The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-02-14

An RNGLlsA STAIR sCRREn0NlAt.s !
oeephie Dessriptlsh - che Opsnisa sf Par.
~ a l1aMent.
The second session Of the eixth Psrliamsn,
Of q ueen Victoria was opened on the Mth ult.
with all the usual regal pomp. The Londor
Times gives 4 graphic description Of tbs ross
-embling Of she sgreassst Pasliameutary sisem
eisse In the world, y, nom which wsmais III,
Yesterday the interest seemed a. keen and n
lively as ever, even out Of DOORS where fhi
streets were muddy and the weather cerminiv
not that populariy known a. Queea's weas6.
new Palace waiting admission 10 the Hovsi
Of Lords At IL O'Clock, and displaying in theaI
mtadest forms those subdued tokens OF ANNA.
ion which pass for eagerness and cnrjo sity II
tmtSlcmn circles. Some few there were ALSO
VINO, abandoned 70 the error Of their vay4
mlstook one among the many l.byrinthide
'urnings IN the batIdine, and 50 went rhean q.
derinK through Rilded corridors. till they
were only saved BY careful ushers from seek.
aiter the opening OF the doors all the seats on
tne Mtntst terial side of the House were crowd.
ga oy rows Of magniflcently dressed ladies
w WnIe ON the Opposition side some five or si1
were thiniy scattered to make upa show. -
Tue cause Of this difference, however. arore
rom no lack OF zeal among the fair supporters
of the Opposition, but from the simple fac,
that those On the Ministerial side are NOT peer
rsses, but ladies rho have received tickets to
view the ceremony, and who by being in their
places the instant the doors are open show
possibly can.
From " Till O'Clock the arrivals are quick
a.a numsleas. ard The body Of the House grad.
aspect, SO slowing and so vnrfed In its thou
sand tints-fhat bright mixture Of cOlors which
every body speaks OF. though no one can de-
scribe Not an opening of Parliament pas ses
without the chronicler Of events having to
mark some changes In the accustomed state
of things, and yesterday proved no exception
to the rule. As the ladies sat closer and loser
together, drst SIX, then seven, then eight and
light flashed upon all beholders, and they saw
mat tue reign of crinOline was 0yer-the lite
raj and metaphorScal iron despotism Of fash
ION was broken at last. The exceptions u
portant. but still they were the exceptions,
and, taken as whole, the sitting space allow
ed BY that sumptuary censor, the Lord Cham
berlain, was generally allowed to be enough.
One O'Clock came, and not q single peer was
present. Chief Baron Pollock, indeed, entered
an appearances, but, evidently demurring To
his isolated position, withdrew after q few
minutes. During this interval the rain clouds
SO obscnred the light that it was difficult to
distinguish faces across the House, and it
seemed not improbable that the opening cere-
monial might for the first time take place by
lamp light A few minutes after. one O'Clock,
ana looking every, inch his title, comes thr
Queens most ancient Sergeant, who seats him.
self in remote corner Of the judges bench,
and almost Obscured under a massive wig re-
mains solitary as the sage bird of fMinerva-the
nrst and only male rerresen tative Of the great
tignitaries of the land yet in that cham ber-
The messengers exert themselves to make the
ladies sit lutte closer, in some cases not with
out success. On the whole, however. the re-
suit of their efforts is small, and there is no
help for it, since what Is TO be done with Il
I atch OF young peeresses who won't be crowd
Ell and who listen to the perpl~xed officials
remOnstrances with courteous smiles but still
don't mOvel A few minutes after one O'Clock
and twU or three Of those "distinguished Oii-
entails" who have got to be considered as among
the properties on these State occasions, make
their customary appearance, exactly Mt the
same time and in the came place. Their arri.
val OF course creates no small sensation, almost
amounting TO sorrowful amazcment among
their fair Eeighbors as they gaze on their Kin
cob scaris, bright Cashmere shawls, and gilt
tering stuf's rich with 'barbaric gold and
gelns.' rs las
BY and by other celebrities crowd upon the
Monteagle being the first baron.
followed by Earl Stanhopc, Baron Channell,
the Danish and brazilian Minis iers, Lord
Psrtman, Earl CarnarvOn, the Sandman
Minister, and at half-past one precisely, .he
new Lord Chancellor Campbell all in full
~
House fills more rapidly, aud the doors OF the
Princes Chamber are wide open, through
which are caught glimpses OF Life q uxrdsmsn II,
Peers, Ambassadors, and Judges, in brilliant
groups. The Lords Sergeant a,-A rms, the
Hon. Patrick Talbot, at last makes his ap-
as heretofore, in that stiifest OF
uniforms, like the buckram Of eleven men on
one, but in the sombre Official dress, decorated
with large white satin bows ON each shoulder
Lord Lanover's robes as baron contrast bright
ly among those of older peerages, and after
him come the Duke Of Newcastle, the Ameri-
can Minister, the HanOverian and Greek Min.
listers, and the Duke Of Cambridge. who stavs.
rs usual, near the steps Of the throne. The
Bishop OF London is the first on the Episcopal
bench, where after while, comes the Arch
bishop of Canterbury, with the Bishops oi
and Carlisle.
Col. Clifford. the sou Of Sir Augustus Cliff
ford, acts in the place of the late Mr.. Pulman,
Deputy Usher of the Black Rod, while Sir A.
Clifford himself attends in the place of the
Lord Chamberlain, Lord Willoaghby d'Eres-
by:
Sir E. Gust seems to be in strict charge Of
the diplomatic corps, which is gradually REIN
forced by the Norwegian. Belgian. and Swe-
France aud Turkey. The Duke of Argyle, in
Ministerial uniform, stands near the bar for q
few minutes, and surveys the scene with airy
l0ftiness, then retires to put on his robes ot
state, passing in his way Lord Cardigan,
as usual go slowly up the House.
The judges drop in, in twos or threes, all con-
versing in low tones, with their heads togpth
er rs they sit In an omnibus group of thirteen
III front OF the Lord CnanceitUr. As is gener-
ally the case on those occasions, not a single
prominent leader Of the Opposition is pres
ent. 81 fe s ssf.5
At ten minutes past two O'Clock the sound
of trnmpcts is heard; an usher enters in Il
great hurry and utters q few words which have
q magical effect on all present. for the peers
rise, and with an immense rustling Of silks
aud satins the ladies follow the example, and
At signal remove their shawls and opera
eloaks; scarcely is this hurried operation over,
which, as may readily be imagined, involves
an immense amount of subsequent arrange
ment of lufied toilets, ere the doors OF the
house open and their Royal Hjghnesses the
Princesses Alice aud Helena enter, the former
in rich blue dress with rich white lace over.
the latter in y simple white dress. Both fnke
their seats ON the woolsack facing the throne,
aud with their backs to all others In the House.
The Duke Of Cambridge cresses 10 them, anu
in conversation. while tho rest OF the
House sits mute. gazing all upon that rich, uh-
ana strictly Gothic throne, with
its straight, hard back and very angular arms,
which. il appearances are 70 b. trusted, would
seem to indicate that the uneasiness is not al
ways reserved for "the heads that wear
CROWN -
Precisely at aquarter-past two the do03s are
again thrown open, the House rises, and amid
\ long flourish Of trnmpets, the PROCESSION pre-
cedinK, Her Majesty enters the House. The
are first, bowling sufiy IN their ark-
ward gorgeous tAbartls as they pass the Prin-
cesses, The Kipg- -at.A rms csrrying his loyalty
so tar - to bow alternately to them aud TO the
empty throne. Then como Earl Gran ytllevith
tor with the Cnp OF Nainienance; the Marc uis
vi Salisbury with the Crown; the Duke Of Nor
folk with his baton a. HeyedttASy E4ra Mar
ghaI; the Lord Councillor with. ths Great
Seals Her INA MSSis',y ~ ,cpsro,y .ossd IL s!;
With ermina - uagni6cent : slom acherr "A dia !.