The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-11-23 00:00:00

ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.

Whatever may have been the enthusiasm and excite.
ment at other parts of the route, the pulse of public feel-
ing certainly beat strongest throughout the day in the
vicinity of St. Paul's Cathedral. The neces
pleteness of the preparations occasioned

Ary com-
a delay of some

lalf-hour in the opening cf the doors to admit that por-
tion of the 17,000 spectators who were expected to be
present at the earliest moment. By half-past eight,
therefore, there had congregated about the entrance

overeager crowd, to whom, when the doors were opene

no slight confusion was created by the fact of theTe being
so many kinds of tickets and authorities for issuing them.

fficulties

},retiminary a,._ :laving been satisfactorily
adjusted, the public were ent:bled to take` their places,
and gradually there was formed in the body of the Cathe-
dral a coup d' cell, which, in grandeur, variety of colour,
lively motion, and picturesque massing, combined to form
a spectacle whose grandeur and whose sentiment have
never been equalled in any ceremonial exhibited in this
country. A faint twinkling circlet of gas jets ran flicker-
ing round by the base of the great dome. In a line with
the base, and stretching from capital to capital of the
pilasters, the same simple but most effective decoration
was called into use, and lighted the base of the semi-
circular roof with a line of bright fire. Sweeping round
t'- - -*.and `‘..r.: floor t( the

,ne area, a grand circle of seats rose from the ._
furthest available height in the rear, spreading far into
the transept in receding rows, and coming abruptly to a
space of not more than four or five rows deep, where the
broad pillars at the end of the nave cut off its further
extension. The floor of the nave was covered with black
cloth, and at each side was a long bench, extending from
the entrance to the circular area under the dome, behind
which rose a wooden partition, decorated by escocheons

and naval officers, placed tier above ti
a view of the procession to the area
entrance and the sides of the transept were galleries
which were very speedily filled. The seats at each side
of the organ were also crowded, and the wide expanse of
benches reserved for peeresses and their friends, which
spread from the organ-loft almost to the floor of the area,

;r, so as to command

Over the w

were occupied by ladies, most of them in deep mournjng.
In the centre of the area beneath the dome was placed a
frame about 8 feet high, by the same length, and by a
breadth of 5 feet, covered with black cloth, and some
seats or hassocks were arranged around it, of the same
colour with white borders. Directly in the centre of the
south semi-circumference of the area was fixed the seat of
the Lord Chancellor. Behind his Lordship's seat were
the places reserved for the House of Lords. To their
right, were the places reserved for the generals and other
high officers. Opposite to the Lord Chancellor's chair
was placed that of the Speaker of the House of Commons,
and behind it were the seats for members of that body.
On the left of the Commons sat the corps diplomatique.
On the right of the Commons were the corporation
of the city of London and the other corporations
which had sent representatives. On the right of the
corporations was the deputation from the University of

Cambridge, while directly opposite to them came the
deputation from the University of Oxford. It was in-

tended at first that the four rows in front on each side of
the nave should be occupied by military and naval officers,
but the struggle to get in was so great, that the lines of
red end blue were broken in upon and diversified by
black and white.