The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-26 00:00:00

TIIE KING OF THE BELGIANS,

The metropolis on Thursday suffered from a plethora of
mayors. More than a hundred of these dignitaries, who
resemble the lilies of the field in this respect—but in this
only—that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of them, headed by the chief magistrate of the
City of London, passed, a resplendent phalanx, through
the streets on their way to Buckingham Palace, to do
honour to the Queen's cousin, the King of the
Belgians. To the physiognomist and the tailor the
spectacle must have been specially instructive,
affording as it did to the former an unprecedented
opportunity of observing how the heads of civic corpora-
tions look, and to the latter how they dress. The deputa-
tion which waited upon his Majesty to present him
with the national address was not, however, confined to
mayors. Lord-lieutenants, high sheriffs of counties, army,
militia, and volunteer officers, and distinguished public
and private civilians took part in the proceedings, the
whole number which entered the Royal precincts of

Buckingham Palace approximating to 600, all
being in uniform, official, or evening dress. The
Lord Mayor and the civic authorities, the lord-
lieutenants and high sheriffs of counties, and the members
of the National Committee proceeded in procession from

the Mansion House, through Cannon-street, St. Paul's-
churchyard, Ludgate-hill, Fleet-street, Strand, Charing-
cross, Pall-mall, and St. James's Park, to the
Palace ; the mayors, ex-mayors, and chief magis-
trates of England, in their official robes, attended,

in many instances, by their mace-bearers, pro-
ceeded from Albert-gate, along Piccadilly and St.
James-street, and joined the first part of the procession at
Marlborough House; a third branch, consisting of Army,
Navy, Militia, and Volunteer officers, formed at Storey's-
gate, St. James's Park, and joined the two former at
Marlborough House. Many of the houses along the
line of route displayed flags, the Belgian ensign
being especially prominent. Rosettes of orange red and
black, the colours of the King's nationality, were used as
decorations by the members composing the deputation.
The ball-room of the Palace was the apartment placed at
the disposal of the committee by her Majesty the Queen,
for the ceremony of the day. At the upper end of the
room, facing the orchestra, a chair of state was provided
for the King, a space in the centre being reserved for the
most distinguished of the memorialists. The general body
of the deputation were seated on the three tiers of crimson
satin-covered seats, which run round three sides of the
ball-room. The Lord Mayor of London, accom-
panied by Lord Napier of Magdala, entered
shortly before twelve, and the various other
mayors followed in rapid succession. The appear-
ance of their beadles and mace-bearers, who were
attired in costumes of the most diversified and eccentric
cut and colour, as they stood drawn up in line in the back-
ground, was one which could not fail to strike the spec-
tator with wonder that any human beings could be
found, in the first place, to design such liveries, and
in the second place, to wear them. The King and
suite were ushered into the room at ten minutes after
twelve. His Majesty was in uniform, and wore the Order
of the Garter. The lameness from which he suffers owing
to a severe attack of rheumatism, caught fifteen years ago,
being very perceptible as he walked across from the
entrance to the chair of state. Having taken his stand on
the raised dais, the Lord Mayor of London said that he was
the bearer of an address to his Majesty from the people of
England, signed by more than 300 Mayors and other ire-
portant personages. The Mayor of Manchester,
he stated, was at Suez, or he would have taken
part in the demonstration. His lordship called
upon Captain Mercier to read the address, which he
did in a manner which would certainly have driven a pro-
fessor of the art of elocution frantic. His Majesty, at its
conclusion, advanced from the dais a few yards towards
the centre of the room and read a lengthy reply. To all
who had taken part in the demonstration in his hcnou'
he tendered his heartfelt thanks. "It is," continued his
Majesty, "with unmixed satisfaction that I see the
strength and the cordiality of the ties which bind England
and Belgium to each other thus affirmed by the Englisl
people through those who represent them on this occa-
sion. Nor can I find words sufficiently strong to express my
sense of this spontaneous demonstration of goodwill which
is added to the constant kindness of your gracious Queen
for whom I entertain, if I may humbly say so, a truly
filial affection, and to the many eminent men who have
allowed me to succeed to a part of the friendship they
entertained for my father. It finds a cordial response in
my heart. Devoted as lamto my country and its insti
tntions, the desire of the people of Belgium to culivate
and increase their intimacy with you greatly gratifies
me. In you they beheld a great example
of political wisdom and moral energy which have led to
the firm establishment of constitutional government—thal
most happy alliance between power and liberty. In
honouring you they honour a people who have known how
to combine the blessings of freedom with those of good
government and good order, and who having by indorai
table energy and sound principle achieved an immense
prcsperity themselves, only desire to sec other nations in
possession of equal advantages, and wish to assist in
preserving the peace of the world. To the
pleasure I have derived from the visits of your
countrymen, you have been pleased to add the gratification
I feel at this moment at the cordial manifestation of your
feelings towards me. If it is given me during my
reign to justify in some measure these too flattering
tokens of your kindness, the encouragement which I receive
in this country, as well as the example it gives me, will
have greatly conduced to that result. Whatever may be
the success which Providence may grant to my intentions
and my efforts, I beg you to be convinced that pus
wishes for the happiness and the peace of all nations
will find an echo in my heart, and that within the narrow
limits of my influence, nothing will, at any time, be dearer
to me than to assist towards the realisation." His Majesty
concluded his reply by again thanking the deputation.
The Lord Mayor then introduced Lord Napier and
others who were present, to each of whom the King
addressed a few courteous words before he retired, which
he did amidst loud cheers. The address was enclosed in
a handsome casket bearing the following incription
" Presented to their Majesties the King and Queen of the
Belgians by the British Nation, November, 1869." On the
sides there will be views of London, Dublin, Edinburgh
and St Asaph's..

At two o'clock a second deputation—this time composed
of commanding officers of volunteer regiments—waited
upon the King at Buckingham Palace to present an
address. This was read by Lord Elcho, who
said it would receive many more signatures than
were at present attached to it, though these numbered
tOO or 400, and were the names of representative men it
connection with the volunteer movement. The address
which bore the signatures of the Prince of Wales,the Duke
of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Christian
and Prince Teck, referred with gratitude to the hospitality
shown to English volunteers by the King and the people
of Belgium, and expressed great regret at the absence Cl
the Queen.

Ills Majesty, in reply, said: "Ithank you for the address
you have just presented to me. It is with much satisfac.
tion I meet you again in your own country, on a soil of
which loyalty to your Queen and patriotic enthusiasm
have made you the voluntary defenders. lam much grati-
fied at the opportunity thus afforded to me of expressing
once more the pleasure with which I have
seen the Belgians render homage to the spirit
which animates you, for an organisation such
as yours cannot but be a source of advantage to every-
one who prizes his country's institutions. I have learned
the full value of independence, and it is my earnest wish
that the increasing rapidity of communication may still
further diminish the distance between our shores, and that
time, as it passes away, may unite the two countries still
more firmly, and may strengthen and confirm the
kindly sentiments you have expressed to me
here to-day. I will not fail to report to the
Queen the regret you have been good enough is
express for her absence. It was a source of great disap-
pointment to her to be unable at the last moment to
accompany me, for you must be aware she has
always asp great a pleasure as myself in visiting this
country. We shall both of us value most highly the pre-
sent address as a new and precious token of your good
wishes, for which I beg you again to accept my sincerest
,ind most grateful thanks."
The King having cordially shaken hands with Lord
Elcho and some other of the officers present, left the ball-
room loudly cheered.

The Lords of the Admiralty have directed that no
boys in her Majesty's ships at home or abroad are in future
to be transferred to the rating of carpenters' crew except
in her Ma;esty's ship Impregnable. In the event of a
vacancy taking glace fur a carpenters' crew in any of her
Majesty's ships abroad, which it is absolutely necessary to
fill up, suitable men for the rating may be entered from the
shore, but only as non-continuous service men, who are to
be discharged to the shore on the ship paying off.
THE DEUWENTWATER ESTATES.-011 Saturday
Mr. W. Stainthorpe, sheriff's officer, proceeded to Grey
Mare Hill, and seized part of the stock on the farm be-
longing to Mr. Drummond, who had paid his half-year's
rent, 411, to the "Countess of Derwentwater." Eleven
lambs were taken possession of, but on Monday, upon Mr.
Drummond paying the amount of rent and costs, his lambs
wore liberated. We understand that the ,",countesses in
demnified Mr. Drummond from 4111004 1i &meta
iho affair..-4/editnn apron,.