The Sun. — London, England, 1802-09-28 00:00:00

N;alw ria THEArRE. Corvent-Garden. Cooxt last night assumed the difficult part of Hamlet, for the first time before a London Audience. We certainly cannot class his performance of this charafier with his happiest efforts. His figure is not indeed much calculated to represent " The glass of Fashion, and the mould of Form:" and therefore he had in a great degree to an against the imagination of the Audience, in attempt- Ins to personate the young and dignified 'hope of Denmark. Mr. COOKE'S performance was throughout firm, and in many parts judicious, but it was often too harsh, and wanted that elegance of demeanour which the mind is led to expefl. He was, how. ever, devoid of all traditional tricks, and ob viously played from the diredion of his own judg ment, In the moral and sententious pdssages he was most successful ; but his humour was nut light and easy enough fur those of the playful and humorous kind. The Soliloquies were in general given with judg ment, but in rather too declamatory a style, con sidering the feelings which are supposed to agitate Hamlet, and to mingle with all his philosophical meditations. Upon the whole, Mr. COOKE'S Hamlet is rather to be respefted for unaffected sense than for charac teristic grace. He was very well received by a numerous Audience, though he was not without some enemies among them. The part of Ophdia was performed by Miss REEVES, the daughter of the well-known Composer. As it Was her first appearance in public, she was naturally very faint and timid. But her manner was interesting,, and she spoke with apparent good 7 - sense. We were very sorry to find, that the old and interesting melodies which Ophelia has been hi therto used to sing in her mad scenes, were last night discarded. "Ihe new ones are by no means so pleasing 3 • and instead of singing with a w ild simplicity, Miss REEVES displayed too elaborate an art. In discarding the original melodies which have a charm about them, we cannot but feel that some irreverence has been committed against the 'enerable. Drama of our great Poer, and we trust that they will be restored. BlLu:rrales Iforivia deserves commendation for Chas t e and judicious regard to charafter. The Farce was The Turnpike Gate, in which Miss REEVES again made her appearance in the part of Mary. There was feeling in her afting, and taste in her singing. Her voice is pleasing though not strong. She seems to have a very good ear. We would recommend, however, a little more simpli. City in her vocal exertions. .Irtctizoorr's fine man. Iy tones appeared to great advantage in this Farce. As all communications relative to Dewy-Lane Theatre are to be made to the Board of Manage ment and left with the Door-keeper, we have no doubt that care will be taken to appoint a person to that situation, who will be disposed to treat quith civility whoever may have communications to make. Mr. BARRETT, it is said, will ascend with his balloon in a few days from Swansea in Glamorgan. shire, when he intends to cross the Bristol Channel. It is also said, that he has planned some. curious machinery to enable hhu to vary considerably from the direft current of the wind - , which is is.supposed Will partially answer the purpose of steering the Zs'loon. 'Whatever advantages our Free Constitution may afford us, it is certain that in England there is now no Personal security. In one way or other a man is like. IYtobetome the vidim of depredations, against which the Laws have not provided any adequate remedy. If not stolen away by some miscreant while an in_ fant and alive, he is sure to become the prey of the •Resurreeii on men when dead. We hear -it is in the contemplation of Govern. whehParliament meets, to adopt some ejeaua/ wea ns of putting an end ,to the scandalous and graceful system of plundering travellers, which has; of late, been pradised by the Innkeepers on all the great roads in England, but most particularly by those on the Dover Road. A measure rendered in. dispensable, from a regard to NATIONAL CHARAC. ?ER as well as the property of individuals. We hope the regulations which are about to be adopted in Smithfield Market, will extend to the price of butchers meat. The part of English History, which Mr. Fox is preparing for the world, and for which .he professes that be visits France to collet materials, has been so fully elucidated, by Lord CLARENDON, and sub- . Sequent writers, that inspiration can hardly throw a new light upon it." If; however, Mr: Fox wishes, upon the credit of his name, to get a good 7 °lind sum from the Booksellers, we should besorry to spoil his market. Mr. Fox's Bust, exhibited in the Palace of the ,Thuill er i es , i s sa id to he admirably executed : But had he been in Paris during the tumult of the Re. volution, t h e A rt i sts then most in vogue might Perhaps hit off the head in a stile of more con_ summate exccution. ,The cikc umstance w hi c h l ate l y occurred ' at Bir rn'"gilam, of Mr. L INDLEY ' S b oo k taking fire w , he was playing a Concerto on the Violontel_ s o, prove s the Composition to have been of a very "fiammab/e nature. A,Gentleman having gone, a few days since, to a public building in Chester, to see the embellish ments which are making there, the master painter took an opportunity of whispering his man to kick tht stranger' as he gent oat. The painter accord \ ingly followed the Gentleman down stairs ; but, in stead of asking for something to drink (which the cant word kick implies), he literally took his mas ter's advice, and direding his foot most vehement 1Y against the posteriors of the unsuspeaing visi tam; thrust bim into the street head foremost ! Sunday evening there were no less than twenty six f unerals at St. Ann's, Soho. What is called the bowel complaint has lately proved fatal in and about the Metropolis. MARGATE, Sett. 26. THE public anmsements of this place during the last week have been much the same as usual. Tan_ dems, gigs, curricles, coaches, chaises, chatiots, sulkies, sociables, and horses of every kind and co lour, have been abundant. Riders, from the adren turous ruler of the bit of blood, to him who conde scends to grace a one.eyed carter, are to be found' in plenty. The weather has been so-fine that Mar gate has exhibited the whole world in miniature. On Monday There was a Ball at KtnDMAN'S, but thinly attended. On Tuesday there was a Public Breakfast at the Prospea Bowling-green. The place was crowded with almost every pattern of rank and calling. The Theatre was that night patronized by the Right Hon. Miss FITZROY. The Play was Laogh when _pm Can, for the Benefit of Miss FITZGE RALD. We are sorry the title of her Comedy was not an omen of her success. Ramsgate indeed rob bed us that evening of most of our rashionables.— The occasion was the Benefit of Mr. LE BAS, the Master of the Ceremonies, who had nearly 400 persons, all of our first people. On Wednesday there was a Public Breakfast at Dandelion ; but in consequence of the preceding Ball, it was very in differently attended. The Way to get Married was represented at the Theatre for the Benefit of Mrs.• LEE, hut we re gretted so few seemed inclined to attend for the purpose of learning that happy art. On Thursday all the world and his wife attended the Grand Season Ball at KIDDNIAN'S. Friday evening, the Right Hon. Lady BESBO ROUGH patronized Mrs. INCH BALD'S Benefit. The Play was Such Things Are, written by the well_ known Mrs. INCHBALD, mother-in-law of our Adress's late husband. There was a very elegant 'Audience at the Theatre, which was graced by the Durchess of DEVONSHIRE. A Public Brekfast at Dandelion took place on Saturday morning. The East Kent Band was en. gaged for the occasion ; admittance. two shillings, About four hundred persons were present. MUNDEN in the evening played Peter Post Obit. He sung two Songs,. and obtained great applause. HILL and Mrs. ATKINS also performed here the same nigl-t Belville and Rosina.• The Boxes were crowded, and the rest of the House well attended. These entertainments were for the Benefit of Miss CLAKKE.` . The Dutchess of DEVONSHIRE is to give a Pub_ 1k Breakfast at the Prospeft Bowling-green, if the weather permit.—Of course it will be a• splendid repast. EPITA PH, In the Cathedral Churchyard of Winchester, on a Grenadier of the Hampshire Militia. Y TOM WHARTON, LATE POET LAUREAT. Here lies an Hampshire Grenadier, Who caught his death by drinking cold - small beer; Soldiers! beware, by his untimely fall, When hot, drink strong, or none at all. Last night, about eleven o'clock, a fire broke out at the new Assembly-Rooms building behind Russell-square, and near Somers-town. Orders had lately been given that the men should work by candlelight, to finish the rooms soon, as it was in tended to open them at Christmas. They tbrm a noble pile of buildings. It is supposed the workmen left some candle-snuffings behind them, and that this set fire to the premises, as the cause cannot be exactly ascertained. It was past twelve before water was procured ; and by this time the whole pile of building was consumed, the roof having fallen in. Before one, the flames were got much under, and were expiring. At no tittle was there danger of the fire communicating to other premises; but of the Assem)ty-R9otns, the walls only are left standing. No lives were lost, nor did any other accident happen. The flames were so extensive, they illuminated all the streets, even about Covent-garden, and attrade&great crowds to the spot. Sunday se'nnight, in the evening, between the hours of seven and nine, ten different persons were robbed on the road between Winslow and Ayles bury, by a highwayman, well mounted. He was pursued from Aylesbury, but got clear off. Gutt.oHALL.— , -SeVeral assaults came before Al derman CuaTts, the Sitting Alderman yesterday, one of which the Constable called charge for (barge. The first was given by a decent looking woman against a soldier, who, she said, had push el violently against her in Fleet-market, and upon her speaking to him, he again jostled against her, and while swearing violently at her, this Constable came out of a gin-shop, persuaded her to give charge of him, which she had no sooner done than he per_ suaded the soldier to give charge of her. This being done, he, with the assistance of another Con stable dragged her to the Compter in a biutal man ner' bruising her in many places, which she shewed the Magistrate. This was corroborated by a female friend who was ,in company with her, who said that Lee, the Constable, knew them both very well to be respectable Women, but although she offered to for give the Soldier several times, yet he insisted upon takine , them both to the Compter. The Soldier, in his defence, confessed that he had been pushed twice against this Gentlewoman by ac cident, and that she would have forgiven him, 'but the Constable would not let her, and at the same time the Constable whispered him to charge her, and he would get him clear. All this the Alderman heard with patience, and asked the Constable what he could say in defence of such conduct. He said he was a street-keeper in Holborn, ,and - paid by a subscription of Gentlemen ; but neitlier he nor the other Constable could clear themselves for such con_ duff. The evidence being taken down, the worthy Alderman said he was always happy to protect an officer in doing his duty, hut he would equally punish any Constable who should go beyond his duty. He should order the City Solicitor to prosecute the Constable Lee at the City's expence; and dis charged the Soldier to give evidence against him. The other Constable begged pardon, saying he aced under Lee,"not knowing what the charge was. Lee was ordered to find bail. - LAND-TAX REDEMPTION. , A STATEMENT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS, FOR REGULATING, DIRECTING, APPROVING, AND CONFIRMING ALL SALES, AND CoNTRA.Crs FOR SALE, MADE BY BODIES POLITIC OR CORPO RATE, OR COMPANIES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDEEMING THEIR LAND.TA.X. To the Right Honourable the Loris Spi.itual end Temporal of the United King-dam of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled. " THE Lords Commissioners for regulating, di reCting, approving, and confirming all Sales, and Contracts for Sale, made by Bodies Politic or Cor porate, or Companies, for the purpose of redeeming their Land Tax," have received His Majesty's direabns, to lay before the House of Lords a State meno of their Proceedings, distinguishing the number and value of the Sales, and Contrafts for Sale, approved by the said Commissioners ; the amount of Land Tax redeemed, or to be re deemed, by virtue of such Sales, and Contrafts for Sale ; the quantity of Stock purchased by the produce of such Sales ; the gain to the Public resulting from the Proceedings under the said Com mission ; the expence incurred, and the estimated value of the entire property of which the tenure has been, or will be changed, by the effect of such Sales, or Contrafts for Sale. And the said Commissioners report accordingly : a. By an A6l passed the zest of March, 179'9, " to amend and render more effedual the preceding : Ads for the Redemption and Purchase of the Land- Tax," it was made lawful for His Majesty to ap point seven persons of His Majesty's most Honour able Privy Council to be Commissioners for regu lating, directing, approving, and confirming all Sales, and Contraas for Sale, made by Bodies Po lieic or Corporate, or Companies, for the purposes of redeeming any Land Tax charged on any of the manors, messuages, lands, tenements, or heredita ments belonging to such Bodies Politic or Corporate, or Companies. And His Majesty by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the 26th of March, 1799, nominated and appointed the Right Hon. Wm. Lord Auckland, the Right Hon. Henry .Addington (then Speaker of the House of Corn_ mom), the Right Hon. Wm. Pitt, the Right Hon. the Master of the Rolls (now Lord Alvanley), the Right Hon. Sir Wm. Wynne, Knight, the Right Hon. the Lord Chief Baron, and the Right Hon. Sylvester Douglas (now Lord Gienbervie), for the purposes of the said recited Mt; and with authori ty to any two or more of the said Commissioners to do any aCt, matter, 'or thing, which by the said Commission the said Commissioners are authorized to do : and various legislative provisions have since been made to facilitate and extend the operation and effeCt of the said Commission. 2. The Lords Commissioners, on the z9th of March, 1799, severally took the oath prescribed by the At of Parliament, .end afterwards entered upon the execution of their office. Their meetings have been continued from time to tima by of more or less frequency, according to the nature and importance of the business to be transacted ; and !he Commissioners have acted with the advice of Counsel, in such cases as have been thought to require professional assistance. In adjusting and approving the terms and condi tionsof Sale, it has been anxiously and invariably the cojee_"l. - of the Lords Commissioners, to establish and oaintain certain uniform principles,- calculated to prevent any improvident Sales ; and beneficial, as well as safe, to the property of the Church, and .of otter Corporate Badies, as far as might be corn patil* with the nature of the property to be dis posed of, and with the different tenures to which that iroperty might be subjett. Pursuing these principies, the Board have found it necessary to discuss many questions of intricacy , and detail, with respett both to legal constructions, and to modes of valuation. Their Minutes and Decisions have been conse quently very voluminous, and have been accurately and carefully entered and preserved. Tie. Lords Commissioners" take this occasion to acknowledge the ready and efficient assistance and attention which they have experienced from time to time limn His Majesty's Law Officers, from the DireCtors of the Bank, the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, and from the Offi cers of the Bank of England. The current business of the Commissioners, as will appear in the two following SeCtions of this Report, is gradually diminishing ; still, however, it is considerable and important. 3. The number of Sales, and Contrafts for Sale, approved by the Commissioners, has been, Sales. From the zyth March 1799 to the 28th March 1800 - - - - 895 From the 29th March 1800 to the 28th March 1801 - - - 433 From the 2gth March t Sot to the gth June 1802 277 t 6os 4. The value of the Sales, and Contra&s for Sale, vas, In the first of the above periods 134678 In the ►econd _ 227,420 In the third 161,736 £ 753)834 And the said sum of 753,8341. was obtained in the folbwing proportions, from Sales made by the differett descriptions of Ecclesiastical and other Corpotste Bodies : 1. s. d. Archbishop of Canterbury, and six teen of the Bishops - - 189,493 16 3 Deans and, Chapters - -286,98 z 12 4 Reaot and Vicars - - 10°,187 340 CoDews and Prebends - 85,228 1 I 3 Lay (orporations 91,942 I I I 753, 8 34 1 4 9 5. The mount. of Land Tax redeemed, or to he redeemed, by virtue of such Sales, and Contrads for Sale, cannot yet be stated with precision, as, in several instances, the money arising from Sales ap.. proved and confi:med by the Lards Commissioners, has not yet been paid into the Bank ; besides which, the property sold by the Corporate Bodies, being required' y law to be sold free and discharg. ed from Land Tax, the Land Tax - has, in very many cases, by agreement between the Parties, been freed by the Lessee or Purchaser at his ex pence. It is therefore difficult to ascertain what amount of Land Tax may !lave been redeemed by this part of the operation. On the whole, how.. ever, the amount of Lind Tax redeemed by virtue of the aforesaid Sales, and Contracts for Sale, may be estimated at 35,c001. per Annum. 6. The quantity , of Stock 1;1d-chased by the Bank from the produce of such Sides is 1,013,006. ex elusive of the sums not paid into the Bank, and also of sums not yet ()rough: to account, amounting together, by estimate, to 200,0001. Stock. 7. The gain us , .d.,ing to the Public Cram the proceedings unier the Commi,sion, consists most immediately in the I-eleventh required by tine. Alts to be paid to the Public, beyond the value of the Land Tax redeemed, and such gain cannot be stated at less than '16,0001. Stock ; and this is exclusive of the Land Tax redeemed by the Lessees and Purchasers of many considerable parcels of the property sold to them. A further gain resulting to the Public from the Proceedings under the Com mission, is to be found in the general operation of the Redemption of the Land Tax, particularly by creating a daily demand of a certain proportion of Stock, which can never be brought back into the market. The effea of that circumstance is evidently here_ ficial, and public credit has been materially assisted by thus withdrawing from the market nearly Twen ty Milliona of Stock, in little more than three years, for the redemption of the Land Tax. There are also other descriptions of gain to the Public which are not inconsiderable when colicaive •ly taken : by the accumulation of the i-eleventh beyond the amoant of the Land Tax sold ; by the saving of the allowances to the Receivers General.; by the stamps on renewal of leases and on convey ances of settled leasehold estates : and, in a more direCl point of view, the Sales made by the Pro ceedings under the Commission, may be considered as beneficial to the Public, by giving local accom modations to the Purchasers, by multiplying the means of improvement, and by increasing the reve nues of the Corporate Bodies, in some instances, very considerably. 8. The expellee incurred has been restriEled within the narrowest limits to the salaries of a Chief Secretary, Assistant, and Clerks, the fees of Counsel, the rent of the Office, and certain small incidents ; the whole amounting on the average of three years to about 15501. per annum. 9. The value of the entire property, of which the tenure has been changed by the effea of the Sales and Contrads for Sale, has been compared tb be not less than three times the amount of the whole sum received. Assuming this computation to be well founded, the amount sold or contracted for bciug 753,634 1 the value in fee of .the whole pro perty transferred from Corporate Bodies will be 2,261,5021. The Prices approved in Sales, and Contraas for Sale, have varied from six to nine years purchase for the reversion in fee of lands and tythes under leases for three lives ; from eight to fourteen► years purchase for the reversion in fee of leases for twenty-one years ; five years purchase has been taken for houses let for thirty years ; and three years for the reversion in fee of leases for forty years.. Reserved rents and property not let on beneficial leases have been sold for twenty-five to thirty years purchase. so. There cannot be a doubt, that these Sales are convenient to Purchasers, advantageous to the Sellers and their Successors, and highly beneficial to the Public in general,. and therefore the Lords Commissioners would gladly have added to this Report some estimate of the proportion of land-tax payable, and not yet redeemed by the Bodies Cor. pora te. It is, however, difficult to arrive at any certainty' in this part of the inquiry. It is probable that the , proportion of Land Tax redeemed by the Corporate Bodies and their Lessees may exceed the proportion as yet redeemed by other descriptions of property chargeable with Lind ; still, however, it !nay be estimated that more than two thirds remain unredeemed. • ii . The general results may be stated to he, That the taunber of Saks approved is 16-4: - That the a.nount in money. of f such Sales ;o ap- proved is 753,834.1. sterling. That the valtie in fee simple of the property sold is above 2,0b0,0001. sterling : That tire stock purchased for the redemption of Land Tax, under the proceedings of the Commis- Sioners, is about 1, zoo,ooo : That the whole e-xpence to the Public has been 54001. : I'hat the gain to the Public, by the operation, has not been less than r. to,oool. stock, exclusive of the other benefits explained and detailed in this _ . . By order of the Lords Commissioners, 10th June, zBoz. W. YOUNG, Sec. On Monday was married THOMAS LANGSTO%, Esq. of Watling-street; to Miss EMMA SAGE, daughter of EDWARD SAGE, Esq. of Wivenhoe, Essex. On Friday evening last as a woman was stand ing with her child at a door in Bishopsgatt street, she wis accosted by a well-dressed female, who praised the beauty of the child exceedingly, requested the mother to bring her a pint of beer, and offered to hold the infant till she came back. The mother pleased with all this flattery, readily complied, and on her return could find neither the child nor the woman. A hue and cry was imme diateiy raised, and the. offender overtaken in Kings_ land Road, with the infant in her arms. On being taken into custody, she said she was only taking th babe, in order to shew the beautiful creature to a, lady who was veil fond o: children.