The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-27 00:00:00

The Marriag,

e of Wales,

Yesterday again a deputation from the Royal
Reception Committee of the Corporation of London,
composed of the Lord Mayor and several or the
magistrates and Common Councilmen, had on in-
terview with the Lord Chamberlain to urge the
abandonment of an order by the Home Secretary to
the effect that on the entrance of the Princess
Alexandra and the Prince of Wales into London.
their Royal Highnesses shall be in the front and
van of the pageant, and that the Lord Mayor with
the rest of the corporation and other official per-
sonages who may take part in the reception shall
follow, and not conduct them. They are said to
have pressed upon Lord Sydney a variety of ob-
jections to such an arrangement, but chiefly the
public disappointment which would be caused by
any attempt to hurry unnecessarily through the
metropolis the illustrious personages whom untold
thousands of people will assemble to witness and
welcome, and in whose reception in a manner be-
coming the dignity and importance of the occasion
the Corporation aro prepared to expend money to
an unlimited amount. They are also understood to
have urged the propriety of the Lord Mayor and
Sheriffs, with the other members of the Corpora-
tion, conducting the Prince and Princess through
the city, and so leading the way, instead.
of following them. Any other arrangement, they
submit, would be to put the cart before the horse,
and be simply ludicrous ; and, if that be insisted
upon, they are determined to take no part in the
procession, much as they would deplore such a
result and the violence done to their sentiments of
loyalty and devotion. Lord Sydney, and still more,
Sir George Grey are said to have been averse from
changing the proposed order. The deputation
took their leave, and afterwards reported +l,-
Lesoic to rim nyytu neuepuou kAmmtttee, sitting
at Guildhall, who were deeply disappointed. This
body, 42 in number, is composed of the Lord
Mayor, the Sheriffs (of London and Middlesex),
with 13 of the Alderman, the rest being C0M11740/1
Councilmen. The proposal of the Committee is
understood to be that the Master and Wardens
of the twelve principal Livery Companies, the
Court of Lieutenancy, or a deputation of them, and
the Corporation of London, headed by the Lord
Mayor and Sheriffs, shall conduct the Royal per-
sonages through the city; that the great body of
the civic authorities, formed in order on London-
bridge, shall await there the arrival of the Prince
and Princess, and be prepared to move on without
delay or confusion as their Royal Highnesses, on
he way from the Bricklayers Arms station, appear

in sight. Assuming a contrary arrangement, it is
argued that the Corporation would have to wait un-
til the Prince and Princess had passed and then form
in order as well as they could in the rear of the
procession, that confusion and possibly accidents
might happen, that in the end some considerable
part of the retinue might be left behind, and the
whole cavalcade be divested of dignity and decorum.
To a man, the whole Reception Committee are said
to have opposed the arrangement of Sir G. Grey,
and before separating to have passed a resolution
authorising the same deputation to seek an inter-
view with Lord Palmerston on the subject, with the
view, if possible, to prevail upon him so to modify
the arrangement of the pageant as to bring it into
conformity with the usage observed on kindred occa-
sions, and, above all, as they believe, to conduce to
the enjoyment of the people.
Should this overture fail, they are prepared to
summon a Special Court of Common Council on Sa-
turday to recommend that the Corporation refrain
altogether from taking part in the reception. The
proposal of the Home Secretary as to the order of
the procession is extremely unpopular out of the
Corporation as well as in it, and was yesterday the
subject of much adverse comment.

The Chancellor of ,the Exchequer on Tariff

Reform,

To a memorial presented to him by the Liverpool
Financial Reform Association, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer has just returned the following reply—

-• an, s 4, LILLIS bc.ret.ti., xeo. 20.
Sir,—l am desired by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to acknowledge your letter of the 18th
inst., sending a printed copy of a memorial signed
by the vice-presidents of the Financial Reform Asso-
ciation, and pointing out certain abolitions of duties
of Excise and Customs which in their opinion would
be generally beneficial.

" Mr. Gladstone desires me, in the first place,
to observe that he is not aware of having de-
scribed the expenditure of the country as pro-
fligate and enormous,' or of having charac-
terised it by either of those very strong epithets—
although he has, on various occasions, expressed re-
gret that the temper of the public mind during recent
years, had been less inclined than formerly to the
maintenance of a strict economy in dispensing the
sums necessary for the honour and safety of the
country, and for the general efficiency of the public
service.

" Mr. Gladstone is not able to hold out any ex-
pectation that the number of articles subject to
Customs duty in this country can, within an early
period, be greatly reduced, those of them which
produce small amounts being retained on the tariff,
not for the sake of the proceeds, but in order either
to countervail duties levied on the correspon ding
commodity produced at home, or to prevent evasion
of the more important heads of Customs revenue.
" With respect to the petty charges on trade, I
am desired by Mr. Gladstone to refer you to the
evidence given by himself during the lest aesslon.
of Parliament, before the committee on that subject.
" With regard to the recommendations of the
association, that various important duties should
be repealed or reduced, I am directed to state that
the time is drawing near when it will be the
duty of her Majesty's Government to estimate
the revenue and charge for the ensuing year, and
to make such recommendations to Parliament us the
probable balance may permit. In the meantime,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer is happy to be
favoured with the views of those who have in for-
mer times contributed to promote the passing of
beneficial measures, or who have paid attention to
the important subject of taxation.—l remain, sir,
your obedient servant,
" JAMES F. STUART WORTLEY.
" C. E. Macqueen, Esq., Secretary,
Liverpool Financial Reform Association."