The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-22 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR

BALMOR.AL, MONDAY.—IIer Majesty and the Prince
went this morning to Invercauld Forest.
In the afternoon her Majesty, accompanied by the
Countess of Gainsborough, drove to Abergeldie.
The Earl and Countess of Aboyne and Sir Max-
well Wallace have left their names at Balmoral.
TUESDAY.—Iier Majesty, attended by Viscountess
Canning, walked out this morning into the woods
sketching.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, the Prince
of Wales, and Prince Alfred, attended by Miss Hill-
yard, also walked out.
Mr. Charles Lyell and Dr. Robertson will join the
royal dinner party this evening.

Dispatches were received yesterOay, at the Colo-
nial-office, from the Governor of New South Wales,
and also from the Governor of New Zealand.

WREXHAM THEATRE.—The whole of the prepara-
tions for opening the above theatre by Mr. George
Owen are now completed, and it is acknowledged to be
the most splendid theatre in the provinces. We under-
stand Mr. George Owen has taken the Chester Theatre,
and will open it in the race week. The following is
list of the comrany :—Mr. George Owen, Mr. C. Leman,
Mr. J. C. Ward, Mr. Gardiner, Mr. Craig, Mr. Wilson,
Mr. Marrick, Mr. Robson, Mr. Wright, Mr. Johns,
Mr. Gilmore, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Owen,
Mrs. Nanns, Miss Walters, Miss Adelaide Eldred, Miss
Eldred, and Miss Emmeline Montague.
PROPOSED DEMOCRATIC BANQUET IN PARIS.—The
Union says—" The tricolour and semi-Montagnard re-
presentatives are organising a monster banquet for the
‘.32d, in honour of the inaguration of the Republic of
179,2. M. German Serrut is the president of this ban-
quet, which will take place in the Jardin du Chalet,
all 6e Gabrielle. A single toast will be proposed by M.
Ledru Rollin, to ' The Democratic Republic!' The ad-
dition of the word which he desired to add to
the toast was not accorded to the ex-member of the
Provisional Government. M. Theodcre Raynal has, it
is said, succeeded in conciliating the tricolours and Mon-
tagnards, with respect to this expression, which would
have caused a certain perturbation among the future
guests."—Galignani.

NATIONAL FETE AT BOULOGNE-
SUR-MER.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.—The town of Boulogne has
really distinguished itself to-day in a manner which
could not have been anticipated even by the most san-
guine lovers of popular amusements. The prepara-
tions were all upon a scale of elegance and complete-
ness, but the entertainments of the first two days,
Monday and Tuesday, were certainly not such as to
lead one to suppose that the concluding part of the
fete would produce a universal feeling of satisfaction
in the public mind. The result, however, of this day's
proceedings has been that Boulogne has raised itself
to a most enviable height in the opinion of the French
nation. Paris has always been renowned for its fetes
and popular demonstrations, but no one could have
supposed that the smaller towns in France were ca-
pable of emulating the metropolis with such taste and
vigour as the Boulonnais have displayed to-day. The
amusements of the two preceding days were confined
to regattas, donkey-races, duck-hunting, greasy pole
climbing, street music, bats champetres, and various
other modes of enjoyment hich appeal to the general
taste of holiday-makers, but it would seem that these
were only intended to prepare the people for some-
thing magnificent by way of finale to the entertain-
ments. The town has presented a scene to-day which
even the Parisians who, during the last six months,
have had some experience in exhibitions of this kind,
will remember with pleasure and contentment. The
fete of to-day has, moreover, proved of considerable
importance in a national point of view, for it has af-
forded to the inhabitants of the various towns between
this and Paris an opportunity of fraternizing together
after the sad events of June, which had called forth
the patriotism of every province in France. During
the revolution of June the National Guards of Bou-
logne rendered themselves conspicuous by the gene-
rous manner in which they volunteered their services,
and the present fete has enabled the National Guards
of Paris to testify their appreciation of those services.
True, many of the officers who had arrived from the
metropolis were compelled to return, because the
" authorities" had omitted to provide accommodation
for them ; but those who remained have seen and
heard sufficient to repay them for all their trouble and
expense. It appears that on Monday' evening some
two or three hundred of the National Guards from
Paris took the opportunity offered to them of paying
a visit to England. The majority did not go farther
than Dover, where they passed several hours in social
companionship with the British troops. England and
France were thus brought together in terms of the
strongest amity ; and the Parisians returned to their
own country full of gratitude and good liquor. The
English soldiers, in fact, gave them a most welcome
reception, and when the parting took place the repre-
sentatives of each nation were convinced that no two
countries were ever further removed from war than
are at this moment France and England. The cries
of " Vive l'Angleterre et la France," has resounded
in all quarters, and the English ladies at preseet
staying in the town have been extremely bountiful
in their distribution of bouquets amongst the National
Guards and troops of the line. The rappel was
sounded at an early hour this morning, and before 10
o'clock the streets were all alive with excitement and
expectation. A grand cortege was announced to
take place at 12 o'clock, and every window in the
principal thoroughfares was occupied by gaily-
dressed ladies, all of whom were prepared with nose-
gays wherewith to honour the soldiers as they passed.
The procession started from the upper town at twelve
o'clock, and proceeded along the Grande Rue towards
the point where it had been arranged that the prizes
won by the victors in the different games which I
have mentioned in my former letters should be dis-
tributed. The National Guards a cheval, drum-
majors, sapeurs, artillerymen, National Guards
a pied, soldiers of the line, vivandieres, and several
bands of music belonging to the different companies
of Guards, took part in the procession, and at certain
intervals the monotony of bayonets and military ac-
coutrements was relieved by the appearance of cars
drawn 'by horses, and ornamented with banners and
Republican insignia. These cars were designed to
represent the triumph of commerce, of agriculture,
and of liberty. The char de r agriculture excited uni-
versal admiration, and justly so, for it was arranged
in the most tasteful and appropriate manner. The
machine was filled with corn-sheaves, hay, and other
agricultural products, and placed in such a manner as
to produce an effect that was really beautiful. At each
coaner of the car was a cornucopia, with flowers
streaming from it, and at the top of all were a
plough, a scythe, and other instruments of husbandry,
decorated with the colours of the Republic. Behind
the car walked in procession a cluster of little girls
dressed in white, and ornamented with a profusion of
flowers. I need hardly say that the enthusiasm of
the people at this moment was unbounded. There was
scarcely a spectator present who would not willingly
have forgone all that he had previously seen to have
been able to encore this part of the procession. The
band played "Le Marseillahe," " Mourir pour
la Petrie," and other patriotic airs, and every
man cried, " Vive la Republique," or " Vive
la France." These cries were responded to
by the spectators at the windows, and the general
effect was such as cannot easily be conceived except
by persons well conversant with the ability of the
French nation for enacting scenes of this description.
The Republic seemed to be firmly established in the
hearts of all, and the union of France and England
was held to be henceforth essential to the happiness
and well-being of both countries.
The procession continued its march to the column
of Napoleon, which is pretty generally known to be
situated on the Calais road, about a mile from the
market-place in the upper town. The appearance of
the road and the surrounding fields was a most im-
posing sight. Thousands of people had assembled at
the gates before the column, where preparations had
been made for a bat.quet, to which all the National
Guards and soldiers of the line were invited. Tables
were arranged in the square plot of ground, in the
centre of which stands the monument, and I was in-
formed that there was accommodation for 6,000 per-
sons. There were no seats prepared, but those who
came to partake of the feast, though much fatigued
by their day's work, were so completely bent upon
enjoying themselves, that they were well content
to drink the "cup of friendship" standing. Every
man seemed resolved to be happy, and there was not
a single incident calculated to mar the good
feeling that existed amongst all. After the ban-
quet various toasts were proposed, and sundry
speeches were made in honour of the republique lion-
nete. The most important speech on the occasion was
that delivered by the Prefect of Boulogne. This
gentleman expressed himself in very strong language
upon the necessity of maintaining peace with all na-
tions, and more especially with England, whose gra-
cious Sovereign, he stated, had won the highest enco-
miums from France for the manner in which she had
acted towards the new Republic. lie concluded by
proposing the union of France and England, and the
health of Queen Victoria. The toast was received
with the greatest enthusiasm, and was re-
sponded to by an Englishman, who, the better to
be heard, as he spoke in his own language,
mounted upon a table and addressed the meeting with
much good taste on the policy of the two nations con-
tinuing to live in peace and amity. Those of the
National Guards who had been amongst the visitors to
Dover were greatly delighted at meeting many
Englishmen at the banquet, and the reporters for the
London press were received with unusual favour and
enthusiasm. We were indebted to M. Sansot, Colonel
of the National Guards of Boulogne, for his politeness
in giving us admission, and for the complimentary
way in which he was pleased to express himself to-
wards the English nation. "L'union fait la force,"
he said, and he was firmly impressed with the con-
viction that if England and France stood by each
other they had nothing to fear from any opposing
power. The scene which took place immediately
after the men had satisfied their appetites, was such
as could be witnessed in France alone. By this time
the grounds were opened for the admission of the
public, and the majority of the company joined
in a dance, the band of the National Guards sup-
plying the necessary music. Many hundreds of
people, amongst whom were ladies dressed after the
most approved fashion, were dancing ensemble, and
the peculiarity of the scene was greatly increased by
the fact that it was quite unpremeditated. The
sound of the music amongst such mercurial subjects
was sufficient to set them all on the tiptoe of excite-
ment,
and they could no more have refrained from
dancing than a man touched by an electric spark
could avoid a convulsive movement. The exhibition
lasted for upwards of an hour, and the cortege
then proceeded on its return to Boulogne. The
gaiety of the town has been kept up throughout
the evening, and the houses, as well as all the
triumphal arches, have been most brilliantly illu-
minated, according to the mode at present in
vogue in this country—that is to say, with paper
lanterns of different colours so blended together as to
produce a very harmonious effect.
In order to add still more to the glories of the
day, a splendid balloon was prepared on the Capicure
side of the harbour, which attracted a great concourse
from its stupendous size and gay appearance. About
a quarter past four o'clock in the afternoon Monsieur
Godard prepared for the ascent. It was reported that
his lady would accompany bim, but, as discretion is
the better part of valour, the wife, very prudently,
thought it was better to remain on shore than tempt
the perilous journey of air and ocean; whereupon
Monsieur Godard went aloft alone in his boat-
like car, and truly the ascent was splendid in
the extreme—with a clear blue sky, and golden
sun throwing its radiance all around. Every-
thing conspired to render the ascent at once
imposing and magnificent, as the balloon slowly
and majestically rose, towering over the basin of
the harbour, amid the applauding shouts of thou-
sands gazing with wonderment and delight at the
novel scene ! Presently the balloon ascended above
hing the bewildering gaze
the town and heights, catc