The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-27 00:00:00

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"..rnfrlk
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NOV• 27.

wooed and astonished with Westminster Abbey, and the
curiosities to be seen in it. They walk the streets wiigh
tiwir c h
rooks in teir hands, and their grotesque apperc.
.-.),ucc at the notice of the passew.rers.

CITY.
11 FAUTSITION FOR A COMMON HALL.
The following. are Copies of the Requisition sent to the Lrard
14:s)or, and of his Lordship's answer refusing compliance :
Nou. 2, 'Ewe.
TO THE nitlHT 110NOURAIME vnE LORD MAYOR.
We, the undersigned Liverymen of the City of London,. re-
quest your Lordship to convene a Common Rail, on an early
day, is order to take into consideration the late Convention in
Portugal, by which the character, honour, and interests of the
country have been so deeply affected, and to adopt such "pea-
tr.res as may be deemed advisable.
T. Reeve, J. Hurßacombe, S. Stott,
J. A xford, W. wlins, J. Hoppe,
R. Phillips, 0. Phillips, .T. Sparrow.
J. Turner, T. M. Bardin, J. Howell,
W. Robins, E. Butler, S. Miller,
R. Slade, S. Nash, R. Rosser,
T. Lett, C. Sabine, J. Gwennap,
J. Griffiths, J. Gibbons, T. Norton,
P. Fenton, G. Beauchamp, R. Waithma .n,
M. Gould, W. Griffith, W. Taylor,

E. Quin.
The following is a copy of the Lord Mayor's answer :
" Mansion-House, Monday, Nov. 21, 18. OS.
" The Lord Mayor presents his compliments to Mr. 'Quin,
and begs to acquaint him, that he has considered the requif ition,
dated the ea of this month, which Mr. Quin presented to b ins on
Saturday evening last, To convene a Common-Hall, on no early
day, in order to take into consideration the late Convene ion in
Fortugal, by which the character, honour, and interests of the
enuntry have been so deeply affected, and to adopt suet i men-
sures as may be deemed advisable.'
" The Lord Mayor cannot but observe, that since the fl late of
the requisition, has been instituted by his Majesty's coin :nand,
for investigating the causes which led to the Convention alluded
to, and that the Court is now prosecuting such Inquiry.
" The Lord Mayor is of opinion, that a Meeting of the I. Avery
4,4' London in Common Hall on the subject proposed by the Re-
quisition, pending sock public inquiry, will he highly unne-
cessary, unseasonable, and improper, and therefore declit :es to
convene a Common Hall as requested."
" Edward Qt‘ild, Esq.

The price of bread was ordered to be continued th►•
came as last week, viz.—ls. 31d. the quarteru 103 S of
wlt•ateu, and is. 2d. household.

EAST INDIA AITAIRS.
Tuesday a Court of Directors was held at the East
qndia House, when, the under-mentioned Captains were
sworn into the comnrand of their respective ships, viz,--
K C. Bradford, Lord Duncan, for Madras and Be iigal.
Capt. W. P. D'Esterre, United Kingdom, for St. Helena. and
Bengal.
The following times are fixed for the ships lately taken up,. viz.
Colitis, for China; Surrey and Medcalfe, for Madras and
LeUgal; the Devonshire, for Ceylon and 'Bengal ; and the I dar-
quis Wellesley, fur Bombay.--To he afloat the 15th Janwary ;
sail to Gravesend the 31st ditto ; stay there thirty days; be in
the Downs the 9th of March.

In our last number we had the pleasure of announcing to the
public a new Invention for sharpening Razors upon entire a, avel
principles; we finl it is denominated a Afognrik• TaVet, and
from the respectable report we have heard of it we makt no
donia of its universal adoption, as it is capable of entirely su-
perseding- the necessity of a Hone or •an Elastic Razor St; -op.
It requires no oil or additional composition to give it eff.ct, and
is particularly reconiznended to those wbo cannot use a H one
with success, or who have not.conyenient access to Cutlers
Sold at the Inventor's Warehouses, No. 6.i, Cheapside, and L 2,
Park-street, Grosvenor-square; also, by his
,appointvent, at ~
Clarke and Sons, No. 69.,Clicapside. Each Tst blet
%ill be sold with the Inventor's Siwaturc.

.7 " • • - ;
THE NATION LL REGISTER.

'44,t.4;e • „

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THE THEATRES.

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763

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DRURY LANR.
On Tuesday night the Opera of the Dianna was acted.
Mrs. Sparks, with undaunted resolution, ass,o.rd' lki!ss
Pope's little hat and stiff feathers, bat unfortuvi,el4'. left
her judgment and spirit behind. We almost suspect that
this was an act of wilful forgetfulness OR her party or ra-
ther an act of conscious dignity. She was not above imi-
tating the dress of this unequalled performer, but evidently
and wisely too, spurned at the thought of copying her act-
ing. Where Miss Pope was vatural, which even the devia-
ations from nature which the part requires must he, Mrs.
Sparks was so richly affected, that her face distorted with
grimaces and her 'body with contortions, she gave a in rfeet
picture of what ridicule would be, were it embodiled one
single person, instead of being spread among a thousand.
We admire Mt. Dignum in a •lovers part above any
other performer Ave can recollect. Some peopk, say that
he is fit only to represent the fat monarch of tale kitchen,
singing a sweet lullaby over the lifeless frame of a roasting
turkey. But we must positively declare this to be a libel
on truth, and the evidence of our senses. Mr. Dignum's
shape is elegance itself, his features exprbssion, and his
Voice harmony.
Mr. I. Smith appeared for the first time in Ferdinand.
Were he not to hold his head so high, as to 1 aesent little
more than his chin to the spectators, and to unbend a little
the stiffness of his body, we should have no fault to bud
with him. And even these arc hut trifling d efects, which
it would be perhaps below the dignity of critic ism to notice.
did we not wish our remarks to be osi:PV, and did we not
hope Mr. Smith will profit by them. lie oings with the
greatest ease, and no small degree of taste aad science; he
acts with more spirit aid judgment than any other operatic
performer on the stage, to which he would prove a valua-
ble acquisition as an actor, even did he not, possess his vo-
cal abilities. lie never forgets the part which he fills ;ilier
he has delivered a speech or sinv; a tune, to refuses con,
pletely still like a piece of machinery, that has !toile
through its round of motion, and cannot reainue is activi-
ty till its springs are wound up a second film. lie chews
by his looks, attention and gestures that he miderstanda
what is said to him, and takes a share in vvhst passes.
Dowtort was too excellent in the part of bane not ta
soar both above criticism and even praise. At the begin-
ning of the third act he apologized fi ir Mrs. Monntaiu
whose melodious tongue was chained Irv: a cold. The ar.
logy was received by a round of app Pause NV hieli proved
that the British public do nut lose the recollection of past
services, when the person by whom 'imey have been per-
. formed, is unable to continue them.
The opera was followed by the raccellent farce of the
ilfriyor of Carnal. Dowion has 11; ;ver been surpassed in
Major Ytnrgeon, and we do not Lelieve it is possible he
ever should. Mr. Boma filled t' ac part of Jerry Sneak.,
We have frequently been compeP,ed by our impartial re-
gard for truth, to apply the lash of criticism to the blind
self-love of this gentleman, and rimy rejoice at feeling our-
selves authorised to pour the bat m of praise on the wounds
we reluctantly inflicted. Would he confine himself to t).,is
cast of characters, he would all says meet with the (ieserr'd
approbation of the public. T lie vulgarity which always
stains hid performances of gent lemen, here becomes nature :
his generally disgusting grin,, characteristic, and save El-
liston's Percival in the Titres and the Dtacc, we had never
beheld Idiotism so well pers, mated on the stage.
The Comedy of The el!a races was performed on Wed-
nesday night, -f-or the first 'time. this season. It required
all the vivacity of Mrs. 3, irdan, and all the study of Air.
Elliston, to give life or character to a piece in itself so
lame and insipid. The t, edium. •howeyor, of tne play was
n a great di6+4lsure relicv ed by an interlude, intitled, Jove
in a I'a U, composed by Mr. IVEgville. The idea of this
trifle is unbaor!'• and it a4.1'94.:1 a very lave irable