PETERSFIELD.—On Monday a meeting was convened at the Town Hall, pursuant to a requisition addressed to the Mayor, for the purpose of congratulating her Majesty and Prince Albert on the recent providential escape from assassination. The Mayor took the chair.
The Address to the Queen was moved the Rev. C. G. Boyles in a very appropriate speech, in the course of which he recommended that allusion to political topics should be scrupulously avoided; and doubted not that there would be an unanimous feeling on the subject on which they were assembled.
The motion was seconded by the Rev. T. Wallace, who dwell at considerable length on the atrocious act which had placed the life of our beloved Queen in imminent jeopardy, and expressed his hearty concurrence in the object of the meeting. It had been remarked to him, when he first suggested the propriety of sending up Addresses, that an Address from so small a town as Petersfield would wear a character of comparative insignificance; but his opinion was, that congratulations should sound from every comer of the empire. He had also heard it said—“If you get up a public meeting, party politics will be introduced." But why should it be so? On such an occasion all party feeling must be merged in the one common sentiment of loyalty and affection for their Queen, and of thankfulness to Divine Providence for her deliverance from violent and untimely death.
The Address to Prince Albert was moved by J. B. Carter. Esq. in a neat speech, in which he referred to the noble act of his Royal Highness, at the moment of peril, in promptly throwing himself between our beloved Queen and the danger that threatened her; by which act, as well as by his general conduct and character, he had deservedly gained the respect and admiration of every true-hearted Englishman.— The motion was seconded by J. Lipscomb, Esq.
H. Lacy. Esq. moved that the Addresses be presented by a deputation, consisting of C. J. Hector. Esq. M.P., Sir W. Jolliffe, Bart, and J. B. Carter, Esq. which was seconded by C. C. Butterfield. Esq. who observed that, yielding as he did to no man upon earth in loyalty and devotion to his Sovereign, he felt great pleasure in rendering any assistance in carry ing out the design of the present meeting. Many remembered the demise of no less than three Sovereigns who had swayed the sceptre over these realms, and all knew full well what feelings prevailed when the nation was visited by an event so solemn and striking as the death of a sovereign; and if our softer feelings were thus painfully excited by such an event in the ordinary course of nature, how much more would this have been the case, had the atrocious and villainous attempt been attended with fatal effects.
Mr. Parsons moved, and Mr. Light seconded, a vote of thanks to the Mayor for his alacrity in complying with the wishes of the requisitionists, and for his conduct in the chair.