The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-04-16 00:00:00

DRURY-LANG THEATRE.

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLEN r MAJEiIY IN

I.ioUNCI L.

The HUMBLE PETITION of the Proprietors of the
late Theatre Koyal, Drury lanr, in behalf of thein•
selres, and others, gkatly interest. io the re-estab-
bshosent of the property, and the re-building of the
snot Theatre ; •

gIiEWETH,
That the late Theatre Royal was erected is the year rigt,
by means of Sebacriptioil Shares, amounting to the earn of
irae hinvlred and fifty thiauxind pomade, *se moiety of which
wa• applicable to the extinction of the existing hicuothraacef
ern the old Theatre, and the other, to the re building of

she Theatre.
That the application of the whole was placed in the hands
of Treaters, Namely, Sir Richard Ford, Theron Hans-
awrsly, sad Alliony Willis, Emirs. after proper deed@ of trust
leen prepared and exrceted, ender the direction and
with rite of Sir Arthur Fi;gutt, Jobe Maddock', and
Borisitili Esc..
Tint the estimate of the expense ttf re-boilding t►e The-
eire was stated by Mr. Holland, the Architect employed, at
,ritoy thousand pounds; to vbich estimate he 'ivied hie
same, at the head of the deed, which contained the sips•
tures of t►e Subscribers.
That, *Meg to carious and entorseee cireonsetweets, the
difficulty of forming a just estimate of the extent of the ell.
pease of so novel an undertaking, as the building of a This-
etre, arias scale of aniwered-rated Nagai, nate and grantirar,
sod toile itwspeririter of Vr. Holland, in the acesinipliah.
mut of sorb ea object, but wit hoot attributing the slightest
usfa.r oaduct to h,oi, the allotted Mm of eighty thousand

•r) awl' was espenth .1, and the Theatre opened in the twee-
nor of the year t7oe, is • very incomplete state, with the
intended so rounding buildings, comprised in the plan and
manor, lot evea henna, soil a debt, 'mending ode lusaelied
and sissy ihoassod pommels, left oaprovided for.
Thar, reader these ciresaistancea, the Proprietoes took the
liqaidatiou of this &hi upon themselves, altiwagh so pet-
unial respossibility could attach to them.
Viet real difficulties and embarrasainerita, however, ea-
lowed their endeavour.' to cu.** the Theatre to bear this
1.1, auil, is lb* year 11101, a fair, amicable, sad most satin
fatal y settle:rural was snide, Glider the tomeakto airectina
Bed authority of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Eldon, without
for esertioa of whose penetrating mind, salutary sugges-
tions, and the woodier attentive winch his Lordship roude•
menet to bestow on the subject, the Thcatro properly,
with the demand, of all its ereiliton, must have been irre-
trievably lost said eralogisined.
That the Rates and Revelation* needdished, is coura-
ge/sea, became an order of the Court of Chaacery in the
same year, the Proprietors making over, for the Imnelit of
the Creditors, all Interest rad profits in the roneern, reserv-
ist only air annual allowaiste, at the rate of son ISUiNINIS far
each quarter share, allotted to them by the lord Chancellor.
That fora that lime the MOOS perfect regularity prevailed
is the rwjectilt,aremmEng to that order, and the Lord Chan.-
tenor'. arvanemens lewd intestine were rar.rtly attend. it to
sad &hilted; the consequence was, although the strictest
raccoar) 'senora), did and prevail is the managesseot. a
gradual II relirtion of the debt caning in the year loot; and
a ressenable hope of eltimately satisfying every just deseaad
ars the property. •
That the property, thee circumstanced, with the means of
Awing* thee& ht rarygeesemety inorsesiag, lbw whale was
destroyed by Ass nimbly of Arc, is the morals of Feinstein,
ten.
That the whole.( the property, owing to the suorbitaut
torso demaisetrd by the llsrairayee Ogees, hod been
he-
wed to the tempest soli of thirty-Ave thousand poesda
That since that misfortune, affecting even the livelihood
of SU large a easaunity, the attention of the Proprietors
was directed priscipally to the keeping together the Drury-
hue canny, relinquishing every part of the allowance
allotted to theserclres, while proper aseranires were proceed-
ed so fur the establishment of the former Theatre and pro-
perty ; end this endeavour, under the candid protection of
the Lord Chamberlain, ha. happily succeeded; on that the
Commay, and the various persons employed a the under-
taking, cam *eagerly be said to have beer at all milerras is
the ca:antity of the Are And the peblie as entainly has
ma been deprived of the secommodatios of two Theatres fur
tb temporary resort of the summit', of the drama.
That, while thus circumstanced, and while the Proprietor,
nee succeasfully proceeding in the necessary preliminary
romans to the re-building of the Theatre, sad of making a
jest and krieriorthte settlement with all the different classes
of claimants on lain destroyed properly, year Petitioners
heard with astonishment, and, indeed, fur some time with in.
rethslity, that • plan was in agitatioa fur *Wog selvautsge
rail", sinte of misfortune in which the Drary-Jane interests
sere involved, to establish a third Theatre, sad thereby an.
Incept the means, and destroy the possibility of rebuilding
Ile Theatre of Dritry•luse ; sad in which a priority. much
nreeding the sum of three buudred thousand pounds, bad
been embarked.
That your p..t Wooers upon the whole submit, that the plea
smell by the Petitioners for the new project," That the in.
ro rye of tlu:sixe and pepsin,'.... of the metropolis requires
thud Theatre," is sot proved.
Bat awn. Petitioners further maned, that If a third *Ali-
bi otalibstool Theatre should indeed be deemed necessary,
urol r.e:ie.l fur by the public, the Proprietor, of Drury-lane
1 lento. line • third 'receive! Patent, which has been pin,
(114,;11 at • considerable pence by the Trustees of the
Theatre, sad ai Lich they are willing should be applied to
Ile stimogneut of the nose object, instead of alluvriag new
SPSSIIisIUSS to iiiteifere with their just rights.
1 bat your Petitioners lay ate means purpose to coatend,
that it might not he better for the genial interests of the
irLSS, sad the purposes for which it has so lul.. been row-
tiered as a tt o!sject of legislative protection, that the co-
met moitopoly :Imola he wholly destroyed. Your Peti-
',N.... conviction, tbut the inesnediste destruction of the
inicet and utility of the stage would be the consequence,
til'ninety pass by ; but your. Petitions., humbly insist, that
tlt ma instance, since the reign of Charles the Second,
a patent rights, however doubtful, iu the purpose and
a of theirgnuit and origin, have ben reclaimed from
reitors QV purchaser'', without due compensation
those who have relied vu the security, or embarked
sus apes the faith of such monopoly.
such by been she acknowledge', construction and
ale of the patent right of the established Theatres,
. the whole course of the reign of our present most (ire-
Sovereign, your Petitioners assert, sad are reade to
toys your most' Honourable Committee of Pricy
Poo all these accounts,
maybe
Petitioners bare only
request, that y may be allowed to be heard, by
or counsel, in respect to the whole attic ease, and
'hard to the npenur title which your Petitioners
;lan
Pert of the Properaton, Reiner% and Creditors of
Hrarj•lime Theatre, to the protection of a charter
'poration, shach has always been is the eirose.ripla-
le.litioriera, ay the only practicable is. d: rt.
clue Inientre, and mak jog • Jest and hnw.urable ar-
t w.tb the num.:iota aid respectable prisons has.
ens preopr.rity.
'Purim., Petition, entering more at large into the
of the Patent right, asset vetl ably dream, we* reel

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