The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-05 00:00:00

THE KING OF THE BELGIANS AND THE LORD MAYOR.

While the Court was sitting a copy of a newspaper was
handed to the Lord Mayor, containing a telegram from
Brussels announcing in effect that the King of the Bel-
gians had nominated him, as the Chief Magistrate of
the city of London, a Commander of the Order of Leo-
pold, as a mark of his Majesty's satisfaction with the
reception recently afforded him by tLo corporation.
This was the first intimation the Lord Mayor had of the
intended honour. Meanwhile M. Van De Weyer, the
Belgian Ambassador at this Court, who had come to town
for the express purpose, called at the Mansion-house as the
bearer of his Majesty's command, and, not finding the Lord
Mayor there, went direct to Guildhall, where he had an in-
terview with his lordship, and presented him in the name
of his Sovereign with the insignia of the Order.

Mr. WOODTHORPE, the Town Cleric, addressingthe Court,
said he had to inform them that a telegram interesting to
them all had just appeared in tho newspapers. It was as
follows :

" Brussels, Oct. 4.

" The King has nominated the Lord Mayor of London a
Commander of the Order of Leopold, as a mark of his
Majesty's satisfaction with the reception offered to him by
the corporation."
This announcement was hailed by the Court with loud
and prolonged cheers.
The LORD MAYOR then said, speaking with some little
emotion—Gentlemen, the Belgian Minister, who sits by my
side, has by command of the King done me the honour to
present me with this token of respect. I take the liberty to
express to his Excellency my great acknowledgments for the
handsome tribute, and to add that, as his Excellency is here
in person, I hope he will be kind enough to convey to his
Majesty the King of the Belgians the grateful expression of
the corporation and of their Chief Magistrate for this dis-
tinguished honour. (Cheers.)
M. VAN DE "WEYER, the Belgian Minister, addressing the
Lord Mayor, said—ln times like these, even of rapid com-
munication, it is difficult for a diplomatist always to be
beaten. But I confess I have been beaten by the telegraph.
(A laugh.) However, I have come up from the country on
purpose to present this tribute to your lordship at the pre-
sent meeting of the corporation. It would have reached
your lordship sooner, but the reason of the delay has been
this—that his Majesty had hoped that an opportunity would
have occurred when he himself would have presented it to
you in person. Such an opportunity, unfortunately, not
having arisen, I have great pleasure in doing so. (Cheers.)
His Excellency then retired.
PROPOSED UNION OF TWO CITY BENEFICES.

The Town Clerk read a letter addressed to the Lord
Mayor by the Bishop of London, stating that it was his
intention to issue a commission to inquire and report on
the expediency of the proposed union of the perpetual
curacy of St. Catherine Cree and the donative perpetual
curacy of St. James's, Duke's-place.
The Court thereupon appointed, in exercise of a power
♦ested in it, Alderman Gibbons and Deputy Burnell to be
the two commissioners on the part of the corporation.

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS BY DROVERS.
Mr. BUDRIN, chairman of the Markets Committee, reply
ing to Mr. Dresser Rogers, said the committee had recently
addressed a communication to each of the metropolitan
police magistrates requesting to be furnished with the
names of any of the cattle drovers in the employment of
the corporation who had been convicted of cruelty to cattle
in their charge, and it was the intention of the committee
in every such case to deprive the drover of his badge.