
,how their mutual friendship, the happiest auguries for
the future may fairly be gathered. Those who are thus
united'by the bonds of peraonal intimacy will know how
to guard the strength which it manifestly gives, and
study to guard against disturbing an alliance which,
begun on the grounds of interest and policy, has now
received an enthusiastic confirmation from the inhabit-
ants both of Paris and London. It can no longer be
doubted that the two nations have large sympathies in
common, powerful enough to control all adverse in-
Fluencv, and to afford the best guarantees for the safety
of Europa. The Queen's visit has partaken even more
than the Emperor's of a public character, and, great as
was the enthusiasm with which he was welcomed in our
metropolis, it was at least equalled, if not surpassed, by
the feeling which has greeted her Majesty from all
classes of Parisians. This was convincingly demon-
strated to-day by the immense numbers in which they
turned out along the route of the procession to witness her
departure. A week's st ly,during which she has constantly
been seen driving in the streets, bad in no sensible degree
dimintshed the interest which her presence excited, and it
must be among the highest consolations of Royaltyfor the
cares Which it involves to know that even among foreigners,
who only know by repute the virtues which 'adorn our
Sovereign, so much respect and homage are voluntarily
accorded to her. It would really seem as if everything
had conspired to make this visit all that could be de-
sired, for even the weather has been favourable to a de-
gree that could hardly be hopes: for. To-day there was
not a cloud in the sky, and the sun shone down upon
the ceremony of the departure with a fervour of bril-
liancy which left no portion of the general effect unde-
veloped. As on the occasion of her Majesty's arrival,
the line of procession was kept by a military force, the
troops cf the National Guard, according to custom,
holding the right side, and those of the regular army
the left. The Garde de Paris and the Sergens de vile
co-operated at all important points, and the beet order
and arrangements prevailed. The Emperor and his
,earests left St. Cloud for the Tuileries before 10 o'clock,
and thence, at half-past 11, proceeded in carriages to the
erminus of the Strasburg Railway. The route followed
was that by the Rue Castiglione, the Place Vendome,
and the Rue de la Paix, into the Boulevards, and along
them to the station. The ceremonial observed was of A
!ouch more formal character than that of the tntry into
Paris. The cortege, which was marshalled with the
greatest care to produce a splendid scenic effect, pro-
ceeded at a foot pace fur the whole distance traversed,
and the Imperial carriage conveying his Majesty, the
Queen, Prince Albert, and the Princess Royal—a mag-
nificent equipage in all its appointments—was drawn by
eight horses., each of which had a running groom lead-
ing Min by a gilded bridle. Oa either side rode Mar-
shal Magnan and General LW wenstein. Another
carriage with six horses, and nearly as splendid, con-
veyed the Prince of Wales, Prince Napoleon, and
two ladies. The suite followed in five other car-
riages, and in front and behind there was an escort
of Guides.. A few Cent Gardes led the way, and
behind them were the Officiers d'Ordonnance. It was
altogether a most stately and imposing procession, and
the spectacle N,,-bich the Boulevards presented as it slowly
swept through them, the drums beating and the trum-
pets sounding a flourish, the troops presenting arms, and
the vast multitude on the trottoies shouting " Vive la
Reine !" was indescribably fine. The arrival at the sta-
tion was signalled to all Paris by a double salute fired
in honour of the Queen, and then for the Emperor.
There, both outside and within, decorations even more
effective and splendid than on the occasion of her Ma-
jesty's arrival had been prepared. The initials " V.A."
iuterlaced in white flower:, on a fresh bank of green
leaves closed in the end of permanent way, the bal-

conies were hung with velvet, the roof with streamers,
and on the platform were assembled, within the gay
range of elegantly-dressed ladies which bound it, a dis-
tinguished assemblage of official personages who had
come to take leave of her Majesty or to see her safely on
her way. Amon.. these were M. de Baroche, M. de
Persigny, Lord Cowley, and the Attach& of the Eni
bassy ; Count Walewski ; M. Pietri, Prefect•of Police ;
M. Haussmann, the Prefect of the Seine ; Barou Roths-
child, chairman of the Northern Rail way, and M. Petiet,
chief engineer, and manager ; M. Perriee; Counincla
Seger, chairman ; Due de Galliera, vice-chairman;
Sayr and M. Roux, directors ; M. Bossange, secretary;
and MM. Edwards, Sauvage, and Vinguer, engineers to
the Strasburg Railway. Their Majesties were at once
conducted to the state carriage, and the train, soon after
•12 o'clock, took its departure amid loud cheers and the
strains of "God save the Queen." At all the stations
on the way the neighbouring population were collected
in dense crowds to welcome the illustrious travellers.
Amiens was, however, the point of a special demonstra-
tion. There the stati }n was beautifully decorated, and a
saloon had been prepared for her Majesty. The National
Guard, the Infantry of the Line, and Cuirassiers kept
the platform, which was overlooked by a series of bal-
conies, filled with elegantly-dressed ladies. Ai salute of
21 guns welcomed the arrival of the train. Lieutenant-
Colonel Duhamel, prefect of the department ; Galeria
Boyer, Monseigneur de Salinis, Bishop of Amiens, the
sub-prefects, the Cour Imperial, and all the functionaries
of the department were in attendance to receive their
Majesties, who were greeted most enthusiastically. At
Allbeville a party of Dragoons were drawn up with the
National Guard to preserve order, but the sight of the
Imperial carriage was too much for the latter, and they
fairly broke their ranks, rushed forward, beating the
ground with their musket-butts, and shouting" Vive la
Reine," "Vice l'Empereur," &c. It was five o'clock
when the train reached Boulogne, and immediately after
their arrival the Imperial and Royal party proceeded to
review the troops now encamped on the heights.
The review took place on the sands in front of the
Imperial Pavilion Hotel, and, like that in the Champ
de Mars on Friday, consisted only of the inspection of
the defile, the number of men assembled being from
45 to 50,000. This force, with the exception of a regi-
ment of Lancers, consisted entirely of infantry of the
line, there being no artillery present. The Emperor,
Prince Albert, and Prince Napoleon were on horseback,
attended by their equerries. Her Majesty and the other
tnernbere of the Royal family, with the suite, witnessed
the spectacle from the carriages. The tide being out, and
the sands tolerably dry, the troops were displayed to the
greatest possible advantage, and looked superb. On the
eastern or upper side of the sands were the Lancers, ex-
tended
in one line. In another, parallel and of equal
length, were formed some 15 regiments, in close column
of contiguous battalions; and at either end were masses
of men brigaded together, whose serried ranks com-
pleted the third and fourth sides of this great quad-
rangle. Here, in the centre, after making the round of
inspection, the Emperor and his guests took up their
position amid a grand flourish of drums and trum-
pets. The defile was soon over, but not until the set-
ting sun lighting with upsplendour so many succes-
sive forests of bayonets had left upon the mind of
the spectator a most powerful impression. This became
enhanced by the presence of the Royal squadron in the
offing—a presence proclaimed in the thunders of a mag•
nificent salute as the review closed. At its termination
the Emperor took his guests to the Camp at Honvault,
where from the heights they witnessed some practice
with a new description of rocket. Thence they drove
as far as the Camp at Ambleteuse, and night had fairly
closed in before they returned to the Imperial Pavilion
Hotel, The farewell dinner was laid with 30 covers,
and while it was proceeding Bculogne was brilliantly
illuminated. Exactly at 11 o'clock the embarkation was
safely effected amid the roar of a salute from the fleet
which shook the houses both at Folkstone and Dover.
A wonderful display of fireworks accompanied the de-
parture, which thus took place without a single mishap
or drawback. Indeed, looking back at all the arrange-
ments of this visit, there probably never was witnessed
more successful management. Not one accident has oc-
curred, and the Prefect of Police, M. Pietri, has reason
to congratulate himself upon the manner in which the
newly-organised force under his control has acquitted it-
self under a very severe trial of its efficiency.
It is not yet known to what extent the munificence of
the Royal family has displayed itself in the shape of pre-
sents, but, no doubt, these have been liberally bestowed.
We understand that a magnificent snuff-box has been
presented to the Prefect of the Seine, and that M. Her-
voix, the chief of police for the Imperial household,
whose activity and zealous exertions cannot be too
highly praised, has received a handsome diamond pin.
Her Majesty is extremely popular among the Parisians,
on account of her natural manners and her great affa-
bility. She has certainly on all public occasions ap-
peared highly gratified by the extraordinary attentions
of her Imperial host, and we are assured that her private
feelings are entirely in accordance with her bearing when
all eyes have been upon her.
The hasty manner in which, unavoidably, this great
event has been • chronicled has prevented us from
recording several minor facts and incidents, which, ne-
vertheless, deserve a place in all contemporary records
of an occurrence so remarkable. For example, at St.
Germain on Saturday the Queen visited the tomb of her
ancestor James 11., and yesterday again she went to
Neuilly in the afternoon, and there stood beside the un-
timely grave of the late Duke of Orleans. What food
for moralising do these two simple occurrences afford !
Yet perhaps they are exceeded by a scene which took
place this morning at St. Cloud, and produced a powerful
impression on all who witnessed it. Whether by clever
premeditation or fortunate accident, the Empetor there
caught sight of a Voltigenr of the Imperial Guard, who
had lost his leg before Sebastopol and had otherwise
been severely wounded. The still suffering soldier was
making his way forward on crutches when the Emperor
advanced to meet him, and, taking off the Cross of the
Legion of Honour which he wore, transferred it to the