The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-12 00:00:00

SHAKSPEARE CELEBRATION,

An adjourned meeting of the Shakspeare com•
mittee was held in the Rooms of the SJciety of
Arts, Ade]phi, yesterday afternoon. Mr. George
Godwin was unanimously requested to take the
chair.
Mr. HEPWORTII DIXON, hon. sec., read the mi-
nutes of the last meeting, which were confirmed.
Mr. THEODORE MAItTIN complained of the pub-
lication of the report in the newspapers, and of its
being put forward as the act of the committee,
although an opinion was expressed at the last meet-
ing that such a document ought not to go forth to
the public. It was generally znderstood that they
were to adjourn till to-day for the purpose of consi-
dering whether they should adopt it or not. How-
ever, to his surprise, and he believed to the surprise
of most others, it appeared in the papers with the
names of the secretaries attached. (Hear.) Such
a proceeding was an outrage upon all propriety, and
was a breach of trust of the most serious kind on
the part of their representatives—or, rather, mis-
representatives. He did not know whether it had
the sanction of the executive committee. It also
appeared not as the draft report, but as the report
of the committee. It was an outrageous act, and
contrary to all precedent. It was a matter which
affected the whole corporation, and it was for the
general committee to say whether they would allow
such things to go on. As he came there to advance
and not retard matters, he begged to ask by whose
authority the report was published.
Mr. H. DIXON said that the report was read at
the last meeting, and circulated for information.
Mr. Martin must recollect that the reporters were
present at the last meeting, and were able to take
the report verbatim. Two of the reporters asked
him for a copy, to save themselves the trouble of
writing it out.
Mr. MARTIN was not satisfied with the explana-

tion.
Mr. TOMLINS said that the reporters could have
Laken it if they wished.
iZtr. MARTIN proposed, "That the report read at
the last meeting of the committee be rejected, and
that a special committee be appointed to prepare an
address to be issued to the public, stating the objects
contemplated by the committee, and the means by
which it is proposed to carry them out."
The CHAIRMAN said that, in order to avoid dis-
eussion upon the question, and that they might
proceed to other business, he would, on behalf of
the executive committee, withdraw the report.
(Hear, and No.)
Mr. MARTIN replied that it must be publicly
known that the report was published without the
authority of the committee. A mere withdrawal
did not meet the case.
Mr. GRUNEISEN thought it was a most irregular
document which was sent forth.
Mr. MARTIN was about to speak, when
The CHAIRMAN said that they were not prepared
to take any discussion upon the matter, as the re-
port had been withdrawn.
Mr. MARTIN, however, pressed the first part of
his motion, "That the report be rejected." If this
was painful to gentlemen who sent out the report,
they had themselves to blame for it.
Mr. ROBERT BELL seconded the proposition.
.Dr. WESTLAND MARSTON j rose to order, as the
report had been withdrawn.
Mr. R. BELL said that the report not only did a
great many things which they ought not to do, but
left undone a good many things which they ought
to do. (Hear, hear.) It was requisite that some
steps should be taken to liberate them from such
mistakes in future. (Hear.) They must reorganise
the movement upon a totally different basis, or
abandon it altogether. (Hear, and No.)
Air. DIXON pressed upon those present that there
was some important business to transact. The meet-
ing was technically adjourned for the consideration
of the report ; it was substantively adjourned on the
general transactions of the day. It was therefore
extremely desirable that they should end the
discussion. The course taken was for the best,
and he thought that it should be clearly un-
derstood that this movement was not at all hostile
to the one in Stratford. (Hear, hear.) On the
contrary, it was quite the reverse. He begged to
move, as an amendment to Mr. Martin's proposition
that they pass on to the business of the day.
Mr. CHARLES READE seconded the amendmen,
and in doing so said he for one did not think that
the document was to have been sent out to the world,
and it was unfortunate that it appeared in the
columns of the newspapers. (Hear, hear.) He
regretted that there had been imported into this