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.

CAROLINE R.

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 imme morial, 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

Majesty.

The Protest and Remonstrance of Caroline, Queen of Great

Britain and Ireland. "Your majesty having been pleased to refer to your privy council the queen's memorial, claiming as of right to celebrate the ceremony of her coronation on the 19th day of July, being the day appointed for the celebration of your majesty's royal

itself was never questioned, though the exercise of it was, from necessity suspended, or from motives of policy declined.

"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 constitutional character.

"The queen does, therefore, repeat her most solemn and deliberate protest against the decision 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, illus trated 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 window. places 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 toge ther 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.

Above these passages, were the passages leading to the first tier of galleries.

The Triumphal Arch was purely Gothic, and was composed of the various orders of architecture existing in the hall itself, and in Westminster-abbey. Its height was nineteen feet, and the width fourteen. The height of the two towers was 30 feet, and of the gallery over the arch 26 feet: the whole width of the composition was 36 feet. The ceiling of the arch was painted in Gothic fretwork, and on each side were three doors, also of Gothic form: the first on the right and left, as you entered, led to the music gallery; the second on the right to the court of Exchequer, in which a part of the procession dined; and the second on the left, to a place of retirement; the third, on both sides, led to the kitchen passages; and it was through these the king's dinner was served. Two figures, in front of the arch, represented Richard the Second (by whom the hall was repaired), and Edward the Confessor. The entrance to the arch from the platform was by a pair of massive folding-doors, painted in imitation of Gothic pannels of oak, and constructed in the manner of flood-gates, so as to resist any ordinary pressure. The Dining Tables.-There were six dining tables in the body of the hall, each 56 feet long, and 7 feet wide, placed lengthways, within three feet of the pillars supporting the galleries, so as to leave a large space in the centre of the hall, the whole of which was covered with matting. The chairs on each side of these tables consisted of a sort of antique settee, with a Gothic back,

and two distinct seats; they were stuffed with horse-hair, and covered with crimson cloth, and were 166 in number. In the centre of the hall was a space 19 feet wide, which was separated from the dining tables by an iron railing, three feet high; a blue cloth, twelve feet wide, extended along this, from the steps of the royal platform to the north door.

The Avenues leading to the Hall were numerous, and well arranged. There were several doors of ingress. The royal family, foreign ministers, and peeresses, came through the passages of the House of Lords, and so in by the south door of the hall; the other spectators were admitted by the north door of the hall, and by side doors, communicating with the Speaker's court-yard, and with Parliament-square. Behind every gallery were retiring rooms, of the most commodious description.

The Vestibule. Outside the north gate, and communicating with the external platform, was a Gothic vestibule, or hall, somewhat of a circular form; the ceiling and sides were painted so as to represent stone fret-work, and to look completely in unison with the antiquity of the building. The porch was painted in the same manner; and by this contrivance the unpleasant effect of an abrupt egress from the hall to the platform was avoided.

The Decorations of the Royal Platform were most magnificent. We have already stated, that on the right and left of this platform were situated the boxes of the royal family and foreign ministers. These, as well as those above them, were lined completely with superfine scarlet cloth. The galleries above were