The National Register.
London, England, 1811-06-02 00:00:00

tilt NATIONAL RVIISTER._

iivi

transfianns himself from Lovell to Jemmy is so great, that it
lia almost impossible to recognise him in his disguise.
A new Comic Piece, in two acts, has barn produce& under
the title of Trial by Jury. front the pen of Mr. TIigODOP.Z
NOOK. It is a lively anima ed trifle, abounding with equivoque,
and unusually free (for a Piece of Mr. Hook's) front stale puns.
IVIr. H. had perhaps lent 11,s Joe Miller to Mr. APNOLD to
assist him in enriching his Americans, at the same time he was
writing this Farce. Be this as it may, I rejoice at such a depar-
ture from his ordinary practice. a.'otne may be of opinion that
wine like wit is the better for being old, and that it is the busi-
ness of such writers 24 Mr. HooK merely to decanter it, but I
mu.st confess I view the thing ia a different light. I had rather
be treated with genuine unadulterated dullness, than with the
assence of an old je st book, infused into a new play. Instead of
regarding the Author who resorts to such a mode of attempting
to- enliven nonsence, as ,the waiter who decanters try wine, I
rez:ard him as the drunkaN who disgorges what he has drunk.
The- characters of this piece are not new, but they are whim-
well dispased of, and draVvii, if not with great humour,
certainly with considetabie spirit. The plot is light and trifling,
anti nothing like interest is attempted to be excited. It coasists
merely of stratagems resorted to by Sandford and Milford to
pita Ch4rlotto, by defeati ;g IVilkiree who is i:stroduced to the
Lady by her uncle, 014 Taradd/e, as a regular lover. Samford
gets into the family as a go.ardener, and Captain Milford contrives
to get himself hired as a iv,otman. After a few embarrassments,
the lady is carried by Sci4dt.rrl, %v!io, at the end of the piece, we
are given to understanda has gained a law suits and from that
tun es the title of Trial by Jury.
Several of the ScerieS are very laughable, but we laugh rather
at what we expect dais to lead to, than at the humour by
'which thtraselves are o.istineuished. The action is rather
too extravagant even for farce,, as none of the charac-
ters seem possessed of c inmon sense. Probahility of course is
not consulted, but the Author ought to have shewn a little more
regard for his heroine than to seller her to be offered to every
person in the piece. It appears of little consequence to Old
Tiv,,,/tite who has his piece; and he having offered her to all
present, at bestowe her on her ardent lover 7.andfOrd (Mr.
R. i), who dues not seem to care at all about her.
ET,.LISToN, in a gay military coxcomb, played with great
vivacity and humour. InsToar, in a vulgar fashionable, was
very succcafal ; and Mrs. GIBBC, in' a chattering chamber-
rta!d, matla the most csi her part. Mr. R. .10Nia was a inisera-
Ele loner; and as he was supposed to be in the disguise of a gar-
dener, he ingeniously contrived to make himself look !Ikea jour-
reyrnan huteiter. Miss BELLCILAMBERS, in a milk and water
character, was perfecOy al home.

Thu audience were in a very geed humour from beginning to
rrd.. Ihe pretty things they were told about the blessings of
" Trial by Jury," brougid them fb.zra (as the phrase is): and the
piece, up nn the whdlc, went cff with ettut; but it does not
seem ;ikc:y to have nsuch of a run. G.

CITY BUSINESS.
'Wednesday an Fspecial Court of Aldermen was held at Guild.
h-11, to consider the propriety of allow ng an assembly of p• rams
from all p:trts of the kingdom to be holden in the Guildhall, for
th • pure se of discussing politioal measures, the proposed assent.
bly not forming any part of the legally constituted authorities of
the City. The Coat cane to several kesolutions, strongly re-
monstfating agaihst any itich assembly being held in the Guild-
hall, as endangering the peace of the City, and derogatory to its
dignity.

Thursday it numerous meeting of the Livery of the City of
London to3lt place at Guildhall, a7reeably to a requisition,
signed. and presented to the Lord Mayor, to assenoblf- a Cam-
mot, Hall, " in order that it ma. emir ss its approbalion of the
conduct of the Common Council, in granting the use of the
Guildhall, for purposes so congenial to the true principles of the
Constitution. and the opinion so repeatedly ,expressed by the
Livery of London—to promote a Parliatnentary Reim-In,"—Th°
requiAtion to the Lord Mayor having been read, Mr. Waith-
man presented himself to thy meeting, hut the clamour w4s so
great of those who were hostile to the measure, that it was with,
great difficulty that a single sentence which he uttered could be
heard. He concluded by making a motion conformably to the
requisition, which was seconded by Mr. Favell, will was also
interrupted by groans and hisses, though the Lord Mayor rt..
erted himself, but in vain, to produce order. Alderman V,'o,-d
and Alderman Atkins also endeavoured to speak, but Iheir
efforts to be heard were ineffectual. The question was at let:i,th
put amidst much noise and clamour, when the Lord Mayor
decl3:-ed that Mr. Waithman's motions were carried in the
affirmative.

Friday a Court of Common Council was held at Mai-
hall, in consequence of a requisition received by the Lurd Mayor,
to re-consider the proceedings of the last Court, rvl: rive to
granting the use of the Guildhall to the Cot.itnittee of the friends
of Parliamentary Reform on the 3d ofJune next, the majority
of whom do not appear to be either Freemen. or Liverymen of
the Cit_y.
The Deputation from the Common Hall attended, and pre-
sented the Resolutions from that body, which were read —Upon,
the division, there appeared..-For rescinding the Vote of the .ast
Court 119—Against it 80—Majority 38.
According to the vote, Guildhall will consequently not be
granted for the accommodation of the meeting of the friends of
Parliamentary Reform.

LAW REPOR7 S.

COURT Oi KING'S BENCH.

MONDAY, MAY 27.

The Rev. Mr. Blacow was brought up to receive judrtneht
for libelling a Mrs. Fairclouo, of Liverpool. Several
were put in I,;r him, by the heads of his crngregation, ai:d by
respectable clergy.i•en anti magistrates, giving him a most ex-
cellent character.—Council were then heard i both skits, after
which he was ordered to be committed to the custody of the
Marshal, and brought up again the slx:h day of next term.

TUESDAY, MAY CB.
TIIE KING V. WHITE, PROPRIETOR OF THE INDE.
PENDENT

This was an Indictment against the def.ndant as the Pro-
prietor and Publisher of a Weekly 7.:,'ews:apicr called Tla luck-
',cadent Whig.
Mr. Warren, on behalf of the defendant, applit d to put Gil*
the trial of this cause until the Sit(iiTs after the next 'l't nu,
upon :he grounds of indisposition on the part of the defendant.
Mr. W . stated, that he had -a vet y tall and satisfactory ailid.:vit
in support of his application. Thk. &fend:int had b,:en confined
now near three years in the jail of Dorchester, under the sen-
tence of that Court, for a Lihtl put,hshed in th Paper before,
alluded to, and the expiration of that ser.tence will take place MI
the 2d day of July next. The affidavit stated, tbat in conse-
quence of his long itnprisonment and other causes, the def iidant
was considerably indisposed from a tumor in his neck and
biloUS affection of the liver, so as to render him ir.capable of
giving the necessary attention and instructions prepar4tory to
his defence. That as it was his intention to make his clef -nee
in person, it was. from these cirr inlstances, impossible for hiai
to he now pi liarizt to take his tris.l, and as the sittitip after the
next Term did not comtneme until the sth July he shod baa
then prepare,l with his defence.