The National Register.
London, England, 1809-10-08 00:00:00

...

ors .dal pater!. The next U. tide for considaration
may he that of ca; high salaries to the pertortuani ; but
,even lent, Sir, depends upon John Bull. Wherever there -is
superior excellence in Pie Histrionic art, each of the The-
atres w ill be auxious to avail themselves of it, in order 'o
please 'heir friends; an emulation rises, and they outbid
each other; hive me leave to observe Sir, that i 1 you
increase the number of Theatres, you increase the compe-
tition, a2d (has unavoidabiy increase those Salaries which
are e'en now complained of. If it is an evil therefore,
',ls one we is caanot he remedied without adoptisie
mezoures, which, in removing the cause of complain;,
would infalEhly blight each opening bud of dramatic ta-
. lent. The scenery and interaal. decorations, together with
external elegance, are the next points which present them •
selves ; and here we must in candour acknowledge that
these el•peuces are called for by the ptAlic taste, and have
not been presented with a niggardly hand ; nor can I in
this place avoid noticing an observation of your corres-
pondent, who says, that. the calculation is not how many
spectators they will accommodate, but how many they will
hold. Now, Sir, 'whilst we have only two Theatres, and to
have more would increase some of the present 'evils without
.removing others, it is of importance for the public grati-
fication, that these theatres should be capacious, and it
cannot be denied that the New Covent Garden Theatre has
many advantages in point of accommodation. In this new
.Theatre, the capacity of the Boxes has not been increased,
with respect to numbers, though it is so in point of com-
fort; the same observation will apply to the Pit, and as
for • the Galleries, the most distant spectators are now
brought nearer to the stage than in the old House, and up-
wards of fifteen feet nearer than they were in Drury-lane !
With such causes for a large expenditure, in a precarious
concern, the Proprietors have swely a claim to a handsome
profit on their roitie, as long as they do their duty to the
; that this profit has never 'been very great, is prov-
ed by the statement presented by a party of Gentlemen
who must be considered as superior to all bias, and who
declare that the annual average gain has never exceeded
6 per cent. during the last six years, and that any probe-
hie increase will not anrount to more than three and a half
por cent. supposing the whole property insured ; should
any part of the nsk, therefore, be taken by the Proprietors,
the add.eioilal profit can only' be coasiliered as a fair pre-
mium of insurance.

It is, perhaps, to be lamented that r more deLaikd state-
ment has not been laid before the public; and one 1 little
dearer than that tacked to the report of the arbitrators;
this tells us that the total of receipts far the last yeas
VaS 365,95 V. and that the payments were 307,912/. which
with SOOO/. of Gutstauding debts, leaves a balance of
50,0711. or 33-151. per annum : calculating' this at and
three-eighths per cent. it appears that :the old capital was
taken at about 130,000/. ; but then, Sir, this item of bad
debts, if Net received, will increase their receipts instead
of being deducted from them. and thus make a sum
total of 9,6751. per annum. This seems, Sir, to be a fair
statement of the case, and, if so, ought to , have been
fairly and candidly stated, there is, indeed, a kind of
ambiguity even in the report respecting the future 2ro-
bable per centage; let the Proprietors therefore give a
dearer statement of their capital embarked of the capa-
biliiti of the house, and of their probable expences, and
then should their profits zunlunt even to 15 per ceat. 1 am
confident that Jobn Bull will never object to
NEW Punta.

To obtain Forty, Sixty,or Eighty Thoumild Pounds by one event, has an in-
fluence over thn opulent to a great extent. The demand for Two, Three, aael
)ho::. Ti.:kets of the same :Cumber constimee a tarze proportion of the Lottery,
and nut create a great scarjt, previous to the 10th instant. The Lottery is
herd in iligh e-timai ion owing to [the jiidicious arrangement of the Scheme, and
the new m4rle of drawing. Clubs and Societies will do wed not to d.lav
pur-
chasix, Tickets and Shares. liorushy and Co. solicit the fivours of that Piddle
the present occasion, and hope to *apply %I.eir Ft iends with a majoritY i.ftLe
l'iuo,uoo Prize Money, at either of their old establisbed tttatu lioutcry binces,,
ISo. iii,, Cor4&,111, and St. Marzarces-1.11.1, Borough.