they might chance to reach. The scramble and
crowding were terrific, and those who were first served
were a large body of French officers, who took the place
by storm—and not only took but kept possession of it, to
the total exclusion of their English guests. As for the
ladies, they did not get a sight of the refreshment tables,
and were obliged to be content with a bottle or two of
wine and a few cakes handed over the heads of the
crowd and out at the windows. A bright exception
must be made in the case of some officers of more
advanced years, and evidently of high rank, who, seeing
English ladies almost fainting at the entrances,
remembered the gallantry of Old France, and actively
employed themselves in succouring their fair guests
from across the Channel. The cool evening air tempted
a renewal of the promenade, which was continued until
about nine o'clock, when the company departed to fill
the trains, the voitures, and the chars-à-banc in which
they had crowded to the fête in the morning. On the
route to the station, the little town was observed to be
all alive. The cafés were all full, the streets were
crowded with tables, and refreshments, although of
inferior quality, circulated freely among the visitors,
who had not succeeded in obtaining any at the fête.

On Tuesday the 5th, there was a grand reception at
the British Embassy, and in the evening a ball at the
Hotel de Ville. The saloons were most splendidly
decorated, and, when the ball was at its height, were
filled by nearly eight thousand people. The President
of the Republic walked through the saloons with
M. Berger, the Prefect of the Seine, Lord Normanby,
the Lord Mayor, and several of the ministers. The
various uniforms gave an interesting and uncommon
appearance to the ball. There were French and
English officers of all grades, both of the army and
navy, and many Prussian, Turkish, and Greek officers.
A large number of English gentlemen were in court
dresses. In spite of the crowd there was a great deal of
dancing. French and English seemed completely
blended together, and probably on no former occasion
was there such a fusion between the two countries on
so large a scale. On Wednesday there was a great
military display in the Champ de Mars, consisting of a
sham fight between two bodies of troops which might
be called large armies on either side. In the evening
the whole of the English guests attended the grand
opera, where a pièce de circonstance , written in honour
of Great Britain, with music by Adolphe Adam, was
performed. It was a tasteful and well-imagined trifle,
of two scenes, the principal being one of the Crystal
Palace. There was no attempt, of course, at a plot of any
kind; but the evolutions of the corps de ballet, the
variety and brilliancy of the costumes, and, above all,
the scene of the "Paxton Palace," with which the
allegory concludes, secured it a favourable reception.
The President, the British Ambassador, and several of
the ministers were present. The fêtes terminated on
Wednesday; but on Thursday the President received
the Lord Mayor on a special visit, and the interview is
said to have been very gratifying. On Friday morning,
the Lord Mayor waited on the municipality sitting at
the Hôtel-de-Ville; and, through his secretary, thanked
them for the cordial hospitality shown both to himself
and his countrymen. He then took his departure by
the Great Northern Railway, and arrived at the
Mansion House on Saturday morning.

Victoria Street has now been opened to the public.
It runs from the front of Westminster Abbey to
Vauxhall Bridge Road, Pimlico; and provides a direct line
of road due West from the houses of Parliament to
Belgravia. The width of the street is eighty feet. For
the accommodation of the families expelled by the
improvements, model lodgings are to be erected in it;
and also a line of comfortable dwelling-houses, arranged
on the Scotch and Continental plan, in "flats." The
opening was celebrated by divine service in Westminster
Abbey, followed by a procession and a dejeuner, attended
by many persons of note, among whom were the Earl of
Carlisle, Sir R. Inglis, Sir De Lacy Evans, the Earl of
Shaftesbury, Dr. Southwood Smith, and the Rev. D.
Wordsworth. Sir Edwin Pearson, the chief commissioner,
was in the chair. Complimentary toasts were
drunk. In responding to his own health, the Earl of
Carlisle observed, that "the area down which the
procession had that morning moved was formerly infested
with the worst holes of filthiness and impurity: henceforth,
he hoped, its noble frontage was destined to be
the abode of industry, comfort, refinement, education,
charity, and piety." Alluding to the brigade of shoe-
blacks who do duty in our streets, the Earl of Shaftesbury
stated that "they earned 26l. a week; one-third
of which was devoted to liquidate expenses, one-third
was placed in the savings-bank, and the remaining third
was given to the boys themselves. One of these little
shoe-blacks had saved so much money in this manner,
since the month of May, that he was enabled to determine
upon removing to Australia."

A very gratifying meeting took place on the 2d inst.,
at Messrs. Gardner and Bazley's cotton-factory at
Halliwell, near Bolton. The children taught in the
schools founded by the firm were examined, and then a
thousand workpeople sat down to tea, in the company
of their employers and several guests, in the spacious
"lecture-room." Toasts were heartily responded to,
and the workmen's band enlivened the proceedings with
music. The schools, with library and news-room, were
erected by the partners at an expense of upwards of
5000l.

A grand dinner was given to Mr. Paxton, at Derby,
on the 5th, at which nearly 300 of the most influential
gentlemen of the county were present. The Duke of
Devonshire accepted a special invitation and was loudly
cheered on his entrance and during various parts of the
proceeding. T. Gisborne, Esq., occupied the chair.
The Duke of Devonshire, in acknowledging the warmth
with which the toast of his health was received,
eulogised the merits of Mr. Paxton as the architect of the
Crystal Palace, and concluded by saying: "The Crystal
Palace has had a respite, and it is to be hoped that its
future destiny is secured; and quite sure am I that,
should the arrangements and regulations be confided to
the inventor, its merits and advantages in a second state
would be as striking and as well appreciated as they
were in the first." Mr. Paxton's health was afterwards
given by the chairman; and, in acknowledging
the toast, he gave some interesting details respecting the
progress of the building. Mr. Henderson, in returning
thanks when the health of Messrs. Fox and Henderson
was given, took occasion to correct an erroneous
impression that Mr. Barry was the originator of the
circular roof for the transept. Mr. Barry had suggested
a circular roof; apparently not being aware that the
suggestion had already been made, at a meeting of the
commissioners, by Mr. Paxton.—Among the toasts of
the evening was, "The Guild of Literature and Art."
Mr. John Forster, in responding to it, explained the
nature of the institution, and acknowledged the princely
aid given to it by the Duke of Devonshire.

The closing of the Great Exhibition has been
appointed by the Royal Commissioners, to take place on
the 11th of October; and the exhibitors will be
permitted to remove their goods, subject to such
regulations as may be made by the Executive
Committee. The receipts, from the opening of the
Exhibition to the 22d inst. inclusive, amounted to
405,310l. 17s. 10d.

A numerous and influential meeting of Members of
Parliament and merchant citizens of Dublin assembled
at the Mansion-house in that city on the 21st inst.,
Thursday, to consider the best means of securing direct
steam communication between North America and the
West coast of Ireland. The Lord Mayor presided. It
was resolved that a packet station should be established
at some western port to be hereafter named; and a
provisional committee was chosen to form a company,
with a capital of half a million, to build vessels and
establish the service.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE.

The Queen has introduced the custom of paying all
tradesmen's bills every three months, instead of allowing
them to run on for an indefinite time; and the fashion,
it is said, is followed by many of the aristocracy.

Her Majesty has subscribed 100l. to the funds of the
British Ladies Female Emigrant Society.