Nov. 2,] 



THE NEWSPAPER. 



and Colonel oi the Honourable Artillery Company. On 

 the opposite side of the carriage were the Viscountess 

 Cuming, the Lady in Waiting officiating for the Doehc 

 of Kuccleuch, Mistress of the Robes, and the Earl of 

 Jersey, Master of the Horse. No sooner had the royal 

 carriage drawn up than the Lord Mayor, who, at the 

 head of the civic procession, was waiting Her Majesty's 

 arrival, alighted from his horse amidst the most pro- 

 found silence — a silence which was not broken even by 

 the circumstance th»t in the hurry his hat, with its 

 Spanish plume of white feathers, fell on the ground. 

 His Lordship then took the Civic Sword of State from 

 the Swordbearer, and proceeding to the side of Her Ma- 

 jesty's carriage, tendered it to Her Majesty. The 

 Quern, gently touching the hilt, assured his Lordship 

 that it could not be in better hands, and the Lord Mayor 

 immediately mounted his horse, and taking his place in 

 front of Her Majesty's carriage, the whole procession 

 moved on. The instint the Queen came within the 

 City every breath, which before was hushed, was raised 

 in one piercing shout of gratulation, and Her Majesty 

 acknowledged, by repeated bows, her enthusiastic wel- 

 come into the ancient capital of her dominions. An 

 escort of the Life Guards accompanied the state carriage, 

 after which followed the carriages of the Foreign Ambas- 

 sador.--. In this manner the procession advanced through 

 Ludgate-hill, St. Paul's Churchyard, and Cheapside,amidst 

 continued cheering from the populace who lined the streets, 

 and from those who filled every window in the line of its 

 progress. It appears that the pedestrian spectators had 

 far the best viaw of Her Majesty and of the persons who 

 accompanied her. Out of the immense number of people 

 who had seats in the various houses, it is certain that 

 not one-fifth had the slightest glimpse of the Queen, who 

 was effectually excluded from their view by the state 

 carriage being a closed one. The procession reached the 

 Roy il Exchange at a quarter past 12. Tiie company 

 who had been invited to the ceremony, including the 

 Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of 

 'Wellington, the Bishop of London, the Cabinet Ministers, 

 and several of the nobility, had arrived some time pre- 

 viously, and taken their seats at the tables. The 

 state carriage drew up at the grand portico. The 

 Lord Mayor, who had alighted from his horse but a 

 moment previously, here joined the members of the 

 Gresham Committee and the Aldermen, and received Her 

 Majesty and Prince Albert on their being handed from 

 the coach by the great officers of state. A rather unlucky 

 incident here befel his Lordship. A high pair of Spanish 

 boots formed a portion of the Lord Mayor's equestrian 

 attire. ^ On alighting, his Lordship was anxious to divest 

 himself of such an incumbrance, having to perform the 

 somewhat arduous duty of preceding the Royal party 

 round the Exchange. Several attendants were at hand, 

 and after a sharp trial his Lordship succeeded in dis- 

 lodging his foot from one boot, but unfortunately the 

 second was not so readily removed, and repeated attempts 

 to tear or cut it off having failed, his Lordship was com- 

 pelled to head the royal procession with one boot on and 

 one off. By some mismanagement also the Sheriffs ami 

 some of the Aldermen, who had formed a part of the 

 equestrian cavalcade, were shut out and prevented from 

 entering with the rest of the officials at the west entrance, 

 and nearly 20 minutes elapsed before they could gain 

 admission, so that these gentlemen took no part in the 

 procession. A flourish of trumpets having announced 

 that all was in readiness, the procession advanced, the 

 Queen resting on the arm of Prince Albert, preceded bv 

 the Lord Mayor and city authorities, and followed by the 

 great officers of state. On entering at the western gate 

 the royal procession diverged to the right, and, amidst 

 tremendous cheering, passed completely round the am- 

 bulatory, returning to the point whence it set out. They 

 then crossed the open area, in the middle of which a 

 carpet had been laid down from west to east, turning to 

 the left hand upon reaching the great eastern archway, 

 and proceeded up the grand staircase, through the rotunda 

 or lobby, to the commercial rooms. As Her Majesty 

 passed from the piazza under the archway the cheers 

 died away, and there was a lull which almost seemed a 

 stillness to ears inured to the shouts that had but just 

 rent the air, when suddenly, and with a pleasing sur- 

 prise to all, the bells of the tower— now heard for the 

 first time— chimed out " God save the Queen," adding 

 something of a prayerful solemnity of feeling to the 

 turbulent outburst of popular fervour. Her Majesty 

 seemed deeply affected by the grandeur of the whole ex- 

 hibition, for she scarcely raised her eyes from the ground, 

 but was otherwise in her usual health and spirits. On 

 entering the Commercial-room, which had been prepared 

 for the banquet of the 360 principal guests, Her Majesty 

 was welcomed with warm greetings from the distinguished 

 company. Her Majesty and suite then crossed the 

 vestibule or rotunda, and proceeded to the throne-room, 

 accompanied by a deputation of 50 persons, including 

 the Lord Mayor Recorder, several Aldermen, and all the 

 Members of the Gresham Committee, who ranged them- 

 selves on each side of the apartment. Her Majestv was 

 surrounded by the great Officers of State, and having 

 signified her will to receive the address of the Corpora- 

 tion, the Lord Mayor made his obeisance, and handed 

 the address to the Recorder, who read it as follows : 



"Mont Gracious Sovk rkigv— We, your Majesty's faithful 

 subjects, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the 

 City of London in Common Council assembled, together with 

 the Master, Wardens, and Commonalty of the Mystery of the 

 Mercers, joint trustees of Sir Thomas Gresham, hail your 

 Majesty's auspiciuus presence in the heart of the metropolis on 

 this renowned ami favoured spot, with the liveliest sentiments 

 of devoted loyalty and attachment. The privilege we this day 

 enjoy of approaching your royal person under the roof of the 

 new Exchange revives the memory of the olden time, when 



your Majesty's Mloatrioiifl preiicc-rssor, Queen hJizabeth, vouch- 

 safed to adorn by her presence the sim; -edifice raised by a 

 citizen, and dedicated to the c merce of the wurld. Your 

 Majesty in this respect emulates the example of that great 

 Monarch, who deemed it no disparagement of her Imperial st^te 

 to proclaim by the herald and to distinguish the work of a sub- 

 ject by the t tie of the ' Royal Exchange.' It is recorded in the 

 graceful narrative of events inscribed on the foundation-stone 



HiUbuildinp, that 'the relief of indigenceand the advancement 

 of literature and science* entered into the capacious scheme of the 

 original founder of this noble institution, and were made subsi- 

 diary to the stability and grandeur of a commerce co-extensive 

 with the habitable globo. Yielding to that eminent citizen a. 

 benefactor of his kind, Sir Thomas Gresham, the signal merit to 

 plan and execute at his own charge this glorious work, we still 

 rejoice to trace the assisting hand of the Cty, and the ancient 

 Company of Mercers from trie earliest prosecution of the design ; 

 and our gratitude is kindled in reflecting that each memorable 

 epoch of the Royal Exchange is marked by the solicitude of the 



igning monarch to raise and to rebuild the structure from the 

 ashes to which it has been twice reduced by the calamitous ef- 

 fects of fire. King Charles II. commenced the former building 

 on the 23d October. l6rj~, and the illustrious Prince, the Royal 

 Consort ot your Majesty, under your Majesty's auspices, laid 

 the first stone of the present edifice on the 17th January, 1842. 

 Deign, therefore. Most Gracious Lady, to regard with your 

 Royal approbation this work of our hands, the noble and well- 

 constructed pile again raised by the citizens of London, and 

 erected on a site rendered worthy of the objects of so vast an 

 undertaking, to endure, we fej vently pray, for ages, a memorial 

 and imperishable monument or the commercial grandeur and 

 prosperity, and of the peaceful triumphs of your Majesty's 

 nappy reign." 



The Recorder having read the address, Her Majesty 

 made the following reply : — 



M I receive with peculiar satisfaction this dutiful address. It 

 is a pledge of the affectionate loyalty of my people, presented 

 on an auspicious occasion, in a place long renowned as the cen- 

 tre of the commerce of these realms. It delights me to behold 

 the restoration of this noble edifice, which my royal ancestors 

 regarded with favour, and which I esteem worthy of ray care. 

 Within the last three years, when fire had destroyed the ancient 

 building, my beloved consort laid the new foundation, and this 

 day I gladly celebrate the completion <>f the work, quickly exe- 

 cuted, but grand and perfect in aS its parts. The relief of the 

 indigent, the advancement of science, the extension of com- 

 merce, were the objects contemplated by the founder of the 

 Exchange. These objects are near to my heart. Their attain- 

 ment will, I trust, be recorded among the peaceful triumphs of 

 my reign ; and I shall rejoice, if I am thus enabled, by the bles- 

 sing of Divine Providence, to promote the prosperity and hap- 

 piness of all elasses of my subjects." 



The ceremony of presenting to Her Majesty the mover 

 and seconder of the address, Mr. R. L. Jones, Chairman 

 of the Gresham Committee, Mr. Aston, Master of the 

 Mercers' Company, Mr. Tite, the Architect, Mr. Sidney 

 and Mr. Hunter, the Sheriff's, was next gone through ; 

 after which the Queen addressed the Lord Mayor in a 

 tew words, which, though inaudible to those around, 

 were understood to convey Her Majesty's gracious will 

 and pleasure that his Lordship should thenceforward 

 bear the title and style of a Baronet. Her Majesty, 

 immediately afterwards, turning to Sir J. Graham, di- 

 rected that the necessary patents should be prepared for 

 the admission of Sir William Magnay among the role of 

 Baronets. This proceeding concluded, the deputation 

 retired from the royal presence, Her Majesty, with 

 Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent, and the Duke of 

 Cambridge, accompanied by their respective attendants, 

 entering a suite of apartments fronting Coruhill, which 

 had been prepared for their reception, where they re- 

 mained in privacy during a short interval. It wiil be at 

 once seen that during the presentation of the address to 

 Her Majesty in the throne room an interval must occur 

 which the guests in the commercial room, as well as those 

 in the ambulatory, would find it difficult to occupy more 

 satisfactorily than by enjoying the repast prepared for 

 them, and accordingly at this period the company in the 

 commercial room having taken their seats at the tables, 

 the Rev. E. Owen, Professor of Rhetoric to the Gresham 

 College, said grace, and the dejeuner, which consisted of 

 every available delicacy, was commenced. Several mem- 

 bers of the Gresham Committee were in attendance dur- 

 ing the banquet, and at its close, medals commemora- 

 tive of the occasion were handed round to the guests. 

 At a quarter past 1 Her Majesty left the private apart- 

 ments, and, accompanied by the Prince and the other 

 members of the Royal Family and preceded by the Lord 

 Mayor, entered the subscription room, where the grand 

 banquet was laid out, the whole of the guests simulta- 

 neously rising and greeting the royal presence with 

 loud plaudits. Her Majesty took her seat in the 

 centre of the royal table, having Prince Albert upon 

 her right hand and the Duke of Cambridge upon 

 her lelt. The Duchess of Kent sat on the right 

 of the Prince, and was supported by the French 

 Ambassador the Count de St. Aulaire, the Hon. Miss 

 Paget, Lady in Waiting on Her Majesty, occupying 

 the extreme right of the royal table. The Countess de St. 

 Aulaire sat on the left of the Duke of Cambridge, the 

 Turkish Ambassador occupying the next seat, and Vis- 

 countess Canning, officiating for the Duchess of Buc- 

 cleugh, Mistress of the Robes to Her Majesty, sitting on 

 the extreme left. The above individuals comprised the 

 whole of the company at the royal table ; covers being 

 laid for eight only in addition to Her Majesty. The ap- 

 pearance of the subscription saloon at this period was 

 magnificent. The dais on which the royal table was 

 placed, with the superb display of plate on the framework 

 erected behind it, had a most imposing effect, and the 

 dresses of the company, which comprised every possible 

 variety of costume— civic, military, foreign and domestic 

 —contributed very materially to the grandeur of the 

 scene. The whole of the guests having taken their seats, 

 Prince Albert intimated Her Majesty's desire for the 

 banquet to commence, upon which the Bishop of London 

 rose and said grace, and the banquet commenced at once, 

 the Lord Mayor standing in attendance behind Her Ma- 

 jesty's chair. At 2 o'clock a nourish of trumpets 

 announced that the time had arrived for the Lord Mayor 

 to propose, as the first toast of the day, the healthof the 



[1844. 



■ Queen ; and in a very few m o mem7~th7 C o i^»7T7~~~ 

 gave, by the direction of his Lordship, "The healrk"^ 

 Her Majesty the Queen of England.'' The cue «t s K ° f 

 rose en masse, and cheered for a considerable La 

 most enthusiastically the band of the Lite Guards'* 

 joned in the Rotunda playing the national anthem « 

 he same time. The intelligence of the Queen's CaM 

 having been proposed in the principal room, speedilv «« 

 through the whole building, and every guest pledged Her 

 Majesty with hearty sincerity, the area resoundfoz with 

 loyal manifestations, which were distinctly audihL 1 

 beyond the walls of the building. The Common Cr r 

 then gave the health of "His Royal Highness Prince 

 Albert. It is scarcely necessa y to say that this tout 

 was received with renewed enthusiasm by the comnanr 

 who pledged his Royal Highness upstanding, with all 

 the honours. One little incident occurred here which it 

 would be inexcusable to omit— upon the toast beine an 

 nounced, Her Majesty rose from her seat, and, turning 

 towards her royal husband, drank his health, with aa 

 expression of countenance indicative of deep affection 

 The Common Crier gave as the next toast, "The health 

 of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales," which was 

 received with loud and continued cheering. After a 

 short pause, the Lord Mayor announced the" next toast 

 in the following words : — •« I have received Ht 

 Majesty's commands to give as the next toast ' Pros 

 perity to the City of London."' It would be almoit 

 impossible adequately to describe the enthusiasm with 

 which this toast was greeted. The whole of the guests 

 again rose, and cheered most vociferously, several 

 minutes elapsing before the company resumed their 

 places. Shortly before the banquet concluded, Mr. 



ig irom the 

 table Her Majesty expressed her admiration of a beauti- 

 fully-executed bill of fare which had been prepared for 

 her use, and requested that it might be forwarded to 

 Windsor Castle. It was printed in gold and colours on 

 satin by Messrs. De la Rue, and trimmed with a border 

 of gold fringe. A similar copy was prepared for Prince 

 Albert, who presented it to the" Countess de St. Aulaire. 

 At 20 minutes after 2 the royal party retired from the 

 banquetting-room in the order of their arrival, descending 

 the grand staircase and entering the merchants' area, 

 where the guests there located again greeted H< 

 Majesty's appearance with loud cheers. On reaching 

 the centre of the quadrangle, where the statue of the 

 Queen will be erected, Her Majesty paused, and Sir J. 

 Graham having handed to the Queen a small slip of 

 parchment, Her Majesty, in a beautifully-clear voice, pro- 

 nounced the following words : — u It is my royal will and 

 pleasure that this place be henceforth called the Royal 

 Exchange." Her Majesty then handed the parchment to 

 the Lord Mayor, and, recognising Mr. Tite, complimented 

 him on the architectural taste displayed in the building. 

 Priuce Albert also expressed his approval of the same, and 

 astonishment at the quantity of work which had been 

 executed since he laid the first stone in the early part of 

 last year. Her Majesty and Prince Albert also acknow- 

 ledged to the Lord Mayor and Alderman Humphery the 

 attention shown to their convenience, and left the quad- 

 rangle amid the reiterated cheers of the guests there 

 assembled, to receive the even more hearty greeting of 

 the multitudes who thronged the open space in front of 

 the building. Her Majesty left the Exchange at half- 

 past 2, in one of the royal carriages, drawn by two 

 horses, and proceeded at a brisk trot along the same 

 line as the procession took into the city. The Queen s 

 carriage was preceded by the six royal carriages, each 

 drawn by a pair of horses, conveying the members of the 

 household; and the cortege proceeded at a quick pace 

 throueh the streets, amidst the cheers of the people. 

 Her Majesty and the Prince arrived at the Palace shortly 

 after 3 o'clock, and left town at half-past 4 by tne 

 Great Western Railway, on their return to Winasor 

 Thus has terminated, in uninterrupted enjoyment, tne 

 interesting ceremonial which has been the ° D J e « o ™ 

 anxious hope for many weeks. That so large 

 course of people should have assembled *" n0 ™ ™* t 

 occurrence of a single accident, is the best evidence 

 could be adduced of the excellence of the ponce ai. 

 military arrangements for conducting the proceeding . 

 In the evening the streets on the line of P roc f s ^, m " st 

 partially illuminated, and the people, who bad aim 

 universally taken a holiday on the occasion, remameu 



the streets till a late hour. , , n e 



The Royal Exchange. — Throughout the ™oie 

 Wednesday the vicinity of the Exchange waa aen- , 

 crowded by persons anxious to obtain admission™ wpre 

 the interior. The boys of the Blue Coat School were 

 admitted at 8 o'clock, and permitted to pass neany 

 hour in the building, the doors being thr0 ™ ope V from 

 general public at 9. From that hour until I-, ana 

 1 until 4, it was scarcely possible to move tnr oug 

 rooms, owing to the masses congregated there, s g 

 was the interest felt to view the new ° uliain S* Q00# 

 whole number of persons admitted was about < ' 

 Placards were placed throughout the building, lntiffl * 

 that subscriptions would be received for the oe 

 the widows and orphans of workmen who had lost ; _ 

 lives in the building ; but many complained that 11 

 ha've been more advantageous to such fund, had *"* 

 been charged for the admission of each Person, 

 few indeed turned aside to put money into ine 

 appropriated for the purpose. The public bave iled 

 been admitted daily, and many thousands have 

 themselves of the privilege. „^ n vmorn- 



. Fire near the Royal Exchange.— On Thursday 



