THE GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
(Serr. 23, 
been surpassed. From the railway station to the Hotel 
de Ville, along all the streets leading from the Grand Place, 
through each avenue or passage through which the proces- 
sion was expected to pass, one continuous canopy of cloth 
of every colour in the rainbow was formed by passing 
pieces of dyed stuffs from window to window—each being 
tied in the centre with knots of various fashions, and 
most of them having suspended from the centre some 
device or emblem complimentary to the royal visitors. In 
addition to this fantastic but really beautiful awning 
under which the procession was destined to pass in alter- 
nate shade and sunshine, trees innumerable were planted 
on either side of the streets, charming the eye with their 
singular contrast, and decorated with festoons and garlands 
intertwined among their branches with all the ingenuity 
imaginable. Besides this avenue of a thousand dies, 
flowers, bouquets, flags, festoons, transparencies—in fact, 
every conceivable badge or emblem of festivity and wel- 
come, hung from every window and pinnacle of house, 
steeple, and tower. All this, superadded to the pictu- 
resque and quaint gable-ends of the private dwellings, 
mingled with the ornamented scrolls and carvings of the old 
mansions, lit by a brilliant sun, presented a sight at 
once astounding and delightful. The Royal party were 
received at the station by the Provincial Governor, the 
Burgomaster, and the other political and municipal 
authorities. They then entered their carriages, and were 
escorted by two troops of Cuirassiers to the Hotel de 
Ville. As the cortége passed along, the reception given 
to it by the multitude was most enthusiastic. ‘‘Vive la 
Reine d’Angleterre” was repeated by every tongue in the 
mingled dialects of Dutch, Flemish, Walloon, English, 
French, and German, and altogether the scene was one of 
genuine pleasure to the visitors and visited. Mounted 
gendarmes and a great many companies of infantry, 
chasseurs, national guards, and other military, added 
brilliancy to the entire spectacle. On their arrival at the 
Hotel de Ville, the party were led into the salle & manger, 
where a sumptuous banquet, under the modest appellation 
of déjewner, was prepared for them. The Hall of 
Council had the honour of being converted into a break- 
fast-room for this occasion. The plate laid out was 
splendid, a portion of it, for twenty-four persons, being 
the old massive plate belonging to the ancient corporation 
of the city, the remainder having been lent by the King 
for the banquet. Immediately after the déjewner the 
Royal party went to the residence of the Governor of 
West Flanders, where they made but a short stay, and 
then proceeded to visit the Church of Notre Dame, con- 
taining the monuments of Charles the Bold and his 
daughter Mary, wife of the Emperor Maximilian, and the 
statue of the Virgin and Child, by Michael Angelo. From 
Notre Dame the Royal visitors went to the Cathedral of 
St. Sauveur, when they examined the pictures it contains, 
and thence they passed to the Hospital of St. John, and 
its Chapter House, containing the masterpieces of Hans 
Hemling. They then proceeded to the convent of English 
nuns, whence, after a short stay, they went to the hall of the 
Company of Crossbowmen, and from that to the Palais de 
Justice, in which, in the council chamber of magistrates, 
they stayed some time, admiring the famous chimneypiece, 
which includes the full-length statues of Charles 
the Fifth, Mary of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, 
and Margaret of York, sister of our Edward the Fourth, 
all full of life and character. From this place the Royal 
party proceeded to the railway station, on their way back 
to Ostend. s our Queen and Prince passed through the 
Grand Place, which they were obliged to do several times 
during the day, they never failed to look up with admira- 
tion at the great tower or belfry which rises majestically 
above the ancient Cloth Hall, and from which, each time 
as they passed, its celebrated bells pealed forth ‘ Rule 
Britannia,’ ‘‘ God save the Queen,’’ and other airs. Her 
Majesty also, as she traversed the square, invariably 
glanced with interest at the house inhabited by Charles II. 
England, when he was but an exile, and king of 
the company of Crossbowmen. As the procession traversed 
the square for the last time, it halted to allow the Queen 
to take a last view of these objects, after which it pro- 
ceeded, amidst the cheers of the people, to the station, 
where the authorities of Bruges received the thanks of the 
Royal visitors and took their leave. The Royal party 
arrived before six o’clock safely at the Palace of Ostend, 
and dined at the Casino, but were too fatigued to go to the 
theatre afterwards, as had been anticipated. On Saturday 
morning the ancient city of Ghent washonoured by a visit of 
the Sovereigns, an incident as remarkable in its history as 
any among the long number of events by which its annals 
are distinguished. The Royal party entered the city about 
12 o’clock, from the railroad station, amidst the loyal and 
hearty congratulations of thousands of voices. The streets, 
as at Bruges, were decorated with triumphal arches, flags, 
banners, devices, interminable lengths of coloured cotton, 
‘and white cotton cloth—the manufacture of the place, and 
branches of trees and young firs stuck in the pavement. 
The Royal party on leaving the railroad, proceeded 
through the principal streets, all of which were 
crowded with people. «The corporation of the city 
and the various public societies, with their banners 
i a regiment of Cuiras- 
cannon firing a salute, 
ve ei nels of the celebrated belfry, as well is those of 
al e : ee in the city, pealing forth a welcome. 
The royal party first stopped at the hotel of the Provincial 
Government, where their Majesties alighted, and were 
-eonducted into the apartment in which refreshments were 
prepared. After having remained some time, they were 
driven to the celebrated Cathedral of St. Bavon; on their 
way they passed under a triumphal arch bearing the inscrip- 
tion ‘‘ La Ville de Gand, & la Reine Victoria et & son 
auguste épouse; L’ancien voisinage d’Artevelde, salue 
de nouveau une Reine d’Angleterre.’”’? On the outside of 
the arch was painted in large characters ‘A la Reine 
Victoria et au Prince Albert;’’ and on either side 
“Victoria Reine d’Angleterre, 1843—Philippine de 
Haynault Reine d’Angleterre, 1343.” Their Majesties 
were received by the bishop and clergy of the cathedral in 
full canonicals, and surveyed its stately monuments and 
rare specimens of carving and sculpture. The celebrated 
font in which the Emperor Charles V. was christened, in 
the transept, was particularly pointed out to the observa- 
tion of the Queen, who admired it for some minutes. 
The candlesticks brought from the old palace of Whitehall, 
which are also here, attracted her Majesty’s attention. 
They are very fine specimens of workmanship, and recall 
many historical recollections. From the Cathedral the 
royal visitors went to the university, and, after a brief 
visit to the Quai aux Blés, proceeded to the “ Beguinage,”’ 
or convent of Beguin nuns—where everything that could 
make the reception such as it should be was attended to. 
The royal party then returned to the hotel of the Provin- 
cial Government, where, after a short stay, they proceeded 
to the theatre, a very elegant building, in which a morning 
concert was prepared for their amusement. As the royal 
visitors passed through the Place d’Armes, the acclama- 
tions increased, and on their alighting at the theatre a 
universal shout rent the air. Their Majesties acknow- 
ledged their gratification in the most affable manner. 
Their reception in the theatre. was a counterpart to 
what took place without. The air of “God save the 
Queen” was played by the musicians, the whole company 
standing. The royal party, on leaving the theatre, went 
again to the Government-house, where their stay was but 
short. The cortege then made for the station of the rail- 
road, and quitted the birthplace of the Emperor Charles 
v., and of ‘*Time-honoured Lancaster, great John of 
Gaunt,”’ amidst demonstrations of good wishes towards 
them similar to those by which they have been everywhere 
accompanied. On Sunday the Rev. Mr. Jessop, Bri- 
tish Chaplain at Ostend, performed the service of our 
Church in a private apartment of the palace, and the 
whole of the day was devoted by her Majesty to repose. 
On Monday at 9 o’clock the royal party set out for Brus- 
sels, where they arrived about 2 p.m. The city was 
densely crowded with visitors and troops, who greeted 
her Majesty with loud and repeated cheering as the pro- 
cession made its way to the palace. After partaking of a 
déjeuner at the Palace, the Royal visitors and their suites 
assisted at a concert given in the open air in the Park by 
the Royal Harmonic Society. After this they visited the 
museum, the exhibition of Fine Arts, and other sights, and 
then returned to the Palace. They were followed in their 
course by crowds anxious to get a look at the Queen and 
Prince Albert, and were everywhere hailed with acclama- 
tions. At eight o'clock a banquet was given by the king, 
at which all the distinguished persons in Brussels, and the 
chief civic authorities were present. Soon after 10 the 
Royal party went to Laeken. In passing along the illumi- 
nated streets they were recognised and cheered at ever 
step. The illuminations which Brussels exhibited in 
honour of Queen Victoria are described as really superb. 
The number of illuminated temples, triumphal arches, and 
transparencies, was countless, and along the principal 
streets and boulevards, there was one continuous sheet of 
various-coloured lamps, festooned and wrought into 
many elegant shapes. The whole Allée verte up to 
the chateau of Laeken was a blaze of light, and about 
the Park the devices and illuminated arches were truly 
magical. Her Majesty had every reason to be satisfied 
with her reception in the Belgian capital; and even at 
Laeken, notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, the fes- 
tivities were continued, fireworks were discharged, and six 
young girls of the village presented our Queen with a 
bouquet. On Tuesday afternoon the Royal party left 
Laeken for Antwerp. At Malines the train stopped for a 
few minutes, when the cardinal archbishop, the burgo- 
master, and other authorities, were presented to her 
Majesty. Madlle. Keitelaers, the daughter of one of the 
sheriffs, accompanied by a party of young ladies, were 
also in attendance to present the Queen with a bouquet of 
the choicest flowers. About four the train arrived at 
Antwerp, amidst enthusiastic cheering. The usual com- 
pliments were paid to her Majesty by the civil and mili- 
tary authorities, and the reception given to the royal party 
by the people at large was even more cordial and interest- 
ing than they had received at any previous part of their 
route. They drove direct to the Palace, when the usual 
presentations took place. After this, the citizens enter- 
tained her Majesty with the procession of the Giant, 
which perambulated the town with the ship, dolphins, &c., 
all of which figured at the celebration of Rubens’s festival. 
After taking a short repose and refreshment, the Royal 
party left the Palace with the intent of visiting some of 
the sights of Antwerp. But such was the crowd, and 
the anxiety to follow them, that they were obliged to limit 
their inspection to the cathedral ; celebrated for its beau- 
tiful spire, and for the ‘* Deposition from the Cross ’”’ by 
Rubens. From the cathedral the Royal party passed 
to the Place Verte, where a concert was prepared for 
their entertainment, and where a handsome pavilion 
was raised for their accommodation, opposite the statue 
of Rubens. The fatigue, however, under which the 
whole party were suffering prevented them from waiting 
for more than one piece. A banquet at the palace, to 
which all the distinguished persons and authorities in 
Antwerp were invited, terminated the day’s entertainment. 
The city was brilliantly illuminated during the evening, 
innumerable pyramids of lamps, of triumphal arches, of 
pavilions, and transparencies, contributing to render the 
general illumination the more beautiful. Fireworks were 
discharged in abundance, and the bells of the cathedral 
continued playing ‘‘ God save the Queen’’ with extraor- 
dinary correctness and effect. Her Majesty did not go to 
the theatre, or to the many other entertainments which 
the liberality of the city had prepared for her. During 
the entire evening and night, Antwerp was one continued 
scene of festivity out-of-doors and within. In the course of 
the day, a special envoy despatched by the King of Holland 
to compliment the Queen on her arrival near the confines 
of his dominions, and to invite her to honour his territory 
with a visit, was received by her Majesty, who returned 
thanks for the King’s courtesy, but declined the visit at 
present. On Wednesday morning, the Royal travellers 
left the Palace, accompanied by the King and Queen 0 
the Belgians, to visit the Museum, previous to their 
taking their departure for England. Her Majesty re- 
mained an hour inspecting the various works of Rubens, 
Vandyke, Matsys, Jordaens, and the other Flemish 
masters which it contains. Soon after 12, they embarked 
in the Royal yacht amidst a succession of salutes from 
the steam squadron and the citadel. The King and 
Queen of the Belgians accompanied her Majesty as 
far as Lievenkenshoek, opposite to Fort Lillo, where 
they went ashore, and bid farewell to their illustrious 
The Royal standard was saluted by 101 guns 
from the batteries at Batch as soon the ship 
arrived within the dominions of the King of Holland. 
yacht bore away for the coast of 
England, and arrived in the night in Margate roads, 
where she hove-to till daylight, as there was scarcely 
sufficient water for her to run over the flats, and she 
could not make her way through the Queen’s Channel, as 
the night was too dark to distinguish the buoys. The 
Cyclops also brought up for the night, but the smaller 
steamers were a long way astern, and were hull down 
before sunset. The Yacht got under weigh again soon 
after daybreak, and was much impeded by a dense fog in 
her passage up the river. She reached Woolwich, how- 
ever, shortly before 11, when her Majesty disembarked 
amidst the salutes of the batteries and welcomed by enthu- 
siastic cheers from the people assembled at the landing- 
place. The Queen immediately proceeded to Paddington, 
and arrived at Windsor by the Great Western Railway at 
1 o’clock. Her Majesty and Prince Albert were looking 
remarkably well, and have derived much benefit from 
their marine excursion. In the afternoon, the Queen and 
the Prince drove to Frogmore Lodge in a pony phaeton 
to pay avisit to the Duchess of Kent and the Prince and 
Princess of Hohenloe. Her Majesty and the Prince, 
after remaining at Frogmore about an hour and a half, 
returned to the Castle through the Park. 
Post-Office.—An inquiry having been made of the Post- 
master-General, whether, if a letter bearing the penny 
stamp be addressed to the residence of a person, and be 
thence forwarded to him at some distance in the country, 
the original stamp will cover the further transmission by 
post, the letter not having been opened, and having under- 
gone no alteration beyond the mere substitution of address ? 
the Postmaster-General, in reply, states that a letter re- 
directed from one place to another is legally liable to addi- 
tional postage for the further service. 
The Avmy.—Her Majesty has been pleased to permit 
the 22d (or Cheshire) Regiment of Foot to bear upon its 
regimental or second colour, and also upon its appoint- 
ments, the word ‘ Scinde,’’? in commemoration of the 
[distinguished gallantry displayed by the regiment in the 
campaign against the Ameers of Scinde, in the early part 
of the present year. 
Ffovetan. 
Francr.—Several arrests for political causes were made 
in Paris on Friday and Saturday last. For some time the 
police were aware that a society had been organised for 
the purpose of plunder, and that they were about to put 
their criminal projects into execution. During the night 
of Friday the principal members of this association were 
arrested at a wine-shop in the Rue Pastorel, and in other 
quarters of Paris. The individuals arrested are about 20 
in number, and on a search made at their places of 
residence, a quantity of seditious pamphlets, arms, cart- 
ridges, and gunpowder were discovered. , All these indivi- 
duals belong to the operative classes, and most of them 
are destitute of the means of existence; they had refused 
for some time past to labour for their bread, a fact 
explained by the principles of communism which they 
profess. Notwithstanding the secresy they observed, the 
authorities traced them, and at once seized all the elements 
of this conspiracy. That the individuals just apprehende 
are of a desperate description, though of a very low degree, 
is affirmed by persons connected with the Government, 
who add that it has reason to rejoice at having seized them 
in due time, and that the public will be surprised at the 
evidence procured against them. There are persons who 
connect this projected Republican attempt with the insur 
rection at Barcelona and the disturbances in Italy- There 
are those likewise who affirm, that if her Majesty had 
come to Paris, and a review of the Natio ial Guards hat 
taken place on the occasion, the Repul lic ins would have 
contrived to provoke some hostile demonstration. That 
something of the kind was meditated was hinted by ® 
Republican print, when it was ascertained that the Queen 
would not visit the Capital.—Her Majesty’s visit to the 
King and Queen of the Belgians is noticed at considerable 
length by several of the papers, and with much displeasure 
by such of the ultra-Liberal prints as her brief stay 1? 
France offended, Thus the National, which maintains 
that if the Queen had come to Paris she would have been 
received there with the consideration due to all women an 
nothing more—declares that her Majesty extends her 
| 
