The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-21 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S STATE BALL.

On Wednesday the Queen gave, at Buckingham Palace
a State Ball, which was very numerously and brilliantly
at tpnrloei ; tho inritations amounting to 1,900, and com-
prising the Royal family and Royal visitors, the whole of
the diplomatic corps and foreigners of distinction staying
in this country, the Cabinet Ministers, the Chief Judges
of the Courts of Common Law and Equity, and a very
large party of the nobility and gentry.
Their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke
and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz, and the
Duchess Caroline of 3lecklenburgh-Strelitz were attended
by Lady Caroline Cust, Baroness Wenchstein, and Baron

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Saxe
Coburg Gotha joined Her 3fsjesty and her august circle
in the Yellow Drawing-room. _

The Queen wore a dress of pink silk, covered with pink
tulle, ornamented with pink satin ribands and bunches of
pink roses and diamonds. Her Majesty's head-dress was
formed of a wreath of pink roses and diamonds.
The Duchess of Kent wore a dress of sky blue, brocaded
with silver and trimmed with point lace. Her Royal
Highness's head-dress was formed of crimson velvet,
point lace, feathers, and diamonds.

The Duchess of Cambridge's dress was black net, over
black silk, trimmed with black bugles, the stomacher
adorned with pearls and diamonds. Her Royal Highness
wore a splendid tiara of large pearls and diaMonds.
The Princess Mary wore a dress of blue tulle, em-
broidered and trimmed with silver ; the stomacher of
diamonds. The Princess had a wreath of flowers round
her head, diamond earrings, and a pearl necklace.
The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz
wore a dress of pink satin covered with tulle, and trimmed
with silver, the stomacher adorned with pearls and dia-
monds. The head-dress was composed of flowers, pearls,
and diamonds.

The Duchess of Saxe Coburg Gotha's dress was of gold
moire antique, trimmed with gold lace, and having the
stomacher of diamonds. Her Royal Highness's head-
dress was formed of lilies, green and gold leaves, and
diamonds.

The Duchess Cqroline of Mecklenburgh.Strelifz wore a
dress of pink satin covered with tulle, having two deep
flounces of white lace ; the front was ornamented with
white roses and green leaves, diamonds being inserted in
the middle of the roses. The stomacher was adorned
with diamonds, and the head-dress compo_ed of white
roses and diamonds.

The Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe wore a white dress
trimmed with blush roses and silver ribands. The Prin-
cess wore round her head a wreath of blush roses.

Her Majesty opened the ball with his Royal Hizhness
the Hereditary Grand Duke of Meck:enburgh-Strelitz, in
a quadrille'

ARRIVAL OF THE KING AND QUEEN OF

HANOVER.

Their Majesties the King and Queen of Hanover, ac-
companied by the youthful Crown Prince and the Prin-
cesses of the Royal Family, arrived off the Royal dock-
yard at Woolwich on Thursday, from Ostend. The Duke
of Cambridge went to Woolwich to meet His Majesty,
and, with the Hanoverian ambassador, assisted him up the
landing-_seps. -

Tne-Kink and Queen, with the youthful Princess
Maria, and the Duke of Cambridge, entered the first
carriage, an open phaeton, drawn by four horses, and
left the dockyard, amid the reiterated cheers of the
spectators.

The Crown Prince and the Princess Frederica, and the
ladies and gentlemen in the suite of the King and Queen,
followed in six carriages.
The Royal party, while passing through Greenwich,
was met by the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess
Mary, and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand
Duchess of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz, who had intended to
be present to receive the King and Queen at Woolwich.
Their Royal Highnesses returned with the King and
Queen, and they proceeded to the residence of the Hano-
verian Legation, where the Royal party arrived at 7 o'clock.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester and the
Duchess Caroline of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz were in at-
tendance at the Legation to receive their Majesties.
The King and Queen only retired for a few moments,
and presently left in a carriage and four to pay a visit to
Her Majesty and the Prince Consort at Buckingham
Palace. Upon the road their Majesties were met by the
Queen and the Prince Consort hastening to pay a visit of
congratulation to their illustrious relatives. The horses'
heads were turned, and in a few moments the Queen and
the Prince Consort met the King and Queen in the hall
of the Hanoverian Legation. The interview between the
Queen and her Royal cousins was most affecting. The
Majesty remained for nearly half-an-hour with her illus-
trious relatives.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, her Serene
Highness the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe, and their
Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Saxe Coburg
Gotha visited their Majesties during the evening.

THE MILITARY ENCAMPMENT AT
CHOBHAM.

The camp at Chobham-common bivouacked on Tuesday
for the first time, amidst a storm of thunder, hail, and
rain, as if the very elements had combined with the
Commander-in•chief to test the capabilities of the sol-
diery in contending with them. The force now assembled
upon Chobham-common is from eight to ten thousand
strong. It comprises four regiments of cavalry, three
battalions of guards, two brigades of infantry, each com-
prising three regiments ; one troop of Royal Horse Artil-
lery, three batteries of Horse Artillery, a company of
Sappers, and a Pontoon train. The cavalry is composed
of the Ist Life Guards, the 6th Dragoon Guards, the
13th Light Dragoons, and the 17th Lancers, commanded
by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge. Colonel
Henry Bentinck commands the battalions of the Grena-
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the Rifle Brigade. Major-General Fane commands the
42d, the 50th, and the 95th, forming the second infantry
brigade. Lieut.-Colonel Bloomfield commands the Royal
Artillery, Lieut.-Colonel Vicars the Sappers and Miners,
and Colonel H. D. Jones the Pontoon train. The entire
division is under the command of Lord Seaton, Lieut.-
Colonel B. Wood being Assistant Adjutant-General, and
Colonel Torrens Assistant Quartermaster-General. Con-
structing kitchens was one of the chief works of Tuesday,
and it must not be supposed that the culinary art, as
practised in the midst of war's alarms, is an uninteresting
object of study. Anything more rude and accordant with
campaigning it is hardly possible to conceive. A trench
is dug, with a short mud chimney at one end ; a fire is
lighted at the other, and the top of the trench being
covered over with turf, pots are stuck down into holes
made for them in this covering to boil ; this is the Sap-
pers' mode. The earth kitchen approved of by the ex-
isting regulations is a still rougher contrivance, and one's
thoughts, in looking at either, naturally revert with
satisfaction to sea-coal fires, ranges, ovens, hot-plates,
and all the other appliances of modern gastronomy. The
Artillery, like the Sappers, are obliged to be able to turn
their hands to any sort of work more than the men of the
line, and they gave excellent evidence of their expertness.
by the quickness with which they took up their position.
Chobham-common, which has been selected for the
encampment, is a wild, extensive, heath-clad tract of
land, about three miles from Chertsey. The lower parts
of it are marshy, the high grounds covered with a scrubby
dry turf. Its extent, its freedom from enclosures or wood,
and other considerations, on the whole, well adapt it for
the use to which it is now put. A succession of swelling
heights formed into a crescent-shaped ridge runs through
the centre of the common, and upon its concave edge the
encampment rests, with a northern aspect. The tents,
therefore, looked at from the north, form graceful and
regular hollow lines, advanced at each end and receding
in the centre, along the verge of the horizon. The cavalry,
with their spacious canvas stables, occupy the extreme
right ; then the three battalions of the Guards ; then the
42d Highlanders, the 95th, the 50th, the 38th, the 93d,
and the 23d. The Artillery and Rifles occupy the ex-
treme left of the position. Each regiment keeps its
boundaries distinct from the rest, and the arrangement
of tents is in regular order by companies, the men in their
bell-tents, fifteen to each tent, in front ; the officers in
the rear. Behind them, again, the mess-room, the hos.
pital, the canteen, the kitchen, the stables, and the
women's huts. Of course the appearance of the encamp-
ment varies with the arm of the service which occupies it.
The cavalry stables, and those of the artillery, give either
wing a rather booth-like effect, but the ridge, dotted
regularly with the symmetrical tents of the infantry, is
exceedingly striking, and the swarms of red and white
coats moving about like ants add immensely to the anima-
tion of the scene, It was an interesting and pretty sight
to see each regiment come in upon the ground allotted to
it, the band playing at its head, and then, after a short
paw, at the word of command, all the tents raized tit

once, and as if by magic. The men deserve great praise
for the expertness which they all showed in this matter.
Tuesdays and Fridays have been decided upon for hold-
ing the reviews of the troops in the camp at Chobham,
and to-day is the first grand day, Her Majesty having ex-
pressed her intention to be present, with His Royal High-
ness Prince Albert and a brilliant staff, to review the
troops in the camp. The numerous royal and distin-
guished visitors at present in this country from the conti-
nent will also be present on the occasion.

An arrangement has been made fora post-office at
Chobham camp, with two deliveries and despatches daily,
which will be in connection with the post town of Chert-
sey. All letters for the camp should be specially ad-
dressed " The Camp, Chertsey." _

Friday was the first field-day at the camp. The troops
turned out on " private parade," as it is called, at nine
o'clock, and at ten Lord Seaton appeared on the ground
and took the command. To the rear of the camp is the
Long Cross•road, and beyond that again a large tract of
undulating ground covered with heath, and admirably
adapted for setting off military movements to advantage.
The force now assembled on the common forms a division,
with three brizades of foot and cavalry and artillery in
proportion. The whole turned out on Friday, and, ex-
cept of course the necessary guards, the encampment was
deserted. An enemy was supposed to be advancing from
the direction of Guildford, and the division manoeuvred
in the face of it, according to the most approved rules of
military tactics. 'ln actual campaigning evolutions so
elaborate rarely take place. In the Peninsula, Salamanca
is perhaps the only example to the contrary, for war is
like everything else that man undertakes, the theory being
considerably in advance of the actual practice. It must
be understood, however, that the operations of Friday
were not those of a sham fight, but rather represented a
one-sided view of a contest conducted according to the
strict rules of military science. Further, it must be borne
in mind that, being the first field day, and preparatory to
the display of to-day—when it is expected that the Queen
will be present—the whole affair was more in the nature
of a rehearsal than a deliberate exhibition of discipline
and professional skill.