The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-27 00:00:00

The Royal Visit to the City.

The preparations for the due reception of the
Prince and Princess of Wales and the other mem-
bers of the royal family who will honour the City
by being present at the grand ball to be given at
Guildhall on Monday, the Bth of June, have now so
far progressed that some idea may be formed of the
appearance which the old hall and the buildings ad-
jacent will present on the evening of the memorable
day. At present the entire fabric and the large
square space in front are in the hands of the con-
tractors and their men, and even the law courts and
the crypt are undergoing a process of conversion in
order to be prepared for the uses to which they are
intended to be devoted. The hall, which has been
the scene of such countless festivities, and in which
events have taken place that have had an important
share in controlling the destinies of the country, is
now being embellished in an elaborate manner by
Mr. Allen, the principal assistant to Mr. Bunning,
the City architect, who is now sojourning in Italy
for the benefit of his health. The designs have,
however, been furnished by Mr. Crace. A tempo-
rary flat roof will be thrown across the hall, and
thus the dilapidated ceiling will be hid, while
greater effect will be given to other portions of the
ornamentation. It is intended to bring out all the
architectural features of the building by a liberal
use of gold on the bosses and other projecting por-
tions of the arches and pillars, while the panels will
be filled in with crimson colour, and the interstices
between the mouldings will be painted blue. At
present a superabundance of gilding would seem to
be used, but the work has not made much progress,
and no doubt when completed the effect will be
highly satisfactory, and the colours harmonise
well. One division between the pillars at the
eastern end of the hall is nearly finished ; and
as the whole space down the entrance side of
the building will be similarly treated, the effect
cannot but be satisfactory, as the historical
antiquity of the City will be brought pro-
minently before the visitors by a long un-
broken line of shields, on which the armorial bear-
ings of the principal Lord Mayors of London, com-
mencing with the first, Fitzalwyn (who flourished
at the close of the 12th century), will be displayed.
It would appear that some difficulty has been felt
as to the best manner in which the historical monu-
ments which decorate the walls can be made subser-
vient to the general effect; but although the diffi-
culty has not yet, it is understood, been finally
solved, there is little doubt these magnificent marble
groups will be brought out into full relief by a
background of crimson drapery arranged in graceful
folds. The monument to the Duke of Wellington
has been thus treated by way of experiment, and, to
most persons, the effect is entirely satisfactory. The
gigantic statues of Gog and Magog, superior, at
least in antiquity, to the mural monuments on which
they look down and keep watch and ward, are
reaping the benefit of the preparations in progress,
as they are being entirely cleaned and decorated ;
and one might almost fancy that these civic deities
feel delighted at the attention paid to them, and
pride in their altered appearance, and show their
joy by a gleam of satisfaction across their ordinarily
unattractive countenances. From the window at
this end, between the two figures, will be suspended ,
the large and brilliant star which is usually '
dis-
played on the occasion of the banquet inaugurating
.h
ral use
the reign of a new Lord Mayor,
will add to the general
will also be made of mirrors at whilethisupuodinat,li
of highly-burnished armour wi
the orchestra for
effect. Here, also, will be e
suits
been confided to M.
direction of which has
the accommmodation of the quadrille band, the en-
tire This
part
0f
the number,
band, about 45 in
their respective
Louis Jullien, the son of the late M. Jullien.
be mentioned that the band of
instru-
ments ; and mleurstouocuhing on this
the best perwfohri
the HOD. Artillery Company will be stationed.in
programme it may
fthe reception chamber. At the other, or eastern,
end of the hall, a dais will be raised
for the
use of the Prince and Princess of Wales. This dais
will be covered by a canopy, and the interior will
be lined with mirrors, in which the whole of the
brilliant scene will be fi
re ected. The hall ' lighted by jets of gas s will be
uspended from the walls,and
beneath will, it is stated,
s be hung large
wire-work
baskets filled with choice flowers,
whereby any
glare from the gas will be modified,and
a delight-
ful fragrance
•wafted through the hall.
Guildhall. yard is now one mass of gigantic beams
and rafters, constituting
the framework of a large
temporary building
of two floors. The central por-
tion of the lower part is to be used as a reception
chamber, while the ' sides will be converted into
cloak-rooms and other apartments. The upper floor
will be used as a supper-room, in which it is antici-
pated some 700 of the visitors will be accommodated
with seats during the discussion of this adjunct to
the enjoyments of the evening.

The courts of law adjoining will also be mad'

tIS, T

A.N S P. 1,1
\Le
I ,= t rw;e';•
subservient to the occasion, by having temporar e a e2.ee"
rooms erected over the bodies of the court, which'`:= --
rA
rooms will also be used as tea and coffee rooms, or as "
supper-rooms. Access to them will be gained by
temporary entrances being made through the walls.
The council chamber of the Guildhall will be re-
served as a supper-room for the Prince and Princess
of Wales and other members of the royal family
who may be present, for the foreign Ambassadors
and Ministers, the great officers of State, and
visitors of the highest. distiection.
Aa might be anticipated, the applications for
tickets have been exceedingly numerous, and far be-
yond the calculations of the committee. At first it
eras intended to limit the number of invitations to
1,500, but this limit vs as extended, and 2000 in vi:a-
tions have gone forth. So great is the desire to be
present that as yet only about 100 pvrsoPs have
sent to say that they will be unable to attend, while
a far larger number have eagerly accepted the
offer. Under these circumstances the Entertain-
ment Committee have had a very onerous task
cast upon them, and they have also been obliged
to inform a vast majority of the applicants that
their wishes cannot be complied with. His Royal
Highness the Commander-in-Chief, the Duchess
of Cambridge, and the Princess Mary have been
specially invited, but we believe that answers have
not yet been received from the two illustrious ladies.
Besides the Ministers of State,the Foreign Ambas-
sadors and Ministers, and many peers and members
of Parliament, invitations have been sent to the
principal London merchants, bankers, and repre-
sentatives of important public companies, to the
mayors of the principal towns and cities in the
kingdom, to the members of the Courts of Alder-
men and Common Council, and to other leading
officers of the Corporation. The prime wardens of
the 12 principal civic guiles, and 25 representatives
of the minor companies will receive double tickets.

The Prince and Princebis of Wales are expected
to arrive at the Guildhall at the somewhat early
hour of 9 o'clock in the evening, as it is intended to
confer the freedom of the City on his Royal High-
ness previous to the commencement of the ball. The
members of the Common Council are summoned to
meet at the hour mentioned, for the purpose of
forming the necessary court. The ceremony will be
but of brief duration, and at its conclusion the fes-
tive proceedings will commence.
The refreshment-rooms, it is anticipated, will be
decorated by some of the magnificent plate belong-
ing to the civic companies, who have offered the use
of their regalia and other choice specimens of the
handicraft of the ancient gold and silver smiths.
The Entertainment Committee, composed of seve-
of
drt ahe lne
ca
ycl dooeufr
rmikeornf. ,
Ftchroaemns
cmhi esorn.
wi ff
Council,
ub os
cuuotnt
d3t,eo
rmembers
e
ily
at Guildhall, and will continue to do so until the
magnificent entertainment has terminated.
The Representation City.
of
the

Yesterday, at two o'clock, the committee of the
Liberal Registration Society were convened at the
London Tavern for the special purpose, as expressed
in the summons, of taking into consideration " the
present state of the representation of the City of
London ;" or, in other words, to select and put in
nomination a candidate for the vacant seat caused
by the death of Mr. Western Wood. The meeting
was private, but the result was allowed to transpire.
Mr. Gassiott was called to the chair, and there were
present, among others, Mr. Kirkman Hodgson,
M.P., governor of the Bank of England, Sir Anthony
Rothschild, Mr. George Moore, Mr. Goschen, Mr.
Mackay, Mr. Goldsmid, Mr. Prescott, the banker,
Mr. Samuel Morley, Mr. Jervoise Smith, Mr. Un-
derwood (prime warden of the Fishmongers' Com-
pany), Dr. Abraham, and Mr. Webber. Two gen-
tlemen were submitted as candidates to the meeting
in the Liberal interest—Mr. Gosehen, of the firm of
Goschen and Fruhling, merchants, in Austinfriars,
and Mr. Mackay, one of the Black ball line of pas-
senger ships. Both these gentlemen addressed the
meeting, Mr. Goschen declaring himself in favour
of vote by ballot, an extension of the suffrage, and
a supporter of Lord Palmerston's Government; Mr.
Mackay, on the other hand, stating that he was
opposed to the ballot and to the extension, at pre-
sent, of the suffrage, but would vote for the abolition
of church rates and support the general policy of
the present Ministry. Dr. Abrahams spoke in
favour of Mr. Goschen, as being more likely to com-
bine and represent the political views of the greatest
number of the constituency than Mr. Mackay. Mr.
Webber, a member of the Common Council, who
took part in the proceedings, expressed himself to
the effect that, of the two gentlemen in question, he
would rather be inclined to prefer Mr. Mackay,
though neither of them came up to his standard of a
representative for the City of London. Mr. Goldsmid
advocated the candidature of Mr. Goschen, as did
also Mr. Richardson, a Common Councilman. Ulti-
mately, on the motion of Mr. Prescott, seconded by
Mr. Hodgson, the Governor of the Bank, the meeting
passed a resolution in favour of Mr. Goschen, by a
large majority, and that gentleman may be ex-
pected forthwith to present himself to the electors.
Mr. G. Moore, the eminent merchant of Cheapside,
had previously been urged to come forward as a
candidate in the Liberal interest, but declined, as
did also Mr. Hodgson, the Governor of the Bank,
and Mr. Samuel Morley, who are understood to
have been solicited in turn to stand. Yesterday the
Conservative Registration Society likewise held a
meeting at the London Tavern, which stands ad-
journed until to-day. They would appear to be
desirous of seeing the least objectionable to them
of the four or five gentlemen whose names have
been mentioned as eligible candidates in the Liberal
interest put forward rather than of starting a can-
didate of their own, and with that view they had
intimated, it is said, that they would not oppose
Mr. George Moore. The writ will probably be
moved for on Thursday, when the House of Com-
mons will resume its sittings, and the election take
place after the customary interval.