The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-04 00:00:00

THE FETES AT PARIS.

Palm, SATURDAY.—Yesterday having done ample
justice to the good cheer provided for them by the
municipal authorities of Boulogne, the Lord Mayor
and aldermen, and other visitors, noble, civic, and
scientific, took their seats in the train " of honour,"
and started at a rapid rate for Paris. At Amiens, a
second refection was prepared of wine and fruits, laid
out on long tables, tastefully decorated with flags and
flowers ; and the National Guard was drawn up to
receive the strangers. After a short delay the train
proceeded, and arrived at Paris at nine in tae evening.
Meanwhile, as early as seven, a detachment of 100
Republican Guards proceeded to the terminus of the
Northern Railway to await the arrival of the distin-
guished visitors. An immense crowd gathered about
the terminus and thronged the streets adjacent. Shortly
after arrived MM. Berger and Carlier, the pre-
fects of the Seine and of police, and M. Lanquetin,
president of the municipal commission, accompanied
by a deputation of ten members of the commission.
The administrators of the railway had placed at the
disposal of the city of Paris one of their rooms for
the reception of the guests. When the train arrived
at the terminus, the two prefects and the president of
the municipal commission received at the entrance of
the room the guests, introduced by M. Petiet, engi-
neer in chief of the railway. Carriages of the mu-
nicipality of Paris were waiting in the inner court,
and, after the presentation, the trumpets of the muni-
cipal guard gave the signal of departure. The pro-
cession passed at a rapid rate through the Rue du
Faubourg Pols sonniere, along the Boulevards,
through the Rue de Richelieu, across the Place du
Carrousel, and gained by the quays the Hotel de
Ville, where the lodgings of the guests were pre-
pared. Throughout this circuitous route the visitors
were received on their passage with every demonstra-
tion of good feeling and welcome, and, above all,
with frequent cries of " Vive le Grand Maire."
At the Hotel de Ville all had been prepared for the
reception of the guests, and already the tables were
laid out for the grand banquet of this evening in the
beautiful Galerie des Fetes, and the adjoining
saloons. This vast hall, hung with the flags of all
nations, has been entirely refitted and newly em-
bellished. In addition to the ordinary lights, lustres
of exquisite lightness and elegance have been sus-
pended above the tables. All the staircases and '
vestibules have been ornamented with flowers, mir-
rors, and tapestry. The inner court on the entresol
has been converted into a delicious flower garden, in
the midst of which a fountain tosses its sparkling
jets. Statues impersonating the French cities have
been ranged along the arcades. In the Salle du
Trone a theatre has been prepared, where
the leading actors and actresses of the Theatre
Fran9ais, MM. Provost, Got, and Delaunay, with
the captivating Madeleine Broban, are to play the
" Medecin malgre lui." The banquet is to be fol-
lowed by a ball and concert. The President is not
to be present at the banquet, but will receive the
visitors at a dejeuner at St. Cloud on Monday. To-
morrow the waters are to play at Versailles. On the
sth will take place the grand ball at the Hotel de
Ville ; on the 6th the military fete and the represen-
tation at the Opera. The Municipal Council decided,
in its sitting of yesterday, that a largess of 12,000 f.
should be distributed on this occasion among the poor
of the twelve arrondissements.

The walls of Paris are covered with placards, an-
nouncing the various fetes; and in each of these
" Le Grand-Maire de Londres," figures in enormous
capitals as the leading attraction, with the fireworks
and waterworks.

The special train of honour which brought the
Lord Mayor and Aldermen were succeeded at the
interval of an hour by another train, which conveyed
upwards of a thousand visitors from England.
To-day the Lord Mayor visited the English Am-
bassador at two, and remained in conversation with
his Excellency for half an hour. He then repaired
to the Assembly, where he was introduced into the
tribune of the Municipal Council. He was preceded
by two ushers of the Assembly, and accompanied
by M. Baze, one of the questors, M. Gustave de
Beaumont, formerly ambassador in England, and M.
Ferdinand de Lasteyrie helped the questors to do the
honours of the Assembly, and pointed out to the
mayor the parliamentary notabilities present. After
witnessing the proceedings for about half-an-hour the
Lord Mayor retired. Singularly enough, the debate
concerned a municipal question of the first mag-
nitude—the loan for the improvements. of the city of
Paris.