The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-29 00:00:00

°PENING OF THE NEW ROYAL

EXCHANGE.

THE BANQUET.
,The following are some additional particulars,
Ivnioli Were omitted yesterday :
TThe arrangements of Messrs. Staples, of the Albion
pi,"erri, under whose direction the entertainment was
th-e Pared, were the gerieral theme of admiration, and
bte f")ll°`"ing details, in reference to the same, will
read with interest i—
thre Magnificent service of gold plate, for a dinner of
11 it courses, was manufactured expressly for her
table by Messrs. Harvey, of Regent-street.
4rie design of the utiful principal dishes was exceedingly
and the whole service was greatly admired.
The •
tie knives and forks were perfect specimens of art;.
It,. handles repre,enting figures of knights clad in
r:finsur) and the spoons to correspond, having the heads
Ttbier ra‘ece,ive Apo.4.tleF elaborately ebased thereon.
eliSt•--:,idth,-seeZis:t.r,vice, manufactured expressly by Mr.
dof the most superb china. In.the
by of each piece was the ro3 al arms, surmounted
the
arras of the City of London, the Mercers'
11,7111).:413', and those of Sir Thomas Gresham,
Th all
elluidlY emblazoned in gold and purple.
e wine glasses placed on the royal table were
n:e in design, and elaborately engraved. The
orial bearings alluded to, as forming a portion of
i_ae. decorations in the service of china, also appearing
uTheautiful relief upon each glass.
coi he (11°Yleys for the Queen's use were of peach.
Ze,,eoured satin, trimmed with lace of the most valua-
description. In the corners of each were worked
the
the figures of a crown, a sceptre, a grasshopper, and
in 4111)3 of the City of London, the whole present-
of
g lie of most perfect specimens of that description
faninudfatchteure which it is possible to imagine.
hate,Royal table was a magnificent display
tastefully. arranged on a framework covered
it,i,e,e:rwinierseori drapery. The subjects of some of the
very fine, but two dishes especially at-
itraeted the attention of the company, these representd-
ee riespectively the " Adoration of the Magi," an
' tattle of the Gods."
1,411 e Menu presented to her Majesty by Mr. Staples
on °I a Most tasteful design and richly illuminated.
bea gt°llndwork of delicate satin was printed a
N,ithotiful steel engraving of the Royal Exchange,
t,!la Duke of Wellington's statue in the fore-
of fare This This engraving, surmounted the bill
tithnrre' c'ecupying the centre, the blanks on
being filled up with the letters
4 in gold and colours. The menu. was
h
1111"ullnded by a rich border of gold, inlaid with
th:Ple and crimson, and a beautiful fringe, formed of
tilssatin, itself encircled the whole, which, altogether
the "ceedingly creditable to the skill of the artists,
.k
eopweyll
inkrinwn Messrs. De la Rue, of Bunhill-row.
teribed every respect similar to that above de-
Pared ' with the exception of the cypher, was pre-
sented for the Prince Consort, and both were pre-
Sts i to the royal pair at the same time, by Mr.
tiel.P'es,who submitted them upon a small slab of
iirricason Velvet.
4r.teo
P Al"te, rising from the table her Majesty expressed
f,rll—ration of the beautifully executed bill of
IVr',aan requested that it might he forwarded to
zieils"r• Prince Albert presented his copy to his
greatly aj
Count de St. Aulaire, who had also
Thy
Mired it.

-11 e following are copies of the Address presented
""er(14.177 and her Majesty's Answer:—
I`
Ti-lc THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
STY.
'nimble Address of the Lord Mayor,
Aldermen,4
Cmmonnd Comin„,,, of the City of London, in o
"'loci' assembled.
, Most Gracious Sovereign,
1„e
44 your Majesty's faithful subjects,. the Lord
tiZir, Aldermen, and Commons of the city of Lon-
-14410 Common Council assembled, together withtr the
he i
er, Wardens, and Cornmonalty of the M
lercers, joint trustees of Sir Thomas Gtyhrseeeshyam7
has
heart
tiZ(4O Majesty's auspicious presence
nth tTetropuhs on this renowned and faisn,oured spot
attaehtZ liveliest sentiments of devoted loyalty and
o The at.
Your ro Plivilege we this day enjoy of approaching
tevive Sal Person under the roof of the new Exchange
Alai, 8 the
memory of the olden time, when yotuhr,
voti;isltY's illustrious predecessor, Queen Elizabe
raised bred to adorn by her presence the simple edifice
the World acitizen, and dedicated to the commerce of
zir:pirOur kaiesty in this respect emulates theiex:
rage e of that great Monarch who deemed it no dsPa
Ler4 Inderit of her imperial state to proclaim by the
title and to distinguish the work of a subject, by the
yoff, the ` Royal Exchange.'
iuser.h recorded in the graceful narrative of
.events
'ding
ttheteiel on the foundation stone of this
of
literature'the relief of indigence and the advancement. s
and science,' entered into the capacrotu.:
clf the original founder of this noble ins id
graht'ltiollci' and were made subsidiary to the stability an.
I:3l:eh.xseirtirreibld:ga commerce
1) e: CO-extensive with the habit-
to that eminent citizen and benefactor
t
to 'IQ, Sir Thomas Gresham, the signal. men
tion'e-h and execute at his own charge this glo-
ofth Work execute
vve still rejoice to trace the assisting hand
the „e ‘'it Y 7 and the ancient Company of Mercers,from.
thdeea.rliest prosecution of the design, and our graft-
eke, 18 kindled in reflecting that each memorable.
tudeh (3f the R
—oyal Exchange is marked by
the
at °i the reig.niti_
g Monarch to raise and to rebuild
the sollc
twit tucture from the ashes to which it has been
exr,educed by the calamitous effects of fire.
log 148' Charles 11. commenced the former build-
Prineh the 23d of October, 1667, and the illustrious
hilreelitth Royal Consort of your Majesty, under
'taje.stprosy's
auspices, laid the first stone of the
"It edifice. on the 17th January, 1842.
I' Lift;
to regard
teeth 107thererore, most gracious Lady,
Ycior royal approbation this work of our hands,
the 11;t'bie and well-constructed pile again raised by
Ivortt,..tizens of London, and erected on a site rendered
dure"Y of the ob;ect of so vast an undertaking, to en-
Perishable'we fervently pray, for ages, a memorial and im-
and monument of the commercial grandeur
tta.Pr°sPerity, and of the peaceful triumphs of your
stYa• happy reign.
" Signed by order of Court,
RENRY ALWORTLI MEREWETHER."
HER MAJESTY'S ANSWER.
re''elve with peculiar satisfaction this dutiful
: ,1,-.reSS• It is a pledge of the affectionate loyalty of
Pr eople,
Noe.l presented on an auspicious occasion in a
renowned as the centre of the commerce
°f. theoug. se realms,
to; It delights
me to behold the restoration of this
fable edifice, which
ours my royal ancestors regarded with
" and which I esteem worthy of my care.
Within the last three years, when fire had de-
the the ancient building, my beloved Consort laid
the new foundation, and this day I gladly celebrate
_u_e completion of the work, quickly executed, but
grand
and perfect in all its parts.
se." The relief of the indigent, the advancement of
Contee7 the extension of commerce, were the objects
mplated by the founder of the Exchange.
;"These objects are near to my heart. Their at-
,°_l,llrnerits will, I trust, be recorded among the peace-
v'h triumphs
my
reign ; and I shall rejoice if I am
,ohoa enabled, by the blessing of Divine Providence,
of‘ h.prottrote the .
prosperity and happiness of all classes
'LI subj ects"
The r

4e Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress had
.4 the ea
et"Neen 400 and 500 visitors at the Niansion-.h!:isp,
rly part of the day to witness the
friagnifii
rtablcent spectacle, and entertained them in the most hos-
e and elegant manner ; and in the evening his
44 ,
supper to rdshiP and the Lady Mayoress gave a grand ball
- about 500 more. Nothing could be
more satisfactory to the Chief Magistrate, his family,
and friends, in every respect than the proceedings of
ti,iedaY. In the drawing-room a bust of his Lord-
"Y Sir Jones,
tuil) had been placed in the morning. It was executed
a young artist of very high talent, and
attracted great admiration.
ti The banquet at the Mansion-house was supplied
Alessrs. Birch, of Cornhill, who also splendidly
sllPPlied the tables of the Merchant Tailors' Com-
tanY, the Mercers'
4'131t1 Company, the Fishmongers
tisY, the Clothworkers' Company, and
„some
4:1" Com
'AO indipanieuals, to the number in the whole of nearly
vid.