Yesterday we had another little pageant, when the King and Queen, with the little Prince Edward, rode along the same route from Paddington to take up their residence at Marlborough House. With them was the little Prince Edward, who being at an ago when sorrow sits lightly, tuck unrest trained delight in the manifestations of welcome which he shared with his grandparents, It is low announced that the opening of Parliament on Thursday neat by the King in person, accompanied by the Queen, is to be a full State coremoninl, so we shall be treated to yet another pageant. As may be imagined, the Lord Chamberlain is simply overwhelmed with applications from people who think they have a claim to be present at the ceremony of the formal opening in the House of Lords, when it is expected the King will make his declaration to maintain the Protestant reli Where the Court will afterwards reside has not yot been officially announced; but there is not much doubt that henceforth Buckingham Palace will once more be for long periods the residence of the Court.
'THE civiL LisT, Truly as the Queen is mourned, it cannot be denied that there is a strong sense of satisfaction of the knowledge when once the period of mourning is over the London seasons will again be brightened by wrosident Court. But if we are to have a brilliant Court we must pay for i There are already ramours that Parliament is to be asked for a substantial ineresso in the Civil List, and I can confirm these rumours on the very highest authority. There are also rumours that, the King has, as Prince of Wales, found it impossible to live within his allowances, and that he has accumulated considerable debts for the repayment of which some provision will be made. However that may be, the most rigid advocate of state economy can hardly deny that some increase of the Civil Liss may reasonably be asked for. Queen Victoria, it is understood, was only enabled with difficulty to keep within her means by the life of semi-retirement which she led. Her Civil List was placed at £ 385,000, though believe certain additions ultimately brought it up to a little over £ 400,000, In return for this she surrendered for her life and for six months afterwards the land revenues of the Crown, and during her reign those land revenues have increased in value from £180,000 to £450,000; and this la likely to be largely increased when the leases of Regent Street, which is sovereign bes © sight to cli these laud Grown property, fall in. How far the
revenues as his own personal property is, an arguable question; but what is certain is that the British Civil List is very small compared with that of other great Powers and as compared with that of the Queen'
decessors. George IIT had a Civil List at first of £890,000, and then £900,000 a Year, and yet he accumulated nearly three and a-half millions of debt, It is certain therefore that if w to have " Court which can compare in brilliancy with foreign Courts we must be prepared for a substantial increase in the cost.
8th February.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.