The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-20
ATTAINs HIS MAJORITY AND
TAKES OATH.
! MEDIEVAL PROCESSION
Scenes of Slender and Maanificence-
Streets Gay With Fags and
Bunting.

king in fact as well as in lame, hav
ing reached the age, 16, prescribed by
the constitution.
Beautiful weather favored this. the
central day of the fetes. At an early
hour all the bands of music of the
troops performed beneath the win.
dows of the kings apartments.
The royal procession was formed
on the plaza de Armas, in front of the
palace, shortly before 2 p. m. and pro
ceeded to the chamber of the lei
ators and deputies the king took the
oath to uphold the constitution.
A Giant Procession.
The procession was a spectacle of
medieval magnifience. Great grooms
on horseback opened the march. They
were followed by four buglers and
cymbal players from the royal stables,
whose horses were led by grooms on
foot; four mace-bearers on four horses
with oriental trappings, led by hand,
two of the kings riding horses, two
OF the queen regents riding horses,
ready %saddled, led by grooms and six
other royal horses, covered with hand
some velvet cloth of red, blue, green
and yellow, embroidered with armorial
bearings in gold and silver.
Then came IL of the principal out
riders who directly preceded a line
of quaint, historical coaches, emblaz-
noed with armorial bearings, and en-
bellished with massive gilt ornamental
ton.
The procession which emerged from
the courtyard of the palace amid the
booming of n proceeded at a
walking pace, through the streets, gay
with flags and bunting, to the cham
Der OF deputies, before the steps of
which had been erected a purple cam
opy.
The King Takes the Oath.
A delegation, consisting of IL SEN
ators and ~ deputies, received their
maJesties at the steps and, preceded
by the mace-bearers, they we're con-
Quoted through the ante-chambers,
filled with courties and others who
We're unable to find accommodation in
the chamber itself. The king, queen
regent and the. prince and princess of
the Asturias assembled a platform, fac
ing the semi-circular, gilded hall,
aroun which the benches were filled
to their capacity by senator's, depu-
ties. courtiers and ministers.
The king and queen regent who had
entered together, took the center
seats, and the prince and princess of
Asturias seated themselves in the
others. On the left of the king stood
a table on which was a Bible with a
silver crucifix. On the other side OF
his majesty was a stool on which was
a golden crown blazoning with jewels
and a scepter.
AS the royal party entered the hall,
everyone rose and remained standing
until the queen regent pronounced
the words: De seated" The presi-
dent of the chamber, Senior Vega
Armijo, who approached the table on
which the Bible rested, then said,
amid impressive silence:
'Senor. the cortes, convoked by your
august mother, are assembled to re-
ceive from your majesty the oath,
which in accordance with the consti-
tuition, o came to take, to maintain
the constitution and laws.''
Senior Armijo then drew near to the
king and held out the Bible, at the
same time keeping open a book con-
tanning the formula of the oath. His
majesty, placing his right hand on the
Bible, then uttered the following
II swear, by God, upon the Holy
Bible, to maintain the constitution and
the laws. If so I do may God reward
me. If I do not, may He call me to
account"
The queen regent, the royal party
and all others present, listened stand
ing. King Alfonso then again seated
on the trone; and the others
also reseated themselves.
The president of the chamber re-
turned to the table and from there
addressing the king, said:
THE -cortes have received the oath
majesty has taken to maintain
he constitution and laws"
At the same moment the booming
II Il guns was again heard, announc-
ng to the city that the king had TAX
n the oath.
Foley,s Honey and Tar contains no
and ran scafoIv Tho 0ivoo{ IN +