New-York tribune., 1880-02-22


peers scattered about the benches are 1obed III scar
let the dais is spread with fabric OF ndiah loohS'
red beautiful i'm itself but killed By the Haunting
color TO which IL is opposed BY the time the
British uniform of scarlet more brilliant than the
peers robes has appeared upon the scene the con-
nict of tints, that wall not blend becomes dlsrcSshe
to the eye. The magenta hucs Of the windows ana
the namcesS reds Of the ladies' gowns add 10 theron
fusion, and 1t is not TIL throng stihcion TO hue
the benches has assembled that ANYTHING IKE
harmony of tone is fused through the ROOM II is
partial compensation that the proportions oi iHe
han are good The decoration wood will not,
indeed bear studying III detail There is per
prtual Icpeti ION of the m0tJ tac same design
recurring i'm every panel with weari~0ne moDoton''
The panels and cIochcts the colhels, the mould
ings the treatment OF shaft and mu,ion and rb are
marked by the same poverty of invention the same
incon gruons application of Grecian theories I"
Gothic decoration. All the strength, the severe
simplicity the rigid adherence to q uniform modei
which suits the classic STYLES. are alien from ever!
species of true Gothic and bctoken the eebeness ci
thought and want of individual freedom IN the
workman who has to deal with style that becomes
meaningless when il ceases to be various The
woodwork behind yoa you sit in the gallery Is |
carved into crosses, each cross OF the same dmeh
sions and the limbs of each inscribed with the
legend God save the Queen" 10 right aud lci' |
as far you can this poor conceit IS repeated
For aupht | know il covers the whole side OF me
hall and the other side. and the ends. Her Majesty |
would seem to be IN bad way If she needs 50 many
invocat0ns to preserve her from evil For varietys
sake you are inclined 10 add that blunt one from
the prayer book: Grant her in health and wealth
long TO 1--we.
ARRIVAL or TIE LADIES.
For the purposes of this ceremony the usual ar
ranpcIncnts of the House have been disturbed The
veil IN front of the throne has been Withdrawn.
The Peers seats. all but the front row, are assigned
TO ladies'; who however. have to surrcndcra rallied
off corner next to the throne to the dlplomatlStS'
TIE woolsack. in front Of the throne-a broad SOFA
without back or armS-iS left 10 the Princess oI
Wales and other Prncesses. Two similar sofas /"
rear Of this and at right angles TO it are for the
Judges The front bench below the diplomatic
retreat Is for the bishops. The ladies have the side
galleries. except one devoted TO toTegh gen
tlemen. and the whole of the Stranger GdHeIy' ana
the trbunes at either side of IT. IIe press rlonhe
is mercifully reserved for the press. As the seats
in the side and end galleries were not reserved Oy
name or number. holders OF tickets for those places
came early, and there was some competition 10!
good places. On the door, each seat was labelled
with the name of the lady who was TO
occupy IT, yet they, too. many OF them
arrived in good season. In theory. each one
of these privileged beings was the wife
or daughter of a Peer In practice. the
Peer whose wife or daughter did not care 10 pres
ent gave away the place to female friend. The
pressure for admission was very great; Yet While
on the Ministerial side every seat filed hut on
the Opposition side there remained quite fifty va
cant places. IL NAV oe that the Opposition Peer
esscS are too good Liberals 10 care 10 swell tri-
umph IN which the Sovereign is made to appear as
the ally Of the Tory party.
The usherS VINO swarm about the doorway to the
left of the throne meet each lady she arrives.
One of hem inspects hor card. examines the plan
with which he Is equipped, and solcmnly conducts
the hizh boIu dame to her seat. NOu may have a
took at them they pass beneath the gallery They
in full dress or what passes for full, but as yet
the fulness Of it is hidden beneath cloak. No
body cares to sit for an hour or more in this cold
hall with bare shoulders and arms. You remark
that many of them seem to have been carefully
drilled for this appearance. They advance with n
measured step and collected air their trains sweep
ing the floor three yards behind them. There ave
been disrespectful foreigners-some Of them Amerl-
cans feaI-wbc SAID that the British fen ale does
not walk well. The dIsrespeCtful foreigner would
have had II reconsider bis opinion had he been pres
ent on this OCCASION MOI all but many
of these brilliant creatures have a marked |
dignity OF gait 1t is to be sure
rather more commonly dignifcd than grace
full but il is sometimes both. Lady Hood is an IN
stance. She is one Of the most beautiful women in
England and she walks mp the aisle with an uudu
atnc ease OF movement, careless yet firm step. an
ndol, grace and with it all a natural distinction
Of manner. wich more often found in tho wo-
men OF Southern Europe than here in tins island Of
the North On the opposite side sits Lady Mus
grave, aEOthev beauty Of an un-Euglisls type >
whom the dipomatists are paying court, and whose
vivaci;y and Ialhdity Of talk and gesture are such
that size passes for French with those who don't
recognize her There other beauties, bat saw
none Of those ornaments of society who are lima
turcdly called professional beauties, and fear 1t
musi lie said that the average Of good looks not
high Mo:o pretty women are to he any morn
ing during the season IN Hyde Park than were
gathered here occasion which ought % collect
all the aristocratic loveness Of England. Ought
to, perhaps but certainly does not The number Of
women here who can safely be said to be Of the
highest birth Of highest fashion Is bus limited.
The majority Of them have yielded their places TO
their sateTs ofless degree fore gner who had been
told beforehand that he was to the most splendid
company in Europe would be disappointed. Neither
In personal charms nor in splendor of adornment
does this assembly deserve such eulogy. There
are not many fresh toilets, even when the cloak,
come of. The rule about court dress Is but laXly
observed. Many ladies seem to think they have done
enoug gh IN putting the first low neckcd gown that
came to hand Some of them even wear those pretty
morning caps which French lady puts on aud off
with her peignoir and which only French lady's
maid wears III the evening There diamonds.
but have seen more of them at an evening party.
For he better display Of such beauty and diamonds
md costumes as there were il would have been bet
ter if the weather had been worse The spectacle
was given from beginning to end by daylight OF,
more accurately speaking, without gasll gbt, A
dense fog without aud illumination within
would have added much TO the effect.