The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-10 00:00:00

THE MINISTRY AT WINDSOR.

The announcement that two Privy Councils would be
held at Windsor Castle on Wednesday caused considerable
interest and excitement amongst the usually quiet citizens
of the royal burgh. About twelve o'clock the appearance
on the platform of the Great Western Railway at Pad-
dington of a group of statesmen, consisting of Lord
Cairns, the Earl of Malmesbury, Mr. G. Hardy, Lord
Stanley, the Duke of Buckingham, Mr. Ward Hunt, Sir
S. Northcote, Sir J. Pakington, the Duke of Marlborough,
Colonel Taylor, and others, attracted no small attention
amongst the passengers and the officers of the railway
company. Their presence on the occasion was rendered
the more significant from the circumstance of nearly
every one of them carrying in his right hand a smal
official box, and it was generally taken for granted that
they were en route to Windsor for the purpose of com-
pleting the last act of their official life, namely, their
formal resignation as Ministers of the Crown. A special
train having drawn up in front of the platform, the
above-mentioned individuals entered a saloon carriage,
followed by Mr. R. Baggallay, Mr. Baron Cleasby, and
Mr. Justice Hayes, who were about to receive particular
honours. At ten minutes past twelve o'clock the train
started, and arrived at Windsor at ten minutes before one
o'clock. Upon leaving their carriage the party walked
through a crowd numbering about 300 persons, who lined
both sides of the platform, and regarded them with a
ierntinising glance, but with no demonstrative feeling,
except that indicated by the respectful removal of the hat,
'in act of courtesy which some of the spectators proffered,
and which was gracefully acknowledged by the personages
thus honoured,

Five of the royal carriages were in waiting upon the
distinguished travellers, in which they were conveyed to
the Castle, amid a respectful silence on the part of the
people—a silence which was, however, now and again
l)roken by exclamations of " Where is Mr. Disraeli?"
.'he absence of the head of the late Government on such an
,ccasion could not he accounted for, and various conjec-
tures were uttered in the way of explanation. At length
tll4 mug riggiAEge enligh_t_g_44_llp9Ake mild, by

certain individuals who, assuming to be intimately
acquainted with the matter, stated that on the previous
day her Majesty gave special audience at the Castle to
Mr. Disraeli, who then went through the ceremony of
retiring from office. About a quarter-past two o'clock the
ex-Ministers beforenamed, having severally delivered up
their seals of office at the Privy Council, took their de-
parture from Windsor Castle. They all, with the excep-
tion of the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Stanley, availed
themselves of the royal carriages which her Majesty
was graciously pleased to place at their disposal, and
were driven back to the railway station. The noble duke
and the late Foreign Minister, however, preferred walk-
ing, and arrived at the platform nearly as soon as their
late Ministerial colleagues. On entering the saloon
carriage of the special train which was drawn up to
receive them, the assembled crowd paid them much
outward respect, many of them raising their hats to
their honour, whilst a small minority attempted to get up
a cheer.

About twenty minutes past two o'clock the train started
for town, and scarcely five minutes had then elapsed when
the other special train from Paddington arrived at the
Windsor station, conveying in a saloon carriage the new
Ministers. As soon as Mr. Gladstone was recognised by
the crowd a vociferous cheer was raised, which was
repeated again and again as his presence became more
generally known. The right honourable gentleman and his
colleagues, raising their hats, bowed their acknowledg-
ments to their enthusiastic admirers. Mr. Bright, whose
advent to Ministerial honours was looked for apparently
with great interest, was welcomed on his arrival with a
similar ovation. The hon. gentleman appeared greatly
moved by the reception given him. The royal carriages
which were awaiting the arrival of the new Ministers
drew up at the side of the platform on which
they stood. Mr. Gladstone and Earl De Grey and Ripon,
accompanied by two other gentlemen, entered the
first carriage amid a perfect hurricane of applause.
Several persons (including some ladies), not satisfied with
this expression of their approval, rushed forward to the
door of the carriage and cordially shook Mr. Gladstone by
the hand - the right hon. gentleman reciprocating the
compliment with hearty good-will. At length, with some
difficulty this warm interchange of friendship was put an
end to, and the horses had almost to force a passage through
the crowd. In the next carriage Mr. Bright took his
seat, accompanied by Mr. Bruce and Mr. Goschen., We
need scarcely say that a similar demonstration awaited
the hon. member for Birmingham. Mr. Lowe, Mr.
Cardwell, Mr. Childers, and Mr. Layard occupied the
third carriage. In the fourth were seated the Marquis of
Hartington and Lord Kimberley. The fifth royal carriage
followed without any occupant. The Duke of Argyll and
the Earl of Clarendon walked together from the station
to the Castle. A crowd followed the carriages until they
entered the gates of Windsor Castle, cheering the occu-
pants the entire way.