The National Register.
London, England, 1818-11-01 00:00:00

THE DR4M.I.

COVENT-I 12 DEN.

Miss Somerville appeared on Thursday night as the
heroine of Lewis's tragedy of.lde/itha ; or, the Fruits
sy. a Sine+►le Error, a character well-conceived, though
perhaps feeble in some of its details, and afihrding, from
the variety and complication of distress which it exhi-
bits, a severe test of the powers of the performer by
w ham it is represented. To fail in all the situations
of Adclgitha, would imply the absence of all talent for
the tragic drama: to succeed in all, require the perfec-
tion of that talent. Miss Somerville surprised us by a
few passages executed with peculiar felicity; bat her
general performance was an appeal to the eve, rather
than to the taw or the understanding• : a graceful action,
a variety of attitudes approaching to the picturesque
and the beautiful, appear to he at her command; these
qualities tell admirably to the distant parts of the
house, and may even impress on the careless spectator
the idea of greatness ; the delusion, however, vanishes
on close exatnination. Miss Somerville, we fear, is
deficient in feeling, and is perpetually losing sight of
that essential quality, consciousness of character; her
voice, too, by its deep solemn tones, and want of variety
in its inflections, produces by continuance an effect on
the ear that is far from being agreeable or exciting,
and appears almost to refuse its aid to the expression of
acute distress. On the whole, we rejoice in Miss So-
znerville's accession to the strength of this theatre : the
general perfection of the tragic drama will be increased,
though its character us regards individual talent will
not be exalted by that event; and youth ever leaves us
much to hope wherever the improvement of art is in
question, and where the understanding is likely to come
gradually in aid of the natural powers. The character
of Michael-Dacus found a most able representative in
Mr. Jlacready ; there are few perthrtners on the stage
who produce so much effect without any apparent effort
as this gentlemn on. Messrs. Young and C. limbic, in
Guiscard and Lolhair, were as judicious and effective
usual. Mrs. Faucit played the part of lemma with
much feeling; and the whole tragtdy was got up in a
manner highly creditable to the theatre.

Elliston is fitting up the Olympic Theatre, in New-
castle-street., in the Strand. We hear that, in the
int cr»al decorations only, he is expending from 3 to
4,0001. Report mentions that he has already engaged
1)owton, Pope, Decamp, and other superior performers.
—We sincerely wish hi:: success may be equal to his

A letter from Rochelle, dated Oct. 17, states the fol-
lowing singular and melancholy oecurter!e:—A few
days since some squeezed grapes, fresh from the wine
press, were thrown into n large tub, by an inhabitant
of the commune of Marsai, without apprising his vin-
tagers that they should not tread on them. Unihrtu-
nately, a youth of 18 years, and two children, went into
the vessel. The forme: was killed instantly, by the
mortal vapour. The two children, who remained near
the edge, were taken out in a state of suffocation, from
which they were restored. The body of the youth
remained in the midst of the mortal vapour, and no one
dared approach it. At length .a man went in hulling
a rope, but soon fainted and lost his hold. He wis
taken out apparently lifeless, but soon restored The
body of the unhappy victim was dragged out with a
grappling iron.
At the Surrey Adjourned Sessions on Wednesday at
Newington, Wm. Palfrey was tried on an indictment
preferred by the parish of Camberwell, charging the
defendant, a graduate of the University of Cambridge,
with having walked in a naked state, in the day, on the
banks of the canal, between Peckham and Camberwell,
in which he had been bathing.—Mr. Cowley for the
defendant, in a Inittant speech, addressA himself to the
feelings of the Jury. He conceived that if this squeam-
ishness of seeing naked figures was listened to, there
would soon be an end of our boasted constitution !
The defendant was, however, convicted, and in tainsi-
&ration or his having already suffered imprisonment,
sentenced to pay a flue of Is. and to enter into his own
recognizanrc, in the sum of 201. to keep the peace far
twelve months.

It is now asserted, that the issue of New Crowns
has not been stepped : and that the same dies are em-
ployed without any alteration.
The Bell and Lane ister systems of educ•ntion make
great prowess in Franco; 900 schools arc opened, and
the children press in crowds to then'.
The continuance of a separate Stall in the Midland
District, as it was termed, having i•eccnne onnecessarv,
the Counties of which it cactri-ted ore now comprised
within the district in which Major-General Sir John
Byng has the military command. Those counties are,
Derby, Northampton, Ncittingham, Leicester, Lincoln,
Rutland, Salop, Stafford, and Norwich. The Major-
General's head gnarters.reinain at Pontefract.
Messrs. Baring and Ca. are reported in the Brussels
papers to have discounted their own collateral band of
50,000,C00 frs. to Prussia, at the rate of 5 per cent ;
the latt:r power having expressed some uneasiness with
regard to the security of their claim upon the French
Government.

Tllr,
NAT, REGISTITR.

DRURY LANE THEAntv.

In consequence of an intimation from Mr. Walker,
chairman of the Committee of Cre.litors appointed on
the 16th, a considerable number of creditors assembled
in the saloon on Wednesday, soon after 11. 11r.Walker
was called to the chair. tie. reported that the Commit-
tee had not approved of the proposition made by the
Sub-Committee on the 16th, but had in their turn
proposed two successive sets of resolutions; the first,
agreeing to receive a composition of 10s. provided the
remainder of the debt should be paid by annual divi-
dends on the profits of the theatre : the second, agreeing
to a composition of 10s. and a full acquittal on the part
of all the creditors, excepting those who bad been
pabliely assured of full and ready payment last year.—
Both sets of resolutions had been refused by the Sub-
Committee; the Committee had, therefore, only to say,
that they had not agreed to the terms of the Sub-
Committee, and now surrendered their trust.

A creditor now got up, and speaking with consider-
able warmth, said, that it had been very well if the
Sub-Committee had agreed to the resolutions proposed ;
but since they had not, were, the creditors t refuse 10s.
in the pound? He should be very happy to have the
whole of his debt, but if he could not have that, thank-
fully should he take a part. The gentlemen were to
advance this money out of their own pockets. Who
would be such idiots us to refuse it? He concluded by
moving a resolution, that the meeting agree to the
proposition made by the Sub•Committce on the 16th uf
October.

Mr. Neale, a member of the late Committee, secouLd
►his resolution.

Many other creditors strongly supported it.
On a show of hands, a few appeared against the
resolution. The effect of this was much deprecated,
and an actual divison took place, when it appeared that
all the opponents of the resolution, except one, had
withdrawn. The resolution was declared to have been
carried in the affirmative, and the meeting dissolved.

A General Meeting of the Proprietors took place in
the Saloon on Tuesday, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the appointment of the Sub-Committee,
as afreed upon by the General Committee.
Ihe Earl of Yarmouth having been unanimously
called to the Chair, Mr. Ware, as Secretary of the Thea-
tre, proceeded to read the advertisement by which the
Nfeeting was convened.
The Earl of Yarmouth then stated, thAt the question
which he, as Chairman, had to put, was, whether the
Meeting would agree to the nomination wade by the
General Committee ? If any Gentleman objected to
such nomination, the regular course was to call for a
ballot, which, in that case, must immediately take place.

Mr. Robins said, that before they proceeded to the
business of the day, he wished to put a question of some
importance. He had seen in the Newspapers, that a
proposition was made by the Sab-Committee to the
Creditors, stating that they would subscribe to the
amount of 3,5001. each, tbr the discharge of a part of
the debt. He was desiroas to know whether all the
Members of the Sub-Committee bad agreed to this, and
whether they still remained of the same ()pillion?

M. Ironmonger said, that the proposal originated
with him, and was agreed to by all the Members. A
Meeting of the Creditors was held in consequence, but
the proposal was not acceded to by them. At a subse-
quent Meeting, however, he believed their objections
were removed, and they were now willing to accept the
of1;:ir. He was bound to state at the same time, that
Mr. Wilson, who, as one of the Sub-Committee, was
ready in the first instance to advance 3,5001. had, since
the refusal of the creditors to accept their proposal
changed his mind.
Mr. Robins observed, that the proposition, as he un-
dersteod, was made, upon. condition that all the Credi-
tors should come into the terms, he was therefore slow
to acknowledge the great merit of the Sub-Committee
in snaking such a proposition, as they must be aware
that it was almost impossible it could have been ac-
cepted. He could himself name some of the Creditors
who could never be prevailed upon to give it their
sanction. . _ _

Sir T. Turton said, he felt disposed to move a vote
of thanks to the Committee for their liberality, and if
the creditors generally felt any regard for their own in•
terest—if they fAt any inclination to support one of the
great national Theatres, and, considered on the score of '
humanity, the number of families who►e support de-
pended on its success, they would concur in this measure,
which was the only one that athirded the slightest pros-
pect of keeping the I heatre open.
After some further conversation, the appointment of
the Sub-Commi- tee was confirmed by the meeting.
The question for the Chairma❑ leaving the Chair
being put,
Air. Robins, reverting to the subj•.•ct of the reamed
prices, maintained that the Proprietors ought to have
been called together befinte it %vas determined on, and
he believed Lord Yarmouth and Sir T. Turton would
concur in that opinion.
The Earl of Yarmouth said, he had thought all slong
so :wrong a erasure ought not to have bert rc•,o;ved
ulon without ggirg to the rropriett.4s; but as to the

549

measure itself, he thought, for many reasons not neces-
sary to be stated now, that it was the mile one which
could be of use to the Theatre in its present condition.
`.ir T. Turton declared opinion of the ruinous
tendency of an experiment, the effect of which was to
make Drury-lane Theatre play second fiddle to Covent-
garden. They ought not to have specuktcd on the mo-
ney of persons who embarked in the concern on an
plied understanding that the prices should not be re-
duced.

Mr. Robins complained of it as operating also against
the interests of the Performers who took benefits.

Mr Calcraft assigned as a reason for not taking the
sense of the meeting on the appointmeut of the Sub-
Committee, that those Gentlemen had so involved the
concern, as to prevent any one else from undertaking it,
The meeting then broke up.

It appears that family influence, or reqncracu, is
carried to a length' l
in the United States, fully propor-
tionate to that in England. In the state of Now York
only, no less than 40 places of profit, under the Go-
vernment, are enjoyed by the family ni the Clintons.
Letters received yesterday'. from Harrington, (Cum-
berland) state, several riots had taken pla'e on account
of the export of potatoes from Cumberland ; two sloops
loaded, and about to sail for Liverpool, had been attack-
ed by the populace. who, after taking possession, plun-
dered the vessels of the entire cargoes.
His Royal Higness the Commander in Chief bag
appointed Lieutetnlnt-General Sir Edward Paget, to
the Government of Cowes Castle. _ _

The Duke of Wellington was expected at Paris on
Wednesday or Thursday last.
Letters received at Manchester from Rio Janeiro, of
the 27th and 28th of August, speak in very encouraging
terms of the state of the markets for all sorts or British
manufactures, and repeat the course of exchange as
highly favourable for this country. Ther.also give a
flattering account of the treatment which British sub-
jects received in the Brazilian territory, and express
confident hopes of extending our commerce in the in-
terior provinces of that fertile kingdom It. is generally
understoed at Rio, that the Portuguese mean to take
no part in the quarrel between Spain and her Colonies,
further than to secure their own territory from the
violation or encroachment of either; and that the places
now oceop7ed by the Portuguese troops will be given up
to whicheYeeparty may gain the ascendency, when the
contest has terminated.
The terms entered into fbr the conveyance of the
Bri-
tish troops from the continent, are 4s. G.l. per man, and
16s. per horse. The contract was made with some of
the London shipowners.
A celebrated barrister of the present day, who is
chiefly inlebted ;or the affluence lie now enjoys, to his
professional success, has chosen for the motto to his car-
riage—" Causes prodvde effeas.."
On the 27th instant, a fine new brig, of 170 tons
burden, named the Methnsa, was launched from one
of the slips in Mr. White's building yard, at West
Cowes ; and on Tuesday next, at eleven o'clock, will be
launched from Mr. White's other slip,_ a fine WeA
India ship, of 540 tons burden, built for Thomas
King, Esq. one of the elder Brethren of the Trinity
House.
An article from Frankfort, in the Frenrb papers, say*,
" Some idea may be formed of the wealth of the cele-
brated banking-house, Rothchild's, from the details of a
marriage wirier has recently taken place in that tinnily.
A vouuger brother has espoused Mademoiselle Hertz; of
Hamburgh. On this occasion, twenty-five thousand
florins were distributed to the poor of all persuasions.
Each of the numerous clerks in that firm e•Aved
gratification of 100 threats; three were also givea
to the most o score servant. The new-married couele
have purchased a house at 100,000 florins. It is ob-
served, that Mr. Rothschild has at present five banking
establishments, viz. at Frankfort, London, Amsterdam,
I I ainburgh, and Berlin. He intends to have a sixth. et
Eetersbargh "
The secretary to a Confederacy of journeymen ab-
sconded a few days since with the whole of the funds,
between five and ,:ix thousand pounds. He went away
in a post-chaise and four fur Gravesend, and there em-
barked for America This „ie.:Val confidanf,wene to
his employers, stating that woohl remit the interest
on his arrival at Philadelphia ; as to the principal, they
must wait for that until it elided his convenience ? We
also learn, that he has teken with Mtn, four journey
men, emnrent in their rexpective branches of trade.
At the last Leominster Qearter Sessions, a bill of
indictment was found agains' a man for a misdemean-
our,. inecliing his wife on the 18th ult. in the public
market of that town fins es. rid.
It is with extreme regret we announce that the
Lady of Sir Samuel Itoindly exeiresi or. Thurelay
night, at leee Cowes Cost le. the seat of John Nash, Esq.
She had borne it long and painfel illness with ..xere-
plary petieeee and iteignation.
1)onnelly, the man tele) is supposed to have murder-
s:l his wile and thrown her into• the well of the Duke
te' York public house, Brompt on, was discharged-fie nn
the 98th Reeiment and catered into the 80th, a detach-•
me.nt of which lett Chatham, under the rommaud
an officer about three weeks back.— C!..ii,:ilucy