The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-24 00:00:00

THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON'S FIRST
VISIT TO THE NORTHERN DEPART-
MENTS OF FRANCE.

ARRAS, FRIDAY.
When last evening's despatch was sent off, the
Emperor and Empress were proceeding to the pre-
fecture to receive the congratulations of the diffe-
rent classes of the community in this district, ex-
pressed in addresses committed for presentation to
the heads of deputations. Their Majesties were
attended by a brilliant suite, consisting of Mare-
chal Vaillant, Marechal de St. Arnaud, General
de Montebello, General Pulin, Count Tascher de la
Pagerie, Colonel Fleury, M. de Wulengen, Count
Baccochi, M. Mocquart, Private Secretary to the
Emperor, Captain Petit, and several ladies-in-
Waiting on the Empress.
The municipality surrounded the royal party as
a guard of honour, the advance being led by the
mayors, the prefect, and deputy-prefect, while the
open carriages in which the Emperor and his Royal
Consort were conveyed into the city, were strongly
skirted on either side by those selected for the oc
casion from all classes—trading, mercantile, and
manufacturing. The military escort—a thin one
• --bringing up the rear.
As their Majesties proceeded, the shouts of wel-
come swelled a hurricane of human voices, and the
waiving of hats, caps, and handkerchiefs resembled
a vast forest put in motion by some wizard influ-
ence. The inspiration of their Majesties' presence
-was truly electrifying, and the illustrious person-
ages most graciously and touchingly acknow-
ledged how deeply they were impressed with the
spontaneous outburst of their subjects. The Em-
peror bowed lowly, and the Empress placed her
hand on her heart.
There were hundreds of English present, who saw
that there was more than shouting and demonstra-
tive enthusiasm, inasmuch as when the cortege gained
the entrance to the city, they witnessed the popu-
lace with outstretched arms welcome the arrival of
the Imperial guests with the same honest hearti-
ness they had in England seen awarded to our gra-
cious Sovereign at her Majesty's coronation.
On the road to the prefecture their Majesties
Were met at the portico of the Cathedral by the
Bishop of Arras, who, surrounded by the priesthood,
had, after the meeting at the audience hall of the
railway terminus, gained the church in advance of
the royal cortege.
The interior of the Cathedral was gorgeously dra-
' Teried and brilliantly lighted. The effect was im-
posing and solemnly grand. Whole rows of aco-
lytes bearing waxen tapers, and 200 young girls,
arrayed in white, lining the aisle, added to the
solemnity of the scene.
The bishop having given the benediction, the
organ pealed, and the choir, amidst salvos of guns
from the citadel, chaunted a Latin hymn. The
ceremony was necessarily a brief one, owing to the
advanced period of the evening and the numerous
claims upon the attention of the Sovereign.
The Emperor and Empress, after devoting up-
wards of an hour to receiving congratulatory ad-
dresses, returned to their apartments, and shortly
afterwards the towns, upper and lower, were lighted
up as though by enchantment, so instantaneously
was the darkness of the evening turned into varied
tinted lights by the aid of gas, oil lamps, and fancy-
coloured shadings, many of the latter bearing well-
executed full-length paintings of their Majesties.
After dinner, to which many of the principal citi-
zens had been invited, their Majesties attended the
city ball, given in honour of their arrival ; but
owing to the fatigue the Empress had sustained,
their stay was of short duration. The Empress,
however held a reception at 11 o'clock.
Up to an advanced hour of the morning, the city
was devoted to the enjoyment of dancing, many
saloons having been got up for the entertainments
so indispensable to the vivacity of the French cha-
racter on festive occasions.
At 8 o'clock this morning, their Majesties visited
the citadel, the esplanade, and the principal attrac-
tions of the various divisions of the city ; shOrtly
after which a levee was held, where further ad-
dresses were presented. Their Majesties again
visited the cathedral, and heard a short service.
At 10 o'clock the Emperor and Empress pro-
ceeded for Douai, departing from Arms amidst
similar demonstrations from the vast assemblage,
to those already described. The guns from the
citadel also thundered forth, but their reverberation
was all but lost in the cheering of the multitude.
The municipality, to some number, accompanied.
• the cortege as far as Vesiers. Their Majesties ar-
rived at Douai at a quarter to 11, and were met by
the authorities of the town, under a triumphal arch
draperied with silk, velvet, and gold. The canopy
Was also surmounted by the eagle, and the letters
N. and E. in gold embroidery. Their Majesties
Were most enthusiastically welcomed by the towns-
people, who, of course were on this occasion rein-
- forced by the suburban population, as well as many
from Arras.
A royal salute was fired from the ramparts, and
the Emperor and Empress, having received in due
form the congratulations of the town through the
deputations appointed, paid a short visit to the
points of the city containing works of art, and then
left for Valenciennes, where they alighted under a
triumphal archway.
• Here the Imperial visitors received an ovation of
so warm a nature as to materially abridge the little
time their Majesties had intended to devote to the
inspection of the place. The illustrious guests,
after visiting the Hotel de Ville, and receiving the
addresses of the municipality, departed for Lille—
the journey occupying about two hours, in conse-
quence of the royal train going slowly by the sta-
tions on the route, for the purpose of affording the
crowds assembled a passing glance at the sovereign
and his royal consort, who bowed to the waiving
of hats and other demonstrations of the rustics con-
gregated at each point.

LILLE, 5 P.M.
The Emperor and Empress arrived a few minutes
before 5 o'clock, and are now surrounded by the
municipality, under a triumphal canopy resembling
a temple, and adorned so superbly as to defy de-
acription in the few minutes left prior to the closing
of this dispatch. The cannon are thundering from
the fortifications, and the acclamations of the mul-
titude most fervid.
There is a vast display of illuminations, and all
the houses have embroidered silks of the Imperial
colour floating from the topmast windows, while
the garlands of flowers are splendidly interwoven
around the Imperial initials.
The streets are so many flower gardens, and the
crowd most dense. Municipal officers are engaged
anxiously in guarding against injury to life from
the vast pressure on the pathways and the sidings
of the avenues leading to the station.

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE HERMANN.

SOUTHAMPTON, SEPT. 23.

By the United States' mail steam-ship Hermann,
Lieutenant Higgins, U.S.N., Commander, which
touched off Cowes this morning, on her way to
Bremen, we have dates from New York to the 10th
inst.

The Hermann has on freight specie value $14,500
'for London, and $133,163 for Havre, besides a
quantity of cargo for Bremen.
The Asia, from Liverpool, arrived out on the Bth
inst. The screw steam-ship Taurus, from Liver-
pool, reached Boston on the 9th inst.
The steam-ship Star of the West, with dates from
San Francisco to the 16th of August, vid Nicaragua,
arrived at New York on the 9th instant. She had
$971,523 in gold-dust on freight, and $475,000 in
the hands of passengers. The Winfield Scott, left
San Francisco on the 16th of August, with $938,945
on freight ; and the Sierra Nevada also had
$1,304,149. The Californian news is unimportant.
The discoveries of gold in Santa Cruz, in the coast
range south of San Francisco, are confirmed, but it
had been found in quantities that would not pay.
Gold diggings had been discovered in the city of
Sacramento. They were supposed to consist of dust
hid by miners who had encamped upon the ground
shortly after the discovery of the mines. The news
from the interior and from the mining districts was
pretty favourable. The head of the bandit Joaquim
had been brought into San Francisco. The San
Francisco herald of the 16th of August, gives the
following particulars of the race of two clipper
ships from New York :
"Yesterday the clipper ships Hornet and Flying
Cloud arrived at this port in 105 days from New York.
The Hornet came in about 40 minutes ahead of the Fly-
ing Cloud, having left New York on the same day, the
ilornet several hours ahead. Out side the Heads at
New York she was becalmed until the Flying Cloud
Fame up with her, when they started together, and
have reached their destination almost simultaneously—
an extraordinary coincidence. The Hornet was 19 days
in reaching the Equator, and the Flying Cloud 17. The
-‘l3'ing Cloud, it will be recollected, has made the
quickest passage to this port on record. From the log
book she appears to have encountered much worse
weather than her rival, having had her jibboom carried
away in a gale, as well as her chief officer and one
of her seamen washed overboard and lost."

The subjoined is a review of the San Francisco
Markets to the latest date :

"The activity in the market noticed in our last was
Manifested fora day or two after the departure of the
steamerof the let, when it began to decline rapidly, and
has now almost entirely ceased ; in fact, the two weeks
last past have been as remarkable for stagnation of
rlde as the previous ones were for their briskness,
rices in some articles, however, have been maintained,
and in a few an advance has even taken place ; but the
feral characteristic of the market has been extreme
so, and prices in the great bulk of articles have