Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-20 00:00:00

-7 -irr ET -7,-.Tairrsiordt.
NORTHERN DAILY-TIMES.-

SPIRIT LICENSES TO THEATRES.

On Wednesday afternoon a crowded and influential
meeting of licensed victuallers and others was held at the
Alhambra Palace, Leicester-square, to protest against
the recent power given to lessees of theatres to sell wine,
spirituous liquors, &c., in their houses.
Mr. E. T. Smith (lessee of Drury-lane Theatre)
occupied the chair, and remarked that he considered the
licensed victuallers, in moving in this matter, were
merely, diicharging an incumbent duty to themselves,
to their families, and to the trade as a body to
which' they belonged. He was certain the Govern-
ment had granted the power under a misapprehen-
sion, and had no doubt when they became aware
of the great loss that would accrue under the new
system to parties.who had invested large sums in their
houses, under the impression that no similar establish-
ment would be licensed in the neighbourhood, that the
obnoxious clause would be repealed. (Hear, hear.) He
was an interested party; but there could be no doubt
that theatres were intended to improve the mind, and
not to be turned into places of debauchery. Theatres
would, if properly managed, improve the minds of the
more youthful portion of society, btit it could not be
expected that the youth of the country would be allowed
to visit establishments where every description of tempta-
tion was thrown in their" way. Drinking •in theatres
promoted debauchery,. People would get intoxicated
between the acts, and not only annoy the audience by
their offensive manners, but by their language. He was
certainly opposed to the system, and would assist by
contribution and otherwise in endeaiouring to obtain
an alteration of the present system. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Forster, who congratulated the meeting upon the
presence of a gentleman like Mr. E. T. Smith, moved,
as a resolution—" That iii the opinion of this meeting
the recent change by which licenses have been allowed
to file lessees, while uncalled for by the 'public, is
highly impolitic and calculated to lower the dignity of
the drama:"
Mr. R. Williams seconded the motion, which, having
been supported by Mr. _ Harris and Mr. Griffin, was
carried unenimoUsly. •
Mr. R. Williams then proposed—" That this meeting
'regards with very great satisfaction the conduct of those
lessees of -theatres who, relying upon the genuine attrac-
tion of their entertainments, have, disregarding their own
pecuniary interests, declined to lend themselves to the
sale of -spirits, &c."
Mr.. -Adams seconded the resolution, which was also
carried unanimously: •
On 'the motion of Mr. Wisedell, seconded by Mr.
Thurston, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. T. T.
Smith 'for the use of the meeting-place, and also for
presiding.
Mr. Smith, in responding, promised every support in
his power, at the same time-making a liberal contribution.
Thanks were then voted to the piess,.and the proceed-
ingc, closed.

ANOTHER TRADE OUTRAGE IN
SHEFFIELD. •

A. little after ten o'clock on Tuesday night, another of
thoSe diabolical.trade outrages, for which Sheffield has
become so notorious, took place at the Russel Works,
Keiham Island, Sheffield, belonging to Messrs. Wheat-
man and Smith, saw, *c., manufacturers. Near to
the works there runs the river Don, which is covered
to a large extent. The uncovered portion •of the
river is near to a workshop, and discloses the end of
an outfall pipe, which runs under the floor of the work-
shop. A heavy charge of powder was placed in this
pipe on Tuesday night, and about a quarter past ten
4'clock it was fired. The 'explosion caused . a loud
report and severely shook the workshop under which the
pipe passes. - There were nine men at work in the
workshop at_the time of the explosion in addition to
Mr. Wheatman, one of the proprietors. The shock
was'-so severe that it forced up the floor of the
shop, and displaced several_ tools. Fortunately; the
pipe was not closed at the other end, or the conse-
quences must have been of a much more serious, and
in all probability fatal character. As it was, the men
were 'lifted from the ground and ! greatly alarmed,
but providentially received no personal injury.:. .The
.part of the river into which the pipe empties itself is
several feet in depth, so that the perpetrators of the out-
rage must have been put to some trouble before they
could have accomplished so diabolical an outrage. The
only reason that can be assigned for the dastardly at-
tempt is the fact that Messrs. Wheatman are now put-
ting down machines which will' render unnecessary:a
great deal of labour in the saw trade. They are the first
machines of the kind that_have been introduced in Shef-
field. On. Wednesday, Messrs. Wheatman issued
pla-
eards offering a reward ,of £lOO for information which'
;rill lead to the conviction of the guilty persons.

INAUGURATION OF THE CLIVE
MONUMENT.
SHREWSBURY, Wednesday.
A grand demonstration has taken place here to-Lay,
on the occasion of the inauguration of the statue erected
in the Market-square to the memory of the great Lord
Clive. The statue is of bronze, by Baron Marochetti,
about ten feet high, and Stands upon a massive pedestal
of Portland granite. The design of erecting this monu-
ment originated -at a Meeting held at Willis's-rooms,
London, two years ago, on the anniversary of the victory
of Plassy. The statue cost 2,000 guineas.
A grand procession took place to the foot of the statue,
a great many of the aristocracy of the district being in
attendance.

Earl Stanhope, on behalf of the subscribers, presented
the statue to the Mayor and Corporation of Shrewsbury,
and dwelt at some length upon the character of Lord
Clive, whose faults were overpowered by his virtues, and
whose .prowess firmly established bur Indian empire..
The Mayor (Mr. W. Burr) 'responded, and
The Town-Clerk read a written address expressing the
acknowledgments of the Corporation.
Cheers were given- for Queen, Lord Stanhope, and
the Mayor, when the company adjourned to partake of
a magnificent banquet at the Lion Hotel, to which they
were invited' by the Mayor. Lord -Hatherton, Earl
Stanhope, Earl Powis, Viscount Hill, Sir Charles Wood,
Mr. Slaneyr-M.P., and Mr. -Botfield,—M.P., were among
the company.

THE LATE EXTRAORDINARY TORNADO IN WILTSHIRE.
theshort accounts that have been published in the
-Times and other papers' of the tornado. that passed over
A pOrtion a the county of Wilts, in the.vicinity of Calne,
on the 30th ult., some facts seem to have been over-
looked at-Ake time,:nr .were not noticed Unlil.Ssiiiedays
after the event; From a subsequent examination of the
district over which the -huiricane passed, and. which
is even now cliarly -,.tiaceabld. along the whole
route by the destruction which it caosed, it appears
that the length of country traversed ,by it. was about
six miles, and the breadth 100 to 150 yards. It com-
menced on-the borders of Bowootl7pFk, the property
of the Marquis of LansdoWne, passing through the
Rookery-farm, Quemerford-mill, Blackland-park, the
Vale-farm, and the village of Cherhill, Yatesbury.
- Zred ;- the

Outside of these boundaries nothing. was irkitn _ in
been recorded in this country. The timber appears to
bliuktewoifthwinhiietht,howedebsterluiecvteio,nhwasas
never
remarkable,shlaigvhetbeenestd epgr
roteshete'rated as with one mighty wave of wind.
Some trees are completely blown out of the earth,
and lodged on the branches of others; one fine elm
was uprooted and reversed, the limbs being 'forced
into the -earth, and the trunk and roots raised
high in the air. The mighty rush of the wind,
and all the consequent destruction,, occupied not more
than five minutes ; some personS put'it down at two to
three minutes. During that short period the War of the
elements was so awful and overpowering, that persons
living in houses close to the margin of destruction heard
nothing of the crash of the trees around them. Amongst
Other irious effects of the storm, it may be Mentioned
that a heavy -four-wheeled waggon was taken up and
carried completely over -at high hedge, and straw and
wheat rickS were borne completely away, and. istributed
over the fields, never to be collected again. Some houses
were partially destroyed, but it- is a singular fact that
no human life was lost, although mane persons were