The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-15

Ster Hall appeared to be useless, idle,
and tended to create ridicule. Then,
the expense was out of all proportion
to its utility and the most weighty
reason of all was that the
Queen was too young to go through
the ordeal of the banquet after the
fatiguing ceremonies in the Abbey The
sum voted was $4,000, and how care
full was the estimate is indicated by
the return issued in 1889, which shows
that G69.421 was spent. The Lord
Chamberlain department heads the
account with G14.024 12s Cd, and out
of this were paid the salaries of the
hundreds of people engaged for the day
as attendants and servants, and their
splendid liveries. The Master of the
Horses department, which included the
royal carriages, spent &9,S00, and the
Mistress of the Robes follows with a
not extravagant sum of G3,163 12s Cd,
the cost of the royal vestments and
robes of estate, while the Earl Marshal
who had charge of the procession, was
responsible for 81 ,485 9s Sd. The Her
AIDS fees, considering how gorgeous a
creature A herald is, seem very small
at &307. Gold and silver medals sup
piled by the Master of the Mint cost
$4,000. but by far the largest item in
the bill was e30.213 Is. 10d., the ex-
and Forests for fitting up Westminster
Abbey. Illuminating public buildings is
small item of 9SO4 16s. Sd. The dis
play of fireworks which was given in
Hyde Park from a carefully barricad-
ed enclosure and lasted from eleven till
one, cost 1892 SIS. 3d., and the OPEN
ing of theaters, nnd other anusements.
which included the fair in Hyde Park,
finishes the account with e3,110.
William Tvs Coronation.
William Tvs coronation was on a
still more economical scale, e45,OOO be-
ing the estimate, and the actual ex-
pendtture SAB, 159 lis. Cd The account
is much more concise than Queen Vic
toria's, and the headings of the charges
are somewhat different. G22234 los.
Sd. covered the expenses in the several
departments of their majesties' house
hold, an item that corresponds to the
accounts of the Lord Chamberlain
and the Earl Marshals departments
mentioned above. and included the cost
of the robes of both King William and
Queen Adelaide. The Office of arms re-
ceived 91.47S 3s. Cd. for heralds and
pursuivants, and the cost of fitting up
the Abbey was only 94,326 As. Cd, and
the 93,0S4 1Ss. I'd. for fireworks and
opening of theaters is not much less
than the sum afterwards spent in 1888.
When we turn to George Tvs cor
onation we see a contrast which ac-
counts for the economy practiced at
the two succeeding reigns. The total
amount, 923S,23S 0s. I'd, is probably the
largest sum ever paid for one days en-
tertainment, but it was, from all ac-
counts, the most splendid pageant ever
witnessed in the Abbey and Westmin-
ster Hail. The sum originally voted
by Parliament was 100000, and
to make up the deficiency
G138238 0s. I'd was appropriated
from the money received from
France on account of the pecuniary
indemnity under the treaty of 1915.
| The first item in the account is the
Lord Stewards expenses attending the
banquet, 925,184 9s. Sd. Then follows
| the sum of G111,172 9s. 10d. in the
Lord Chamberlain's department for
the furniture and decorations of West
minister Hall and the Abbey, for pro-
viding the regalia, and for dresses,
| etc, of the persons attending and per-
forming various duties. The small
sum of ELS 1Ss. Cd. sufficed for the
charger of the Champion, provided by
| the Master of the Horse: 924,7 O4 IS.
10d. represented the cost of the Kings
robes and vestments, and the Surveyor
of orks spent a50,367 9s. Id. in fitting
| up Westminster Abbey and Westmin-
| ster Hall. The secretary to the Great
| Chamberlain received &2,500. Hire Of
theaters accounted for G3,504 15c The
Master of the MINIS charge for sup
| plying medals was E4,770 Is. 4d. Ex-
| penses in the Earl MarshaPs depart
| ment amounted to e. 500, with a fur
| Their sum of G3, 900 towards the publ
| cation of an account of the ceremony,
which is now a valuable and scarce
work. The Deputy Earl MarshaPs fee
was $500, the expense of police 1881
| 1Ss. 10d., and messengers and door
| keepers received e173 rs. Sd. But the
| strangest and most extravagant item
in the account is that of Messrs Run
| dell & Bridge for snuff boxes for for
| eign mnisterN 9S,205 15s. 1t con-
cludes with e254 Is I'd. paid to the
| Earl of Kinnoul on account of the
pursuivants and heralds In Scotland.
Work of Fitting Up the Abbey.
1t will be seen from the foregoins
accounts that the cost of fitting ur
the Abbey is one of the heaviest items
and the view now taken by the Exec
uive Committee is that accommodation
| shall be provided for as many specta-
| tors as is possible without extensive
alterations in the fittings. AT the jubi-
lee service of 1877 the Abbey was
closed from May 3, and stands were
erected for 5000 persons with practical
| ly no damage to the structure-a con-
| trast to the absolute destruction Of the
interior for George Tvs coronation
| The preparations for this event were
| commenced on May "a. 1920, and the
whole of the wainscoting. seats. stalls
etc, and the organ and altar-piece
were removed. and the renting was
such a lengthy business that the Abb
hey was not again opened for regular
service until the Path OF March 1922
Some OF the contemporary prints which
are on view AT the printshops IN Lon
don give us a good idea ~ the man
ner ~ which every nook and corner
was filled The best Of them r. a meg
zotint engraving by Charles Turner. ar
ter drawing by Frederick Nash
Another expense that II no longer
Incurred Is The htting np Of Wesfmin-
ster Hail for the feast. n WIS pre-
pared by clearing out everything "a
before contained, and a new boarded
floor was laid up the middle ana ooV-