New-York tribune., 1880-02-22
Aveland,
FULL DRESS.
Not Transferable.
PEERS ENTRANCE.

-
I Full DREss D. G. c.
. Not Transferable.
5 PEERS ENTRANCE.
OF the pageant outside can say nothing IL was
necessary to be in the House of Lords long before
the procession started from buckingham Palace. 1
found as drove along Whitehall about noon that
barrcades had been stretched across just above tho
Horse Guards, the building through which tho
Queen and her escort were 10 debOuch into the
street Early as it was these defences already
garrisoned by mounted police and police on foot.
The public had not been allowed TO pass in carriages
since haf-past L. don't know how it may have
been later but at this hour the Guards were not
very viQilant. They let you 90 by at sight of
piece of white paper, not taking the trouble to
scrutinize it. So drove through the barriers and
between ranks ofhelmeted cOnstabes, of whom, alto
pether some three thousand must have been on duty
From the Horse Guards to the Peers entrance or
Parliament Houses is short quarter OF mile. At
four intervals the police were formed across the
road and were turning back the unprivileged, but
in every case | found the back of nv card answer
all the purposes for which the engraved front was
designed If a man had time and looked about him,
or if. being unhappily only too familiar with the
scene he gave a moment to reflection, he would be
aware that every inch of this ground Is historical.
Here have been enacted some of the most splendid
and some of the most sorrOwful deeds III English
history l don't thipk my driver goes a
whit the slower for all that. He pulls up
neither for the tragic past nor for the
picturesque present, nor for the police until We
have left St. Margarets and Westminster Abbey on
one hand and find in front of us q string OF car
riages setting down at the gateway Of the House OK
Lords.
PASSING THE FUNCTIoNARIEs.
At the door. more police. Once inside and along
the endless corridors of this vast palace you are IN
the hands of a more solemn type Of fnnctionaries;
or rather many types. They were suppose. door
keepers and ushers but should not like to commio
myself TO any specific designation of any one OK
them The majority were clad in black coats, WITH
white ties black breeches. and black stockings.
About the waist of each hung metal badge, which
was sometimes of silver and sometimes of gold-on
the surface They proved less conGding race than
the police As passed on, l was repeatedly asked
TO show my ticket, and on approaching the innel
sanctuary a close examination Of 1T took place;
was so early that no similar pass, apparently had
come under the notice OF the gray-hairod office
bearer who stood at the last doorway. What's
this ?" he asked | replied with humility that 10
was an order of admission to the House OF Lords.
nroceeding from the office of the Lord Great
Chamberlain and signed by the Deputy Great
Chamberlain. satisfied on this point the gray
haired one next scanned me sternly from
head TO foot. "You are not in full dress,'
said he. I answered that l believed my
costume corresponded TO the requirements OF the
Lord Chamberlain. "NO.' rcjoned he, with in
rreasing severity you are in evening dress. Full
lreS, means court dress" began to think. | was
NOT only in peril Of being shut out from the cere-
mopy hal como to see. but perchance OF being
sent TO the Tower f,r high treason. 10 sild' WITH
As much polite decision Of manner rs conid mus"
ter: Il am an American. his dress is the dress
wear at the evGe- Of the President Of the United
States |, is also the dress which the Minister OF
hc United States wears at the Court of II. James.
rhai settled the question and mounted TIE stairs
md passed into the space known for the time being
"a the fon.len QeAtlemens gallery, without further
ceremony. General Van Allen was already there. lie
had esc,ped the terrifying ordeal had undergone,
for he was arrayed in the tu uniform OF GeHeral
# the United States Army, and IN the paGopy OF
war had marched yict0riously thTough all ths
eoions of tie enemy. and was comfortably es'aD-
,shed IN thc best corner OF the gallery. lie had
700, GOOD enough to reserve the next best for me.
md | sheltered myself beneath his plnmes and
houobt "a have thong before that the American
,n,form looked particularly well In foreign land.
remarked, also, with satisfaction. that he wore
word.
THE HALL AID IT'S DECORATIONS.
II "a only quarter past twelve. and we have 40
- +,o hours TO wait. But there Is always some
hing going on, and there is always the hall itself
- look at In the brightest sunlight that ever falls
,non London it is but a gloomy roOm Not ray OK
vb,te light enters it. This lofty Gothic windows
re filled with painted glass perhaps some Of the
rorst painted glass ever seen. The walls and roof
ra panelled in oak of deep color that would bo
dmirable IL were due to age and not TO the
tainer The fat groined ceilIng-if groined be
admissible word as applied TO fiat surlace-is
leutifully gilded, "a are the throne, the balcony
oilinrs and bit, of the woodwork here and there
'reseoes there are aso but gold leaf and frescoes
like have undergone the inevitable corrosion ana
arnsh of this climate and they are at best buta
nil relief TO the brown monotOny they were meant
n set off I'm this dilemma the uphofstcrer has oeen
aled In and this ingenious person has covered tho
oor with crude green and the benches with leather
{ n red that is neither cherry nor crimson, but the
ne of curdled blood; the raw and ghastiy tnt IN
,hch Tintoretto has painted the wounds OF his
,artvrs What is toierable on canvas IN the half
;ddeu Qashes of quivering fesh u in'oicr-
BILE and utterly distressing wien spread
ver bald surfaces OF smooth and shining learner.
here must be half an acre of II when the room Is