The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-25 00:00:00

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ILINQUET TO THE GUARDS.
(This Day.)

The promised banquet to the medal men of the
Guards took place this day at the Royal Surrey
Gardens, and was everything that could be de-

The morning was cloudy, and anything but in

vitiug, a misty rain falling about the middle of
the day, but nevertheless immense crowds of per-
sons lined the streets through which the Guards

passed from their respective-barracks to the gar-
dens, and cheered them lustily.
The Music Hall, the capacious dimensions of
which, and its light and elegant construction and
decoration, which is now so well known to thou-
sands, presented one of the most enlivening, gay,
and brilliant spectacles imaginable. Over the
orchestra, high up above the upper gallery, and
springing from the base of the dome, was a crystal
transparency of the quarteriugs of England,
France, Sardinia, and Turkey, surrounded by the
Garter and England's motto ; whilst on each side
and above were intermixed the flags of the re-
spective nations, over which was placed a minia-
ture Standard of England in gold and crimson.
At the opposite end of the building was a similar
device, and above it one in which the tri-color of
France was most conspicuous.
Along the balcony of the principal gallery fes-
toons of artificial leaves were gracefully and artis-
tically intertwined with the light filagaree work of
the front, and in the interstices formed by
the festoons were placed the names of "J.
M'Donald," " Dundas, " "Evans," " Bruat,"
" 6 Wyndham, " " St. Arnaud, " " Codring-
ton," " Massey, " "Raglan, " " Lyons, "
"Simpson," "Williams," " Cardigan, " Lucan,"
" Bosquet," " Canrobert," ac., &e., names which
for ever will live in the page of history ; and how-
ever much some of them might not have realised
all the anticipations of an ardent, enthusiastic,
brave, and courageous people, there are many
amongst them whom a generous public delighteth
to honour, and who have gallantly and nobly sus-
tained tho reputation of the country. Against
each of the pillars was hung a flag of each of the
allied nations, whilst around the balcony and the
middle gallery festoons of flags were suspended
over them, and along the upper gallery flags were
hung around, which floated gaily in the cool
breeze which, by the extraordinary construction of
the ventilation of the building; passed through it
during the day, and kept the place delightfully
cool, a desideratum highly to be prized in crowded
assemblies—whether in the heat of the day, or
those which succeed them.

Immediately over and behind the chairman, and
in front of the orchestra, the flags of the respective
nations were artistically intertwined, and in a
wreath on each side were the words "Redan,"
" Malakhoff," and in the centre the name of that
never-to-be forgotten soldier's friend and minis-

tering angel, Miss " Nightingale."
At 12 o'clock the gates of the gardens were opened
for the admission of ladies and others by ticket at an
advanced price, the proceeds of which the proprietors
of the gardens have liberally placed at the disposal
of the committee, and the galleries were speedily
filled by a number of elegantly-dressed ladies, radi-
ant with smiles, highly delighted at witnessing
such an interesting scene, and eager to testify their
admiration for men whose daring and gallantry
have achieved deeds unsurpassed in the page of
history, and who suffered the hardships .of war,
aggravated by official blundering, with a magna-
nimity savouring more of romance than reality.
The Grenadiers, mustering 739 men, marched
from their barracks in Birdcage-walk, ov©r West-
minster-bridge, past the Elephant and Castle,
along the Walworth-road to Amelia-street, down
which it passed to the principal entrance of the
gardens. The Fusiliers, numbering 708 men,
marched from their barracks, at Charing-cross,
over Waterloo-bridge, following the Grenadiers
from the Elephant and Castle. The Coldstreams,
numbering 562 men, marched from the Tower over
London-bridge by the Elephant and Castle, and
the same route thence to the gardens.

These gallant men, each preceded by its band,
playing various enlivening airs, reached the
gardens about the appointed time, 2 o'clock, when
an equal number of each regiment, according to
previous arrangement, took their places at the
tables in the capacious music hall, the remainder
being accommodated under an awning in front of
the building, the band stationed in the orchestra
playing at the time the " Roast beef of old
England."

The tables were laid out with cold meats of every
kind, plum puddings, salads, fruits, cheese,
with a bottle of stout to each man. At various
places along the tables were a number of ever-
greens, fuschias, balsams, geraniums, verbenas,
and other plants in flower ; and iu the centre of
the room was an emblematic device, designed by
Messrs. Potel and Shabot, who provided the ban-
quet, and whose catering as purveyors to the com-
pany is well known and justly appreciated.
[We shall give the continuation in our last edition.]

seription is being retard in the name of General
Guyon, with a view to present that distinguished officer
with a sword of honour.
CONGRESS or Cone- DEALERS.—The second grand an -
coal ineet,ng of the conedealera from the different parts
of France will take place this day at Dijon. The object
of such a congress is to arrive at an exact idea of the
total resources of the country front the present harvest •
of the localities which will have a surplus quantity of
corn, of those which will have sufficient for their con-
sumption, and of those where there will be a deficiency.
It is by such information that persons in the corn trade
are able to form a correc':. estimate of the quantity which
will be required front abroad, and a knowledge of the
points or tee country to which it will be necessary to
send a supply. This was the origin of the congress of
corn merchants at Dijon last year, and the eagerness
with which the call made was responded to shows tLa`,
the excellence of the idea was fully appreciated.
THE ORDER OF THE BATH.—It will be in the recollec-
tion of our readers that in the Gazette of July 10, 1855,
certain officers were named who would have been recom-
mended to her Majesty for the honours of the filet,
second, and third classes of the Bath, had they sur-
vived. For the first class of the Bath the lamented Sir
G. Cathcart was the only officer so designated; but for
the second class the list comprised the names of Rear-
Admiral Lowry Corry, Rear Admiral E. Boxer, Major-
General Estcourt, and Brigadiers-General Strangways,
Adams, and Tylden. we understand that, in conside-
ration of the services of these officers, the Queen has
been pleased to direct that their widows shall be per-
mitted to assume the same style and title as they would
have enjoyed had their husbands lived to assume the
dignity of Knight Commanders of the Beth, which it was
her Majesty's intention to confer upon them.—Observer.
COL. PERCY HERBERT, 111. P., C.B.—On Saturday a
public demonstration, in honour of the late Quartermas-
ter-General in the Crimea, took place at Ludlow, when
a magniacent sword of the value of 130 guineas was pro.
sented to him. At 2 o'clock the mayor and corporatior,
attended by nearly all the townspeople, walked in pro-
cession to the limits of the borough on the Corve-road,
leading to Oakley-park, the residence of the Honourable
R. W. Clive, M.P., at which place Colonel Herbert
was staying on a visit. The municipal authorities
there awaited the arrival of the hero of the day, who
shortly afterwards appeared, attended by various mem-
bers of his family, and the tenantry of the Walcot
and Oakley-park estates on horseback. Colonel Her-
bert, who appeared in full uniform, were his Crimean
medals, and rode the white-faced charger which had
borne him throughout the entire campaign. At the
banquet which followed, the mayor (Mr. Valentine) read
a congratulatory address, and presented to the colonel
the sword, which was a splendid weapon, and bore on it
the words "Alma," "Balaklava," "Inkerman," "Sebas-
topol," and an inscription to the effect that the sword
was presented to Colonel Herbert by the inhabitants of
Ludlow as a mark of their approval of his conduct during
the late war. Colonel Herbert replied in a lengthy
speech, a considerable portion of which was devoted to
answering the aspersions which had been cast upon the
late Lord Raglan by those whom the colonel stigmatised
as "grumblers of the camp." A. letter was read from
Sir D. L. Evans, excusing himself from attending the
proceedings, and paying the highest compliments to
Colonel Herbert's skill and courage. After the banquet
the company adjourned to the Assembly-rooms, where a
public ball concluded the festivities of the day.
The Swedish Chambers have approved of the
proposition of the Minister of Marine, which
fixes the strength of the Swedish and Norwegian
fleets for 1857 as follows :—Sweedish fleet : 10 sail
of the line, 6 frigates, 4 schooners, 4 brigs, 9 steam
schooners, 77 gun-boats, 122 armed boats, 6 mor-
tar vessels, 23 steam despatch boats, 2 royal yachts,
21 transports, 524 armed row boats. Norwegian
fleet : 2 frigates, 2 schooners, 2 steam schooners, 1
brig, 43 gun-boats, 5 tugs, with a steam frigate and
a despatch boat, both of which are now being
finished on the stocks at Christiana. All the ves-
sels of war are ready to go to sea, but in time of
peace they are laid up in ordinary. Only the
vessels strictly required by the Government are
kept PA service.