The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-09 00:00:00

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

A meeting of the City Lands Committee took place at
hall on Saturday, for the purpose, amongst other su`ijecte, tat.
log into consideration ihat of letting the ground in Smithfield t.•
the several applicants for situations on which to erect buildings for
the ezhlattion of pantomimes, in erludes, giants, dwarfs, toile
beasts, &c. Before the last Court of Common Council tt
place, many applications had been made, the report that error,.
were making to put down the fair altogether baying, we understatiO.
caused a great stir amongst the various managers. Apv
signed by forty licensed victuallers, resid Dt ID the imme,:i
neighbourhood of Smithfield, was presentedcummittce. It
stated that the petitioners had paid heavy ma for thete
houses. in consequence of the advantages derivable from the an-
nual fair; and that If the fair were removed, or any presently,
were offered to the uwal exhibitions, the property of those hells,.
would be so much in3ured as to cause the ruin of the petitioners.
In the Committee, we are informed, the representations made of
the manner in which the difrerent interests concerned in the letting
of the ground would be affected, made considerable impression.
The general feeling amongst the members. was, that the fair was a
very great nuisance, and that the theatrical booths ought to be sue.
pressed. that the encouragement given to thieves by the great feet.
lities afrorded in a large space, crowded with persons of all dtserip-
tione assembled together, priucipally by the facination of the shoes,
was a sufficient argument of itself against the practicce of letting
the ground to the owners of shows. It was also argued that thw
petition of the licensed vietnallers was in itself a proof that the
fair was the means of leading to other indulgences, besides the
innocent amusements of looking at all the wonderful things ethi_
bite(' in and upon the theatrical buildings; that the publicans de.
rived so large a profit from the sale of spirits and beer during the
four days, as to lead them to apprehend that the loss of these four
days devoted to the celebrating of the Saint, would not only injure,
but actually destroy them and their families. This latter argurneit
was looked upon by some tie conclusive ; but denied by others.
who insisted that the public.houses in the fair and its vicinity we a
always conducted with the greatest regularity upon the occasion :
that no scenes of riot took place in them, and that they were cleared
of all visiter, at the time prescribed for closing tiolaes of the king.
After considerable discussion it was resolved that the ground shout'.
be let as hitherto has been the case.

The LOUD MAYOR, We understand, objected as he had done its
the Court of Common Council, to the numerous exhib tions as t:nd-
ing to excesses in drinking and other kinds of debauchery. IL•
deprecated at the same time the idea of abridging the pleasure 0,
the lower orders, so far as their pleasures were Ent blended *Ph
the mischievous materials which were to be seen in such athan.latve
in Butholomt w Fair. The fulfilment' against the rornmil to lct
the ground were certainly, in his opinion. very suong. but u the
corporation bad pledged themselves to discuss the question mist
fully upon a future occasion. and as
it was a !,iti,iret which
found, from the:number of interests concern-4, rcfluirel deep atter. .
don, he approved of the intention of the Committee no: to deviate
from the usual plan upon the presen!oFeasion.
We believe that although the prohibition shor. fee. is not to
bme,etircifosrpeccedta,cte. faEiracwhillu'ocltasvtedilinuirt
ye:art nctlui
toff. roeirn t
angeeo rrte.asm tportooa
of the area, and this year we have reason to think will introducc
the pruning knife even more unceremoniously.
It is whispered that Mr. Wombwell will be denied the oppom.
pity of exhibiting poor Nero and NFallace, as his conduct has rt.
cited the utmost disgust In the Clip

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