The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-22 00:00:00

1110114 W AtV.A AT LONDON ISIUI/01.

T.,. pm 3
To lluarow—liasim.43 Ws. pen 3. Aftraima. ta mu. p.m 4.

LONDON, FRIDAY, JUNE 22.

Tux proprietors of Drury-lane Theatre are titely
to become a signal and insfructive example of the
value of the old maxim—" never despair." Long
has darkness overhung their spangled dome. Long
have the echoes of Sc, nic song been mute. Silence has
for weary months reigned in the hall of tragic kings,
and dust has gathered thick and unsightly on the
magi^ floor which formerly the twinkling f, et were
set to touch with " point of silken shoon."
To all the world of melodrama and music,
harlequinade and histrionic art, offers were
made " to sell or let," but all unhappily in vain.
Foreign or domestic—bipeds or guadrupeds—" per
manently or for the season"—every winning way well
tried, but no bidder could be found ; none would
touch the cot cern : it was a case, if ever there was
one, for absolute despair.
But gentlemen in difficulties, and under the op-
pressive influence of unfavourable circumstances,
ought always to remember that when they have ex-
hausted all their chances of persuading the s'irewd and
practical and substantial classes of the community to
deal with them,there still remains& great alterntrive, or
rather a great series of alternatives in the opposite
class of mankind. It a good customer cannot be had
—sooner then have none, it is often lucky to be able
to find an indifferent one. If you cannot get highly
respectable or particularly sensible people fur tenants
—still it is pleasant to hear of a tender from cbarac-
ters:less thoroughly authenticated. Who knows ?
There is great comfort and a certain rudiment of hope
in that. They may be fools, or worse, for aught at
first sight appears. Still as they only propose to take
the concern "on trial." and as the adverti•ements will
at least keep it in public remembrance, and their crowds
and lights keep toe place air( d, we may aswell see what
will come of the tang, as r main for another three
months as we are. One can imagine the course of
doubtful induction whereby the proprietors of Drury-
lane Theatre argued th-mselves into agreeing for a
certain sum—which it would perhaps be indelicate to
name--to makes letting to—who does the reader
suppose ?
the Protectionist ;Society, it is said, have hired
Drury-lane! So the story goes. Vouch for it, or for
anything else which the untortunate gentlemen who
are named as securities for the rent of the edifice may
be persuaded to do, we of course have no rash inten-
tion. It may afrer all be a hoax, a wicked and
waggish one upon Mr. HUDSON and the Duke of
Mamma% to couple their names with the comical
enterprise. Bat all that as public journalists we can
do is, to give the rumour as a prevailing, and it will
be admitted a very amusing one ; accompanied by the
distinct assurance that we shall be ready and happy
to ins. rt any authorised contradiction from the par-
ties said to be concerned. Meantime the story is
this

Lord BROUGHAM, it is well known, has long been
weary of wasting his effervescent eloquence on the dull
immobility of the House of Lords. His attempt to
get into the Constituent Assembly of France last year
can hardly be forgotten. Since 1838, when in Exeter-
hall he made his last onslaught upon the " West
India interest," as he now calls the "dealers in
humen fl.sh" of that turgid time,—he has not had
what all great actors prize so mach,—a run. A popu-
lar audience is indispensable fir thst enjoyment ; at
least a crowd. When men's bodies get compressed
in a vast, hot, uncAnfortable mass, their minds get
sufficiently confused to receive that species of
rhetorical impressions of which Lord BROUGHAM is
one of the moat expert and inexhaustible manufac-
toren. Men in such a condition lose the power of
seeing with the same distinctness, and of distinguist.
leg the mod of real truth from that of clever
imitations of it. They are besides in the
most favourable condition to take infection from
those around them; and by carefully distributing
manaveable lunatics, and persons suffering under the
hay or cora fever amongst the crowd, it is supposed
that there will be an excellent opportunity foe