The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-02 00:00:00

DRURY-LAVE TeIEATRE.

If there were one circumstance indicating more than
anothrr the decline of a theatrical taste among us, it might
he found in the very thin house last night assembled to
witness the performance of Sheridan's Srhovl fur Scandal,
at this theatre. However, truth to say, the fault was not
entirely with the audience; the actors also bore a share in
the blame, and doubtless contributed their modicum to-
wards "causing this defect." for, with the exception of
one or two characters, the play was miserably performed,
and had performances will induce bad houses.
If Mr. Wallack has discovered his own capabilities for
the due representation of Charles, he has considerably the
advantage of us in perspicacity, and, as it would se:m, is
more cleat-sighted that way than the bulk of the spec-
tators who last night attended the theatre. The game
remark will apply to Mr. Archer, in the sentimental
Joseph. They were indeed
" Par mobile frstrum,"
anti every way worthy of one another. Mr. Browne plan'
Sir Benjamin Backbite, and looked the very pink• of
fashion, seeing he was dressed in tele colour from top to
toe, (queue, coat, hose, and inexpressibles, inclusive), and
seemed for all the world as if be had been immerstal in a
vat of red lead, or like one of Karon's's light horse just
escaped front the Red Sea. Williams's Sir Oliver Surfirce
verified the title: it was indeed superficial and wanted all
the depth and energy which Terry and Dowton were wont
to infuse into the character. It is painful to observe that
excellent and once most pleasing actor, Knight, still suffer-
ing under the effects of indisposition, and to Lear those
tones of voice formerly irresistably quaint and comical, now
deteriorated and nearly destroyedfrom the same cause.
To turn to the more agreeable shades in the picture,
Dowton's Sir Peter was, as it always is, excellent in its
way. So good indeed, as almost to cause us to cease te!yet-
tiug he no longer plays Sir Oliver, although the latter has
faHen into the hands cf a successor every way so inade-
quate as Mr. Williams. With abundant spirit and anima-
tion, fend more intellectuality titan is usually bestowed
upon the part, Miss Kelly'e-Lady Teazle is not altogether
what we could desire. The actress does not look the cha-
racter well, and even she has failed to convince us that the
piquante wife of Sir Peter is best when converted into a
hoyden. Miss Kelly has too much of nature in her com-
position to admit of her becoming a fine lady, anti we are
not sorry for it. Her's and lter's alone are the forward
chambermaid, the sublimely pathetic of melo-dra me, and the
artless country girl—domains wide enough, one would think,
to satisfy an ambition more than ordinarily great. Her
performance of tad!' Teazle had, as we have said, a
multitude of good points, and the actress did not fail to do
many things which no other female but herself now on the
stage can effect. But, on the whole, it was inferior to
what we have before seen and what Miss Kelly owes to her
own reputation. It was not sufficiently lady-like, and, at
the best, was only a kind of High Lye below Stairs. Mrs.
Davison's Mrs. Candour was all we could wish.

FASIIION4BLA INTELLMCNCE.

Lord and lady F. L. Gower arrived yesterday at their Some b
Albemarle-street, from a tour. _

Lord 31olynenz arrived is town yesterday, from Croxteth

Sir %1 rn. Scott, Ran. arrived yesterday at the Royal Ilotel, St.
inme‘'s.s:reer, from his seat in Scotland.

ii'ill Egerton, Esq. M.P. arrived yesterday at his house
in St. James's-square, from his seat, Tattoo Park, Cheshire.
The Earl and Countess of Jersey have arrived at their seat,
:Middleton Park, Oxfordshire, from a tour.

Don Manuel Saucier haa arrived at Warren's Hotel, Regent.
street.

Sir John and Lady Marchbanke have left Cook's Hotel, Albe-
marle-street, for Paris,
Sir William Abdy, Hart. has left town on a tour.
Earl Vernlam has arrived at his seat, Gorhambury, Hats, from
a tour.

Departures from Long's Hotel. Bond...street t--Captain Lindsay.
for Chchenhatn ; J. Owen, Esq. for Bath ; and J. Garth, Esq. on
a tour.

- - Arrival. at Fenton's new Hotel. St. James'a.street :—Sir Wm.
Parker, Hart. from his sent in Suffolk; Major Graham. 10th
Dragoons, from a tour; James %Vest, Esq. from Warwickshire;
and Captain Wollaston, 11. N. from Suffolk.

A Cabinet Council was held at two o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon, at the Foreign-office, Downing-street, which was
attended by the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Wellington,
the Earls of Liverpool and ilarrowhy, Mr. Secretary Peel,
Mr. Secretary Canning, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Wynn, Lord Baxley, &c. The Ca-
binet broke up about four o'clock. Afterwards the Eatl of
Liverpool transacted business with the: Chancellor of the
Exchequer. _ _

_
Miss Wilson, the singer, who created a powerful sensa-
tion at Drury-lane Theatre a few years hack, and who has
since been exercising her talents at Florence, in die great
theatre, at Milan, and at the St. Carlo, at Naples, as Prima
Donna, is recently returned to England, accompanied by
Mr. Welsh, her original master; and, we understand, is
in treaty with the Committee of Alanagement at Old
Drury.
THE ITALIAN OPERA.—The negotiation between Mr.
Ebers and Madame Catalani to sing lathe King's Theatre
is still in progress. Pasta enters upon her engagement
early in the new year. Madame tle Ilegnis will remain in
Italy during the winter ; this lady's health is reported to
be already improved, and her voice in part restored. Ma-
dame Fender is returned to her native country. This (I.:-
lightful warbler is engaged at the Salle Favart, in Pat is,
which has been newly decorated, for the performance of
Italian Operas. Madame Fealer is to receive three hun-
dred thousand francs for five years. a prodigious sum for a
singer on the Continent. Donzelli is engaged as tr;ino
tenure at the Favart. Barhaia, the purveyor-general for
most of the Italian Operas, both in Italy and in Germany,
has engaged Lablache for five years. to sing alternately at
Naples, Milan, Verona, Vienna, St. Petersburgh, and ner-
haps at Venice. The highly-esteemed David has likeivise
been engaged by Barba's, and is at present singing at the
Theatre St. Carlos at Naples. Charles and Madame Ves-
Iris are now datzeing at Naples, where Albert, from Paris,
is engaged for a limited period.
Signor Ambrogio Minoja, director of the musical con-
servatory at Milan, died a short time ago in that city.
Minoja, who studied composition under the celebrated Sala,
at Naples, produced several operas, which were performed
successfully at Rome and Milan. He alsocotnposcd several
pieces of church and chamber music ; among the latter
are four quartets, known by the title of I Dirertimenti
dellq Campagna. In the year 1796, Minoja obtained a
gold medal, worth one hundred ducats, which Bonaparte
awarded as a prize for the best Funeral Symphony to the
memory of General Hoche. When Napoleon was crowned
King of Italy, Minoja composed fur the occasion a Veni
Creator and a 7e Ileum, which were executed by two
hundred and fifty performers in the Cathedral of Milan.
A cantata, of :his compcsition, was also pt rformcd at La
Scala, at the time of the marriage of the Vie:sroy of Italy.
Minoja was the author of several letters on singing, which
were printed at Milan in It IQ.—Parthenon.

Tux (Milton DON.—This title or epithet is given,
in Ireland, to a gentleman of moderate fortune, in the
county of Roscommon. It occurs frequently in the de-
bans of the Catholic Association. The real name of the
gentleman is Owen O'Conor—but he is denominated Den,
which signifies a Prince: and the simple translation of
" The O'Conor Don," is " The Prince O'Conor." It is
supposed that lie is descended from a family who, shout
the period of 317, or some such early time, Fettled in Ire-
land, slid enjoyed the principality of Connaught. The
title is one of mere courtesy, which his neighbauis confer
upon him.
A correspondent desires us to correct an error in the
name of the late Mr. Chinnery, whose decease we noticed
on Wednesday. Instead of George Rose Chinnery, it
should have been George Robert, he having been so chris-
tened after his god-fathers, the Right Honourable George
Rose ar:d Sir Robert Preston, Bart. Mr. Chinnery died
after an illness of three days, at Madrid, where he had
been residing for the last two years as Chief Ccromis.sioner
for liquidating the debts between this country and Spain.
WESTERN LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION.
—A detailed account of the late proceedings at this Insti-
tution, and some interesting observations on such Esta-
blishments, are given in the 78th Number of The News
Literature and Fashi2n, which is published to-morrow at
No. 7, Brydges-street, Covent-garden, and may be ordered
of all Booksellers and Newsmen.

" GIIAMMATICAI. SENSIBILITIES" OP Tia
MORNING HERALD.

The character of Mr. O'CoNxrtt for diteretien arid
sound judgment, as a party leader, does certainly not stabil
very likh ; but. as an eloquent s?ettker, he cosk,,,,
to praise which we never yet hearth disputed. The dfor:.
img Herald, however, for tl•i• better inqrtielion of
public orators as to the lwaid,',A $11:le,
preound achulargiip upon the Irish Orator•
of vesterday we have the following learned eri:iaue:___

4.‘ In alluding to an electioneering spereult of Wilk,e.
a candidate for Sudbury, who made rather fre.! with tLp
infallibility of Ow Pope, Mr. O'Connell said, at :ht latt
tneetiAg of the Asscciatian,' of which we pave a full rt•
port yesterday, his speech was poor enough. but
same Smate=house to which be aspired, he would til4 tto
many bad speakers as ever yt t were collo ctt d togeth..r.
He nevi:r yet saw so many men rho were cnallo to ex.
press the sitnplest ideas in a cons:cadre or gramiastlezi
manner.' "

" This sentence," adds the Herald, " is worthy of Dr.
SYNTAX, in the most unhappy cap:lit ion of his
sensibilities." We would defy Dr. Syntax. en. any nth;
Doctor, to equal this sentence. Btt " 'tis thes aspirirg
DULNESS ever shines." It is important, lirraiever, as ei,:s
great QUINCTILIAN has begun to give his Institlies
Eloquence, that we take a sample of his own s:3le, said
after his best manner too, that we may dria the pul-
-1 stream of eloquence from the fountain bead. Lest w;
might be supposed to:select a specimen invidiously, we will
take it from the very same column cf its jetirrial shirt
tronounces its critical sentence on the style of .Jr.
Descanting with most learned ignorance on the suljTe
the funds, the public are presented with a summary of
queries in the following clear and (lass/co/dialect
" We saw land tumbte from the extravaannt pitch i!hd
been got sip to by laud-gamblers ; why, therefore, stsuid
not funds experience the same reverse? If so/id land, be.
cause it had been got to an extravagant price by spcculaicrs,
fell in price as rapidly as it rose, why not "IMPS in
fall in value ? Why should names in Looks riniain at try
high a rate But while all this is going on, what twat
be thought of the original holders of five and four per ceri•
stock; who were bamboozled into the lakinz a less intcrist fit
their money? At that time we
.recollect recommendirg
them not to be humbugged, for sue said Mc thing n•01;1'4 to
sure to have a turn like ail other Wort."
There is no mechanic in these times that would not be
ashamed of such a coarse and vulgar style as this. It is a
style worthy only of the Cockney, who, being at alas, to
find his chapeau on the breaking up of a et/oiling surietsi,
exclaimed, in the warmth of eloquence, inspired by a (tail-
less search—"l say, waiter, has nobody not seen never a but
nowhere ?"

GIF'E NAPPECoM PANT.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE BRITISH PM&

Si it,-111. you have admitted into your report of the hirer.
ing a personal attack made upon tne during my unavoidable
absence. by a person or the name of Smythies, 1 appeal to
your impartiality and justice to allow me to request tl:s
public, through the medium of your Paper, to suspend
their judgment until an action of defamation, which I have
this day instructed my aolici.or to commence against him.
shall have been tried. In the mean time the subjoined
certificate of Mr. Dawson will tend to show the unfourakd
and malicious nature of his assertions.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
London, Dec. 1,1825 li. PRIM

" Mr. Oeorge Dawnon was prevent at a conversation no ‘Vednet.
day hint, between Mr. Price and it man rf the name of Sraphies.
Mr. Price appealed to him. and said, • This person makes a claim
on me which I do not owe,hut sooner than be any further annoyed by
him, if he will call at my bona and conduct himaelf with decorum.
I will make him a present of live pounds ;' and that nothing lerthet
passed.—London, De:. 1, 826."

TO THE EDITOR OP THE BRITISH PRESS.

Sia,—Obaerving in one of your late cumin an so
count of a meeting of the Magistrates, relative to Peckham
and Camberwell fairs, I beg to ofrer some observations
thereon, and to correct some inaccuracies therein, as well
-as in the statement in a subsequent number.
In the first place, the measure for simprming the above
fairs certainly did originate with the Vestry in 1543, and
that on the motion of Mr. H. Gooch, who also gave evi-
&rice on the late occasion. pour sratemetit inentioes
that several of the most respecta'lr inhabitants of Peck-
ham came forward to testify to the great annoyance of the
fair, while the fact was, that no it.habitatie of Peckham.
except Mr. George Haywood, was examined relative to
Peckham fair, and his evidence only related to tolls ; and
very many of the Longest resident and most respectable
inhabitants of that place would have proved, had they
been called on, that that fair hes been well coutlucted for
several years past. With respect to Camberwell fair. Mr.
Gooch proved that ten or twelve thieves were pointed ou:
to him at the Lord Wellington public-house, Kent-road,
about two miles from the fair; and that Hunt some years
ago held a meeting at Kennington Common, on the fair
day ; the whole of which has nothing to do with the
question. Mr. Walsh certainly proves a nuisance, but that
only a plicate one.
The expense occasioned to the parish is also complained
of; but perhaps some of the persons examined could hoe
explained whether a groat part of that expense wra ect
casioned by eating and drit,king. They could have it:-
. formed the Magistrates who presided un those jelly occa-
sions ; and if one of the gentlemen had explain. el that one
of the late parish-officers mounted u lamp-post to deliver
a speech, at a late period of the night, they would have
judged whether the parish fu-:d: bed net grea:l4 cente-
buted to the eloquence displayed on the occasion.
It is rather remarkable that Mr. Jackson corroborated
the testimony of Mr. Gooch, although not in his eampar.y
on the several occasions referred to. Upon the whole the
evidence of the witnesses reminds me of the story of the
thief who could bring twenty persons to prove he (lid no:
steal the shovel, which was equally satisfactory with tiee.
proof on this occasion, that the witness,did not Loon e:
any charter to hold the fairs.

The services of Mr. Wissett, a late highly respreed
Magistrate for the county, are also mentioned, but I am
able from my own knowledge to say that he was far from
inimical to the fairs.

One point more and I have dote. It is ol•served, that
the claimants to the right of bolding the fair did net shun
their title ; it would certainly have born most i.epru,lL:n
in
them ao to do, when the Chairman of the S,:ssions hal
front the Bench, only a few months befcre, calied urn
Grand Jury to declare the fairs a nuisance, nt;tl which the
majority did do, and that, as appears by the r.cwspnl'!l
reports, without any evidence whatever—how corrit •
done I cannot say.

A NEW SI:DSO:HIER.

The citizens were yesterday amusing theinvilves xah
the lamentable detail in a morning Paper (the Herald)
of the amount of Exchequer Bills to be exchanged mpg' ~
on the 19th instant. The sage writer states the =oar; sc
fifteen millions, and is sadly alarmed at the idea that if th-
half, which he discovers is 7,500,000, be called f,;r.
Governmett must atop payment. It will relieve the fen;
of the writer, for they have yet reached no other
to know that the amount to be paid off' a: prt sent is m•
four millions, two-thirds of which are held by re...

bodies. The amount that can be demanded dors not e
ceed one million. The notice in the Gazette is rai7l.y

the routine of official advertisement, and we
might mislead a still better informed, and a MON
periencol person. titan the author of the mcst aiattwx,
paragraph referred to.
. .
MAKING PINS DT STEAM !—Considerable ctirrict. !•
excited by the appearance or an iinmense structure r‘nr ,p
by Mews. Taylor and Wright, of the Borough, for tae trano!!.
titre of pins, in the Bornugh.road, close to St. George!, Alan'
the weal side of which faces an opening to the I.crcion.rowi :
dimensions of the building are in length 1115 feet. i t w:001 40 !.,
and in height 50 feet, and contains upwards ul I'2o
chinery, to be worked by steam. at the rate of 10,00
aides loopholes. The pins ace to be made by one blow of th,, :0,.,
chiefly for the export trade. The stcam-erc,!..e iltinintS is 1.;.'

feet high. but it I;th ought must come down. foul:,:1;:rn
hating sunk so IN to cause it to incline on the els: a?... at h

two feet from the perpendicular.

1.*.1.M.V:D DELAYS IVY. THE COURT OF
VIA NC

/K) THE rMTOR OF THE BRITISH PRES&

goy—Frem the epiriteil comments which appear on all
„aeons in your valuahlo paner, I am sure you will elem.-
ely itte:rt a f.'w lines on rho shove subject. I addrees
„„ die more confidently in conseemence of the candid
7.4 men! eometente in your Intros! of thie morning.
cordon of the press has for some time teem d with
oe• against the noble personage who is at the it: ad of
cave •
" court of Chancery, and to him has been ielehiionety
;vibratd the whole of the delays which takes place there.
goy of the enerees against the Lord Chancellor I believe
be false, and others grossly exaggerated. n once
public press inveighs against an individual, it posetaa s
i.wihepoeeee„ that its readers are generally converted to the
oiniat daily inculcated into their minds. In this tnanner
enlimiteil milliliter is excited against the person calum-
et:el, mere especially when he is above the cominoe rdiss
id potty, and cannot therefore curve for ward to arse wer
eir slander and repel the imputations.
:see eeenissy,„o,et ee!!!' ebnceive that my
&diet is merely to vindicate the conduct of Lord Eldon.
ywoob thing—if Lord Eldon is the cause of delays, and
opopont abuses in the administration of justice, the
weer he is removed from his judicial twat the better for
the community and the suitor* of the Court, for I think
dery judge who fosters delays, or who inikeel allows them
, alit (if it is in bra power to prevent them), is guilty of
Nazarene dereliction of his duty.
will speak of the proceedings of yesterday, (which I
eeavcsolne of the journals that have traduced the Noble
' -ell:are not noticed, and others beige distorted, so as to
weir as favourable as possible to their purposes). It ap-
et.'" his Lordship was in attendance, pursuant to netice. at
to tidy hour, to give judgment in several causes which
hi been previously argued. He appeared in Court at the
apoool time. No Counsel were in attendance'. Judg-
met therefore could not be delivered. He waited in his
erotic room fcr half an hour ; he then sent his Secretary
i,quir. whether any Conner! had arrived. None were
titre attendance. His Lordship again waited a
try =Utterable time; he at length approached the Bench.
sal with that urbanity for which be is distinguished, per-
wally inquired whether any Counsel had arrived ; they
had act—he retired spin. At length the Barristers were
vessel to make their appearance, and his Lordship with
6, proem good humour forgave what had passed, as far
se regarded himself. With respect to the suitors he of
mune could not ; their time hail been unnecessarily tweeted
by the non-attendance of the Counsel whom they had in-
s:roe:ed.
Now this conduct was not only uncourteous on the part
ar the Gentlemen of the Bar, hur unjust to his Lordship
amp their client', more especially as several days before
novice had been publicly given of the judgments he in-
ended to &liver. This is only one of the numerous in-
rewees of the absence of Counsel which I am sorry to say
en frequently occur. Any person in the habit of attending
the Courts must know how often causes are delayed, and
the object of the Conrt and the parties defeated from the
Ativere of Counsel. Numerous instances of this deactip-
;na have occurred very recently, both before the Lord anti
Vise Chancellor, several of which have been reported. On
one occasion. as it appeared in the public papers, his
limo the Vicv-Chaneellor, on being applied to by a soli-
;dor to allow the cause to stand over till his Counsel came
eto Court, said, " No! attorneys should employ such
entlemen as choose to attend to the interest of their
eents;" and ordered the case to he struck out of the
Agar—thus, by the absence of Counsel, occasioning a
delay of at least twelve months, anti an enormous expense
u thus client.
the of the imputed faults of the Lord Chancellor is.
tut Le does not deliver his judgments so soon as he ought,
aryl that suitors are in daily attendance, anxiously expect-
ing the judgments to be given. Now the fact is, that his
Lerdehie, when applied to by Counsel or others, generally
yew ho judgments as early as possible. The cases that
are delayed arc, in gem rah, matters of the highest import-
anee--tomplicated in the t xtreme, and involving nice points
ot-Ise, upon which his Lordship frequently consults the
Judge, previous to giving judgment, sad it should be re-
rein&ereel that his judgments arc hardly ever subverted.
Some of the Papers assert, that parties are in attendance,
ay after day, wtek after week, and Term after Term,
wt:dag for judgment. How can his Lordship tell that
rears are in attendance, unless it is suggtated ? and when
his Lordship invariably gives the case his immediate

I think, from what I have seen, the delays do not ex;st
the Court. but in the offices of the Masters, where the
:lasts arc delayed for months, and frequently years, and
1.,:‘ the Court has nea/no power to prevent. The practice
su immemorially existed, hut will, I have no doubt, be
trualied when the Report of the Commissioners is pub-
: ihrd ; ye: for this delay the Chancellor is blamed,
be has no more to do with it than any private

There is another evil in the practice which I will point
cot, I mean the facility of appealing from the Vim-Chan-
‘.llor to the Lord Chancellor, and from his decision to the
lime of Lords. From this course have arisen many of the
ti.eisys complained of. Certainly cases have been pointed out
in Parliament and elsewhere, in which manifest abuses have
rs3tetl, but they have never been brought home to his Lord-
ship. Bill: of costs have been produced in which attorneys have
lien in attendance for different periods waiting for judg-
rest. But how was the Court to know they were attend-
without being informed? They might have waited till
11ottiaday if they had not stated what their ohiect was.
At loon as that has been known immediate attention has on
,loccasions been given to them.
It then fore appears to me that the abuse does not exist
sib his Lordship, but in the practice of the Court gene-
rail, over which, at present, he has little control. Whilst,
Posner, a corrupt and factious ',less continues to insult
i'4,l venerable personage, knowing that he is so placed that
..e cannot defend himself, I am happy to find that the
more enlightened part is not willing to condemn him ur,
%card, nor to distort facts to his prejudice. Meanwhile I
rant-418y, I em confident, that every liberal-minded man
Rill softesd his judgment until the Report of the Commis-
tows is published, anti not allow isitneelf to be biassed by
tie rancomes hatred of a political party against one of the
most eminent individuals that ever presided over the Law
Coonsef this realm.

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