The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-01-21 00:00:00

" SIR THOMAS GRESHAM, KNIGHT,

Erected at his own charge a Building and Colonnade, for the
convenience of those persons who in this renowned mart
might carry on the commerce of the world, adding thereto,
for the relief of indigence, and for the advancement of litera-
ture and science, an Almshouse and a College of Lecturers,
the City of London aiding him, Queen Elizabeth favouring
the design, and when the work was complete, opening it in
person with a solemn procession : having been reduced to
ashes, together with almost the entire city, by a calamitous
and widely-spreading conflagration ' • they were rebuilt in a
more splendid form by the City of London and the Ancient
Company of Mercers, King Charles the Second commencing
the Building on the 23d October, ' A.D. 1667 • and when
they had been again destroyed by fire on the 10th January,
A.D. 1838, the same bodies undertaking the work, deter-
mined to restore them at their own cost, on an enlarged and
more ornamental plan, the munificence of Parliament provi-
ding the means of extending the site and of widening the
approaches and crooked streets in every direction, in order
that there might at length arise, under the auspices of Queen
Victoria, built a third time from the ground, an Exchange
worthy of this great nation and city, and suited to tbr vast-
ness of a commerce extended to the circumference of the
habitable globe. His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Saxe
Coburg and Gotha, consort of her sacred Majesty, laid the
first stone on the 17th January, 1842, in the Mayoralty of
the Right Hon. John Pirie. Architect, William Tite, F.R.S.
May God preserve and ward off destruction from this build-
ing and from the whole city ! _ _

Shortly after one o'clock the company began to arrive in
rapid succession, and before two the capacious and elegant
pavilion was densely crowded in every part, except those seats
which were 'reserved for the aldermen and distinguished
visiters.

The Aldermen, in their scarlet robes, accompanied by the
Recorder, Sheriffs, City Pleaders, and other civic functiona-
aries, took the places allotted to them. Immediately after-
wards the fine military band struck up the national anthem,
during which his Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended
by the Lord Mayor, entered the pavilion, and took his place
near the stone.

On his Royal Highness entering all the company imme-
diately rose and enthusiastically cheered the jllustrious con-

sort of our beloved queen. His royal highness was dressrd
in a dark frock coat and black trousers. He appeared much
affected at the enthusiastic manner in which he was received.

At the conclusion of the national anthem his Royal High-
ness and the Lord Mayor took their seats in splendid chairs
near the stone. At this moment the scene was one of the
most interesting description. . .

Mr. Jones, chairman of the joint committee, then handed
to his royal highness a glass bottle, and Sir J. Shaw, the City
Chamberlain, delivered to the prince two of all the coins in
gold, silver and copper of the present and last reign, which
his royal highness minutely inspected, and then deposited
them in the bottle, and immediately afterwards placed them
in the cavity of the stone intended for their reception.
The glass brick bearing the written inscription in Latin and
English was then presented to Mr. Barnes. The zink plate
and the rough brick having also been inspected by his royal
highness, Mr. Tite, the architect, read the inscriptions, at
the conclusion of which the audience gave three cheers.
The formula of depositing the glass bottle containing the
coins, ere., having beea performed,
Mr. Jones, chairman of the joint committee, presented to
Prince Albert the splendid silver trowel.
His Royal Highness having received the trowel, proceeded
to spread the mortar in a workmanlike manner, and which
elicited the loud and long-continued cheers of the company.
The other pacts of the ceremony having been concluded,
the city mace, sword, and other emblems of civic dignity
were placed upon the stone, when the Lord Mayor's Chap-
lain, in an impressive tone, read a prayer, which, we under-
stand, was composed for the occasion by the Bishop of Lon-
don.

At the conclusion of the prayer the National Anthem was
admirably sung by members of the Sacred Harmonic Society
and the boys of Broad-street Ward Charity School.
The Aldermen and several distinguished visitors and their
ladies were presented to his Royal Highness, and this inter-
esting ceremony terminated.
THE BANQUET AT THE MANSION HOUSE.

The most splendid preparations vl ere made at the Mansion
House for the reception of His Royal Highness. In the
Egyptian Hall the whole of the Lord Mayor's plate and that
of the Goldsmiths' Company was exhibited upon sideboards,
placed at the top and bottom of the hall. At the east end
was erected a gallery, which was decorated with crimson dra-
pery, and in which the band of the life guards was stationed.
The appearance of the room was magnificent in the extreme.
At five o'clock the dinner was announced in the drawing-
room.

The Banquet was of the most sumptuous description.
After the cloth was removed the Lord Mayor rose and pro-
posed the healths of the Queen and Queen Dowager, both of
which were drunk with the utmost enthusiasm. His lord-
ship then gave "Health and every happiness to His Royal
Highness Prince Albert."
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, who was greeted with
loud and rapturous cheering, then rose and ,aid,—" I return
my most sincere thanks for this toast, and beg to express to
you my lively satisfaction at the kind and flattering manner
in which you have received me. (Cheers.) It must ever be
a gratifying recollection to me to have. by a trifling act of
mine, connected my name with the erection of that import-
ant building, of which we have laid the first stone to-day—
an edifice of which it may truly be said that It will become
the heart of the commerce of this great country—(loud
cheers)—a country to which I feel myself attached by the
dearest ties—a country in which I daily feel myself more at
home—a country whose kindness I daily more appreciate.
(Loud cheers.) Again thanking you for the honour you have
done me, I beg now to propose " the health of the Lord
Mayor, whose guest I am this day, and the Corporation of
the City of London." (Loud and protracted cheering.)
The following toasts were then drank with the utmost en-
thusiasm :—" The health of His Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales, and with him the rest of the Royal Family."
" The health of the Lord Bishop of London and the esta-
blished church." " The Army and Navy."
The Lord Mayor : My lords and gentlemen, the happiness
and prosperity of our beloved country, and especially of her
merchants, depends upon the direction of her affairs being
in the hands of a talented and•ponerful administration ; this
benefit I trust we shall for a long time be permitted to enjoy.
With such a government as the present, under the direction
of a statesman so able and experienced as the right hon. bart.,
we cannot doubt that, with all other important subjects, the
prosperity of this ancient city, and of our commerce, will re-
ceive the utmost encouragement and protection. I beg,
therefore, to propose " Long life, health, and happiness to
the Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, and the rest of her Ma-
jesty's Ministers."
The toast was followed by loud cheers and universal ac-
clamation.

Sir R. Peel, in acknowledging the toast, said, that in his
own behalf and the other ministers of the crown, he returned
their most cordial thanks for the manner in which their
health had been received. It was most grateful to them to
have the opportunity of beholding the important ceremony
of that day. It was impossible not to feel that the spot on
which they had stood was to be, as A had been in former
times, a centre of attraction to the commerce of all nations,
and where they would forget all national antipathies and
jealousies. His royal highness had that day laid the founda-
tion of a building not merely dedicated to commerce, but to
peace (cheers) ; and it was the wish of her Majesty's govern-
ment that the future progress of that building should cor-
respond with the favourable auspicies under which its foun-
dation was laid. (Cheers.) On the part of his colleagues
he again returned their respectful and cordial thanks for the
honour they had done theni, arid begged to drink all their
good healths. (Loud and continued cheers.)
The Lord Mayor proposed the next toast, " Prosperity to
the New Royal Exchange and the Trade of the City of Lon-
don," arid in connection with this toast the " Health of the
noble earl the President of the Board of Trade." (Cheers.)
The Earl of Ripon returned thanks.
The Lord Mayor proposed the health of " Field Mai-shal
his grace the Duke of Wellington." (Loud cheers.)
The Duke of Wellington -then rose arid said, he begged
leave to return them his sincere thanks for the honour they
had done him in drinking his health, and for the manner in
which the company had thought proper to receive it. This
was not the proper time to advert to the circumstances of a
former period of his life to which his lordship (the Lord
Mayor) had alluded. He met
peace
(loud
c rs d h
thathderelytlo_caelnebratee
and promote the arts of
again trusted that in his time he should never
celebration of the arts of war. (Loud cheers.) HTh
knowis the
ship had been pleased to include in toast he had given, lorcl-
e
a
House of Lords." On the part of his colleagues who were
members of that house he begged to return their best thanks.
The House of Lords was the conservative branch of the con-
stitution. (Cheers.) He was much gratified on receiving •
the invitation to attend in the city on this occasion, and

boa been pleased this day to lay the kat otoim, would prova
not only a monument of the arts of this great nation, and the
taste of Ws royal highness, but also a lasting convenience to
the commerce of the country and the (Loud cheers.)

Sir Robert Peel proposed "The health of the Lady
Mayoress." (Cheers.)
The Lord Mayor returned thanks.
The Lord Mayor: My lords and gentlemen, I have next
the honour to propose to you the health of the representatives
of the people in the Commons' House of Parliament, and I
feel great pleasure in connecting with them the name of the
noble lord the Secretary for the Colonies—" The Right Hon.
Lord Stanley aud the House of CoMmoni." (Hear, hear.")
Lord Stanley said that it was with surprise to himself, and
he was sure to others, that in the presence of the premier and
other distinguished members of her majesty's government, he
heard himself called upon to return thanks on behalf of the
House of Commons ; but at the same time he must say that
the surprise was mingled with gratification at finding himself
selected as the organ of a body consisting of the most power-
ful and influential representati% es of the commerce of the
united empire. (Cheers.) He did not know how he could
return thanks in. the name of a body consisting of such dis-
cordant materials. Perhaps, indeed, this very. circumstance
of the conflict of opinions formed one of the great materials
for the security of the interests of the community. Every
public man was compelled not only to give his judgment upon
questions of great political importance, but to give his lea-
sons for the course be followed. (Cheers.) It-was impossible
to witness that sight without feeling the great importance of
the trust reposed in the House of Commons, or without an
increased sense of the magnitude of the commercial interests
of this great community. He trusted that whatever conflicts
might take place in that house, its members would never be
forgetful of the high interests which were intrusted to their
care, and that they would always show a devoted attachment
to the constitution. (Cheers.)
After several other toasts had been proposed, the company
broke up, and as the Prince and her majesty's ministers rose
from their seats the cheering was tremendous.

FRIGHTFUL INTELLIGENCE FROM COSTA RICA

COPY OF A LETTEh FROM THE CITY OF HEREDIA
(From the Correo Sernenarzo del Salvador.)

The earthquake was so sudden, that those persons who
escaped had hardly time to get out of their houses before the
falling of the walls. _ .

Ina second the department of Cartago has become a total
ruin. The destruction is so great, that the site of any par-
ticular edifice is hardly to be distinguished among the ruins.
In the city, the houses, even to the stone-work, were thrown
upwards by the shock, and fell down again in heaps of rub-
bish.

It is painful to dwell upon this event. The loss of life is
very great among all classes—all ages; the number is not
even to be estimated at the present moment.
The inhabitants of those villages in the department which
have suffered the least, have assembled, by order of the go-
vernment, with spades and picks, to disinter the bodies.
They are now hard at work, and will continue digging while
necessary. People perished in the streets, in the piazzas,
and in the churches. Ail our provisions are beneath the
ruins, and we are suffering a horrible state of want, which is
likely to continue, for the fences having been thrown down,
the cattle are destroying all they can reach. In Turidaba,
Tresrios, Cartago, Paraiso, Ujames, and even to the vicinity
of Matina, there is not left a single shed; and in every one
of the valleys, and on the haciendas, we find proportionate
destruction. From San Jose to this place, and to Alajuela,
the ruin is considerable. In San Jose a number of edifices
were thrown down, and those houses that are standing are
uninhabitable. We are hardly better off in this city ; and
Alajuela has fared worse than vie have. Tranquillino Bo-
nilla and his family are among those taken from the ruins.
They are alive, but bruised and crippled. The number of
sufferers is very great. Bodies are disinterred that cannot
be recognised—shapeless masses and headless trunks—
everything in horrible confusion. Up to the present moment
there has been no eruption from the neighbouring volcano ;
the shocks continue w►thout cessation, and no one can tell
how it will end.

[The great shock took place at six o'clock on the morning
of the 2d of September.]

PROCLAMATION OF B. CARILLO, CHIEF OF THE STATE OF

COSTA RICA

Inhabitants of Costa Rica !—At half-past six this morning
a terrific earthquake totally ruined the department of Car-
tago, and caused most terrible ravages in San Jose, leaving
comparatively uninjured the other departments of the state.
The latter particularly are under obligations to succour their
unfortunate fellow-citizens of the former, who have suffered
to such a degree that there is hardly a straw shed left to
shelter them from the rigour of the season. The city of
San Jose, which has suffered also in the common disaster,
will lend all the aid in her power to those of the unfortunates
who may come to take refuge with ber ; and on the part of
the government all the assistance it can give will be afforded.
People of Costa Rica !—You are all of one family. The
misfortunes which are suffered by any portion should be, and
in fact are, felt in common. Hospitality has always been a
distinguishing feature among you-; but now more than ever
must you manifest to the world that you truly possess that
virtue. Be generous, and extend a protecting hand to the
afflicted. Hasten to aid them—build up sheds to protect
their families from the weather—carry them provisions, and
feed their helpless children, who weep for the loss of their
parents—take them to their houses, and give ear to those
who ask your charity. It is a duty, and you will fulfil it.
You will thus strengthen those bonds of friendship which
unite the whole state in a single brotherhood.
San Jose, Sept. 2, 1841. B. CARILLO.