The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-02 00:00:00

A•"

OPENING OF THE GREAT 1
EXHIBITION. i

FURTHER PARTICULARS.
THE PROCESSION.
As the head of the procession appeared in the
flare there was, as may be supposed, a stir in the
mat assemblage, and a surging to and fro of the
-many thousands who were in the happy condition
of not being able to see anything except the anxious
individuals in the galleries or in the body of the
nave exactly opposite. The latter, however, were
more fortunate—if they esteemed it so—for the con-
tracted space through which the procession passed
brought most of the personages who formed it into
close contact with those who occupied the front
seats. It must be confessed that there was not
much reciprocity in this respect. The members
of the procession who chose to cast their eyes on
each side of them were gratified by beholding a
long line of such charming faces and fine forms as
the womankind of no ordinary country in the
world could show; while they had the question-
able privilege of gazing on an as oddly-assorted
and queer-looking set of gentlemen as it
was possible to bring together in a given area. It
is no use disguising: the matter, but the component
parts of the procession were not imposing, and in
the gross the effect was no means good. There was
all ill assortment of costumes; here a splendid mili-
tary uniform, British or foreign, carried by the
wearer as if he was quite comfortable in it ; there a
diplomatic blue and gold, with the stiffness which
seems inseparable from that peculiar costume ; now
a crimson and furred robe, and in immediate proxi-
mity to these the swallow-tailed coat, and even the
shapeless paletot of private life, whose owner seemed
principally occupied in wondering how, being neither
rich nor rare, he happened to have got where he was.
But this was not all ; nobody except the military
men seemed to know exactly how they were to walk,
and when they reached the grand entrance beneath
the western dome, where the thronie—which was to
remain vacant, a painful significancy—and the
gilded chairs of the Queen's special commissioners
were placed, they seemed to tumble on to the dais,
and to fall into such places as the genius of mal-
arrangement suggested to them. Some peculiari-
ties of the procession may be mentioned.
For instance, the Bishop of Winchester, a prelate
who is only fifth in the episcopal list, and who en-
joys special privileges and dignities, to-day walked
meekly in hie every-day costume (saving the ribbon
and badge of the order of the Garter, of which he
is prelate) at the tail of the council of the Horti-
cultural Society. Sir John Pakington, who is
only physically a small personage, was content to
walk amongst the guarantors of the Exhibition.
Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, Earl Stanhope, the
Duke of Sutherland, Sir John Burgoyne, Sir Geo.
Clerk, and Lord Taunton figured as chairmen of
juries ; the Duke of Buocleuch held a place as one
of the commissioners of the Exhibition of 1841,
amongst whom walked, side by side, and in amicable
if not amiable, and occasionally jocose conversation,
Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Lowe, gentlemen who,
in another place, have exhibited a certain
antagonism, which it would seem is more political
than real and personal. Conspicuous amongst
that which we do not hesitate to call a crowd, as
the procession attempted to deploy on the -plat-
form, were several black faces, and in one instance
a gentleman of colour must have been a distin-
guished person in his own country, for he wore
the star of some order of knighthood. When way
was at length made for the passage of the Queen's
Commissioners, many eyes sought for the Earl of
Derby, for it had been rumoured that that noble-
man would probably be unable to be present, owing
to the indisposition from which he has of late suf-
fered. However, he was in his place, though
walking feebly, and leaning heavily on a stick.
Lord Palmerston looked well and cheerful, exhibit-
ing, however, many marks of the octogenarian. As
we are dealing with contrasts, we may refer to that
which existed between the Lord Chancellor and the
Speaker of the House of Commons, who both, cos-
tumed in gold and brocaded robes and full-bottomed
wigs of the exact same pattern, presented that du-
ference which may be supposed to prevail between
a very tall and stately man and a short—not to speak
it profanely—somewhat punchy gentleman. The
Duke of Cambridge looked stalwart and imposing,
as becomes one of that royal family which has pro-
duced some of the finest grown men of the last
two generations. The Crown Prince of Prussia,
notable for the simplicity of his uniform, showed
slim and graceful ; and Prince Oscar of Sweden,
though somewhat dark, not to say sallow, in com-
plexion, is the happy proprietor of a tall and well-
set figure, which displayed to advantage a hand-
some military dress, conspicuous in which was the
-lane yellow plume of his cocked hat. At length
the order of things somehow was made to proceed.
The Queen's Commissioners took their seats on the
platform immediately in front of the throne. The
Duke of Cambridge, of course, occupied the central
place. On his right were the Crown Prince of
Prussia, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord
Chancellor, and the Earl of Derby; on his left were
placed Prince Oscar of Sweden, the Lord Chamber-
lain, Viscount Palmerston, and the Speaker of
the House of Commons. As soon as the Queen's
Commissioners had thus " assumed their state,"
it was necessary that they should have the Royal
Commissioners for the Exhibition full in their view.
This, howevet, was for the moment prevented
owing to a number of the gentlemen who had
figured in the procession having ranged themselves
in a line in front of the dais, with their backs grace-
fully and courteously turned on the representatives
of her Majesty. Sir Wentworth Dilke, equal to
the occasion' rushed forward, end by a series of
vigorous pushes, no doubt accompanied by powerful
mental objurgatory ejaculations, cleared off those
physical obstacles, who subsided somewhere into
the somewhat confused and ill-grouped crowd that
occupied the estrade. This was an awkwardness
to say the least of it; but happily it did not attract
much attention, as it was only a part of the curious
divergences from order of a very awkward squad.
But the next event was remarkable. In the offi-
cial programme it was laid down that as soon as
the Queen's Commissioners were seated a verse of
the National Anthem should be performed by the
magnificent orchestra, vocal and instrumental, which
was assembled under the eastern dome. But the
genius of mischief somehow inspired Lord Gran-
ville to forget an important portion of the arrange-
ments, which he must no doubt have had a power-
ful hand in preparing, and wholly ignoring " God
save the Queen," he stepped briskly forward to
speak the address which, on the part of the Royal
Commissioners for the Exhibition, he was to deliver
before the Queen's Commissioners. He had got
through his first sentence when there came a
wailing sound from the other end of the nave, which
by a superhuman effort on the part of the execu-
tants was in a little time made to reach the ears of
those assembled under the western dome in some-
thing like the phantom of a vocal and instrumental
delivery of the National Anthem. This sound,
tilint but yet distinct, prevailed during the whole
time that Lord Granville was speaking, and when
he ceased the Duke of Cambridge, prudently re-
solving not to have his speech subjected to such an
accompaniment, paused for several minutes, until
the unconscious orchestra, who no doubt supposed
that they were doing their spiriting effectually and
effeotively had concluded. The speech which Lord
Granville delivered under these unusual circum-
stances was as follows:
may it please your Royal Highness and my Lords Cons-
rnissionerp,—ln the name of her Majesty's Commissioners
who have charge of the International Exhibition of 1862,
I have the honour to present to your Royal Highness and
the other commissioners for opening the Exhibition a roost
humble address. We especially offer to her Majesty our
condolence for the lots irreparable which bar Majesty and
the cation have sustained, end we thank her Majesty for
allowing herself to be represented by your Royal Highness
and the other Commissioners on this occasion; andwe beg
to express our great gratitude to his Royal Highness the
Crown Prince of Prussia and his 'loyal Highness prince
Oscar of Sweden, f•r having honoured the Exhibition with
their presence this day. We also offer our thanks to the
Commissioners, British and Foreign, who have assisted us
in this work ; and we venture to express our confidence that
this work will bo thought worthy of ranking amongst the
International exhibitions which in the future may periodi-
pally occur.
Aix lordship then handed to his Royal Highness ,