for understanding her constitutional duties; all this, with more bearing upon a female reign, imparted to the conversation, in which peers and commoners joined, unusual interest. Yesterday, at Lord Clarendon's, we had the subject in hand, not as an anticipation but a reality. The King died at three o'clock yesterday morning. Our dinner-party this second day was small and friendly, consisting mainly of those allied in one way or another by marriage; the Earl and Countess of Surrey, the Countess of Grosvenor, the Duchess Countess of Sutherland, a son of Lord Surrey, and two other young gentlemen, with Lord and Lady Clarendon, making the whole. Most of these you know. Lord Clarendon, as a Privy Councillor, had been to Kensington Palace, the residence of the Princess Victoria, where the Privy Council were assembled on the demise of the crown, as the legal term is; for although the King, as a mortal man, must die, the kingly office continues for the next lawful heir to step into, whether man or woman. He was there nearly all the morning, to bear his part in the ceremony of the crown's passing from one person to another; and to his narrative, fresh from the scene, we all listened, as you may imagine, from curiosity if no other feeling. The Lord President (Lord Lansdowne) announced to the Council that they had met on the occasion of the demise of the crown; then, with some others of the body, including the Premier, he left the Council for a short time, when all returned with the young Princess. She entered leaning upon the arm of her uncle the Duke of Sussex. The latter had not before been in the council room, but resides in the same Palace, and had been with the Princess in an adjoining apartment. He conducted her to a chair at the head of the Council. A short time after she took her seat, she read the declaration which the sovereign makes on coming to the throne, and took the oath to govern the realm according to law, and cause justice to be executed in mercy. The members of the Council then successively kneeled, one knee bending, and kissed the young Queen's hand as she extended it to each; for now she was the veritable Queen of England. Lord C. described the whole ceremony as performed in a very appropriate and graceful manner by the young Lady. Some timidity was discernible at first, as she came into the room in presence of the Cabinet and Privy Councillors; but it disappeared soon, and a becoming self-possession took its place. He noticed her discretion in not talking, except as the business of the ceremonial made it proper, and confining herself chiefly when she spoke, to Lord Melbourne, as official head of the ministry, and her uncle the Duke of Sussex. This is the substance of what he related. I do not repeat all, for his words were apt; and in such sparing in what I Occasional quescompany. I did a matter, it is best I should be say, lest I might misquote him. tions were thrown in by the nothing but listen, as the sole stranger present. All seemed glad to be dining there by chance on the day of the event. We heard all about it before it could get into the newspapers; a rare thing in England, his lordship having come almost immediately from the Palace to greet his friends expected at this dinner. you elect a But before it was all over, I was drawn in, whether or not, to say a little in turn. The important points of the story of the day told, and the desert course finished, our accomplished host, addressing himself to me, with his mild expression of countenance tinged with archness, blandly remarked, "How sadly you in your country have departed from the example of your good old English stock!" "How?" I asked. "How?" he replied: "why, could Lady, President of the United States?" something of a posing question under the event and topics of the day. I sheltered myself by saying it was a constitutional question we had not yet raised. "Ah," he said, "you know you could not; but we in old England can now call up the classic days of our good Queen Anne, and the glories of Elizabeth; but as for you, you are in love with that Salic law-you will have none but men to rule over you; no lady, This was however beautiful or accomplished, can you ever put at the head of your nation, degenerate race that you have become!" It was so he pushed me. I parried his thrusts as well as I could. Then he varied the attack. "And what a hubbub you made for a year before electing Mr. Van Buren President! See how quietly a Queen comes to our throne; walk the streets, and you would not know of a change: tomorrow will be as yesterday, except that everybody will have a joyous face at the thoughts of a young Queen. We shall all be proud to look up to her; honored when allowed to kiss her fair hand at the drawing-room; happy even to have our ears boxed if we deserve it!" It was so he went on in a vein of badinage. The occasion was not one for political dissertation. I stuck to my country by saying, that if we could not elect a Lady, President, I hoped we should have credit for keeping up the character of our English descent by doing pretty well in other things on our continent. None of the company dissented from this; least of all Lord Clarendon himself, who had been running me so hard, though so playfully. And thus passed off this pleasant little dinner-party and talk about Queens and Presidents. Here I must end the present letter, thinking this one subject enough just now. Hoping it may find all well at home, and barely |