The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH :19, 1863.

THE

NICE.

The marriage of the Prince of Wales has been
celebrated at Nice under circumstances that deserve
more than a mere passing notice. Mr. Peabody, so
Nell known, and, wherever Englishmen congregate,
so deservedly respected for the munificence of his
bounty to the London poor, has been for some time
at Nice for the benefit of his health. With the en-
krged benevolence which is essentially a part of his
nature, he resolved to expand the quiet farewell
dinner he intended to give a dozen friends into a
magnificent banquet on the Prince of Wales's mar-
riage-day, and to this he invited not only all the
principal English visitors, but also a large number
)f French and other foreigners. Accordingly, at 7
)'clock on Tuesday evening there sat down, in the
:treat room of the Hotel de la Grande Bretagne, 130
4tlestF, so well assorted that every gentleman found
lady to ;vhom he could offer his arm. The walls
of the room, as well as the ornaments on the table,
were decorated with the flags of France, England,
Denmark, and the United States, grouped together
as emblematic of their permanent union and alli-
ance.

Mr. Peabody was supported on his right by the
Duke of Heusilton, Lord Rokeby, and Lord Charles
Clinton, and on his left by the Prefect of the depart-
meat, Lord Brougham, Lord Headfort, and General
Correard, commanding the troops of the district.
Dinner over, Mr. PEABODY asked the company to
fill their glasses to a toast about to be proposed by
the Duke of Hamilton, and begged that the first
three toasts should be drunk without cheers, but
followed by national airs played by the band.
The Duke of HAMILTON, apologising for taking
the toast which cf right belonged to their host, and
referring to his own personal friendship and affec-
tion for the Emperor, as one of the greatest men of
the age, gave "The health of the Emperor of the
French."
The prefect of the Maritime Alps, M. GATINI
DE CAMPILE, spoke as follows ;---" Ladies and Gen.
tlemen—Permit me to thank Mr. Peabody for the
gracious attention that he has had in assembling
the chief functionaries of Nice at this fete, and in
procuring me the pleasure also ofproposing the health
of the Queen Victoria, while we are celebrating the
happy event that has taken place in London. Your
cheers assure me that my proposal is a welcome one.
Although still young, Queen Victoria has occupied
more than a quarter of a century one of the•noblest
thrones of earth, and I do not fear being accused
of a courtier-like feeling, when I say that she
has always been for her people and the entire
world as Queen, as wife, and as mother, a model of
political intelligence, and of affectionate devotion.
I will say that history must mark the epoch of her
reign as one of the most glorious and prosperous in
the annals of Great Britain. It is, therefore, a
dEaufgtelirshpeople are so de-
mourning with her
justvote
dr et coo
tnah pe
iern scie
ut
eheant, t ha
tie
last year in her sadness, they now proclaim their
joy at the marriage of the e
Prince of Wals. As
for us French we sympathise with you, from our
hearts, We cannot forget that under Queer)
Victoria has been cemented the intimate
alliance between our two great nations
that has produced such hippy results for the good
of humanity, and the development of social pro-
gress. lam sure that this union will be durable,
not only through the sympathies of our Sovereigns,
but also because it promises that the mission
God has given to Fiance and to England
to spread to the most distant corners of the earth
the blessings of civilisation will not be lost sight of.
Brought up in such ideas, the Prince of Wales will
entertain for France and her ruler the same senti-
ments as does his august mother. With all my
heart, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour to
propose the health of her Majesty Queen Victoria
and the Royal Family." This speech was received
with thuneers of applause.
The Marquis of HEADFORT then said—ln rising
to propose the health of the President of the United
States of America, I beg to express a fervent hope,
which I am sure will be felt and responded to by
all the present company, that universal peace may
soon be established throughout the vast extent of
the great empire of the United States, and that the
best and truest interests of Great Britain and Ame-
rica may ever be joined in the strictest bonds of
friendship and alliance.
Mr. PEABODY then said—ln rising to propose the
toast of the evening, permit me to say that the sun
in its entire course around the globe this day has
shone upon the banner of St. George proudly flung
to the breeze in honour of an occurrence of pro-
found interest to the whole civilised world. Tht
noble son of England's honoured Queen has this day
led to the altar the bride of his choice, and upon alt
continents and in all lands, by festivities and re-
joicings, have millions manifested their joy at this
auspicious event, and from millions cf hearts has
gone forth the prayer, " God bless the Prince and
his royal spouse !" Here, on the sunny shores of
the Mediterranean, representatives from many na-
tions and of many tongues have met to honour it.
and I therefore beg leave to propose, with all the
honours that can be given to the toast, "Long lift
and happiness to the Prince of Wales and his royal
bride."

This toast was drunk with all the honours and
vociferous cheering.
Lord BROUGHAM then rose and said—lt gives me
great pleasure to join in celebrating the happy event
which so many millions of my countrymen heartily
rejoice in. The Prince of Wales, having by nature
the happiest dispositions by inheritance from both
his parents, has bad the inestimable advantage ot
their cultivation under that parent whose irrepar-
able loss we have so universally de; lored, whose
great capacity
and acquirements as well as his sound
judgment and most amiable character accidental
circumstances gave me peculiar opportunities of
knowing, while from his surviving parent he hat-
derived a title to those great virtues that endear he:
to us. It has been customary to call the Sovereign
of the day by the title of the " best of Princes," ant
as the term has been so often prostituted I abstain
from using it. But I will state a plain matter ot
fact worth all the superlatives in the world—out
Queen in her private capacity is an example to all
her subjects for her conduct and her feelings as a
daughter, a wife—now, alas, a widowed wife—and
a mother, and in her public capacity, as the consti-
tutional monarch of a free nation, a bright example
to all rulers. It is to be hoped that the happiness
of the event we are this day celebrating may afford.
some consolation to her under the diction from
which she suffers so cruelly. I had been engaged
to dine with my neighbours at Cannes to celebrate
this auspicious event, but on receiving the summons
of our worthy host I felt it to he my imperative
duty to attend here in testimony to my profound
respect and heartfelt gratitude towards so great a
public benefactor. His long life of patient industry
has been, by the blessing of Providence, crowned
with the greatest success, and has raised him to an
eminent station, the object of envy ; but far more
to be envied is the benevolence that guided his use
of the ample means which his toils have acquired,
and which he has applied to the succour of his less
fortunate fellowmen, and to their improvement,
with a generosity wholly unexampled. He stands
at the head of the class to which belong my friends
Sir William Brown of Liverpool, Sir Francis
Crossley of Halifax, and Sir James Baxter of Dun-
dee—a class whose large and wise beneficence has
won the respect and gratitude of our whole nation.
As standing at the head of this body, I hope I may
be allowed to propose " The health of our honoured
host, and long life to him !" which, indeed, is only
wishing further benefits to the bulk of the commu-
nity and the progress of its improvement.
The toast was received with great cheering. As
soon as the applause subsided,
Mr. PEABODY said,—lf I could command the
power of language and the eloquence for which the
noble lord who has so kindly proposed my health is
so eminently distinguished I could not by words re-
lieve my heart of its present grateful feelings to him
for his very flittering reir arks—to you for the en-
thusiastic manner in which you have received the
toast. I do not Lel entitled to the encom;ums which
the noble lord has passed upon my character; but,
coming from such an exalted source, and sanctioned
by this distinguished company, I shall, while Pro-
vidence spares my life, endeavour to deserve them.
I came to this beautiful city but a few weeks ago
quite an invalid, and not intending to mix in so.