a new statute, by command of the Queen, dispensing with the existing statutes of the Order in so far as might be required for the purpose of enabling the Emperor of the French to be ordained and declared a Knight of the Order. Then, by command of the Queen, the Emperor was conducted from his apartments to the Throne-room by Prince Albert and the Duke of Cambridge.

The Queen and the Knights of the Garter received His Imperial Majesty standing; and the Emperor, passing to the head of the table, took a seat in the chair of state on the right hand of Her Majesty. The Queen announced to the Emperor of the French that His Imperial Majesty had been elected a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. Garter King of Arms, kneeling, presented the Garter to the Sovereign; and Her Majesty, assisted by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, buckled it on the left leg of the Emperor, the Chancellor pronouncing the admonition. Garter King of Arms presented the Riband with the George; and the Queen put the same over the left shoulder of the Emperor, the Chancellor pronouncing the admonition. The Queen then gave the accolade to the Emperor; and His Imperial Majesty received the congratulations of his Royal Highness Prince Albert, his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, his Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen, and each of the Knights Companions present. The Chapter being thus ended, the Knights Companions were again called over by Garter, and retired from the presence of the Sovereign with the usual reverences. Her Majesty accompanied the Emperor to his apart

In the evening, the Queen gave a state dinner. After the banquet, the Lord Steward of the Household, by her Majesty's command, gave the toast of "The Emperor and Empress of the French." During their residence at Windsor, the Emperor and his consort occupied the state apartments of the castle, and the ladies and gentlemen of their suite, the rooms of west front and north front. These apartments were decorated with the utmost splendour, and after the departure of the noble visitors, were thrown open to the inspection of the public.

On Thursday, the day appointed for the visit of the Emperor and Empress to the City of London, Her Majesty and the Prince conducted their illustrions guests from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace. Palace. The route from the Nine Elms Station to the Palace, through Parliament Street, the Horse Guards, and St. James's Park was one continued ovation. From Buckingham Palace, the Emperor and Empress and their suite, conveyed in suite, conveyed in six of the Queen's state carriages (the chief carriage drawn by cream-coloured bays), set out at one o'clock for the city; Life Guards escorting the carriage, and Carbineers, Blues, and Police, keeping the

ground. The route lay down the Mall to Charing Cross, and so by the Strand, Fleet Street, Cheapside, the Poultry, and round the Bank by Lothbury and Gresham Street to the Guildhall. The progress was characterized by the same incidents as before,-a vast, orderly, and impressive accumulation of people, thronging the streets, looking from the windows and the housetops, packed closely in positions of vantage, such as the base of the Nelson column, or the omnibuses caught in the streets and detained by the pressure; a wealth of flags, tricolor, English royal standard and Union Jack, which drooped over the roadways; cheering peals from the church-bells, and shouts from the multitude; and over all a brilliant sun that made even London look gay. The bands of the different regiments, as the Emperor drove by, played the air" Partant pour la Syrie," composed by his mother Queen Hortense, and now once more revived-it became the popular air of the day, and the peculiar symbol of the French alliance. When he arrived at the Guildhall, about two o'clock, the Emperor had traversed a large space of London, through a multitude numbering perhaps above a million of souls.

The ancient Hall of the city had been gorgeously decorated for the occasion. Two chairs of state, covered with purple velvet, bearing the initials "N." and "E.," and surmounted by a purple velvet canopy, stood on a raised platform at the east end of the hall. On either side there were seats for the members of the Common Council; while at the opposite end a sloping gallery stretched halfway along the hall; and on either

side of a wide vacant space in the centre were more seats, terminating in places appropriated to the Cabinet Ministers and the diplomatic body. The flags of England, France, and Turkey, were blended on the capitals of the columns on either side of the hall, draping portraits of the Emperor and our Queen; and beneath the windows, devices, supported by the lion and the eagle, bore the names of Alma -Balaklava-Inkerman.

The Common Council were ranged on either side the daïs. The company invited to meet the royal visitors, including the Duke of Cambridge, several Cabinet Ministers, a large number of ambassadors and ministers from foreign Courts, many noblemen and members of Parliament, and the French gentlemen who are the guests of the Lord Mayor, successively arrived. Lastly, the Emperor and Empress entered the hall, and, while shouts of welcome burst from every side, walked up to the seats under the canopy. Count Walewski stood at the right of his Sovereign, and the suite grouped themselves in the rear. The Emperor, dressed as a general of division, and wearing the insignia of the Garter, and of the Legion of Honour, stood, while the Empress sat and talked with the Lady Mayoress. Then the Corporation, coming up in due procession, presented an address of welcome, which was judicious and well-composed. The Emperor and his consort remained standing while the Recorder read it; and when the passage alluding to the Empress called forth a burst of applause, Her Majesty acknowledged the compliment with graceful cordiality. The Emperor then read his answer to the address in

English, in which a foreign accent was but little perceptible; and passages of which were received with great applause.

The Emperor and Empress then descended from the daïs, and the more illustrious of the guests who were known to His Majesty congratulated him, and formed a Court around him; and some of the city notables, and the mayors of numerous provincial towns, were presented. The Lord and Lady Mayoress then led their guests to the Council Chamber, in which a splendid déjeuner had been prepared. The Emperor and Empress sat at the head of the table, and the Lord Mayor and Mayoress sat opposite to them. The health of "the Queen," and that of "the Emperor and Empress of the French," were received with loud cheers. The Imperial guests left the Guildhall at 4 o'clock, and returned by a different route to Buckingham Palace. In the Strand, they diverged to the right, passed along the front of the National Gallery, proceeded up Regent-street, and by Picadilly and Hyde Park, to the house of the French Ambassador at Albert Gate. There they remained some time; and arrived at Buckingham Palace about 6 o'clock.

guests to the Royal Italian Opera. As this was a state visit, it was conducted with every circumstance of royal magnificence. The house had been fitted up with extraordinary splendour for the occasion. The royal box, which was in the centre, and directly facing the stage, and occupied the space of several boxes on the pit tier, grand tier, and first tier, was superbly decorated. The retiring rooms of the state box were arranged with consummate taste. Vast mirrors multiplied the effect of the statuary (among which were beautiful statuettes of the Queen, the Emperor and the Empress), parterres of flowers and gorgeous furniture. When the royal party entered the state box, the applause was enthusiastic; the orchestra played "Partant pour la Syrie," which was followed by our national anthem. The enthusiasm of the reception having subsided, the performances proceeded. The opera was Mozart's Fidelio; the first act had been completed before the royal party entered; but the orchestra performed the superb Leonore overture. The second act was then proceeded with. the curtain rose, a singular spectacle was presented on the stage; behind the performers and the chorus was seen a dense mass of ladies and gentlemen in full dress, who, unable to obtain seats in the house, had purchased permission to be present in this uncommon position. In former days, it was the ordinary and fashionable resort of the critical and wealthy. When the opera was concluded, the orchestra and singers again performed the national anthem, this time in reverse order, God save the Queen" first, followed by "Partant pour la Syrie." On this occasion

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When

Mdlle. Jenny Ney played Leonora (her own first appearance on the English stage), and M.M. Tamberlik, Formes, Tagliafico and Lucchesi took the male parts.

In the evening the City, the Strand, and the West-end, were splendidly illuminated. On Friday, the Queen and her guests visited the Crystal Palace at Sydenham. As usual, the road was lined with eager spectators, and the brilliancy of the day added lustre and cheerfulness to the whole proceedings. The royal party reached the palace at noon. As yet few visitors had been admitted, and the inspection was considered private. The royal party promenaded round the buildings, and viewed its wonders of construction and of art. After ascending to the galleries, and presenting themselves on a balcony to the thousands assembled on the terraces below-the fountains should have played at this moment, but something was wrong, and they would not work-they proceeded to luncheon in rooms beautifully fitted up for the purpose. In the interval of this repast a large body of proprietors and ticket-holders had been admitted and arranged; and the royal party passed from the refreshment rooms to a daïs raised in the centre of the building through lines of spectators. This was, perhaps, the most satisfactory part, so far as the public were concerned, of the whole royal visit; for in the quiet advance of the procession up the avenue the spectators-the élite of middle class society-had an excellent opportunity of mastering the features of the remarkable man who seems destined to stamp his personal character on the system of European polity for centuries

to come-and of the beautiful woman whom, disregarding the conventionalities of Courts, he had chosen to share his greatness. When the royal party were seated on the daïs, numerous persons connected with the foundation of the palace, or who were distinguished by their labours in preparing the treasures of architecture, sculpture, natural history, and the fine arts it contains, were presented. Before the royal visitors departed, the fountains had been got into order, and they witnessed that fine spectacle.

On Saturday, the Imperial visit terminated. Soon after 9 A. M. Her Majesty, surrounded by her family and Court, bade farewell to her Imperial guests at Buckingham Palace, Prince Albert convoying them to the extremity of Her Majesty's dominions. At the station they were met by the Lord Mayor and the officers of the municipality of Paris, who were his Lordship's guests. The Emperor cordially shook hands with the Lord Mayor, and bade him and his friends a kindly farewell. The train reached Dover at 12 5 P.M., when the Emperor was pleased to say that the only fault that he had to find with the arrangements of the railway was "that it conveyed him too quickly out of England." The French Sovereigns, no longer guests, were then conducted on board the Empress, mail steamer, and were rapidly conveyed, under salutes from the heights, from the English squadron, and the French naval guard of honour, to their own shores. The parting of the Emperor and Empress from Prince Albert and the Duke of Cambridge, was hearty and affectionate.

Thus terminated a visit which, taken with the subsequent visit of

While the Queen entertained the Emperor and Empress of the French at her palaces, the City potentate received as his guests at his mansion-house, Baron Hausman, the Préfêt of the Seine, and other officers of the municipality of Paris. To judge by the speeches that were made at the banquets which illustrated the occasion, the chief Magistrate and his guests were equally satisfied. The Préfêt paid compliments to the splendour of London, which we are not accustomed to give to ourselves, and attributed the recent improvements in Paris to our example.

Her Majesty bestowed the dig nity of a baronet on the Lord Mayor, Sir Francis Graham Moon, in honour of this occasion.

17. SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL-RECOMMENCEMENT OF THE BOMBARDMENT. The electric telegraph announces that the allied armies had re-opened the bombardment of Sebastopol.

"Paris, Tuesday, April 17, eight A.M. The Moniteur contains a despatch in which General Canrobert announces, under date of the 10th of April, that the fire of all the French and English batteries was opened on the 9th against Sebas topol. During the first day the

fire of the besiegers was superior to that of the besieged, and the general impression in the Allied armies was most favourable.

"Berlin, Tuesday, April 17.

The following despatch has been received here from St. Petersburg, dated the 16th of April-Prince Gortschakoff announces from Sebastopol, that at five o'clock on the morning of the 9th the enemy opened a cannonade from all their batteries, which lasted till evening. The bombardment was carried on during the night. On the 10th the enemy repeated the same operation. We replied with success, causing sensible losses to the enemy. On our side we have 833 killed and wounded.'

The bombardment, continued to the 30th April, proved unsuccessful; and after being gradually diminished, was reduced to the ordinary fire necessary to cover the operations of the engineers.

20. THE LOAN OF 16,000,0001. -It having become known that the Government were about to issue proposals for a loan of 16,000,0002. the news caused some agitation in the City, and consols fell 14 per cent. On Monday last the terms were made known. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (acting on a plan diametrically opposed to that which had proved so successful in France) wished to have the whole loan tendered in one. amount.

For every 1001. subscribed in money the contractors were to receive 100l. Three per Cent. Consolidated Annuities-in other words, to take a Three per Cent. loan at par; but, Consols being about 10 per cent. below par, the difference to be made up by a terminable annuity for thirty years, ending on