The National Register. — London, England, 1811-02-10 00:00:00

94 sensibility, would feel too much in the moment which was to decide on the life and death of a fellow creature to be capable of indulging in such unseemly mirth. The last act is well worked up, and the last scene presents a most striking tableau, and sup plies an admirable climax to the previous action. The music is pleasing and the scenery good, and the piece seems likely upon -the whole to have a ran. I cannot dismiss this subject without expressing my regret at Dm°No's introducing several meagre comic characters in order to make up the number of the dramatis personce. This art . i, however, disposed to impute rather to those who have the management of the Stage than to him. I believe these sort of characters are reraded by these sages as indispensably necessary to every such performance. It is to this alone that we are to ascribe the many nuisances of this description whieh we meet with in various modern productions. I regres this evil the more on account of the trouble it must necessarily give the Author, as nothing can more decidedly prove that this is a task imposed upon Dramatists of the present day than the characters so drawn. Genius and inclination seem both to rise in opposition to their production; and, under such circumstances, it cannot be a matter of surprise that all such feeble aforts at humour, in obe dience to the d:rections of hard, and, I nay add, foolish task- Masters, prove weak and abortive. E. CITY BUSINESS. COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL. Wednesday a Court of Common Council was held at Guild hall, to take into c.onsideratiou the adjourned debate respecting the London Militia . The discussion was opened by Mr. Alderman Woon, in a speech of considerable length, in which he defended the Report of the Committee, and contended that the two regiments of Militia. as now coiyAituted, were of no use to the City of .Lon don. The other Militias were always sent to a distant part of the country from that to which they belonged ; they were kept away trom their connections, and this from obvious rea ens of policy. He thought the London Militia, therefore could be better employed in more distant parts of the country, if it was thought necessary to continue them in existence at all, consider ingthe vast expense they occasioned. Mr. Alderman B:RCH said, that the Report was totally un supported by any thing like evidence, and he hoped would never be listened to by the Court. He defended the pecuniary trans actions so much complained of, particularly those relating to the emoluments derived by the Colonels from clothing the men, and the disposition of the stock purse; the latter, he said, was vested in the Colonels by an Act of Parliament, and therefore could not be appli d to public purposes. - The Report of the Committee stated, that the two regiments cost the City 50.0001. but this was not the fact, as the 50,0001. were paid by Govern ment. He considered that much good was derived from the two regiments, notwithstanding th - eir services were limited to the metropolis and its vicinity. What was the situation of the volunteer corps, the place of which they so well supplied ? No man could speak higher than himself of the merits of volunteer corps, and of the thanks to which they were entitled from the country ; but it was well known that deliberations and discus sions among the individuals composing them too often supplied the place of obedience ; and this would in all likelihood he the case, so lung as no actual dangers put an end to their disagree ments. XVII . WAIT 11 34 A N said, he was not so inexperienced as not to know that the more atrocious the nature of any abuses which are pointed out for public animadversion, the more odious are . the epithets which are heap. d by the culpable party on the bead of the detectors. The Report was a simple statement of facts, and such a Report as was called fdr by the circumstances of the case. Mr. Waithrnan then :vent at length into a defence of the Report, and concluded a lorg speech by declaring his opinion th at th e subject was one of the greatest importance, and to give full time for the consideration of it, he should move an addition to the motion at present before the Court—" That this Court do agree with the Report, with the exception of that part of it - "which relates to the immediate application to Parliament for the repeal of the London Militia Acts." Mr. JACKS and Mr. Di XON ;poke in opposition to the Report at considerable length ; it was, in the oninion of Mr. Dixon, a Report full of " envy. malice, and •Jltnlcharableness." Mr. WMESLE contended, that the London' Militia Bill bad beencarried by corruption in the. Court in 1796 3 anti by still MP, NATIONAL REGISTER. greater corruption in other places. It was a notorious job. So far from protecting the right of the city, these Militia acts sub verted them. 'l'hey had the admission of the Secretary at War in 1769, upon the remonstrance of Alderman Beckford against marching a party of Guards through the city, that it was contrary to its charter to introduce the military into London ; and his declaration at the same time, that he should take care, that no such circumstance's should occur again. If they wanted any illustration of the absurdity of these acts, he need only remind the Court that tint Lard Mayer, as Lieutenant-Colonel of one of the City regiments, would be commanded on parade by his Colonel, though as Lord Mayor he would command his Colonel in the City of London. Thus he would be one day master, and the next commanded by the person whom but the day before he could command. In London the Lord Mayor would be master ; but the next day, on Blackheath, he would be subjected to the authority of his Colonel, who might say to him, 64 yesterday you commanded ; this day I have the authority, and will put you under arrest." Upon the whole he should support the motion of his worthy Friend. Mr. Alderman C. SMITH opposed the report in a few words. Mr. Quirt, in a speech of considerable length, advanced many powerful and ingenious arguments in support of the report. Mr. WAITHMAN then shortly replied to the observations which had been made, and defended the accuracy of the report. He thought it was derogatory to the honour of the City, and most unsatisfactory to every person who wished to maintain its interests, to find that even up to this day they were unable to procure proper accounts of the Expenditure of the Trophy-tax, which was so considerable a burthen on the Citizens of Lon don. : • t"' The question was then loudly called for, and the amendment carried without a division. The Court then divided on the ori ginal question so amended :—For agreeing to the Report—Al dermen, 2. ; Commons, 59; Tellers, 2-69. Against men, 8; Commons, 41; Tellers, 2-51. Majority for agreeing to the Report, 12. It was then referred to the same Committee to consider and report what should be substituted in the place of the recommen dation for the immediate discontinuance of the regimvnts. REGENCY ADDRESS. Another Court of Common Council was held on Thursday, to take into consideration a motion for agreeing to an Address, to be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, on his being appointed Regent. Mr. Alderman WOOD opened the business in a short speech, and concluded by moving —I That a dutiful and loyal Address be presented to his Royal Highness, condoling with him on the indisposition of our most gracious Sovereign, which has rendered him incapable of the exercise of the Royal finctions; lamenting the degree of Re straint and Restriction imposed upon his Royal Highness in the arduous duty of supplying the incapacity of our beloved Sove reign ; expressing our firm confidence in the Prince's know ledge and personal endowments ; and relying, that, under cir cumstances so awful and embarrassing, every measure that de pends personally upon him, and his inclination, will he adopted for the 'defence of the personal liberties of the King's subjects, under their present difficulties, and promoting the peace, hap piness, and security of the county. The. motion was seconded by Mr. Waithman, and after some opposition from Alderman Birch and Mr. S. Dixon, carried unanimously. An Address was then brought in and agreed to, and the Sheriffs, attended by the Remembrancer, were desired to wait upon his Royal Highness, to know when he would be pleased to receive the same. Forty-four Sterling Prizes-1, Skinner-street.---Lucky W. Turner, of the Lucky Office, 1, Skinner-street, Snow-hill, grate fully acknowledges the txtensivo favours received to the present period, and begs to remind his Friends and the Public, who have not yet purchased, that on Friday next the State Lottery will begin and finish. An advertisemrnt would be too long to enu merate the State Lottery Prizes he has sold, together with the City Lottery Prizes, which may be seen at his Lucky Office, Skinner-street.—Lticky Turner requests Ladies to make their purchases immediately, as the crowd of purchasers generally in the Office the day before Drawing renders him incapable of showing them the attention he wishes. Valentine's Day is Next Thursday, and it is also the last day of purchasing in the present State Lottery, as the Drawing will begin at 10 o'clock on Friday Morning, and finish the same Day. Last Valentine's Day Bisi i t told 3,734, a Prize of 20,000/. and 12 other Capital i'rizes hi Shares; on Valentine's Day. ISO 4, he also sold 9,633, a Prize of 30,000/. &c. &c. He hopes his friends will be as fortunate this year; at all events they have a superior chance, as the. Scheme VL$O,O4Ol• 44 Capitals, and I:00,0001. in Yrues. dli