The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, Tt. ESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 5, 1867.,

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

THIS DAY.

The official announcement that her Most Gracious
Majesty would to-day open the Parliament of the
United Kingdom in person drew forth a large
attendance of her loyal and loving subjects,
who flocked from all quarters of the me-
tropolis to obtain a glimpse of her Majesty
as she procceded from Buckingham Palace
to the Parliamentary Palace at Westminster. The
centre mall in St. James's Park was lined on either
side by spectators three or four deep, and the steps
of the York Column presented a very novel ap-
pearance, as they were entirely occupied by sight-
seers.

In Whitehall and Parliament-street the specta-
tors were not confined to the streets—large galleri?s
in many places erected iu front of the various bal-
conies were filled principally by ladies.
A few minutes before one a squadron of the Life
Guards took possession of the line of route, and from
that hour until a short timeprevious to the royal car-
riages leaving Buckingham Palace, the chariots of
the nobility, their occupants being elegantly
dressed, continued to pass on their way to the House
of Peers.

Her Majesty throughout the entire length of the
journey was enthusiastically received with waving
of hats and handkerchiefs and great cheering.

ROUSE OF LORDS.

The scene within the " House " is one of peculiar
grandeur whenever her Majesty deigns to open
Parliament in person, and although the ceremony
is the same on all occasions of her Majesty's pre-
sence, yet the crowd of peers, peeresses, and their
sons and daughters that always assemble to meet
their sovereign seems yearly to increase. The
doors of the House were opened at twelve
o'clock, and considering that the fair sex were in
question it was rather surprising to see the num-
bers that were there in time. In a very few
minutes after that hour both sides of the gallery
were nearly filled, and the dresses looked like a rich
band of -variegated colours which relieved the
effect of the dim impressive grandeur of the
chamber above. All were of course in full
evening dress, though the labours of the
toilet were at present concealed under shawls or
cloaks, for the day was far from warm, and some of
the storied windows above the seats had been left
open, making gaps in the succession of our line of
kings, and, what was still worse, admitting a stream
of bleak, cold wind to boot. The peeresses arrived
fast in little groups of twos and threes, and after
much bowing and talk with friends, were at length
ushered to their places by the messengers, and oc-
cupied themselves in gazing at the rich, angular,
but strictly Gothic throne.
The body of the House kept gradually filling
up, and most of the front benches were occupied
before one o'clock, at which hour there was a great
and sudden influx of noble ladies, all superbly
dressed in the fullest amplitude of the present
fashion, and who remained in the body of the House,
looking with something like dismay at the very
narrow aperture between the benches for the peers
through which they had to pass. In vain the mes-
senger said, " Now pray, ladies, now pray move ;"
the ladies were all smiles, but as immoveable as the
gilded statues placed round the House, opposing a
passive resistance, the most effectual of all obstruc-
tions to officials, who have to be polite and do their
duty at the sane time.
The members of the diplomatic corps and the
peers now made their appearance, their rich uni-
forms adding much to the brilliancy of the scene.
The judges in their scarlet robes, the chiefs wearing
their splendid gold chains over their ermine collars,
next arrived and took their position near the wool-
sack.

The arrival of her Majesty was now looked for with
much interest ; and no sooner was thedistan t flourish
of trumpets heard than a messenger enters the
house rather in a hurry, and requested my lords
and ladies to uncover, at which there was a general
uprising of all the ladies present, and amid a great
rustle, and audible laughing, mantles and shawls
were laid aside—no one knows where, though effec-
tually out of sight. Again, there was -a pause,
during which many peers came in. The ladies here
began again putting on their shawls, with as
much care as such a furtive toilet admits of, when
the doors were thrown open and the heralds entered
two by two, bowing stiffly in their rich and awk-
ward tabards, as they passed before the throne.
The great officers of the household,
in their
splendid uniforms, succeeded, followed by the Earl
of Derby with the Sword of State before the
Queen, at whose appearance all rise and stand.
Dressed simply but richly in black moire
antique, wearing diamonds upon the bosom, and
tiara-like upon her Marie-Stuart cap, from which
depended a flowing white lace veil that fell im ample
folds upon her shoulders, her Majesty took her seat
on the throne. The assembly having been authorised,
in the name of her Majesty, by the Lord Chancellor,
there was a pause until the Commons of England,
headed by the Speaker, and ushered by the Black
Rod, hustled each other to the bar. The Chancellor
then standing at the right hand of the throne read
aloud the Queen's Speech, which will be found in
another column. The proceedings then terminated
by the rapid filing out of the royal procession. The
Queen's voice was not for an instant audible from
her Majesty's entrance to her exit.

Their lordships then adjourned during pleasure.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Tms. DAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at one o'clock; after
which hour the members began to arrive in quick
succession. At two o'clock, when Sir Augustus
Clifford, the Usher of the Black Rod, appeared at
the door of the house, and, advancing to the table,
informed the Speaker that the attendance of the
honourable house was required in the House of
Peers,

The SPEAKER immediately left the chair, and the
Chief Clerk read out from the list the order in which
it had been arranged the members should accom-
pany the Speaker. Commencing with the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, the names of the members
of the Government were called, and then afterwards
those of various members on either side the house,
but after ten or a dozen particular names had been
pronounced nearly the whole of the hon. members
within the house rose from their seats, made a quiet
rush to the door, and followed in the train of the
Speaker in the most admirable confusion.

The SPEAKER having returned, the Bitting was
suspended until a quarter before four.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

ROBBERY AT THE ALHAMBRA.—Thos. Bell, who gave the
address 44, Thames-street, Liverpool, was charged before
Mr. Tyrwhitt with stealing from the poison of Mr. Pan-
ton, engineer at the baths and wash-houses, Marshall-
street, a watch, while at the Alhambra on the previous
evening.

Mr. E. Lowis, of Groat Marlborough-street, appeared for
the prisoner.

The prosecutor said that on the previous evening he
went to the Alhambra with two friends, and while trying
to push his way through a large crowd, one of his friends
told him that his watch was stolen, and he saw his friend
holding the prisoner by the collar. The watch produced
was his property.
In answer to Mr. Lewis, the prosecutor stated that ho
did not know whether tho prisoner said anything at the
station when charged, but he appeared " very disagree-
able."

Mr. Hall, a blind-maker, said he saw the prisoner make a
grab at his friend's (the prosecutor's) watch, and saw him
with it in his hand. He seized the prisoner and held him,
and the watch dropped at his feet. The prisoner was then
given into custody.
Police-constable Player, 309 A, said that on taking the
prisoner into custody he said the persons charging him had
made a mistake.
Mr. Lewis having addressed the magistrate on the pri-
soner'd behalf, Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded the prisoner, that
the police might make inquiries respecting him.

DEATH OF DR. SCORESBY JACKSON.—The
Edinburgh Courant intimates the death of Dr. Scoresby
Jackson, a nephew of the celebrated Arctic voyager,
whose life he wrote. Ho was the author of several medical
works, including one on "Climate," and another on " Ma-
teria Modica."