The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-19 00:00:00

tionists,
The MAYOR rose amidst loud cheers. They would have
ascertained, from the names just read as having signed the
requisition in compliance with which he bad called this
meeting, that men of all parties united in an expression of
their abhorrence of the atrocious attempt upon the life of
our beloved Queen, in their desire to approach the throne
with their heartfelt congratulations for her happy escape,
and in their sentiments of loyalty and affection for her sacred
person. We all felt that it was a disgrace to our country.
and to the age in which we lived, that one could be found
base enough to raise his hand against a being so pure, so
lovely, so benevolent—against one who had ever evinced an
anxious desire for the welfare of her people. Let us indulge
the hope that it had been the act of one bereft of reason ;
and let us unite in prayer to our Almighty Protector, that
he will continue to shield and defend her from all her ene-
mies (cheers)—that she may enjoy a long and a glorious
reign, happy in the affections of her people, and dispensing
the blessings of peace to all around her. (Continued cheers.)
Upon an occasion like the present, it was not necessary for
him. to give the meeting a single caution to abstain from
anything like local party or political expressions., He was
sure that caution would he unnecessary, especially at a time
when the question was the life of our beloved Sovereign.
(Hear.) If we were to have rivalry, let that rivalry be in
sheaving the greatest loye and affection towards her. The
mayor concluded by calling upon the mover of the first re-

solution.
The Rev. JONATHAN BROOKS, Senior Rector of Liver.
pool, then stepped forward. It: was with great satisfaction_
and pleasure that he accepted the office which the gentlemen
who had prepared the resolutions and who signed the requi-
sition had requested him to take—namely, the moving of
the first resolution. • The town of Liverpool had, upon all
occasions, been celebrated for its loyalty; and if ever there
was an occasion which was calculated to call forth one
universal burst .of loyalty from the town, it was when the life
of our constitutional sovereign was attempted,and more par-
ticularly when that person was a female. (Cheers.) Having
read the resolution, which will be found advertised, the rev.
gentleman proceeded to say, that he could not conceive any
necessity for him to follow it up by many remarks. Indeed,
under present circumstances they would be ill timed. That
wretched and unhappy man who had made the attempt was
to appear before the tribunal of his country to answer for it,
and it would be injudicious and ill placed for him to attempt
to observe on the crime itself, or on the individual commit-
ting it. till his guilt was proved. He would therefore merely
say, with regard to the first part of the resolution, there was
something so abhorrent to the best feelings of our nature,
something so much at variance with the hitherto acknow-
ledged character of the English people, that he really must
join in the last-part of the resolution, in expressing his sur-
prise that any one should be found to make such an attempt.
(Hear.) He would also, upon the other part of the resolu-
tion, say that he thought it wisely embraced in it, " that this
act was prevented by a providential interference." (Hear.)
When we considered how premeditated was the design, when
we considered with what coolness and intrepidity the inten-
tion was attempted to be put into execution, and when we
considered how little aware were the intended of what
was intended to be perpetrated against them, he did think we
could not but acknowledge the iaterferenceeif a superintend-
ing providence, who watches with equal solicitude and care
over the greatest and the least of His creatures—(hear)—and
it was another instance of the truth of the declaration in the
Scriptures, that without his permission even a sparrow could
not fall upon the ground. (Cheers.) Having made there
remarks upon the resolution itself, lie should conclude by
moving it. (Applause.)
Mr. HUGH HossNaY seconded the resolution. If, upon
all occasions when it became his duty to address so large and
so influential an assemblage as that before which he now
stood, he felt his inadequacy—his incompetency—to do so,
how much more must he fail upon this occasion, when they
who possessed the greatest powers of eloquence failed in giv-
ing expression to their feelings! (Hear, hear.) it would,
indeed, ill become him, especially after the eloquent and
beautiful manner in which the Rector had introduced the
subject, to dilate upon the interesting theme which had
brought together this numerous assemblage of the inhabitants
of Liverpool. Were he to attempt to express those feel-
ings which, in common with every member of the assembly
—rather he ought to say in unison with every honest, loyal
subject throughout the British dominions—which animated
his heart upon the occasion of her Majesty's escape from the
atrocious attempt made upon her life, he felt he should only
weaken those vivid emotions which the consciousness of her
Majesty's safety could not fail to excite in the breast of every
individual he was now addressing. (Hear.) The occasion
which had brought them together was one calculated to bring
forward mingled sentiments of regret and rejoicing. The
deepest regret, he should say, that there existed a being,
bearing the name of Englishman, so base and malignant as
to be found capable of raising the assassin's arm against the
sacred person of his Sovereign! (Hear.) We heard, indeed,
in other countries under despotic rulers, and in many previ-
ous periOds of our own history, we read of acts of similar
atrocity; but in all such cases there were some motives for
them, arising either out of the tyranny or licentiousness of
the monarch, or the weak ambition or fanaticism of the as-
sassin, or they might be assassinated for their sanguinary
deeds. In the present instance, however, it appeared almost
impossible to imagine any cause, excepting indeed insanity,
which could induce any human being to raise his arm, and
attempt the life of one so young, so lovely, so innocent, and
surrounded, as she was, by all the sanctity which ever hung
oyer the sacred person of majesty. (Hear.) But in a still
Higher degree was this occasion calculated to cull forth the
most lively joy, and most heartfelt gratitude, when we re-
flected upon the awful state of distress into which the vast
population of these islands would have been plunged—the
universal cry of sorrow mid wailing that would have arisen
throughout the length and breadth of the British empire, Lad
it not pleased an all-wise and gracious Providence to protect
and preserve our beloved Queen. (Hear.) • What individual
among us could fail to be affected by the most deep and lively
sentiments of gratitude to that all-beneficent and all-benevo-
lent Being who, in Shielding her life, hod preserved the peace
e and the tranquillity of this vast empire ? (Cheers.)
The MAYOR then put the resolution, and it was unani-
mously carried.
Mr. WILLIAM Brows, in moving the next resolution,
said that much as he deplored the occasion that had
assembled the meeting together, he could not help rejoicing
that rich and poor, young and old, men of all religious
persuasions, and of :ill political parties most cordially united
in expressing to their sovereign the pleasure they felt on her
escape from the traitorous attempt upon her life.—
(Cheers.) Mr. Brown then read the second resolution, and
concluded by moving it.
Mr. NICHOLAS ROBINSON had been deputed to second
the resolution just propoecil by Mr. Brown ; and however
distressing it might• be to contemplate that a wretch could
be found in this country to raise his arm against the life of
her most gracious Majeety, we had abundant reason to be
grateful and thankful to Almighty God that it had pleased
him to arrest the arm of the assassin, and to preserve her
Majesty to a dutiful, loyal, and affectionate people. (Cheers.)
It was impossible to conceive that any man but a maniac
could be guilty of 'evicts an atrocious attack. Although that
did not immediately appear, yet he hoped, upon a future
examination into this outrageous assault, that proofs of
previous insanity would be found. It became the duty of
the meeting:, in accordance with the first resolution to ap-
proach the throne, to congratulate her Majesty ; and he had
therefore great pleaeure in seconding the resolution.
The Meows. pet it. and it was carried unanimously.
The Rev. Iluorm Tel' NEILE was called upon by the mayor to
move the next resolution. The appearance of the rev. gen-
tleman was the signal far some inflated radicals to create a
noise to prevent him being heard. The mayor, however,
interfered, and eainness was restored. Mr. M'Neile then
spoke as follows—Mr. Mayor, it cannot but he painful to my
feelings to find tire, called upon by the chief magistrate of
the town and appearing in naswer to that call, my appearance
should have caused t !e slightest interruption to the unanimity
you had every reason to expect in a meeting like the present;
and 1 will only say, with regard to the subject alluded to by
a prominent individual in that interruption, that I had no
more reference to her Majesty than any individual in this
room could have hail, and I believe that the very persons who
said I had and woo have since repeated it, know they said
what was not true. (Great uproar from the same quarter
which required tine interference of the mayor to stop.) Mr.
Mayor, proceeded the rev. gentleman, 1 must throw myself
upon von and apoloeiae for any such remarks as these. I
should not have volueteered to make them but in my own
defence. I now turn from the subject to the observations I
intended to make when I had the honour of tieing called
upon. (Cheers.) It is a subject on which we are compelled
to feel the utter izietiequacy of language to do justice to the
emotions of the heart. If instruction were to be offered to
the ignorant, if argumentation were to be addressed to the
hesitating, if exoitment were to be applied to the supine—
upon these, or kindred topics of human intercourse, human
language is a sufficient medium of intercommunion ; but
now, we have none of these. Our present feelings may well
he classed among those so beautifully described by Sir W.
Scott—

" Some feelings are to mortals given
With less of earth in them, than heaven."
Devotedness of attachment—unfeigned attachment—to the
sacred person 41C our beloved Sovereign, and ardent pene-
trating gratitude for her safety, to the great • Preserver of
men, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ—thesa are feelings
with so much of Heaven 'n them, that in vain shall the lan-
guege of the earth labour to give them anything like an appro-
priate utterance. (Cheers.) Yes, sir, this is a subject upon
which the elaborate tongue of the most eloquent is reduced
to a level with the instinctive exclamation of the simple. For,
after the most excnrsiva sad comprehensive meditation upon
the tremendous consequences to the country ,which must
have resuqed from success in the diabolical attempt upon her
Majesty's life; alier anticipating, with all the sagacity of po-
litical prophecy, the horrors at home and calamities over the
whole world which must have been the. consequence of- so
portentous a catastrophe; the heart of the most eloquent, I
say, can find no Letter vent fur its deliverance out of the
terrible forbodings than in the exclamation of the simple—
an exclamation which bursts instinctively, in simultaneous
exiacy, from thousands and tens of thousands—Thank God,
she's safe! .(Loud cheers.) Neither, sir, can piety the most
matured, as well as the most fervent, add anything to the in-
stinetiVe prayer of a grateful nature—God sane the Queen
(Immense applause.) If it be possible to enhance the inte-
rest excited by such a general view as this, the case specially
before us contains the elements of such increase ; for, sir, all
that I have said a cold have been equally interesting to us
last year; and I shall he well understood when I say it is
doubly interesting to us now. (Cheers.) It is then, sir,
most fitting that a crateful nation should have opportunities
afforded, through the length and breadth of it, for expressing
their heartfelt congratulations their Queen, and thanksgiv-
ings to their God ; and I rejoice that in this town the invita-
tion has been so proteptry given by you, sir, and so enthu-
siastically responded to by this respectable and influential
meeting. I have hewn requested to move that the following
address of congratulation tie adopted : _

" To her nio:t Maje.;:ly Victoria. Queen of the
United Gr;:ed Britain. and Ireland.

" We, your Me.jesty';most dutiful subjects, the inhabi-
tants of Liverpool, most humbly approach your Majesty's
throne, with joy and satisfaction at your Majesty's escape
from the attempt of an assassin—with the expression of our
horror and indignation at the atrocious offence against your
Majesty's sacred person, and with the tender of our sincere
and heartfelt congratulations to your Majesty and the coun-
try, that, by the intervention of an all-seeing Providence,
the lives of your Majesty and of your illustrious Consort
have been preserved from assassination. ,
" We are most aqxious to declare to your Majesty the
astonishment and deep concern which we feel that there has
been found one individaal, within your Majesty's dominions,
capable of an attempt upon your Majesty's sacred life—a life
so dear to all your Majesty's subjects, and so essential to the
interests and happi,ss or the realm.
" At the foot of the throne, we beg to renew the sincere
and heartfelt assurances of our devoted loyalty and attach-