The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-06 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY _EV

THE FETE AT ST. CLOUD.
(From Galignani's Messenger )
The Palace of Saint Cloud, yeeterday, presented
an animated scene. On the cards of invitation it was
stated that the file would commence at three o'clock,
and terminate at seven, but this arrangement way
subsequently altered, in order to afford an opportu-
nity to the Members of the National Assembly, -who
had been invited, to attend without neglecting their
legislative duties. It was, therefore, intimated that
the visitors would be at liberty to remain as long as
should be agreeable to them.
As early as half-past two o'clock Equipages were
on their way to Saint Cloud, and by three o'clock a
string of carriages passed through the adjacent
villages on their way to the chateau. The
road from Saint Cloud to the gates of the Palace
was ou each side lined by a dense mass
of crowd, consisting of the inhabitants of Saint
Cloud and of the vicinity, attracted by this un-
usual scene of a fete at this old and favourite seat of
royalty. The doors of the chateau were opened pre-
cisely at three o'clock, and the whole suite of splendid
state roams on the ground floor were thrown open to
the visitors. An immense number of tae servants of
the President were stationed on the vestibule and on
the grand staircase to receive the guests, and at the
door of the Grand Saloon were Carabineers without
arms, thus reminding one of the receptions on the
days of royalty.
On leaving the state-rooms of the palace, the com-
pany entered the reserved park, which commands an
extensive view of Paris. The day was beautifully
serene, and the panorama enchanting. Two bands
of excellent musicians, chosen from the garrison of
Paris, were stationed in the park, and two buffets
had been erected for the supply of ices—one set the
bassin Saint Jean, the other at the Trocadero.

At an early hour Prince Louis Napoleon arrived,
and proceeded at once to the park, giving his arm to
her Excellency the Marchioness of Normanby. On
his approach to the palace, through the dense line on
each side of the road from the Place de Saint Cloud,
he had been enthusiastically cheered. He wasi in a
plain dress, wearing no other distinctive badge than
the grand cordon of the Legion of Honour. At about
five o'clock, in a sort of square formed near one of
the military bands, after the President had conversed
with some private friends, his Excellency the :Mar-
quis of Normanby presented the Lord Mayor of Lon-
don, Sir John Musgrove. The President expressed
to him the extreme happiness that he derived from the
visit of the chief magistrate of the city of Louden*, and
his warm sense of the kind feeling to wards
France manifested by the English nation.
The Lord Mayor acknowledged in suitable
terms the honour done to him by the
Prince, and then requested permission to present to
him some ladies and gentlemen who accompanied
him. After these presentations the President again
gave his arm to the Marchioness of Normanby, and
proceeded towards the centre of the park, followed
by 300 or 400 persona, among whom were several
of the diplomatic corps, and some of the generals and
other officers of the garrison of Paris.
At six o'clock it was announced that the buffet in
the Orangerie was open, and immediately a rush. was
made towards it. The supply was abundant, and the
viands and wines were of the choicest kind, but, the
space was much too small for the immense number of
visitors, who could not, we imagine, have been less
than two thousand. Hundreds who had entered the
Orangerie left again immediately in consequence. of
the crowd, and had to wait an hour before they muld
obtain refreshments. The inconvenience would have
been still greater if about this time a considerable
number who had made arrangements to return to
Paris to dinner had not left the palace.

From six to seven o'clock there were fresh arrivals,
consisting chiefly of persons whose official and legisla-
tive duties had prevented them coming at an early
hour, but they bore no proportion to the number who
had quitted.
It is hardly necessary, for the fete was given in
their honour, to state, that the English formed nearly
a majority of the company. The elite of Prench
society was, however, to be seen, and the promenade
toilette of the ladies was in most cases one of elegant
simplicity.
We were informed, that whilst the company in
general were partaking of the excellent refreshments
provided at the buffet, the President was doing the
honours in a similar way to the Lord Mayor, and a
few of the distinguished persons who were with him.
At dusk the state-rooms of the palace were lighted
up, and as from the elevated situation of the park nitich
of the company found the air rather cold, they were
soon crowded._ Between eight and nine o'clock, the
President entered the grand saloon, and passed through
the suite of rooms, bowing to his guests, and c on-
versing with persons with whom he was persomally
acquainted. Some English gentlemen having pro-
posed that three hurrahs should be got up in honour
of the President, the idea was immediately embrr.ced,
and the palace resounded with them accompanied by
shouts of "give Napoleon !"
On the whole this fete will produce a lasting im-
pression upon the minds, of the persons who had the
good fortune to be present, both as regards the motive
which inspired it, and the attention that was shown
by the President to his guests. The château and
park of Saint Cloud have frequently been the scenes
of pomp and gaiety, but never before did they afford
the gratifying spectacle of a fete, which may be
called that of the fraternity of nations, and, above
all, a manifestation of the kind feeling that now
exists between two countries which, after having
been rivals in war, mutually assailing each other on
all the interests of humanity, are now happily en-
gaged in an amicable rivalry of civilization, friend-
ship, and hospitality.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE BRADFORD
REFORM ASSOCIATION.
(EvERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY.)
Sir,—On Monday the 4th, perplexity was worse
perplexed, on the subject of the Episcopal and Capi-
tular Estates Management Bill. It was moved by the
Solicitor-General and carried, after the word " Com-
missioners," to insert the words " who shall pay due
regard to the just and reasonable claims of the pre-
sent holders of lands under lease or otherwise, arising
from the long continued practice of renewal."
It is wonderfully hard to get at the theory of this
piece of legislation. The Bill is declared to be "per-
missive ;" that is to say, it permits a contract to be
legalized and carried into effect which two parties
shall make, if a third party thinks fit. The third
party then, is to have only a negative action.
It it pleases, it may say to the two con-
tracting parties, "We do not think your
contract is one that ought to be allowed ;
we see objections to it, and objecting to it we put our
Veto on it." So far seems tolerably clear. But
tben is heard the voice of the Legislature saying to
this third or authorizing party through the trumpet of
an Act of Parliament, "It is necessary to impress upon
you, that the lessees have claims, which if you were
not thus told of them, you would probably set your
foot upon. You are therefore not to think yourselves
bound to be fierce upon lessees. You would have
been fierce, if nothing had been said to you ; but now
you are not. If you had not been warned by an Act
of Parliament, you would not have thought that the
long continued practice of renewal made a just and
reasonable claim ; but now you are to think it does,
when the Corporations, who are the other side, will
agree to it"
To a collector of complicated specimens of human
action, there is something in this which must be
interesting. It looks very much as if the subject was
a sore one to handle, and there was a sort of lurking
expectation, that perhaps it will deal with itself.

On Tuesday, lengthened discussion on the Patent
Laws. In the evening the House was counted out,
on the question of the Poor Knights of Windsor,
whom the Dean and Canons of that ilk keep upon a
shilling a-day, by virtue of an arrangement made
when a shilling was a fortune, besides eating up all
their red herrings iu the Catholic times, as if a soldier
had not a soul to be saved. The subject suggests a
wider field of question, which is whether it would not
be decorous for civilized Governments to set about
providing against at all events future deteriorations
of the value of money ; on which point California
may yet give a shock which shall awaken somebody.
I am, Sir, yours very sincerely,
AN OLD REFORMER.
London, Aug. 6, 1851.