The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-31 00:00:00

MAJESTY.-THE ADDRESS.

The Duke of WELLINGTON rose and said—My
Lords, your Lordships must have heard with horror and
concern, and with feelings of the greatest indignation, of
the attempt made upon the life of her Majesty last night.
and it now falls to my lot to perform the duty on the part
of her Majesty's Government, to state to you, that an at-
tempt w as made upon her Majesty's life last evening, as
her Majesty was returning in her 'carriage, accompanied
by his Royal Highness the Prince Consort, to he: Palace
o Buckingham Ilouse, which, by the blessing of Divine
Providence. failed,,by a person who was within a short
distance of her Majesty's carriage, who fired a pistol at
her Majesty. Her Majesty, as I have stated, by the
blessing of Divine Providence, was unhurt, and the per-
,ituagken thiento usciumsitoleye, u andrs h
e ofi
son who committed this act—this atrocious, act I may
s
ccarililnietlsvasnoinwulletdmiadte6rg3el
legal inquiry, and in due course he will be
brought to • justice. My Lords, I avoid enter-
ing into details upon this painful subject.—(Hear,
hear) I confine myself strictly to the performance of
my duty in stating the facts to your Lordships, and mov-
ing your Lordships to agree to present to her Majesty
an Address of Congratulation upon the failure of this
atrocious and treasonable attempt on her life, and which,
by the interposition of Divine Providence, was pre-
vented. I will therefore propose such an Address
to your Lordships, and I will afterwards submit to
your Lordships a motion in the usual course, that the
same Address be communicated to the house „of Com-
mons in a conference, and that that House sh4l name
members to hold the conference with your Loraliips on
the subject.—(Bear.) I therefore, my Lords, wove
your Lordships to agree to the Address. The I`,/ale
Duke then, in a very low tone of voice, read the following
Address :
"Gracious Sovereign : We, your Majesty's loyal sub-
jects, the Lords Spiritual and TempoPtiakand the Coln-
mons in Parliament assembled, beg Alfie humbly to
approach your Majesty, to expre,s. :_\ "*elings of
regret and abhorrence at the late treks; je; attempt
against your Majesty's sacred person. Wep4.4-elife same
wile heartily congratulate tlicoun try on yoiii7Majesty's
happy preservation from t e .danger to Which your
Majesty has been exposed. •Attached to your Majesty.
by every sentiment of loyalty, by a sense of the benefits
which we derive from the wile and paternal
Government of, your Majesty, we cannot but highly
appreciate and acknowledge the great and • merciful
interposition of Divine Providence which was mani
fested on the present occasion, and we make our
earnest prayer to Almighty God that he will be pleased
to confer upon your Majesty every blessing, and that He
will continue to watch over and guard a life-so.' justly
dear to us all.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said I know not, my
Lords, whether I ought to delay, by a single moment,
your Lordships adoption of a proceeding which cannot
but meet with the universal concurrence of the House.—
(Cheers.) In the absence of my Noble Friend,
who, I am sure, would have been present on this
occasion, if his absence fr.-;in London had not preVented

him from receiving any account of the sad . and Melan-
choly event to which the Noble Puke has alluded. I Mali'
be permitted to state, that every sentiment which
has been uttered on thiS sorrowfUl • 'occasion,
by the Noble Duke must find an echo in every one of
your Lordships' breasts.—(Loud cheers.) I have no
hesitation in saying that we must all concur
in the adoption of the address which has
been composed by your Lordships, and that
we have quite sufficient grounds for that proceeding
in what the Noble Duke has stated with regard
to that fact, so deplorable and so Melancholy,
and which is unhappily but too • well known.
On that question I will not ask for any information,
as during the present state of the inquiry all informa-
tion is most properly witheld. But I trust that, after
giving expression to the feelings which actuate your Lord-
ships on this occasion—after going up to the Throne with
those feelings which are common to us all, I trust that
your Lotdships will not stop here, but that you will,
when you contemplate what may be the sources which had
led to this crime, and will address your attention to them,
consideration of what 'Pay have boen the causes which
may have led to this attempt, which is the greatest of,
anomalies, it' made in the absence of all motive, as it is
the greatest of crimes, if we look to the unhappy
event which might have been its consequences. I am
sure I need not say more upon this subject. I believe
that there can be but one feeling in the House, of parti-
cipation in the sentiments expressed by the Noble Duke.
Lord PORTMAN begged to be allowed to interpose,
for a single moment, for the purpose of stating to their
Lot dships a fact, which would tend to increase, if any fact
could increase—their gratitude and that attachment to
her Majesty, which they all should feel as expressed m
the address of the Noble Duke. He wished to state to
them that her Majesty, while confident in the protection
of Almighty God against any danger which might sur-
round her, had been thoughtful of those who,
are in her service. Feeling on yesterday that
some risk might be incurred by those •who were
attending her person, she declined the attendance of
those ladies who usually accompanied her in her drives,
because she did not wish to subject them to that risk to
which she herself might be exposed.—(Hear, hear,) As
he was one of the parties who had a near and dear rela-
tive attached to her Majesty's person, he could not help
communicating that fact—a fact which -must attach her
subjects the more closely to her Majesty. -
Lord BROUGHAM said, that there was but one feel-
ing upon the subject under their Lordships' notice, both
in-doors and out of doors. He begged, however, to have
it distinctly understood that it was his deliberate opi-
nion, in reference to what had fallen from his Noble Friend
near him (Marquis of Lansdowne) that the law of England
as it at present stood was abundantly sufficient to prevent
such attrocities- as this, and to prevent their repetition.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that he did not
mean to recommend any new legislative measures ; but
all that he meant was that all the circumstances con-
nected with that atrocious and unaccountable crime
should be carefully proved to the satisfaction of the public.
,Lord BROUGHAM understood then that his Noble
• Friend did not contemplate any change in the:criminal
law, in consequence of that great—that melancholy and
• attrocious attempt.
• On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR, a
Committee was then appointod to draw up an address to
her Majesty.
The Committee then retired and immediately returned
with the address, which was read by the Duke of CAM-
. BRIDGE.

The address was then agreed to.
The Earl of SHAFTSBURY moved for a conference
with the Ilouse of Commons, which was agreed to.
Messengers were then sent to summon the House of
Commons to a conference.

The two Masters Farrer and Lynch, who had been
sent to request a Conference, returned stating that the
Commons had agreed to the request of their Lordships.
On the motion of the Earl of SIIAFTESBURY the
following Peers were appointed to manage the Confer-
ence :—the Lord President, the LOrd Privy Seal, the
Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Richmond, the Mar-
quis of Lansdowne, the Marquis of Normanby, and the
Bishop of 'London.

Shortly afterwards Mr. Palman, the Deputy Usher of
the Black Rod, appeared at the Bar, and announced that
the Lords oppointed as Managers were ready for the
Conference.

The names of their Lordships were then called over,
and.they left the House to attend the Conference.
After the lapse of nearly ten minutes, the conference
returned, and Lord WHARNCLTFFE reported to the
House, that the conference with the House of Commons
had taken place, and that the address to Her Majesty
was left in the hands of Sir Robert Peel, and other
Members who represented the House of Commons.