Westminster-hall led to a belief that the immediate coronation of his majesty had been determined on, and the queen joining in this belief, although no official announcement had been made to that effect, wrote a letter to the earl of Liverpool on the 5th, demanding to be present at the ceremony. [See also Chron. p. 112.] To this she received a reply, apprising her, "that his majesty having determined that the queen should form no part of the ceremonial of his coronation, it was his royal pleasure that the queen should not attend the said ceremony."

On the 9th of June, a proclamation was issued, appointing Thursday, the 19th of July, for the performance of the ceremony. (Page 93.) The court of Claims again assembled, and heard and determined all the petitions and claims which had not been previously decided.

The course subsequently adopted by the queen's counsel, their arguments before the privy council, in support of her majes ty's right, as queen-consort, to be crowned, and the decision by the council against the existence of that right, are mentioned in another part of our volume. On the 11th July, her majesty wrote a letter to lord Sidmouth, in which she stated, "That she considered it necessary to inform his lordship, that it was her intention to be present at the coronation, and, therefore, demanded that a suitable place might be prepared for her reception." Lord Sidmouth's answer simply referred her majesty to lord Liverpool's reply to her letter of the 5th of May, and farther acquainted her majesty "that it

was not his majesty's pleasure to comply with the application contained in her majesty's last letter."

No other communication took place up to Saturday, the 14th July. On that evening her majesty was driven slowly past the platform, at the end of Parliament-street. She looked

at it with great earnestness.

On Monday (the 16th)lord Hood wrote to the duke of Norfolk, as earl marshal of England, informing him, that it was her majesty's intention to be at Westminsterabbey at half-past eight o'clock on Thursday morning, and requesting him to have persons in attendance to conduct her to her seat. Her majesty also wrote to the archbishop of Canterbury, informing him of her desire to be crowned some day after the king; and before the arrangements were done away with, so that no additional expense might be occasioned. The archbishop replied, that he could take no part in the ceremony except by orders from the sovereign. The duke of Norfolk referred her to his deputy, lord Howard of Effingham; from whom the following letter was received, on Tuesday, by lord Hood, chamberlain to her majesty :

"9, Mansfield-street, July 16: "My Lord;-The duke of Norfolk having transmitted to me, as appointed to do the duties of the office of earl marshal of England, at the ceremony of the approaching coronation, your lordship's letter to his grace of the 15th instant, I thought it incumbent on me to lay the same before viscount Sidmouth, the secretary of state for the home

department; and I have just learnt from his lordship, in reply, that having received a letter, dated the 11th inst. from the queen, in which her majesty was pleased to inform him of her intention to be present at the ceremony of the 19th, the day fixed for his majesty's coronation, and to demand that a suitable place should be appointed for her majesty, he was commanded by the king to acquaint her majesty, that it was not his majesty's pleasure to comply with the application contained in her majesty's letter: I have accordingly to request that your lordship will make my humble representation to her majesty, of the impossibility, under these circumstances, of my having the honour of obeying her majesty's commands. -I have the honour to be, my lord, your lordship's most obedient, humble servant.

"HOWARD OF EFFINGHAM. "Acting as Earl Marshal of England. "The Lord Viscount Hood."

Her majesty's law advisers then had a consultation, and the following protest against the decision of the privy council was drawn up, and signed by her majesty.

coronation, and lord viscount Sidmouth, one of your majesty's principal secretaries of state, having communicated to the queen the judgment pronouncing against her majesty's claim: in order to preserve her just rights, and those of her successors, and to prevent the said minute being, in after times referred to, as deriving validity from her majesty's supposed acquiescence in the determination therein expressed, the queen feels it to be her bounden duty, to enter her most deliberate and solemn protest against the said determination; and to affirm and maintain, that by the laws, usages, and customs of this realm, from time immemorial, the queen-consort ought of right to be crowned at the same time with the king's majesty.

"In support of this claim of right, her majesty's law officers have proved before the said council, from the most ancient and authentic records, that queens-consort of this realm have, from time immemorial, participated in the ceremony of the coronation with their royal husbands. The few exceptions that Occur demonstrate, from the peculiar circumstances in which

they originated, that the right questioned, from necessity suspended, or from though the exercise of it was, motives of policy declined.

itself was never

"Her majesty has been taught to believe that the most valuable laws of this country depend upon, and derive their authority from custom; that your majesty's royal prerogatives stand upon the same basis: the authority of ancient usage cannot, therefore, be rejected without shaking that

foundation upon which the most important rights and institutions of the country depend. Your majesty's council, however, without controverting any of the facts or reasons upon which the claim made on the part of her majesty has been supported, have expressed a judgment in opposition to the existence of such right. But the queen can place no confidence in that judgment, when she recollects that the principal individuals by whom it has been pronounced were formerly her successful defenders; that their opinions have waved with their interest, and that they have since become the most active and powerful of her persecutors: still less can she confide in it, when her majesty calls to mind that the leading members of that council, when in the service of your majesty's royal father, reported in the most solemn form, that documents reflecting upon her majesty were satisfactorily disproved as to the most important parts, and that the remainder was undeserving of credit. Under this declared conviction, they strongly recommended to your majesty's royal father to bestow his favour upon the queen, then princess of Wales, though in opposition to your majesty's declared wishes. But when your majesty had assumed the kingly power, these same advisers, in another minute of council, recanted their former judgment, and referred to and adopted these very same documents as a justification of one of your majesty's harshest measures towards the queen-the separation of her majesty from her affectionate and only child.

"The queen, like your majesty,

descended from a long race of kings, was the daughter of a sovereign house connected by the ties of blood with the most illustrious families in Europe, and her not unequal alliance with your majesty, was formed in full confidence that the faith of the king and the people was equally pledged to secure to her all those honours and rights which had been enjoyed by her royal predecessors.

"In that alliance her majesty believed, that she exchanged the protection of her family for that of a royal husband, and of a free and noble-minded nation. From your majesty, the queen has experienced only the bitter disappointment of every hope she had indulged. In the attachment of the people she has found that powerful and decided protection which has ever been her steady support and her unfailing consolation. Submission from a subject, to injuries of a private nature, may be matter of expediencefrom a wife it may be matter of necessity, but it never can be the duty of a queen to acquiesce in the infringement of those rights which belong to her constitu tional character.

"The queen does, therefore, repeat her most solemn and deliberate protest against the deci sion of the said council, considering it only as the sequel of that course of persecution under which her majesty has so long and so severely suffered, and which decision, if it is to furnish a precedent for future times, can have no other effect than to fortify oppression with the forms of law, and to give to injustice the sanction of authority. The protection of the subject, from the highest

to the lowest, is not only the true but the only legitimate object of all power; and no act of power can be legitimate which is not founded on those principles of eternal justice without which law is but the mask of tyranny, and power the instrument of despotism."

Queen's House, July 17.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE CORO

NATION.

Westminster-Hall.-In March, last year, orders were issued to the board of works, to prepare estimates of the expense for making the requisite preparations for his majesty's coronation-the nature of which were particularly specified. In complying with these instructions, the surveyorgeneral (colonel Stephenson), Mr. Brown, and Mr. Hiort, the principal architects of the office, had occasion to consult a great number of ancient authorities; but that upon which they most relied was," Sandford's Description of the Coronation of James the Second;" which gives a most minute account of every thing connected with that event, illustrated by copper plates, showing the character of the erections, the form of the ceremonials, and the costume of the persons engaged. These gentlemen, however, did not feel themselves bound to adhere strictly to precedents, but resolved to adopt such improvements as might seem advisable.

The Floor.-In the first instance a flooring of wood was laid down, upon an elevation of fourteen inches above the flags. This extended over the whole area of the hall to the foot of the steps formerly leading to the courts

of King's-bench and Chancery: these courts having, by virtue of an act of parliament, been previously taken down.

The Galleries.-The galleries on each side of the hall were next erected. Of these there were two tiers. The first, or under tier of galleries, was raised on an elevation of about nine feet from the floor, extended about fourteen feet from the wall, and contained each seven rows of seats. They reached from the royal box, to the bottom of the hall adjoining the triumphal arch, were entered by five separate staircases, and were on each side supported by 20 iron pillars, with gothic caps, painted of a bronze colour.

The second tier of galleries was erected on a level with the bottoms of the principal windowplaces of the hall, and gradually rose to the bases of the oak arches by which the roof is supported. Each window formed as it were a separate box. There were three seats, extending from one end of the galleries to the other, without interruption, and in each window-place there were two rows of seats, making together five rows. These galleries were approached by doors made in a section of the casements. Measuring from the windows, the projection into the hall was 10 feet, and the elevation from the floor about 26 feet. They were supported, like the galleries below, with iron bronzed pillars.

In the angles communicating with the music gallery, over the triumphal arch, benches were erected, looking directly up the hall towards the king's throne.

The Royal Platform was situated at the south end of the

hall, on the site of the old courts of law, and immediately under the south window. It extended from the wall twenty-six feet forward, and there terminated with three steps; then came a landingplace, of about five feet in breadth, leading to five other steps; and then another landingplace, terminating with six steps, which led directly to the floor. These steps stretched from side to side. The width of the platform was 42 feet.

The Royal Box.-The box for the reception of the royal family, was situated on the right of the south window. It was eleven feet in height, and extended from the wall to the first three steps, descending from the platform. It contained two rows of benches, with one row of splendid gilt chairs; and was approached by a door and passage leading from the hall on the first landing-place from the platform, as well as by a sort of half door on the platform itself. The lining was scarlet cloth.

The Foreign Ministers' Box was immediately opposite that of the royal family, and was of the same dimensions; it contained four rows of benches stuffed with horse-hair. The box immediately over it was also devoted to the foreign ministers; it contained seven rows of seats, and was nearly upon a level with the second tier of galleries, already described, from which it was separated by a rail.

The box immediately opposite that of the foreign ministers, erected over the royal box, was divided between the lord high constable, the lord steward, and the earl marshal, each having twenty-four places.

The Lord Great Chamberlain's Box was taken off the first tier of gallery, next the royal family's box, and was distinguished from the remaining part of the same gallery by having the seats stuffed with horse-hair, and covered with crimson cloth.

The flooring of the galleries were all lined with sheet lead, and afterwards covered with matting: the seats were likewise covered with matting. The backs of the galleries, to a height of four feet, were lined with crimson cloth, and each had an iron rail in front, covered with the same material. The rests were stuffed with horse-hair, and covered with crimson cloth, a crimson silk fringe hanging down in front, four inches in depth.

The faces of the galleries were papered with Gothic pannels.

The Side-Boards, from which the dinner and wines were served, extended in a line immediately under the first tier of galleries; and consisted of small closets, or cellarets, furnished with commodious shelves. At the back of these cellarets were sliding partitions, communicating with passages behind. Their fronts were in the form of a Gothic arch, and were painted of a deep stone colour. There were 19 on each side. There were originally twenty, but two of them, at the bottom of the royal plat. form, were fitted up for the clerkcomptroller of the kitchen.

The Communications with the

Kitchens, consisted of long passages, extending the whole length of the hall, and terminating with the triumphal arch. They were four feet wide, and seven feet in height. Their sides were papered, and the floors matted.