The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-28

4
! ar.. LONDON, Jan. 20, 1886.
\ DEAR siRs Yesterday was a great day here.
Queen Victoria went in state to Westminster, 10
open the Parliament by reading her speech in the
House of Lords. say her speech, but IL ID in fact
about ss much hers a. IL ID the Queen OF Shsba's
L Is Sir Robert Peel's from beeianing 10 end, no
doubt--every sentence, word, and sylable and does
Iappcar TO me, under the circumstances, 10 be the
most perfect specimen Of ministerial craft and noa-
communication that ever minister put together and
had Sir Robert no claims 10 great ability but this
angle document, should Consider those claims
respectable. The state Of the country, viewed un-
der domestic aspect, the commoton, and agitation,
and expectation, growing out Of the corp-laws, and
that vsxed and ominous question with the United
States about the Oregon territory, required tho
part Of the minister more than usual caution and
Icircumspection; and If there are any who doubt
whsiher the premier possesses them, let him read
that speech from the throne, and he viii doubt no
longer.
Il was the minister's policy 10 seem 70 scuch every
ts~essss "a q satisfactory nanAsrtD diapisnss -
body, to insult no party, and 10 win golden opin-
ions from all; and he has effected the object COM
pletely, believe, human talent and human inge-
nuity could have effected it, He has mystihed
matters insuch way, that although the speech real
amounts to nothing at all, il is extremely difficult
tn find fault with IL. There Is no line Of policy in
dicated-no measure proposed--nothing asserted
nothing announced-and nothing whatever distinct
y recommended, except some additional legsla-
ton for tho purpose Of putting stop TO the frequent
assassinaiions in Ireland; with respect To which,
among the English members, there will not be much
difference Of opinion. The Irish members, general
ly, will Of course oppose t-not that they wish To
encourage assassination but because they wish 1t TO
be believed that the frequency Of Il "a an English
calumny; and that any special legislation with re-
spect TO the subject is insult to the Irish people;
and it may be so--thst do not pretend 10 decide.
As this speech will be read by everybody in the
United States, IL Is Unnecessary for me either 10
quote any part Of il, or to analyse IT,
| The day yesterday was a very fine one for Lon
dom II was not cold, and did not rain; a. ID, more
over there was Visible for an hour or two, long
way of 10 the South, slightly luminous spot, but
yet still very murky and melancholy, seen
through the smoke and fog, which the cockneys
persisted in calling the sun; and possibly it may
have been, but TO me it had the appearance Of a
moon as seen through the mist, and not very bril-
liant one sther. Had the astronomers not settled
that there is but one belonging to the solar sys
TEN, should be much disposed to doubt that mat
ter since have been in England; for really it is
~ difficult to believe that the dull, dingy, and wo-
begone looking orb, that they call the here
who but rarely shows his face, and seems ashamed
to do so-and well he may, for it never looks very
clean-can possibly be the same gorgeous, glorious
efulgent, heaven and earth illuminating lumina-
ny tina. shines upon our free and happy land.
The English now are all fer free trade; and
getting supply of American sunshine, and they
might well afford 10 give bounty on the importa-
ton. IL is that cochney Dickens, think, who, in
| his blackguard "Notes for General Circulation"
finds fault with our sunshine for being too bright,
and with rivers for being too broadand Deep and
to his cockney perceptions and cockney experience,
is quite natural that they should have appeared
so. have already described the kind of sun he
has been accustomed to at home. For river, he
has been in the habit of contemplating that wet
4 IL IL III 1t
river"-but which could be taken out Of the Misss-
ssippi and never missed. Let US 60 back to Queen
Victoria. .... ... ....
1t being fine day, as said, and therefore rather
phenomenon, there was in the parks and streets,
and houses, through which, along which, and by
which Il like to be grammatcaD she passed,
such multitude ofhuman beings had never before
seen together. think there could not have been less
| than one hundred thousand persons-probably many
more. l had the good fortune to secure myself
a place at the Horse Guards, (War ofice,) within
| twenty feet Of the carriages they passed, and
had very fair view of her twice-as she went to
the House of Lords, and as she returned. First
came five carriages with six horses, each splendid
that was it must be the Queens; but they were
filed with officers of the royal household, with titles
and functions too tedious TO be named. At length
appeared squad Of the yeomen of the guard, vul-
carly called the "beef-eaters" in rich scarlet uni
forms of the time of Henry VIII; then squadron
| of the life-guard, the finest equipped mounted
troops in the world, perhaps; then came her ma
jesty, with Prince Albert on her left, and the Coin
tess of Jersey the front seat, in carriage that
looked like FURNISHED gold, drawn by eight noble
crean,-colored horses--such, thought, was their
color; but they were bedzened and overshadowed
by their splendid trappings that il little diff
cult to make it out. There were four positions
| and eight grooms--one groom to each horse--all
clad in brilliant scarlet livery. The whole cavaI-
cade proceeded at a walk, very leisurely and very
| pompously. As her majesty passed she smiled on
us most graciousy, and seemed to be well pleased;
but this she might or might not have been. / say
she smiled on US; for in the crowd l passed well
enough for a cockney, (Which make no boast Off
and | may say, therefore, with some truth, that
| have been favored with the smiles Of Queen Vic
toria; and each of all the 100 900 present may
say the same thing As she passed, there was
some cheering, but not loud or long continued.
There was enough, 1 thought, to show respect; and
il appeared to me TO be in better taste than the
vulgar and obstreper0us demonstrations of mob
loyalty which were formerly thought to be indis-
pensable to cordial reception of majesty when j,
condescended TO show itself to the lieges of cock
neydom. III :, g.
Guards, was gone about forty minutes, and whilst
che was reading her speech, there were continued
discharges of cannon, which "made the wekn
ring" thought the burning of gnnpowdss on
better kept it to burn in the Oregon war; if we
to have ore, though hope we shall not. As her
Majesty returned, shc smiled again, which the
4 Prince did not, but sat erect and looked little
naughty, thought; but he had on ied-marshal's
uniform, which made him look stiff, probably, In
spite ofhimself. He is rather handsome man,
and the Queen is much more goodo than /
! expected to see her. She radiant and rosy,
and in very interesting situation, (perbnm sat
sapitatibus,) as she is every year of her life.
| II hereafter there should be any dispute
about the succession in England, | do not
| think it will be the fault of Queen Victoria; for
| like patriotic sovereign she has done, is doing,
and will continoe to do, no doubt, oil in her power
10 avert from her country 80 overwhelming cslam-
| ity The boodiest, the most implacabe, and most
4 desolang wars that England has ever experienced,
have boon those waged and carried on by rivals for
! the throne May Heaven prosper her Majesty in
her most audable efforts to save her nation from
such fearful visItatona in futurcl For the ladies'
saw that the Queen dress white satin velvet
go thought but an, but little an fat in matters
relating TO the toilet, sc,rcely knowing satin from
velvet. On her head think sho had chaplet of
pearls. When in tho House Of Lords she wore the
crown, which is heavy and cumbrous, but rich and