32 Political Affairs in July . [Aug. 1 
The Lord Chancellor then prorogued 
Parliament till Thursday the 20th of 
September. 
The semi-barbarous feudal pageant 
of a coronation took place on the 
19th. In these days of illumination, 
when the lav/ happily triumphs by ha¬ 
bit, such a ceremony, in a constitu¬ 
tional sense, is wholly superfluous. It 
was as weakly as insolently pretended, 
that the employment afforded by the 
money taken from the public at large 
in the preparation of the shining bau¬ 
bles exhibited on this occasion, was a 
public benefit—as though those from 
whom the money was taken could not, 
with greater advantage, have spent 
their own money; and as though the 
taking the labour of a few 7 cooks, trin¬ 
ket-makers, and embroiderers, com¬ 
pensated for the waste of two or three 
days productive labour of the indus¬ 
trious population of this metropolis, 
and nearly of the whole empire. In 
truth, such a ceremony, conducted as 
such ceremonies usually are, with pue¬ 
rile ostentation, and the most profuse 
expenditure, is not only below the 
average intelligence of the country, but 
incompatible with the state of the public 
finances, and the domestic distress 
which at this time pervades nearly 
every class of society. 
We w 7 ere among the spectators, and, 
though disposed to be gratified by su¬ 
perior works of art, and by all ma¬ 
nifestations of public spirit, yet in this 
pageantry nothing Avas exhibited but 
glitter, which might have been ex¬ 
ceeded in the 12th century ; a too pal¬ 
pable feeling of self-gratification in 
ministers and other chief actors, be- 
neatli the masculine understanding ; 
and a system of cunning management 
to give effect to the plaudits of depend¬ 
ants and partizans. About 5000 horse 
and foot soldiery, 500 constables, and 
20 or 30 prize-fighters, occupied the 
chief stations, and excluded the public 
from the areas which surround the Ab¬ 
bey and the Hall; and a slip of at most 
2000 persons obtained wretched stand¬ 
ing betAveen the end of Parliament- 
street and George-street. The other 
portions of the space Avere coA 7 ered Avith 
galleries, let at extravagant rates; and 
the Abbey and the Hall Avere occupied 
by those Avho had interest enough to 
get seats. At the same time, nothing 
could he more orderly than the people, 
though It is suspected they added to 
their past offences, by loudly vociferat¬ 
ing 44 Queen !—Queen /” 
We give ministers credit for indulg¬ 
ing the people where their voices Avere 
not likely to be troublesome, by causing 
all the theatres to be opened gratis, by 
the ascent of a balloon from "the Park 
during the ceremony, and by exhibi¬ 
tions of fire-Avorks and other shows in 
the evening. When the public finances 
can afford such concessions, Ave are glad 
to see them employed in adding to 
the hilarity of a virtuous and indas- 
trious people. 
We have introduced a fan simile view 
of the subsequent Banquet, of AA'kick 
from 320 to 350 persons partook ; but 
Ave have not room for a list of the costly 
viands, which consisted of a variety 
equal to lOOlbs. weight, and twoor three 
dozen of wine, per guest. 
One feature of this ceremony de¬ 
serves to be recorded. The Queen had 
asserted her right to be crowned also ; 
and the question had been formally ar¬ 
gued by Mr. Brougham, in a most able 
speech, before the Court of Claims, but 
rejected. She then demanded to he pre¬ 
sent: but this, also, being peremptorily 
refused, she announced her determina¬ 
tion to demand admission; and. ac- 
cordmgly, at six in the morning, she 
presented herself at the western door 
of the Abbey, but was refused; she 
then proceeded to the Hall, but the 
gates AA'ere shut in her face; and after¬ 
wards proceeded on foot to the western 
door of the Abbey, w T ith no better suc¬ 
cess. She then retired, amidst the en¬ 
thusiastic plaudits of the assembled 
people, multitudes of whom followed her 
carriage, and wreaked their vengeance 
on various houses of ministers and cour¬ 
tiers, where they found illuminations 
prepared. 
The determination to exclude this 
favourite lady from the ceremony hav¬ 
ing excited great public irritation, mi¬ 
nisters were on the alert to counteract 
it, and hence thousands of soldiers were 
assembled in arms, the streets Avere 
barricadoed, and every precaution 
adopted against apprehended tumult. 
The Avhole passed off, howeA 7 er, Without 
disturbance, or serious accident of any 
kind; and indeed, to those Avho con¬ 
sider such a pageant as necessary, no¬ 
thing could be more imposing and gra¬ 
tifying. We are, perhaps, too Spartan 
in our views of such subjects, and too 
great friends of popular rights, to con¬ 
cede that a constitutional king should 
undergo such a ceremony, except amid 
the unanimous plaudits of his freely 
assembled people. To our feeling, the 
entire affair savoured too much of those 
Fetes in honoiWof the GrandMonarque 
in 
