The Indianapolis journal., 1886-01-31
THE QUEENS PROCESSION.
"reminiscences of the Places Through
Which Victoria Marched in State.
Recalling the Days of Elizabeth and the
Tragedy of Charles I--0nly the Shadows
Of Once Proud Kingly Prerogatiye.
Correspondence of the India napolis Journal.

correspondence of the India napolis Journal.
LONDON. Jan. 20.-Except that the pageautry
Is somewhat shorn of it's ancient glitter, Queen
Victoria will 60 to the House of Parliament very
much in the same state as did her illustrous pre-
decessor, Queen Elizabeth. Three hundred
years ago Queen Elizabeth would start from her
Dalace at Whitehall to the adjacent palace of
Westminster. It was an impressive procession.
N'irst there was her Majssty's guard of state;
next the knights. bannerets and esquires; then
her judges, barons, bishops. archbishops, earls,
Fsiscounts; next the officers of her court, the
Great Seal the Gilt Rod, the Sword and the
Jsweled Cap of Maintenance. attended by her
aids pursuivants and trumpeters. The process
sion was ablaze with scarlet, and gold,
rand STEEL gorgeous with ermine and
nniniver And the Queen sat in her coach,
wearing her imperial robes, coronet of
gold and pearls, and that wonderful bejeweled
stomacher you all have seen in the pictures of
her. The white prancine horses in her coach
Iwere loaded with with crimson velvet, embroid-
cred and embossed. Then followed the Queen
u cavalcade of ladies in waiting. the royal
guard on prancing steeds, trumpeters, heralds
and know not how many other gorgeous persons
And think Of the picturesque crowd of lookers-on,
of patriotic subjects in costumes now only seen
upon the stage, and think of the old gabled
houses, the striking architecture of the streets
hD those days and the 'silvery Thames" flowing
mlong between green banks. What pictures; what
4n interesting time! Queen Elizabeth seemed to
Ns the period: strong, courageous woman, who
interpreted the spirit of the age and knew when
20 render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesar's and to God the things that are Gods. !"
AR. Speaker Crooke, in fattering address de-
Gvered before her Parliament as she sat upon
the throne, said: England has been defended
against the Spanish Armada by your mighty
arm" to which the Queen interrupting his
further speech, rose solemnly and said: mo,
Mr. Speaker, by the mighty hand Of God"
Queen Victoria never lives in London now, nor
has done for FIVE and twenty years. She will
come from Osborne to Buckingham Palace on
the goth, and on the 21st will go thence to West
minister. She will ride in her state carriage
Other state vehicles will precede and follow her.
with court officials and there will be the Yeo.
men Of the Guard and Life Guards, and heralds
and the rest. The procession will move at a
walkingpace along the Mall of st. James Park,
past the Duke of York's steps, into Whitehall
and Ola Palace Yard to the peers entrance of
the House of Lords, and take her seat upon the
throne. By this time you will have had all this
verified by cable. have read the Queens speech
and publicly discussed it, Let me invite you to
supplement your reflections by glance at some
of the historical associations and incidents that
belong to this route from the Queens palace to
She peoples palace of Parliament. Arlington
House. which stood on the present site of Buck
Spgham Palace, was the scene of the first tea
Mriuking in England. Lord Arlington brought a
Epound of the leaf from Holland, where he paid
sixty shllings for it. The house was sold to the
Duke of Buckingham in 1903. and he had it re-
built on the plans of Dutch architect in 1903.
HE called it Buckingham House. The Dukes
third wife, daughter Of James II, by Catherine
Sedley, used to give solemn reception on the
anniversary of the death of her grandfather,
Charles l. Her guests found her on these occa-
siOns IN deep mourning attire, seated in chair
of state her women and attendants surrounding
her in black and Grape. Thus she honored the
memory of the martyred King. Whitehall,
auhere he laid down his life with kingly dignity
and pious resignation, will ever be sacred to his
memory. Charlie III had much of the same proud
Ob8tinacy In his disposition as his father, and
Rhere IS an incident apropos of the ceremonies
now going on at Westminster which may be
mentioned as an illustration of his char
acter and the deep-rooted national recog-
milton of the separate rights and privileges of
the various estates of the realm. This week the
new Parliament elected its Speaker. But he
must be approved by the Queen. and he will be,
Bf course. The Speaker seeks the Queens favor
with dignity, but with submission to her su-
preme rights In the old days of excessive
form and ceremony the Speaker. having been
elected by the Commons. would present himself
for Majesty's approval, protesting his unftness
for the Office, his desire for humber employment
and other oyerpolite expressions of inferiority.
In l67S the Parliament elected its Speaker
one of the proudest of the subjects of the King,
and one whom they knew to be personally OBJ
Aoxious to his Majesty. The Commons desired
TO huniate the King, and they were convinced
that he dared not withhold his approval of their
.e3ection. Seymour, instead of presenting himself
Aumbly at the bar of the upper house for the
Kings appreciation, came there in presence of
shis Majesty with o defiant and naughty de-
zneanor Seymour was noble he was wealthy.
well educated and of distinguished manners II
come here" he said, 'for your Majesty's ap.
proval;" his tone as insoent as his manner was
discourteous. (Which | decline TO give,' or
words to that effect, was the Kings prompt re-
ply. The Commons were furious. Three sep
arate times they demonstrated with him. "The
merry monarch" would rot bulge. He was
within his rights, and the Commons had to yield
and elect Speaker whom the King would in
dorse In the present day the Speaker does not
present himself at the bar of the peers. Her
Majesty approves of the Commons choice
through her Lord Chancellor The English
Speaker has great power but he is the mouth
piece of unwritten law. and his authority begins
and ends when he sits in the chair of authority.
The Speaker at Washington has power far
beyond any individual authority in both the
English houses-the extraordinary privilege of
selecting committees on private bills power
which is regarded with amazement by all En-
glish students of parliamentary procedure.
'"The MALL along which the royal procession
will pass, perpetuates in its title the game of
s'Palle Malle" which was much patronized by
Charles H. The cavaliers of the court played
the game with much fervor They struck ball
straight path strewn with powdered cookie
shells (ground clam shells would be almost the
same thing). and if you will turn to Pepys you
viii find that he mentions seeing the Duke OF
York and the King playing the game. Up to the
beginning of the present century the Mall was
the fashionable promenade of London, and ladies
and gentlemen Of the court and society walked
there after dinner, summer evenings, in their
brightest attire. The Mall is the walk along
- I IL. 4