The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-30 00:00:00

sembled to meet the King. Upon ascending the
staircase, the Amtmann of the district of Ratzeburg
requested his Majesty to make a short halt at the
triumphal arch erected upon the road to the town, to
receive the salutations of the mounted peasantry.
The King readily granted the request, and then
proceeded with his suite in the carriages waiting
for the Royal party to the triumphal arch,
where his Majesty was received with enthusiastic
cheering. Some hundreds of peasants, each with
a nosegay in his hat and carrying a small black
and white flag, were here drawn up in line close
to the road. The Amtmann then made a short

<As ..,t1 Latuen-
burgers had always displayed loyalty, allegiance,
and attachment to their rulers. The King alighted
from his carriage amidst hearty cheers of the

people assembled, and replied to the speech of Herr
von Cossel, expressing a hope that, as the Lauen-
burgers had always faithfully adhered to their
former sovereigns they would now transfer their
allegiance and attachment to him, whom a conjunc-

tion of circumstances had made their ruler. His
Majesty re-entered his carriage amid loud cheering,
and the procession then moved towards the town,
preceded by the mounted peasantry. A small
flotilla, with black and white flags flying, was drawn
up where the road approaches the sea, and received
the procession with a salute. At the entrance to the
town a second arch was erected, where the magis-
trates, volunteers, and corporation were assembled.

Town Commissioner Adler here addressed a short

speech to the King, after which the Royal procession
entered the town and proceeded to the house of the
President, which had been prepared for his Majesty's
reception. The judges of the district had assembled
in front of the building, with the officers of the bat-
talion in garrison, one company of men, and their
band.

Upon alighting, the King addressed several of
the gentlemen present in the most cordial manner,
His Majesty's suite and the highest officials of the
duchy were the only persons present at the dinner
given in honour of his Majesty's visit. The torch-
light procession of the Singing Club assembled at
eight o'clock and proceeded to the King's residence,
where they sang two songs. During the perfor-
mance his Majesty appeared on the terrace in front
of the house, after which a member of the club
delivered a short address to his Majesty, express-
ing the joy of., the Lauenburgers at being now
under the rule of the House of Hohenzollern, to
whom they would always be faithful and loyal
subjects. The speaker concluded with a cheer for
the King, which was taken up by the assembly with
much enthusiasm. At a later period of the evening
his Majesty drove through the town and inspected
the illuminations.
The solemn act of homage to his Majesty as Duke
of Lauenburg by the nobility and gentry of the
country took place at noon to-day in the Church of
St. Peter. His Majesty, accompanied by the Crown
Prince, Count Bismark, and a brilliant suite, re-
paired to the Church on foot from the house of Count
Kielmansegge, where he had taken up his quarters.
The King was received at the entrance of the sacred
edifice by Superintendent Bromel, and escorted to
a throne covered with red velvet upon a dais erected
immediately in front of the altar. The Crown.
Prince stood upon the King's right hand, and Count
Bismark -upon the left, while the members of the
nobility and gentry of the province occupied the
space between the throne and the altar upon one
side, and that upon the other was filled up by the
Prussian generals, officers, chief functionaries, and
high 'dignitaries. After a psalm had been sung,
Sumintendent Bromel preached a sermon, taking
his .
3t ext from the Ist Epistle of St. Peter, chap.
• ..3-16. The preacher stated in the course of his
adf Irma that the Lauenburgers had found it difficult
to reconcile themselves to the idea of changing their
anegiance, but took occasion to point out that from
that very circumstance their sincerity in taking the
hof h
r e about to render was the
moret to
beo m
upon.
o
I-1 e thanked
large
fhisor
hp Majestyro-
oa ag e
relied they
in the name of the community at
n rise to uphold the just rights of every individual in
the country, dwelling upon the fact that rights and
tlheir exercise could not exist without dgties and
tl teir conscientious fulfilment. The preacher finally
ea sled the attention of his hearers to the importance
of the oath, comparing it to an anchor, not intended
fo .7 good times and fair weather, but to be used in
the hour of peril and adversity as a means of security
ani 1 salvation.
.A the conclusion of the sermon Count Bismark
reql Jested his Majesty's permission to proceed with
the ceremony. This being granted, the Count, in
his c, 9.pacity of Minister for the Duchy, summoned
the mlbility and gentry to take the oath of homage
to thair Duke, King William of Prussia. He read
the foi !Inn la, asking if they were ready to acknowledge
themse.lves faithful subjects of the King, in which