davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1874-12-04
WASHINGTON.
The Supreme Courts
Decision on a. Cot
ton Case.
The Confederate Govern
ment' Was Merely a
Conspiracy.
Purchases Made from It Were
Against Public Policy.
Report Of Secretary Belknap---
h1ilcage, Reduction Of
Officers, Etc.
Annual Report Of Attorney
General Williams.
4 Civil.Rights Colored Con-
vention to Be Held
Dec. 8.
Tho Applications for Newspaper
Stamps Aggregate
$500,000.
Durei|'s Resignation--.tt Will Be Readl-
" Accepted.
Tho Applications for Newspaper
Stamps Aggregate
$500,000.
Durel|'s Resignation--.It Will Be Readl-
" Accepted.
THE COTTON CASES.
CONTRACTS WITH THE CONFEDERATE GOVERNMENT


DECLARED NULL AND VOID.
Special D.spateh to The Chieaoo 1rfouns.
WASHINGTON, D. G., Dec. 9.--The Bupresne
Court of tho United States has just rendered 4
decision In which, for tho first titno, tho quehtion
Of tho power Of the Bo-oallod Confederate Gov
ornnlont 10 nuke valid contract has boon adju-
dicated. The ptaiusiH had, knowingly, pur-
chased cotton Of m agent of tho Confederate
Btato8. This cotton WAS Subsequently Boizod by
tho United StatoB, and tho proceeds converted
into tho Treasury. Plaintiff brought Buit In tho
Court Of Claims to rocovor. THIS Court
AE5EcrED THE oI4A1M.
Tha Supreme Court afllrnH thts decision Of
tho Court Of Clnlme OH two grounds: First, lo-
oauao tho purchase OF the cotton and tho pay
mont Of tho consideration neonssAri!y tended to
give aid to tho Rebellion, and all such contracts
are void Us contrary to public policy. This was
CONQUERED in by tho wholo Court. Second, bo-
erato 6tatea
HAD NO EXISTENCE
except as n conspiracy to overthrow lawful an
tlority. It's foundation was treason against tho
60 long Us it 1ustcd, was to mako
slat tronHon successful. It was not necoaaary to
tho organization Of civi} government and the
support Of social order. but was destructive OF
tho best intorosta Of aociety its existence being
ali enormous evil. Whom 1t Wan oserthrown, it
Ierished totally. leaving no laws, no statutes, no
docrecs OF authority which Gnu glvo support to
any contraot CT act lone IN Its Harylco. OF IN aid
of 'itH purpose, or which contributed to protraot
ita existence. Hence the ptantiff
COULD NOT DERIVE AMY TITLE
to this Cotton under the contract made by him
with an agent Of tho no-cniiea Confodurnto Goy-
ernment, such contract being totally void.
In support Of this secoud position Of tho
Court tic Chief Justice aud gx Associate Jud-
tlcos conctlr Two-a1r. Justice Clifford mud A1r.
Justice Davia-dBaont. on tho ground that itH all
nouncemont was not necessary to tho deciaion Of
thlB uAsp.
, 1874-12-04

MARSHAL sEltEASO T!Kl:s THE FIELD.
MApmp. Doc. 9.--Marslal serrano will leays
THU city On Saturday next for tho North, where
he Goos for tho purpose Of directing military
operations. III the selection of his staff, par
tioular pains woro takou that none should be
placed on it who is suspected Of being snp-
porter Of Prince 4tlfonzo tue aou, otiox-Quoon
Isnbelfn.
The Car1ias lcadcrs, Volarco md Crcnta, have
tlnHllccossfullY attempted TO enter tho PROVINCE
Of Murcia with their bands.
poCKnAv rARDoHED.
New foRK. Dec. o.-Cahao dispatches report
that Frederick Il. Dockray has been pardonod by
tho Spanish Government.
Senior Cnstollar IlnH been appointed Commits
Bioner to ropresont Spain ut tho American Gen.
tenual
4 telegram from Cagaiat sourcoy says Qon.
DrApujols commanding }argo body uf Coy
ornulent troops IN Valencia, Inns boon totally do
feated by tho Cartlsts. and Obliged To- rotroat to
iorella, with n loss of COO killed aud wounded,
mud 3G0 prisoners.
, 1874-12-04
He Insists upon tie Passage =
Constitutional Bills. 80
He VIII Not Dec1i1- ~ His
Share Of the Respon-
sibility.
Nor Shall tho Intervention Of His Goy-
ernment Be Wanting.
Pcnco in tho Argentine States--,
Doclzrsy I'or{loncd.
FRANCE,

ERhheE
nprs,,r.r ,a'u1G. ~.
,, - r.. 81 'l""oS AEss"aE.
fAH's, Ooo' o'-lho message OF President NInc-
Natlnu was delivered to tho Assembly this aftor-
ts'uoa tta eaya utasF mas ooen m'l
's;,,' ,a1a. ."o ouaasty 1he felationa
"1su .o'ogn uo'uin"'e"'s ato u" III! excellent
!ooslne' rfahoe nus hho"n 1ltn dotar1nana-
tlon to respect treaties, and las gained tho iu-
creased couadonco of her noiehbors. M
Y,rafcn nowcr ,,ow do,h,a Inv aas,ro ~
,,a,1ni,, ,noao ra,,,oaa iii, II, ,, na"o a,, ~
c.,,' ls'o.no 4os'iule ~, "4.n W. n''ioh' Iao
hhaneAl position OF tho country las senBl1ly
improved. at homo, thanis 10 good harvest,
agricultural production has reached an unprcce-
dented hguro. Tie export trade has 1levQr baeu
Ho considerable as during tho laut four months
Everything now favors tho expectation that tleHo
most satisfactory results will bn at least oqraIel
in 1870. Tho President INSISTS strongly On tho
neoeahisy Of tatlatto tegiEletion with regard to
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL rowtsRs
aud continues aa follows;
, 1874-12-04

Tho Erntat Enctlrapmea,t stt Nesr Or.
ar,.,,. xArxis..4ru

Tho Grand Encsls,aptne1lt stt Nesr Or
ioasnk-Dy1icers Es2ectehs
Spseia. D.suatch to 4As chicaao Tribune.
NEW ORlEAx8, Dso. 3.-The presence Of
Knights Tonplar froul all PORTIONS ut tho eous-
try ut tho Grand Encampntont, uow in session
bore. gives the city holiday appearance. All
plaees of interest III and around tho city, snol
tho city park. tho raoo.conrso, cemeteries, aud
Bhol-Eoads, nro crowded With tho distinguished
atrangors by dug, and at night tho thoatrcs,
opera-house, ana tho d1oront halls whoro onter-
taiumouta aro given III their honor, arc fl1lod to
oyortiowing. Tho st. Charlos Hotel aecommo-
datcB 1,80D guests, and tho otllor hotels, uuurly
as gront a number. Private houses haye boou
thrown opon for tloir cNtortasnlnont while 1nnny
To day t!.o knights participated in grand OK
ourslon to tho Bugar plantations OF tho lowor
coaBt below the city, Whero augar-grlndiHE II i'll
progroas. Dalls ato hold oaeh night in Nlaaonie.
bdd-Felows'. Exposition, and qr1nowaltf's l1alls
By tho different local Comnsaudeties in honor Of
tluir guests. Tho halls nro snagni'lcontly dec
Grand EncampInent today included hearing 70.
ports Of Committees, routine business, aud tho
srotlou Of ollloorn for the ensuing throo years.
james Heron Hopkins. Pittaburg, Grand
aaster; Sir Vincent Lombard nurlbut, CHI
cago. Deputy dranu Master j.. sir Walter
l., l'raeg. Montgomery, Ala., Grand Goner-
N1l6hE&lUs fo!l 4+HmhlA s9GilltlA, DHitlIlluEDs
Gru,lti Gaptain- denorai; str Benton II. Langley.
Winona, Alinn. Grand Senior Warden; Sir
Charoe Rankin Woodruff, Louisville QFa,lh
Junior Warden. Tomorrow Md tomorrow
night will close the exercises. Il grand parade
viii occur Tomorrow through the PRINCIPAL
streets Of tho oity, and prizo laH boon ororcdby
the LonHiana jookuy Ciuh OF splendil Bllyor-
sorvca to tue boat appearing and tlriIod cota-
n,antlory. THO gontl.mun Hllo l,ayo heau oftMsu
an1 ouuaontoi to act ~ lulgos aru lens. ". N.
Tn,hrp u r. nnnnrAnutI1 FfuuInn r. Fifu0tt +
D. Dood, and Col. DoLal!oy Floyd Joloa. The
wuntl,er hna heon fine.
The renalu,ng grand oalcora will be solicited
tomorrow, wllol, tho Officers eloutod will bn in
BtalIotl.
Tho Hon. James II. Hopkins, 'wllo wab to-tlay
oloetel Grand AlRatpr 0f ltio Grand Etcasni'~
,nenta Of tho United RtatcB. is mcmhor 0f Col-
gresB.oloct from tho PittHburg district.
, 1874-12-04

WISEONSIN METUODlST CUNFETEEEE,
eprctst DjJta.ch tu Jths C7itcaga Yr,tune.
M1LwauKEr, Dor. Sat The Methodist Con-
fercnco to-tlay, IL resolution was adopted declar-
Ing tho necessity OF examining into tho c]argca
asaiust tho kieptomnntac Craig. Thia clergy
nau stole boohs whilo OIL ylsit horo was
Jailed, aud nd.uittcd TINT Ac had been in tho
habit Of stealing boohs Iniluouco was brought
to bear to induce the proaecutors not to appear.
Ho wns allowed 10 60 buck to his congregation
nt nspon, to bo l,y them welcomed rs IL sort Of
Ptoaigai Son. Tho Conlerenco does not tnto 10
light It view Of Ills 0ffelHe, md o will unloubt-
edly 10 tried,
The Conference also affirmed tho doctrine of
the Church that ministers silntl not injury parlies
divorced for other thnn s,cripturn. reaaoii.
, 1874-12-04
Proposals for Wrought and Cast-1ran Work for
The United States Custom House aud
r0st-0iIice, st. Louis, Ito.


uHITEn STATE8 VnsfgSs'itouSE AND I
O,sco II Superintendent, Noq. IL 1tit.'
6ea.ed Proposals VII ho Eecevca a. tho 2ihoe Of Tho
ltI furnishing, doiifering. filling, and nH:tlu III
PLACE the Wrought and Cast-l1on Mnfk. fnmps'snG the
Castiron Coun,nt de-. Of Basement all az o1hihed OF
tho pEawinss. dcurbod in tho Specifications aud called
Gopies of iho Dtswtngs Specifications and Schedule
work In Yaeo VII furnished tlo U"yprn.ncnt frcs Of
ennrKe INT VIII 10 ezcctod by tho contractors. .,
Proposals will 10 made by the piece WelEht Tor tao
wS!k viii nes So sbdls saons dissnt bddor but
VII bo con1!dosed Ia tho aggroE1o. The whole r thy
hood ncams Of tho ia aaciont F1oor must be degored
lad et n position within troe month"; from aate OF ne
@ pso@sa @ snH he Columns ct naseS1 aaa a IT,
sp9atssd by tho Superintendent aud tho prosress Of
tho work. .
r4yment;' II! b. made monthly, dolyeag 10 PCT
contHn: natu the !'nai cnn,iet!on Of tho contract;
Is % y e ia
uoiarB tf35 0 that tho htudor will hecsrt md perform
tho eont1aot awarded hin, tho snicirnoy oi H.
% s9 M e HPod II s's tsss & aaa oH,s Ec o
the District xf!Orun the bdd 1caItles. :.
hlde, Il DO deead for thu uefest ii thu GoyeEuant
e s. obtaiasd 1t II. otso, ;n srni II eyory
will not b0 c0nhtd0tod.
Proposals viii Ie received fran partte. who ara no.
thomAuiveH engaged III the Of Wrought nd
Work. and " ho haru thu neco.sary inoos
for AettlpY out tho Thrk.
VIII he tnolasea in sealed cnsoono ndorsed
Rates Cnstoliouse aud PosM,;!;!'sr. S Iis, Aio,."
aud addressed to THOMAS WALh1t,
, 1874-12-04


6psr'at Disp''eh u 1hf ca'caap Tribune.
HAsHiSoToS, u. t., Dec. a.-1Aese are fu-
mols nero to-naght, which are efemtod ~ POI"
SONS well Informed NJ to tue condition OF a1falFs
III Louistana, that another resort to torco il con-
tomplatcd BY tho MeEnorylteu* The story III
TINT III JANUARY thoy intend to foizo sho staso
Governments. inpoaeh the !caaing ssate oihce1s'
and overthrow tho hollogg supremacy
Judge Durell, by reaigulng, Inns, 1t eoems oor-
tain, avoided Htrong, vote in lavor OF his im-
noaenaiah. . ~ ~ anaeT;ooa 1aas id1 .us'm, ',,
hcnn M, ac,cd m n,n'' ~, ,o % omsn Ie 1S,curv Gnn.
mjitoo anI ~ I'm comn';,tno Etoo1 Tia nroSc,,-
tstinn ~ = men,ornI ~ ;mnooc,,nncnt irrs os-
s,,rod - '0'''0'''' - '''AtoA~' "''' 49,
ry,o lin Ia,o.i,,rd rrr,x1
.v,,u,xu,,e,. =, - r. :, un,.or,, ,,ar,horo
~ In i'r"o ~ ~, ue' IT, a,'oa .nrt
arrival o"nioIt r. - thn ,y ,,''s nf nrcnantinr
pn unso ao!s ~ Hn aua .no p,'sfs :" oesi,, a
~ tha ~"i,itr ~ " ,a "r '.,.u '
~ '4' '".,s ~ ,s'o ao" t mu ,.'.n1s
rrn. vnas ~ " yun'' @ n,aax 7;s,,, hi,
Mh" sg1, ~ m.oI oT H. sam ud!un H. rlsi.a ra..!
Y ~ HoI,'t . ",i.n ~ 1,.ar,, IL nn,n.
t'u W sa ateslM9lE aao "aaAoi !" ''"Aaoa
~ a si,n saIuosA. s%,,,a t,,,t INV yo,or ia
, 1874-12-04

TIE TON Alt:'lA TRIAL POSTPONED.
LONDON, Doc. 3.-The Hamburger Borsanha|le
nays tho trin of Count Won Arnin is indefinitely
postponed.
A swrNDL1Na EMIGRATION HcnEsE.
I3EnI1N, Dec. B.-rho prIHsiali Government
Inns isH1.ad circular to the provincial sutl,ott~
ties inBtructing them to moat urgently caution
the people nrai.As tho false representation Of
tho Brazilian emigration agents. and stating thut
omigrants who went ollt ,lndor their reprosanta-
Annn cnntinuo to return to dcruaany in tho
most abjeot condition.
, 1874-12-04
INSURANCE, -
c. q .,lE%.HO. -

The Northwestern National Insurance Company Of Mil.
waukee Alexander MITCHELL President; Edward D. Hoton,
Vice President with the following named gentlemen as Resi-
dent Directors in Chicago yz p D. Armour George Armour
and Alexander Gcddes offer its policies, backed with SIX
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS Cash Capital, and ONE MILL
ION DOLLARS Cash Assets to parties having good insurance to
place. at such rates rs may be agreed upon.
ALFRED JAMES, Manager Of the Chicago O1cR,
1913 LaSalle~st., Chicago.
, 1874-12-04

LnNpoS, Doc. h.--Aslvicoa from Cairo dony
The truth Of tl'e report TINT tho port Of l,osbcra.
OIL tho African cnast, Was blockadod By Egyptian
,ne&l-of-War,
, 1874-12-04

The Indianapolis, Bloomington i Westem
managers laYe oontractod With tho indianapolis
IlollIag-3tilla ios. several tons OF new iron TOT
tleir road.
, 1874-12-04
SOUTH AMERICA.

THE
BAHIA, Brazil Doc. 2.--Iutelligouce hAs been
received bore Of tic conclusion Of pence bo-
tween tho Argentine Government and Gen
alitre, who, with his olicors and soldiors hare
been granted amnesty.
URUGUAY,
II IL reported tA9t q sogiouH revolution has
brokon cut in tho I!epublto Of Uruguay.
, 1874-12-04

TIE 1tECl.ST 6T0Rst.
NEw YnnK, Dec IA Kingston (Jamaica)
lpttor puts tho dalnago to tint iuaad by the ty-
pioun Of Nov. i, at $3.50 U0li.
, 1874-12-04

SVecIdZ D9s00lcH Il Tic EHicnIIa 7FldNne.
JACKSONVILLE. ILL.,. Dec. 1.-Ihs Freabytery
of SprngIiolA Inns been in session hafn aeyesaI
taayr. to t1ecida difficulty in tho Secoul portu-
guesc cAnsc!': Somo t',ree ycags aso tho pas-
Tor, the lsov. 7. Piers, offended largo part Of
hin ilock by marrying young Indy outside tla
church, although previously ongagot to another
in tho church., a.'l thoy aecoleil and set np an
independent church. Yho prosbytery then dis
solved tho pastoral relation. bnt Mr. Piers con-
tlnucd to act. mud appealed the caaa to the Synod,
which decided that lie saoud leave, AMI! then BY
gsuera! NHsent renaa,,ted it bauk to tho prcHby-
t6ry. Tl,at body now Ecalllrn,s thu original ac-
ton, and an]oins Mr. Piers to conuo from ,njnis~
trations. 1t also roquiren Mr.. I.omiugon,
who hrs acted rs rastor for tho uisatFaeted oio-
maoat, to eeaac, A.ia provides for supply for the
congregation, which it hopes will 1low 10 re-
united. This easo l.as CREATED inteuso roelng
among thu Portuguese, Of whom there iB large
co1ouy hntn.
, 1874-12-04

Articles Of nEAociat!on Of the Kendaltvile Har-
nosH-Oii Ooapnuy have boon illod with tho 6eo-
Rotary Of Stat0 Of In!ltana, tlle capta stock be-
Ing $4,000. Thomas L. Graves heada tho H.
roototuhlp.
, 1874-12-04
REFORMED Ep1suopA1 ANN1yERsAnY.

New YonK, Dee. 3.--Fho anniversary OF the
Reformed EpiBoopal Church was celebrated last
night III the churches. Tho ltoy. DR.. Sabine, Of
Naw York, and tho Rev. William II. Need, OF
cesbrat!nn was participated In by II. .. Turner,
Secretary or tho Qel!0ral Council Of tho Re-
for.lod Church, ex-Liaut.- Htewart L..
Woolfortl, alltl tho Itoy. NluaDn Gallagher,
, 1874-12-04
q the Paris Commune, has boon ordered to quit

Belgium. ~ 9"''
ITALY,
THE oARINALpl MEMORIAL.
LONDON, Dod. a-5 n. ma dispatch to thu
Standard from 1iomo announces that tho Cham.
eor Of Deputies hns unanimously passod o roso-
luton granting an nunutty 10 Gariaaldi.
RUSSIA,
THE CxAft At HOME.
sr. PETERSBURG, Doc. 3.-rho Gar has ar
rived III this city. 1Ie WIS present to-day at the
openfng OF tile now quay, assd was received With
great enthuAlasm by tito nopulaco.
CHRISTIAN t1N1nM
The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-28
Drinking Songs.

Why, asks the Pail Mall Gazette, are drink
ing songs, good or bad sure to be received
with applause The singer may proclaim the
delights of violent vicious drinking, like Cas-
per in s'Der Freischutz," or the secret pc,
esser .telice, in a graceful, epicurean sort OF
way, like Maffeo Orsini, in 60 Lucretia Borgia,
or the special virtues of English porter-beer,
like the curiously -named Plumketto, in
- Martha, or the pleasures to be derived
from 'the glorious vintage of Champagne, y
like the late Harrison in one of Balfe's operas
or he may die drinking exclaiming 'Beviam y
like Thon Of Leyden, in the &c Prophetic >
or sing drinking song entirely out of
harmony with his circumstances and charac-
ter like the s'Hamlet' of Ambrose Thomas
the song fanatically praising the use and even
abuse Of intoxicating liquor (Mr. Harrison in
his Champagne song used to hiccup never
fails in any case to be redemanded. The sim
pie explanation of the phenomenon is probably
that the situation of man singing and in the
mood for drinking is eminently lyrical A
drinking song moreover, must in the first
place be song-so something tunefll, that is to
say, with rhythm well marked and easy to
SEIZE In Mr. Ambrose Thomas's ponderous
masterpiece, for instance. .sHamlet" talks and
declaims unmistakable prose, until, suddenly
feeling himself called upon to sing in praise of
wine, he breaks as matter Of course into
something which, however commonplace, is
at least sionable.
The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-28
A Louisville "Reminiscences.

The Louisville Comier-Jo,vnal says, in speak
ing of the destruction of the old theatre in
that city to make room for the new building
for that paper &C In common with our neigh
bors, we feel thrill of regretful remembrance
in the thought that the scene of SO much gay
ETY. and rant, of so many splendid fetes and
triumphs of such world of felicity, is pres
emily to disappear behind the stone walls and
colonnades of modern printing establish
ment. All our great amateurs as well as all
our great stars appeared there. But the place
will know them no more. The printer and the
printers devil, the proof-reader and the press
man, the editor and the accountant, together
with such tradespeople as the new edifice
may entice will henceforth occupy the fields
where Macbeth anted and where Richard
roared. 1t was Prentice who wrote and Julia
Dean who delivered the ode dedicative to the
old establishment when it was new. At that
time Prentice was swell, with round, peach
colored cheeks-a popular favorite of the first
class. He was fond of the theatre and of the
atricals. Julian Deans father being q friend
of his, he took great interest in the young
girls fortunes, giving her letters to people of
influence all over the country. Old Dean was
a solid, thick-set Cerberus, and watched his
daughter with the austerity of a Crummles and
the pride of Costigan. He wore blue coat
with metal buttons and carried silver headed
cane, the terror of the larks who hung about
the stage door and the box-office to catch
glimpse of the Fotheringay. What a girl she
was, to be sure; a sylph-like thing, with brown
hair and hazel eyes, which glanced from pit to
gallery and from gallery to pit in ravishing
way quite irresistible All the beaux and
bucks of the period were in love with her. and
there was no end to the flowers and verses
contributed to her glorifcation. She married
and was unhappy; she died, and u.s. let us
hope, in heaven. Perhaps we should not
think her much Of an actress now, but she
was an ornament in her day to the stage, and
passed through singularly checkered career
without ever having incurred breath of sus-
picion or SANDER"
The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-28
A Valuable Recipe.

The Journal Of Chemistry publishes recipe
for the destruction of insects, which, if it be
one-half as etficacious as it is claimed to be
will prove invaluable:
Hot alum water is a recent suggestion as an
insecticide. 1t will destroy red and black
ants, cockroaches, spiders, chinch-bugs, and
all the crawling pests which intest our houses.
Take two pounds of alum and dissolve it in
three or four quarts of boiling water; let il
stand on the fire till the alum disappears
then apply it with brush while near
ly boiling hot to every joint and crevice
in your closets, bedsteads pantry shelves,
and the like. Brush the crevices in the
floor of the skirting or mop-boards, if you
suspect that they harbor vermin IT, in
whitewashing a ceiling, plenty Of alum is
added to the lime, it will also serve to keep
insects at distance. Cochroaches will flee
the paint which has been washed in cool alum
water. Sugar barrels and boxes can be freed
from ants by drawing chalk mark just around
the edge Of the top Of them The mark must
be unbroken, or they will creep over it; but
continuous chalk mark half an inch in
width will set their depredations at naught
Powdered alum or borax will keep the chinch-
bugs at respectable distance, and travellers
should always carry package in their hand
bags to scatter over and under their pillows in
places where they have reason to suspect the
presence of such bed-fellowe.
The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-28
A Gorgeous Scene.

I The appearance of the dining hall in Windsor
castle upon the occasion Of the recent banquet to
| the Gar is thus described f" Three huge side
boards contained, among multitude OF tank
ards salvers. chargers, goblets, breakers and
platters, OF SOLID gold or parcel glit, the great
st. Georges candelabrIlm the shield OF Achilles,
or Waterloo trophy, and vast number OF exquls-
itely beautiful cups chased. embossed or en-
graved by Benvenuto Cellini, and the great lta =
ian, Flemish and German art workers IN the pr :
cious metals in the fifteenth, sixteenth and sew
enteenth centuries From end 70 end OF the hall
extended the dining tables, set out with massive
epergnes and candelabra, all III gold or parcel
gilt and a host of wax-lights in trlplets set III
golden sconces Gold vases and cups were inter
spersed throughout the length OF the board with
myriad- tinted trophies of flowers and with great
bowers of ferns and rare plants, while
smaller bouquets each one a picture-were
placed in due spaces by the plates OF the
guests. The Queens chair was at the centre
of the table, and on each side Of her majesty )
fauteuil, and on the side opposite to her ex-
tended two long parallel lines of chairs in
crimson damask, white and gold Imagine
all the multitude of wax candles many nun
dreds in number, as it seemed to be lit, and
on the walls above two parallel rows of equally
br ght illumination. But imagine this hinge
banaueting hall, for at least half an hour be
fore the commencement of the feast, wholly
untenanted save by the yeomen of the guard,
Who in their QUAINT Tudor doublets, slashed
and embroidered with gold; their scarlet hose,
snowy-white ruffs and black velvet hats with
bordering Of red and white roses stood with
their partisans of cleaning steel and Furnished
gold, motionless as statues, keeping guard
over the feast to which so many illustrious
guests had been hidden. Now and again
some domestic would glide from behind the
screen, or walk softly up the hall to give the
finishing touch to an arrangement of cups and
glasses, or to see that all due requisites for the
service of the repast were provided at the
side-tables; but anon these retainers would
fade away, and the hall would be left in COM
parative solitude and silence startling you
somewhat with its multitude of glancing ia
pers and its interminable vista of empty chairs
awning you somewhat with the solemnity
of those statuesque old halberdiers in the
doublets of scarlet and gold, the crimped
rufus and the rosetted hats of velvet, who
moved not to the right or the left, who took
no heed either Of CHANGING lights, or cleaning
plate, or glittering glass, or passing servants,
but who stood there motionless as though
they had been tree trunks carved and colored
by some fantastic artist in the image Of the
medieval bgtetiers who stood by the side
board of Henry WILL, and who were with him
at the Field Of the Cloth of Gold"