PETERSFIELD.
OPENING OF THE NEW CORN EXCHANGE.—The town of Petersfield has for many years possessed a market second to none in the county; but probably in no town has there hitherto been less facility for transacting the business of a corn market. The greater part of the business has been necessarily done in the open air, owing to the very confined space available in the Inn where the market has been held. A Corn Exchange has long been felt to be a desideratum, and the subject has been repeatedly mooted, but until within the last year nothing has been done. We may now, however, congratulate the farmers, merchants, and others interested in the corn market upon the erection of a building in every respect suitable to the requirements of the case; we may also congratulate the townspeople on the very great improvement effected by the erection of such a building on the spot formerly occupied by a most unsightly group of cottages which greatly disfigured that portion of the High-street. We cannot profess to give a description of the building with the proper technicalities, but we may state that it is built of white bricks, with stone facings, the latter elaborately carved with various devices; it is lighted by eight large windows, six on the north side and two on the west, with a clerestory extending the whole length of the roof. A vane is placed at the Western end. The opening took place yesterday, and was inaugurated by a public dinner, at which the Right Hon. Lord Hylton presided, supported on either hand by several members of Parliament and other gentlemen connected with the district. Upwards of 200 sat down to dinner. As we have to make up our parcel hastily in order to catch the train, we can only add that the room which is 90 feet in length by 35 feet in width, and about 35 feet in height, was tastefully decorated with evergreens, cut flowers, &c., in groups and festoons, one of the most effective groups being several sheaves of Shirreff’s white wheat, supplied by Mr. Shenton. On the south wall immediately over the chair was the motto ‟God save the Queen” surmounted by a crown. At the west end of the room was inscribed on a scroll ‟God speed the Plough,” and on the east end was another scroll bearing the inscription ‟Success to Agriculture.” The dinner was supplied by Mr. Morgan, of the Volunteer Arms; the game was sent by Sir J. Clarke Jervoise, Bart., M.P., Mr. J. Bonham Carter, M.P., and Mr. W. Nicholson, M.P. As the dinner took place only a few hours before the time of our going to press, it is, of course, impossible for us to do more than make this brief announcement of the fact. We hope to give a detailed report of the proceedings in our next.