Star. — London, England, 1809-09-21 00:00:00

THE EVENING STAR. LONDON. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE 'O'CLOCK: per Cant. Cons. for money bw'j—for arc. on if. ' Omnium 1 prem.—Exchcq. Dills, 6s. 1 4s. prem. It was pretty generally expected that at the Levee of yesterday some persons would have kissed hands on appointment to office, but no such event took place. That there are serious differences among our lead ing men is admitted on all hands. Changes are re solved on, bat they are not agreed as to the new arrangement. It has been for some time apparent, that the Duke of PORTLAND must retire owing to infirmities; and we have reason to believe that at one time it was intended that the Earl of CHATHAM should be his successor.—The expedition to the Scheldt, it was ex- petted would have been attended with happier conse quences than have resulted from it, and therefore, to : insure a stock of popularity for his Lordship, before inducting him into office, he was appointed to the command of that expedition. Its issue certainly had the effect to derange the plan then in contemplation. To notice every report would be endless, but we must state the leading rumours—premising however, that it is difficult to get at the precise truth, all the statements in circulation being more or less tinctured with the spirit of family parties. Mr. PERCEVAL and Mr. CANNING are reported to have both aimed at the office of Premier ; and of course to have exhibited symptoms of jealousy. In proof of this it has been remarked, that Mr. PERCE VAL in coming to, and Mr. CANNING in going from, the Levee yesterday, met each other, and passed - without the usual interchanges of civility, or even taking notice of each other. Mr. CANNING, it is understood, tendered his resig nation to the KING yesterday—lt. is thought, how ever, that he will get the place for which he has been struggling, and in that event, it is said, Mr. PERCE VAL demands to be made Lord Chancellor. Lord CASTLEREAGII resigned some days ago.— Lords CAMDEN, MuLGRAVE, and WESTMORLAND also retire—and of course Lord CHATHAM. But so little progress is yet made ia the new ar rangements, that the Duke of PORTLAND has been requested, though in a very weak state of health, to retain the seals for a day or two longer. After the Levee, Lords CAMDE.N, Mutonavr, and HAinois sv, Messrs. CANNING and PERCEVAL, met with the Duke of PORTLAND. Lord CHATHAM was walking in the neighbourhood with one of his Aides de-Camp, but we are informed did not join the party. The difficulties in the way of the new arrange mints are very formidable, nor will they be easily adjusted. The crossing and jostling of parties has lAd to a DUEL BETWEEN LORD CASTLEREAGH AND Mr. CANNING. - The precise cause of the quarrel, or rather the in dividnal offence that called out the parties, we have not heard, but only that it rose out of the disputes about retention and succession. The words that led to the duel were uttered in a conversation which took place between the parties after the Levee. Lord CASTLEREAGH sent the chal lenge. The meeting took place this morning at Wimble. ton, at seven o'clock. . Lord CASTLEREAGH was attended by Lord YAR MOUTH as his second—Mr. CANNING by Mr CHARLES ELLIS. The parties exchanged shots, and Mr. CANNING was wounded. • The seconds then interposed, and the parties re tired from the ground. On examining Mr. CANNING'S wound, the shot was found to have passed through the upper part of the thigh without injuring the great artery. It is not thought to he dangerous. It is said that Lord CASTLEREAGIT, though he had r2s3gnd, h:td changed his mind and wished. to retain his place, or took some offence at the man.iner in which he was informed that his servires could& &spewed with; but this we give merely as a rurnour.—A few hours more will probably put the public in possession of particulars. _ _ _ Lord CASTI,LREAGI and Lord YARMOUTH, in a curricle, followed by two grooms on horseback, pass ed through Buckingham-gate at eight o'clock this morning—they proceeded towards Lord C.tsrts, MUGU'S residence in St. James's-square. • ANOTHER AccouNT. Agreeably to his express desire, Lord CorruntxAon was called this morning, at a quarter befo r e fi ve o'clock. He very deliberately ordered his choco late, of which he had scarcely taken one cup, when the Earl of YARMOUTH arrived in his curricle, which Lord CASTLEREAGH accompanied him to Pt rney Heath. Mr. CANNING was by this time there also, attended by his intimate friend, Caw.= ELLIF., Esq. of Claremont. .• The parties haVing taken their ground, and it having been agr..ed that they litottici tire on a given signal, Mr. CANNING WAS wounded in the thigh, Lord CAS •tlialtAoll received no injury, and thus the matter waded. The dispute which led to this duel arises'out of the ? resent divisions in the Cabinet, and. originated a few days ago in some conversation at the Duke of Poemaxo's, where Mr. CANNING made use of ex pressions which were deemed personal. ' A reference was, however, made to the Duke for his testimony of the offensive words ; and it was not t;il yesterday that his Grace could conveniently be seen on that bu siness. His Grace's opinion being in unison with Lord CASTLEREAGH'S, his Lordship sent a challenge to Mr. CANNING, and the duel tookplace this morning. Mr. CANNING remains at Putney. The ball passed completely through his thigh. Lord CASTLEREAGH set off at two o'clock this afternoon for Stanmore, to inform Lady CASTLEREAGH. We have been informed, and we are not without hope that our information will prove correct, that Minist.rs have come to the laudable determination that the Island of Walcheren shall be immediately evacuated. Measures are, however, to be taken, to render Ant werp useless to the enemy as- a naval arsenal. To effect this object orders have been sent to the Dock yard, at Portsmouth, to prepare eight line-of-battle ships to be sent there, and then to be sunk in the dif ferent passages of the Scheldt. The Maida, l'Her cule, two more English ships, and four Danes, are pitched upon for this service. A letter (of which a copy has been received in town) written at Bejar on the 10th ult. by an Officer in the Portuguese Legion to a friend at Lisbon, re lates some particulars of the laborious and critical march of Sir ROBERT WILSON and his gallant little corps, from his station in the neighbourhood of Es calona towards Banos, by the circuitous route ren dered necessary through the unfortunate abandon. ment of Talavera. The more important particulars of this route have already been transmitted by Lord WELLINGTON ; and this corps was too insulated to know much of the general state of the campaign : yet it is said, in this letter, that the Marquis of ROMANA was prevented from occupying Salamanca, on ac count of the bridges of Toro and Zamora being cut. One fact we learn from this letter, which is a no velty. The French' had forced a number of Spa niards to enlist in their service ; 95 of them, however. made their escape from the Escurial, and joined the Legion ; and could Sir ROBERT WILSON have re mained a day longer at Naval Corneiro, there is no doubt that the whole body would have joined. On one occasion, all the baggage, including the papers and military chest, had a very narrow escape from being seized by the enemy, and were saved only by being conducted over the almost impracticable pass of Valverde. It appears that, in the beginning of last month, while the issue of the campaign was still doubtful, dispatches were intercepted at El Fieublo, containing, besides instructions relative to the war, an account of a peace having been concluded between France and Austria, according to which the Emperor FRANCIS had resigned all his dominions except Hungary ;- 1 and it was added, that in six weeks BONAPARTE was to be at Madrid. This intelligence appears to have occasioned considerable uneasiness : but it is believed that the dispatch was an artifice to precipitate the retreat of the combined army, and to induce the Eng lish Commander in Chief to retire upon the naval frontier, under the impression that all further resis tance to the arms of France would be in vain. Among the Officers of the Legion, the neglect to defend the pass of Banos, in the first instance, ap pears to have been considered as a most calamitous event ; and it was understood that two days after the battle of Talavera, Lard WELLINGTON, as well as General CUESTA, was inclined to detach the Legion to guard that important post; but a different decision was afterwards adopted. The soldiers of the Legion did the greatest credit to their officers, &ring this exhausting and trying march, and they appear to have been well received by the inhabitants in the course of it. On the 10th, the Legion arrived at Cueta de ad ios, where they found the enemy had murdered 54 men, besides plundering every house in the town, and committing the most horrible excesses towards the women. Yesterday, at twelve o'clock, his MAJESTY arrived from Windsor, at the Queen's Palace, and wai re. ceived by the Dukes of , YORK, KENT, and CUMBER LAND. _ _ _ --- A little after two, his MAJESTY held a Private Levee, at which the following had the honour of being presented : The Earl of CHATILAM, on his retain from Holland. Colonel Lotto, Adjutant-General to the Forces under his Lord ship's command. Major BRADFORD and the Hon. Captain W. N. GARDNIR, his Lordship's Aides-de-Camp. Colonel FRELR, on his return from commanding the Royal En gineers in Holland. Lieutenant-Colonel CARET, Military Secretary to the Earl of Chatham_ ! on his return. Lord CHARLIS MANNERS, on his return from foreign service. Major General CAMPBELL, on his appointment to the com mand at Gibraltar, and to take leave. Lieutenant Colonel BIRCH, Deputy Quarter Master, and Lieu tenant Colonel C • rat, on their :morn front foreign service. Lieutenant Goleta the Earl of ROSSLYN, on his return from foreign service. Sir WILLIAM DRUMMOED, on his return from Sicily. etneral BaoveNatoc, Quarter Master General, op his return front Walcheren. Captain A. Ha awA an, R. N. on big promotion. His MAJESTY afterwards held a Privy Council, and gave audience to the Duke of YORTLAND and th.?. rest ' of the Cabinet Ministers. Viscount CASTLEREAGH dW not attend the Levee yesterday. The Duke of PORTLAND appeared t.,r) ex. tremely infirm, that it was with die culty he made his r.gress and egress to and from the A uclic.ace- cha r. TREATRE, -COVENT GARDEN. , Last night the contest ' this Theatre and the advocates newly adopted prices of tenfold violence. At a • ties of the Managers' F• petted to act as such, in every part of the house, . chestra, but their opponents such forrhidable array, tirely abashed : they howeier ra... the front of the Pit, a post of which, by a quick march, they had taken early posssession, and maintained their ground manfully for some little time ; the first advan tage gained by the " Reformers" was in silencing the overture, and obtaining "Rule Britannia" as a sub stitute ; at the close of which, and at the rising of the curtain, a number of popular placards were immedi ately displayed : one of these was verylarge, inscribed i 4 , Resist the imposition every night until abated !" This was hailed with a tripple shout of applause. `Among numerous others were 44 NOFamilyCompact! ! —.4 No Italians"—" Native Talent"—" Old Prices," &c. &c. At the commencement of the Play, • Richard the Third, the usual uproar began, hissing, hooting, shouting, groaning, whistling, squeaking, clapping, &c. so that not a syllable could be heard. The uncommon beauty of the scenery, all from new ' designs, and the brilliancy of the dresses, uniformly correct as to costume, made scarcely a momentary ; impression :—the storm continued with increasing violence through all the early acts of the play, but when CIIARLES KEMBLE appeared as Richmond it was louder than ever—and here it was, we think, the tide of battle turned decidedly in favour of the popular party. A great number of those who came to sup port the other side of the question, fled from their colours, and either went entirely over to their late opponents, or skulked out of the conflict, under the mask of neutrality. To the death of Richard (admirably performed in pantomime by Coerce) the complication of dis cordant sounds continued without intermission ; as also through the Farce, The Poor Soldier, and the business terminated nearly as on the preceding night, by the victors occupying the field of battle long after the enemy had quitted it. A number of boxing matches took places in the boxes, and several severe struggles between the Police Officers and 1 some of the more refractory of the opposition, who p manifested a disposition to commit acts of violence' upon the property of the Theatre : these instances we are, however, happy to state, were not numerous. ' At half-price we observed, though a number of persons presented themselves at the doors for ad. mision, their money was not taken, as they were told there was not room—this was perhaps better policy Ithan admitting so many at an early hour who cone as friends, but acted afterwards in direct hostility to the Manager's plan. After some interval, the audience was addressed by Mr. SMITH, the barrister, who, by a few impres sire observations, succeeded in obtaining their una nimous promise, that if Mr. Kamexa were to corns forward, and be told the cause of their discos.' tent, that gentleman should be attentively heard. I Wr..Siarru, therefore, requested a gentleman in the manager's box to communicate this to Mr &mime, who accordingly came forward, and spoke to the LA ; lowing effect : LADIES AND GAIVILESIENA-1 wait upon you to know your 1 Wishes. • One man indeethin particalar t noticed, who is, I an t assured,"a fdrihnin in a particular department of th e works, and who, with his coat off was striki ng at every one in his way, challenging any man to fiat him who dared to oppose the wiR of the man agers :, ,In this conduct I lamented to perceive that he was 'encouraged and supported by those constables who were professedly called in to keep the peace, but 1:1:a only distinguished themselves by protecting and' each ting every rioter in favour of the Manager;, and treating with valence every one who differed froa: them. Several Gentlemen indeed were dihr e d to Bow -street, and some, I am t o ld, d eta i ned in ches tody for the night. Let us hope that among th ose gentlemen one at least will be found of safficientepirit to make these officers account for such outrageo us conduct—to try the question at LILY with .thenl—..r have no doubt that they have acted illegally. B ut, however, that question ?pay be decided, the public must ever consider it as an aggravition of the rniseo e . duct of the Managers to attempt the tetablisim eta o r their imposture by such means --to force a sui t e s . sion to it. I know of several of.their .expedients ha this unworthy purpose. I can state facts which I ca l prove.—Upon the firsvniglit the Theatre opened or . ders were sent to printing-offices and to trades peopla who haul many persons in their employ; reqnestina, that such orders should be di s p ose d u f 46 to the bC - - , nefit of the Managers." But i t w ill amuse you to hear that many of those orders were used against them. This was a trick of war, and not ttafa sr . I t i was h biting the biter." Last night, and to-night also, the use-of orders was glaring.—lndeed Money has been refused where order s have been adlnittld j ! myself was refused admittance at one of .the doors last night, being told that there was no ro om , f while there was plenty, an d w hil e , at the same time, paper orders were r ece i ve d. Probabli this re- I I fusal was the consequence of n:y observations Lest I night—but the object of the refusal did.not answer. 1 I am here still, and shall be here again to-menthe Inight, to assist your opposition, aye end next night also, if the Managers will provoke the contheiance of i opposition—[Applause].—The causes assigned to ; justify the imposition we complain of are insufficient, 1 while the real causes are utterly inadmissible, and the Managers know that, therefore they do not venture to state - them. You are told that this theatre has ! been long a losing concern. What ! do you not know that John Kemblc paid £25,000 for a share of this concern ? and do you believe that John Kemple does not know the value of money [A laugh]. —.-I wish ! that some Manager vh old come forward who does I know, or who would not ! .::. nd to be ignorant of what we want—[A laugh].—lf such a one dial ap. pear, I would point his eye to the alacards about the House ; if he were so deaf as not to hav e he ar d our cries since the opening of the Theatre ; and if ite were to say the advance complained of was rendoel neces sary by the money borrowed to build this Theatre, I I would tell him that which I calk prove, that the rent of the private boxes alone, upon the api eadages t , u hich I shall not now observe, is more than suffic ice: to pay the interest of the whole of the lean taisA, and also the salary of MadameCatala:i. lo edo Having l,. mel e iti p o r n c e s i ; 1 this Performer, 1 hope I m,y Catalan i. al 1 the general discontent at such :r: exorbitant gra:v. L;) I 1 a •foreigner, sviile native talent is overiociced. J3ut if the day should ever arrive when that Stage is to be contaminated by Raw' depravity and French du plicity, I trust this audience will feel and act as it ought."--[Loud plaudits.] The Gentleman, after requesting a clap for the Performers, in order to show that no offence was in. tended to them, which request was promptly and eui versally acceded to, concluded with exhortinghhe audience to conduct itself as it had hitherto done, promising, if it continued to do so, that - he would attend this night, and teem rig:t.p:i night, until the public cause was triumphant. This spee:h was saluted at every sentence by ac clamations of applause. Soon after eleven o'clock the whole of the cam -1 pang had withdrawn. To which a voice replied— Our wishes I shall tell you in three words—" Tar OLD ' PRICES." Mr. Ka\IBI.E then proceeded— ,. LAD] CS AND GENTLEMEN-4 feel most gratefully impressed by the attention with which you now honour me.—The propos ed advance in the price of admission to the boxes and the pit, is, if I am not mistaken, the cause of your objections—{What afft c tation—you know it is ! exclaimed several voicesl.—You have been told, that the former prices were . quite su cient- 1 -were amply abundant to remunerate our expenses, to reward ner ex. ertions ; but I beg you to reflect, that the price of adndsslon to the pit was_ §s. so far back as the reign orclireeii l and some applauies] —The galleries were the same rate then that they are now ; and In these we do not propose any advance. For a century back there has been no advance in those rates of ad mission, although every article we had to purchase was advan cing in price, and although, I can assure you, that for the last ten years, the Proprietors of this Theatre have not divided sit per cent. upon their capital. I beg you, ,Ladies-and Gentlemen, to. Mr. SHERIDAN has made a coalition with Mr. GM take this circumstance into your consideration, and to combine with it the known precariousness of this description of property, VILLE and Mr. ARNOLD, to perform at the Lyceum. the expellees to which we are daily exposed, the ha;airdoue ape- 'Colonel GttEviLLE furnikhes the licence, Mr. SHERl culatiohs in which we are obliged to engage, the certain loss to DAN the company, and Mr. ARNOLD is to be the which we are subjected by the ruin of a single play—[Hisses and Manager. applauses].—lt was said by a Gentleman, I understand, last night, that no part of the proposed advance would ever go.into the poc- THE LYCELII.—The En:tlish Opera closed, for 01.3 kets of the Performers, and that if ildid, you would not be se season, on Tuesday night, on a b;ch occasion an ad disposed to complain. I tan assure that Gentleman, that he is dress of thanks was delivered by Mr. RAYMOND. mistaken in his view of the subject; for, in point of Let, the per formers are, and will be, materially benefited by this advance, Sunday, the Royal Party attended Divine Service, and they are ready to come forward in a body to testify it. To at Weymouth, after which the Princesses Nlaer and benefit them, indeed—to entourage talent, by securing it an ade- AMELIA took the benefit of the sea air in the Royal spate reward- r to promote the interest of our profession---to pro vide suitable performers and performances for your entertain ment, was the principal motive which suggested the propriety of Occasion, and the PittscE of WALES and Duke cf this small advance—[Hisses and applauses].—When you, l.adies CAMBRIDGE, with Dr. Pore, Sir HARRY and Lai , and Gentlemen, reflect on those points with your accustomed BURR MID NE A LE, and Lady G. MURRAY, joined the candour ; when you consider the immense openee, no less than Royal Sisters, and were rowed round the frigates and (1 50,000, which has been laid out in providing for you the finest -- - yacht fo r near , two hours. theatre in Europe—when you take into account the still further They landed at thiee, expense which must be incurred in purchasing a suitable ward. o'clock at the Pier, amidst an immense concourse rube and scenery, together with the numberless articles necessary people that the day had drawn from all parts of the to a theatre, which have all of late years been enhanced in price, country. I can have no hesitation.in trotting to your liberality and justice, and to the liberality and justice ofthe country, fur a decision in A Gentleman lately arrived from Rio Janeiro, and our favour." who was some time in the Rio de la PlAta, informs A gentleman then \ addressed the audience from the ns that the people of Buenos Ayres are now enani lower boxes, whose name we understand to be LEIGH, mous in favour of LINIERS'S government, bc:ng re. Inspector of Forged Notes at the Bank. This gen. spected by all ranks for his mild government and ex• tleman spoke in the following terms : cellent private character. The deserters and wounded " I took the liberty of addressing you last night, I who were left behind by General WHITELOCKE, have, because I feel a common interest with you upon this to the number of about 1500, planteel themselves on the left bank of the river, neatly oppo,ite to Buenei occasion ; and from the attention with which you ho noured me lam encouraged to address you again to- Ayres, where, we are sorry to say, report states that night. Last night, as well as this night, you actetheir manner of living is by no means to their credit. as became a British audience, and as you are entitle d. Accounts are said to have been received from to do. Peaceably but firmly you exercised your right Prince of Wales's Island, stating that hostilities had to mark your opinion of those who breathe upon your commenced between two of the native Chieftains on favour. •In the way admitted from time immemorial the Slake River, in the interior of Sumatra, in conse in a British theatre, you manifested your feelings, and quence of which a considerabi.e flotilla of prows and you acted legally. It was therefore with sorp, ise I. other small cr.ttt had been destroyed, ant great da witnessed the conduct of those who are employed to mages had been sustained by the .iiihabitants on the thwart your wishes. I saw last night a parcel of bauks of the above river. It is said to be in contem- Bow-street officers insulting every man who evinced plation of the British Government to depute a confi any disapprObation of the imptasture attempted to be dential servant to attempt a mediation between those prac t:seti upon you.. In the Pit, I saw these officers,:: powers, whose disasters have seriously interrupted the seconded in their rudeness and siinienc.: by a number . navigation of the river, by i,vhich timber in large quan of those who are rtOtot iously 'hired—who are in the re- tities is usually' trans orted to the extremities of the L .,aallar employment of the Proprietor s t f 4 Theatre. -151 E - .~! A sprinkling of ladies were present, and a few Fashionables were scattered in the private boxes, who seemed to enjoy the sport, though they pa: ucipated but little in it. :•• • L t - , •*••i. t. • 1 - C , • . r - ►s:?i~~ est between tlAyroprietors: of advocates for a reduction of the of admission was ieriewel-with a very early hour numerous par- Friends, or those who were ex. occupied conspicuous situations use, from the cieling to the or- onents exhibited themselves in that for awhile they were en- however rallied, particularly in I