The National Register. — London, England, 1819-01-24 00:00:00

NAT' r ONO, 1 .7, N. PEETING OF BOOKSELLERS. . .- • '7. - 11" --- •. - . - . •- .r......... 1.• covEsT °ARDEN. Tice announcement of Miss Stephens's first appear. 01Wed season, had the etfect of filling_ this Theatre 01 nesday evening to an exces s . The character w hi c h . Nlisi Stephens selected for the resumption of her profefaional avocations in London. was that of Diana Vernsm, in liftli Roy: the selection was njudieinus one, j 3 ., o .rmielt as it affords ample scope for the display of Mi►s Stephens's powers. We never recollect to have 5 ,,,n or heard this enchanting Syren to snore advantage than on.this o.:ession. She was in excellent voice, and her powers even appear to Itavo improved during her temporary absence from the metropolis; her songs were executed in the most effective manner She was en cored with enthusiasm in almost every Song ; and in some of them, especially the delightful air commencing ~ A Highland Lad my Love was born;" and in the duet in the commencement of the third act, there ap pealed a disposition on the part of the audience to call for a second repetition. Some of the more reasonable and feeling part of the audience, however, interposed, and prevented the unreasonahle call being enforced. — rifle other novelties of the evening were, Duruset in the character of Francis Osinldesbn, which he assumed far the first time: his songs were given with consider able effect. Tins gentleman is something more than respectable as a singer, wa ;hall be happy to say as taesh of his acting when he gives us an opportunity ; ie: present he falls far short of the standard of feeling and energy. Emery was t.lw substitute far poor Tokely, iu the character of Ll,oterat. This was a cha racter created by Tokely, and suited esnecially to his superior powers. It was a task of no little difficulty to undertake it, after it bad been iu possession of so able a supporter. Emery, however, gave a spirited delineation of the trusty thllower of the 31a,:gTegor.— It was an original piece of acting : he was by no means a servile imitator; and though, perhaps, not quite equal to his predoecssn, he yet deserved and received considemble applause. Of Macready's Rob Roy, awl Liston's Bailie Nicol Jarvie, it is unnecessary to speak. 'the first was never inure dignified is the Lady un bending- Highlander, than last night ; nor was the latter e ver mare successful in exciting the risible fa sullies of the audience. A numerous Meeting of the Publishers, Booksellers, Stationers, and all others intereited in the sale of the Holy Scriptures, was held on, le riday eveniag sit the Globe Tavern, Fleet Street, to take into consideration the recent attack made.on the trade, as relates to the sale of Bibles and Prayer-books. As the nature of this attack may not be known to the generality of our readers, we shall endeavour to explain it by giving, in a tea words, a short abstract of a Report merle by a Committee, appointed on Thursday evening, to inves tigate into its extent. It appeared from that report, that for two or three years past bills in Chancery have b en filed, and silently operating under the instruction di' patentee, against persons selling Edinburgh Bibles or Common Prayers. These bills have been com pounded privately, to the no small gain of the attorney employed, and vexation of the party attacked. During the last term a hundred injunctions were obtained against different Beoksellers in Lontfon and the sub urbs ; and ninety arc entered for the present terra. The clerk of the solicitors, Messrs. Foss and Co., is generally the informer. At first the injunctions were only levelled against Bibles printed at Edinburgh, but ' lately they have been extended against Bibles, Testa ments, anti Common Prayers, printed in England, with , commenteries and note's. This proceeding has spread terror and dismay through the various Booksellers both •in town and country : especially as they have been likewise informed, that they cannot, under the ezieting law, sell any Bible in the English tongue, or in any other tongue whatsoever, 'of any translation, with note or without note, which is not printed at the press of the King's printer, or at the press of the two Univer sities. The sufferers by these prosecutions have been chiefly among the petty retail dealers, who, it was sup posed, would willingly enter into any terms of com promise offered by the attorney conducting these processes,erather than incur all the risk and expeace of a Chancery suit. The wholesale dealers have in' general escaped free front attaek, though latterly same of them (Mr. Wood ; in the Strand; Mr. Wilson, at the Exchange ; and Messrs. Arch, of Cornhill) have been visited by the same annoyance as their less wealthy brethren. As this system was rapidly spreading in every direction, the trade took it up, and assembled on Friday evening to discuss the propriety or resisting it Miss Somerville has resigned her articles at Coient j with ail the energy which such an invasion of what Garden Theatre, in consequence of Miss O'Neill re- I they deemed their long established rights demanded. fusing to perform with het in the new tragedy of Mary The imoropriety, if not t.e illegality, of these vex sS'luari ! atiotts mcnsures on the part of the patentees, was strongly The Richmond Inquirer, quoted by the New York insisted upon ; and the judgment of Lord Clare, in the Papers, intimates that some definitive arrangement case of Grierson, the King's printer at Dublin, v. Jack-. has been concluded between the British and American son kßidgeway's Reports, 304) was stated to be de- Governments, relative to the exercise of the right of cisive of the matter. In the course of that case, whict search, and to the impressment ofseamen from on board originated upon en application for an injunction to merchant vessels of the United States. The New York prevent the defendant from printing an edition of lbw Editor, however, discountenances this supposition, and Bible in numbers, with prints and notes, Lord Clare expresses his persuasion that nothing had been finally -asked it' the validity of such a patent as the King's ' done upon that delicate and difficult subject. The printer enjo, ed had ever been established at law ; and citizens of New York have voted a piece of plate to said, that he did not know that the Crown had a right Mr. Willshire, the British Consul at Mog-adore, for to grant a monopoly of that kind. Ile further added, his prompt beneficence in redeeming front slavery, and " I can conceive the King, as head of the Church, may restoring to their country, an American captive (James . say, that there shall be but one than who shell print Riley) and five of hit companions. A Message was Bibles and Books of Common Prayer, for .the use of received front the President by Congress, on the 14th Churches, and for particular purposes;but I canno a t ult. transmitting a report of the Seeretsay at Wei., conceive that the King has any prerogative to grant with the correspondence which took place between the monopoly as to Bibles for the instruction of mankind Governor of Georgia and General Jackson, touching in revealed religion. If ever there was a time which the-arrest, &te. 9f Obed Wright—a case of cruelty al- called aloud for the dissemination of religioes know-• niest unparalleled towards the wretched Indians, and ledge, it is this ; and therefore 1 ibould with great re - Zi .111(111CiOltS iasolenee on the part of 2.aeltsoa towards luetance decide in favour of such a monopoly as this, the Civil Power al. the United States; this was referred which must necessarily confine the circulation of the to the Committee on Military subjects. Ou the 15th book. As to very particular purposes, I have no doubt of December Mr. Colston otilmsd a resolution,—" That that the natentee had an exclusive right to print Bibles the President should be requested to lay before the and Prayer-books ; but unless lam bound very strictly, 'liaise of Representatives any correspondence which I will not determine upon motion that no man but time may have taken place between the Governments of King's printer has a right to print such works as Great Britain and of the United States, relative to the these." execution of Arbuthnot and Atabeieter." This vitro- It was maintained that such testimony as this was sition was not rejected ; it was 'merely regarded as pre- entitled to high consideration, as it proceeded from a mature ; the President having already promised full neblenean who was much attached to the prerogative intinenation upon the said occurrences. Mr. Colstoo's of the Crown. Great-stress was also placed upon a do resolution was therefime ordered to lie upon the table. current which had been extorted by the patentees or Here there is another pretty convincing proof that the their attorney, front a poor individual by which he comthrtable doctrine professed by the Sational Intelii- bound himself, under a penalty of 2,0001., never to sell Tenter, .as to the outrage upon one or inure British a copy of the Bible, Testament, or Common Prayer, subjects being purely a domestic business between the which did not come from the King's Printieg-office, or Government of the United States and its own favourite that of the two Universities, and by which he alto officer, has not made converts of the whole American bound himself never to take any steps to diseolve the people, but is likely to encounter a-sharp exaraination injunction against him. The principal speakers were amongst the republicans themselves. We are now to- Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Baldwin, Mr.Mawman, Mr. J.Wilks, lerably -certain of knowing, not only the full extent of Mr. Bagster, . Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Hone.; between the injury which this nation has suffered, but the true whom and the Chairman, Mr. Leigh, some very warm light in which it has been considered by the English altercation sowed. In the course of the debate, Mr. Government, as well as by Mr. Monroe.---Under the Mawman; who is the agent to the University of Cam head of " Spanish Affairs," it is asserted thatebe ces- bridge for the sale of their I3ibles, stated that he had • sion of Florida has been actually settled by negotiation written in the morning of that day to the syndics there, between the Spanish and American Ministers. .declaring his opinion to be, _that the measures pursued The lion. Edward Stewart, one of the Counistion-. were such as ought to be immedia t e l y terminated, on ...ers of the Navy , is t o be a pp ointed Commissioner et account of their vexatious nature, and expressed great ,1.-Cnittents; find the 'Hon. G. A. C Stapleton, now Pay- . roe fidence that they would be instantly icon-disctinued. . .iiorter .aud Inspector of Marines, is to succeed Mr. 'The dalmatian. :did .not, howeyer, serve _r _ , Zke.witt :1 ncobouissioccer of the Navy- . : ,. winch 4ffeet vets the as isols of hierest.lioace.. l o o .• , ill - reams , : eitaoqqe sa a.;lrcsLei %3 toys S.:7lr, . ":: 1! ..311::=::. conszquenee, after oosso•dioessosioo, enfamal into &re solution of appuin Sing a favrawsittep sic Ifi v irt , ol4 o, P sellers, with powers to add to their numberi; arid - Wi4i full powers to adopt.all such measures as shinild be re-. rptisito to terminate the depending prosecutions,iarj,t,‘,. , prevent any future occurrence. This was followed by another resolution, empowering them to rackirelouboo scriptions to enable them to proceed with vigour Ott energy in the great cause in which they were so neeiti-, sa:ily engaged. We understand that large autns were. immediately deposited in the hands of the CommitteeW l several persons advancing from VOI. to 301. each, and` one gentleman, in particular, the large sum of 150 , • guineas. t. From hints that were dropped in the course of • thirs• discussion,.we are led to conjecture, that the great boar ) of booksellers will immediately combine, and present a) petition to the two Houses of Parliament, to obta'w• some modification of the present patent. A professionte • gentleman, who spoke in behalf of Mr. Blanchard, of; / the City-road, stated, that• he had very great doubts as: • toils legality, and expressed his intention of examining. into that point, whenever his client should be. regularly: brought before the Court. By the Jansaka papers we learn, that in come• pence of the late hurricane the island had exhibited a scene of distress and desolat'on scarcely ever equalled. On the 27th of November a report was presented by Mr. Stewart, (of Trelawney,) from the Committee which had been appointed to inquire into the effects of the storm. In this the Committee reebmmend an address to be sent up to his Grace the Duke •of Manehester, stating, that with the exception of a small part of the county of Middlesex. the utmost misery prevailed in every quarter; and that through-. out the western parishes, the provisions of the slave population had been entirely destroyed. I► is, there. Pure, humbly requested that his Grace may be pleased' to open the ports to all nations, for the supply of such articles as mey be necessary, during a eertai.-. perted; and to al!ow of payineut being made fur the same, in produce or otherwise. as he shall think fit. We way presume, therefore, that the ports of• Jartn,iea have . been open'd by the local Govermnent to American. and other shipping_ The ArchdtkeMraimilian of Nutria was in the tlon.,e of Loris on Thursday, during the delivery of the Speech by the Lords Commissioners. His Imperial' Highness went afterwards to the House of Commons,. and sat in one of the side galleries. The Session' of Parliament was on Thursday fully opened with the Apeech from the Throne.—With the exception of the cOntinued indispositionor his Mitii.•sty, and the recent death of the Queen, the topics eon-. Seined in it were well calculated to gratify the feelings Of Parliament; fur they refer to the friendship of Foreign Powers, the improvement of our internal ro- • s o urces, the wisdom of our rulers, and the glory of our arms.—The debates consequent upon the Speech„ presented smite matter of interest. From that of the Lords, we learn, that the Bank is nut intended by ti Misters to resume cash pas meets uu the expiration, of the present Restriction Act in July next. A letter from Buenos Ayres, of the 18th of October,. says—" Capt. Sherrill; of the British frigate Andro mache, writes, that the Viceroy of Lima had agreed with him as to some arrangement. fir opening. that port to the English, but that the merchants had re- - sisted, and have agreed to pay 750,000 dollars quar— terly : this they cannst comply with. There are let ters from Lima, which speak in strong terms of- the, tottering power of the Spaniards. The Negroes say their friend San Martin will soon be with them.. Many of the rich o:d Spaniards were moving off, Letters from Jamaica announce the arrival there of" the Con fiance sloop of war, Captain Montgomery, and of the Ontario, of 18 guns, Captain Gostling, from England. The fears which had been entertained by the merchants, for want of a su ffi cient number of ships of war on that station, had been greatly removed by these arrivals. Wednesday was settling day at the Stock Exchange.: there was one defaulter, a broker lately admitted into the house, occasioned by two of his principals, well known on the Royal Exchange, leaving him to pay their differences to a considerable amount. The subject of the aesumptinn of cash payment. war . opened on Friday night in the Commons by Mr. Da.. vis, who had been required to nek, on the part of his, constituents, what reception Government had given to their representations against the resumption. It was • 'learned in reply, that the suspension of the moullie , ,eurreticy will, under any eircurnsunees, not be taken off—that is to say, we shall not he again tail it will be taken off till the March of 18:".00. But the Chancellor ref the Exchequer's preser.t view upon this subject will net be fully mark known till after Mr. Ticrncy's DSC.. - Aion apeu the state of public credit, as connected' With Bank payments, which at present stands for the - tic( February. fr 'The Lord-Chancellor and Lady Eldon intend- rt. Inoving from their present residence in Bodfort.l-arnre, t 0 0 0r t l h 1b- eir "W .s/ AWallit .7artar.3 ° n!"7 l- .i i1143 : 2 ht ":e tel f. riJeti j r"! 11 7.1a.: 11g : '4. IA 4311 q 7rlests a bag oniorr aysef .t;s63 1