The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 0, 1864.

of opinion that the emigration had nothing whatever
to do with political or religions questions. Nor had it any-
thing to do with the land question. It simply resulted be-
cause it was impossible for the vast number 0, a e cultural
labourers in Ireland to procure remunerative employment.
The condition of agricultural labourers in Ireland was year
by year improving, and there had been a vast increase in all
the social comforts of life in the homes of the r oorer classes.
The prospects of the country were, upon the whole, satisfac-
tory. As for Ulster being more prosperous than the other
provinces, it should be remembered that flax was cultivated in
Ulster to the value of four millions sterling; and this was
manufactured into linen goods worth about twenty-five
millions. He was glad to find there was a movement set on
foot for extending the flax culture into the other provinces.
He believed that the prospects of the coming year were full
of promise, and he thought that Ireland would soon recover
from the depression which the last two or three seasons
had occasioned.
Mr. BENTINCK wished to ask whether the vast amount
of emigration was not the result of the financial policy of
1846. It had been said that the famine had been the cause of
the exodus; but, if such were the case, how was it that
emigration continued at a time when, according to the right
hon. baronet, the country was in a state of comparative
prosperity? Among the few things they had learnt from
the discussion on the address was, that a great and por-
tentous quarrel was now going on in Europe, all the par-
ties concerned in which were in the wrong. The chief
cause of the quarrel was the development of liberal
principles, which always led to anarchy and revolution.
If the Government were sincere in the desire to preserve
peace in Europe, they should abstain from availing them-
selves of every possible opportunity to stimulate anarchy
and revolution. He would not discuss the wording of
Earl Russell's despatches in reply to the Fr.-nch proposal
for a congress; but he must say ho thought the noble earl
could have taken no other course than that of rejecting the
proposal. He believed that the proposal of a congress had
been rightly described as a proposal for the assembling of a
large number of persons in order to decide what they were
to quarrel about. He joined in the regret that no allusion
had been made in the speech to American affairs, or to the
conduct of the Federal Government upon recent occasions
towards this country. They ought also to have been told
how much longer that paper blockade, which was every day
becoming a greater farce, was to be endured ; and the in-
tentions of the Government with respect to recent outrages
1 upon the British flag. Much had been said on the front
honchos as to the threateninet tone assumed by Earl Rus-
sell, and to his doing nothing; but the blame of that must
be shared by the House of Commons. If the noble earl
was wrong in giving utterance to vain threats, what was to
be said of a House of Commons which night atter night
could discuss the propriety of embarking in a great war, at
a time when they had neither troops nor ships sufficient for
home defence. If they meant to place themselves in a posi-
tion to enforce their advice in the councils of Europe, the
first thing they must do was to put the naval and military
forces of the country on a footing to enable them to give
effect to their words. Would they not learn a lesson from
the precipitation with which they rushed into the ill-ad-
vised declaration of war against Russia ? In consequence
of that precipitation the narrative of the Crimean war must
ever stand as one of the darkest chapters in the history of
England. Nothing but the bulldog courage of the Eng-
lish army in the Crimea saved it from destruction. But
they had no right to expose a band of heroes to such
fearful odds—to send a band of 20,000 or 30,000 men to be
massacred on the continent of Europe in order to maintain
the honour of England. Were they going to repeat that
insane proceeding of the Crireean war? Were they going
to embark in a great war in the present state of their army ?
Before doing so they must get rid stf the cheeseparing
policy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer 7ith respect to
the army, and of the counsels of the peace-at-nny-price
party and of the member for Birmingham (Mr. Brig:29.
As for the navy, they had merely skips enough, at the very
utmost, to protect our ports and our commerce abroad ; but
none for the blockade of foreign ports. And yet, at such a
moment, there were rumours afloat of the intention of the
Government to reduce our armaments. If they did so, he
could only say that a commission de lunrtieo inquirendo,
of which they had heard so much recently, should be ex-
tended to the Treasury Bench. The Government were still
undecided, as to the question of war or peace; but they were
bound to tell the house before the discussion closed how, in
the event of their deciding upon war, they proposed to carry
on warlike operations, and to give an assurance that the best
blood of the country would not be again sacrificed through
a shortsighted policy.
Mr. WHI TE said that any one who had read the de- 1
spatch of Admiral Kuper must feel perfectly astonished at
the doctrine proclaimed in the Royal Speech, namely, that
the destruction of Kagosima arose from inadvertency. He
referred to that subject now, as he believed the resolution
of which the hon. member member for Maidst one (Mr.
Buxton) had given notice to be quite innocuous. Although
Mr. Richardson, who was murdered, was a personal friend
of his, he did not think the security of British life and pro•
perty abroad was best secured by such high-handed pro-
ceedings as had been undertaken in Japan. Generally
speaking, it was the non-fighting men who were to blame
for them. They might be sure it was not Admiral Kuper,
but Colonel Neale, the Minister, who instigated the cala-
mity of Kagosima. With respect to Poland, the least they
should have done was to have withdrawn the British am-
bassador from St. Petersburg; and he saw no reason why
they did not accept the Emperor's offer to enter a congress.
This policy of mutual distrust had led to en augmentation
of armies much greater than during the great continental
wars of the First Napoleon. When he remembered as one
of the reasons for the proposed congress that the Emperor
Napoleon pointed out that it would lead to a mutual dis-
armament, and when he remembered how the right hon,
gentleman the member for Bucks had descanted on our
" bloated armaments," and when it seemed desirable that
some understanding should be come to with respect to the
reduction of our armies, he might say that it was with some
feeling of regret that he saw a proposition so reasonable re-
jected *in the manner it was. He regretted that no refer-
ence to reform had been made in the Royal Speech ; and that
the people outside, who said those within the house were
political Pharisees, must unfortunately knock at the door
and make themselves disagreeable before they received at-
tention at the hands of this house. (Hear.) He trusted
that when those measures of reform which would be intro-
duced by his hon, friend the member for Leeds and his hon.
friend the member for Surrey were brought forward, this
house in its moribund state would treat the question in a
better manner than it did in the days of its youth.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND regret-
ted that the sympathy exhibited so remarkably last night
and on the present occasion, in the cause of Ireland, was
not shown when circumstances would more have justified
the exhibition of it. He defended the Lord Chancellor of
Ireland from the attacks that had been made upon him,
and said that never in his experience did he hear strictures
more unfounded. The Lord Chancellor was always a true
and genuine Liberal; he was the friend of Daniel O'Con-
nell, and it was true that he had subscribed to a statue to
O'Connell, who was one of the ablest supporters of the
Liberal party that ever appeared in that house. He (the
Attorney-General) had subscribed to that statue. (Hear,
hear.) Men of all shades of opinion in Ireland had
subscribed to that statue; and he said that the attack
made upon the Lord Chancellor of Ireland was unworthy
of his right hon. friend. One charge made was that a young
man, the son of the Lord Chancellor, had written some
anonymous letters under the title of "An Old Tory" to an
Irish newspaper; and in a discussion before the House of
Commons, and in a discussion affecting the character of a
man who had stood high in his profession for many years,
his right hon. friend was not afraid to put before the
house the absurd act of that clerk, the son of the Lord
Chancellor of Ireland. God help them if a man was to
answer in that house and before the world for the acts of his
subordinates. As to the general question, no one felt more
deeply than he the miseries of his own poor countrymen.
Their sufferings during the last few years had been very
great indeed. It had been said that emigration was an
economic necessity ; but ho believed the true explanation of
the continuance of that emigration was duo to the strength
of that family affection which once bound the Irish people
to their own soil, and which now led them away to that
country where their nearest and dearest had gone before
them. Ireland was at this moment, had been for a long
time, and would be for a long time to come, in a state of
transition, and in thut transition emigration and suffering
were painful phases. Only for some quarter of a century
—a very little incident in the life of a nation—had Ireland
been entirely tree from the calamities which the misgovern-
ment of centuries and the domination of faction always
caused. (Hear.) In that period intelligence had ben more
widely diffused than ever it was before; they had had the
removal of an insolvent proprietary, and they had had the
way opened to them for the simplification and security of
tenure. They had had just laws, justly administered by im-
partial judges commanding the confidence of the people of
Ireland as it never was commanded before, when the laws
were administered adversely to them, and contrary to their
_interests. (Hear.) The strength of her religious feeling was
unexampled in the world, and he believed that for Ireland,
suffering as she was, depressed as she was, there was yet to
be a happy and blessed future. The people were saving their
earnings,. and he could tell the house, with great respect,
what his right hon. friend did not tell the house, that there
was not a ,country in the world at this moment so free from
t a sh
st,htehak
t.47,,idtehmo
uogfh rtheelraen d
were( now
hear.)
them
thHene
otoultd.
crimeth em
raangde s
there,i n egl
ea
nn
edr, aal ilyt htohuega he
wereagrarian
etim acreep
present,up
crime
eedd—id
all events—by a sense of real
and
personal wrong. That
crime was local—they might hope that crime was excep-
tional, and that the normal condition of Ireland was that
of peace, order, and amity. (Una., hear.)
Mr. WHITESIDE, on the right hon. gentleman re-
suming his seat, rose to offer some explanation, but was
called to order.
Mr. P. HENNESSY objected to the statement that the
Government of Lord Derby had never promoted any of
their political opponents, citing several instances in which
that had been done during their brief tenure of office. The
right hon. gentleman had defended the Lord Chancellor of
Ireland for being a party man. What would be said if the
English Government selected men for promotion to the
bench merely because they were party men? Neither the
bar nor the public would allow it; yet in Ireland it was the
practice to select only Whigs. The (Notion of tho promo-

tion of the bar was, however, but a petty question cora-

pared to the real question at issue—that of the state of I ro-
land. The people of Ireland would be surprised when they
heard that the right hon. gentleman designated the pre-

sent state of Ireland—where his fellow-countrymen were

being driven off the face of the earth—as one in a
state of transition. The right hon. gentleman had

stated, also, that there were just laws in Ireland ; but
how came it that, every session, the table of that house
was loaded with petitions from the people of Ireland

complaining of the Irish poor law and of the law regu-
lating public instruction ? They asked to be put on an
equal footing with their fellow-subjects in England with
respect to those laws. He complained that, with the
exception of the right hon. gentleman (the Attorney-
General for Ireland) there was no one in connection with
the Irish Government that really knew anything about Ire-
land. Under these circumstances, it was not surprising
that the people of Ireland were discontented. One of the
largest proprietors had recently told him that, from all the
reports he had gathered, he had come to the painful con-
clusion that Ireland never had been so much disaffected to
the British Government as it was at the present moment.
The right hon. gentleman had told them of the just laws
and of the perfect harmony which prevailed in Ireland, but
ho had avoided one great topic of interest, that of the tenure
of land. That was a question which, with the other two he
had mentioned, lay at the root of the disaffection of Ireland.
Lord Derby's Government had introduced a tenant right
bill, which, if it had passed, would have checked the depo-
pulation of the country—that destruction of the people
which the right hon. gentleman called a state of transition.
Mr. Stuart Mill said that a Government who saw people
dying off and steadily declining in numbers was tried and
condemned, He had shown, by pointing to the wishes of
the people and to the state of the law, that the Government
was tried and condemned on two points, while on the more
vital point of the flight of the people from Ireland the con-
demnation was even more emphatic. In conclusion, the
hon. member denied that the Catholic party and Liberalism
went together in Ireland, citing, as a proof, the opposition
which that party had shown to mixed education, and to the
alteration in the marriage laws, and all other measures
characteristic of Liberalism,

Sir P. O'BRIEN objected to the attempt to bolster up an
unholy alliance between the Catholics in Ireland and the
Conservative party—men who for years had opposed every-
thing calculated to promote the interests of the Irish
Catholics, whether as regarded reform, social improvement,
or the tenure of land.
Mr. HADFIELD wished to know how far the commis-
sion referred to in the Queen's speech was to extend,
the object of which was declared to be the relief of the
clergy of the United Church of England and Ireland from
subscription. It was a fact that many men were ap-
pointed to livings who held doctrines incompatible with the
conditions of their appointment. He wanted to know whe-
ther the object of the commission was that the doctrines of
the Church of England should be taught and believed by
persons appointed to teach those doctrines, or whether
they were to be at liberty, like Dr. Colenso, to hold any
principles they pleased.
Sir G. GREY said he was happy to relieve the hon.
gentleman from any fears respecting the commission. The
principal object of the commission was to remove the un-
certainty which at present existed, and to secure a greater
agreement among the clergy upon the doctrines of the
Church. He might also state, for the satisfaction of his
hon. friend, that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners would
shortly issue a report, which would be laid before Parlia-
ment, showing how funds accruing from ecclesiastical re-
venue could be made available in increasing the amount of
Church livings at present very inadequate.
Mr. W. E. DUNCOMBE wished to say a few words
about the state of foreign relations, which appeared to him
to be in a very critical state. He would not refer to the
question of reform, but leave it to be settled between hon.
-entlemen opposite and the Government. The Govern-
ment had adopted the policy of non-intervention in the
case of America, and he concurred in that policy, but he
thought their neutrality was one-sided. In the case of
Poland they departed from their policy of non-interven-
tion, and urged certain points upon the Emperor of Russia
for the regulation of Poland, He thought after the state-
ment of the Chancellor of the Exchequer last year, that
the Government should take some steps, in conjunction
with the Powers of Europe, for putting an end to the cala-
mitous war in America. He differed from his hon. friend
the member for Norfolk (Mr. Bentinck) with regard to the
course taken by the Government respecting the proposed
European congress. As to the Dano-German difficulty, he
considered that Denmark could n,t, consistently with her
dignity, yield to the demands of the German Powers.
The report was then agreed to.
The house adjourned at a quarter to nine o'clock,

ho isen.2flts they might from the existing lines.
Excessive tolls and other impediments frequently
prevented that free intercommunication between
neighbouring railways which the vast and increas•
ins traffic demanded. The removal of those impedi-
ments by the intervention of some external influence
was necessary. The execution of one half of the
proposed undertakings the engineer believed would
render the drainage of London all but impossible.
The sewers would b 3 cut off, blocked up, diverted,
and destroyed in all directions. However great the
convenience of easy locomotion, the committee con-
ceived that the perfect drainage of a densely popu-
lated area was a yet more primary necessity. In
conclusion, the committe thought it was desirable
to complete an inner circle by connecting the Metro-
politan Railway with the Victoria and City sta-
tions ; and for minerals and heavy goods, as well as
for passenger traffic, additional lines to unite the
northern and southern systems. It was also desir-
able to connect the North Western, Great Western,
Great Northern, and Midland Railways with the
Charing-cross, South Eastern, South Western, and
other lines south of the Thames, by a carefully de-
vised project, and to separate, as far as possible,
local from through and heavy traffic, both for the
protection of the public and the regularity of the
traffic.

On the motion for the adoption of the above re-
port a long discussion took place, and eventually it
was referred back to the committee for reconsidera-
tion, the question of new railways to be discussed
by the board at a future time.
Some other business having been transacted, the
board adjourned.

The Accidents in Theatre%

A deputation of the theatrical managers of the metro.
polls, specially convened by the Lord Chamberlain, attended
at his office yesterday at 12 o'clock, to confer with him on
the subject of the late lamentable accidents from fire, by
which an unfortunate ballet girl lately lost her life. The
selitlemen who attendefl were Mr 'Webster, Mr E. T. Smith,
Mr E. J. James, Mr Emden, Mr Nelson Lee, Mr Barnett
(for Mr Fechter), Mr Bishop (for Mrs Selby), Mr Doug-
lass, Mr Lane, Mr Brydon, Mr M. Abrahams, Mr R.
Edgar, Mr George Vining, Mr F. Fenton, Mr M'Gee (for
Mr Mapleson), Mr V. Haz,2lton, Mr and Mrs Swanborough,
Mr Falconer, Mr Chatterton, Messrs Frampton and Fen-
ton, Mr Conquest, Mr Cave, and Mr T. Canipbell. Mr
Buckstone and Mr W. Harrison were unavoidably absent.
The deputation being introduced,
His LORDSHIP said-1 have asked you to meet me here
in consequence of the late accidents by fire at the theatres;
also in consequence of a letter from the Coroner for Middle-
sex relative to the accident to and death of the columbine
at the Pavilion Theatre. Perhaps I had better read that
letter to you :
Coroner's office, 23, Spital-square, Feb, 4.
Sir—At an inquest I held on the 29th ult. at the London
Hospital on the body of a young woman, the columbine at
the Pavilion Theatre, who lost her life in consequence of
her dress taking fire during the performance, the jury have
requested me to address you on the subject, and to recom-
mend that in future the dress of ballet dancers should be
rendered uninflammable, and that all ground lights should
be protected, in which I concur.—l have the honour to be
your most obedient servant,
J. HUMPHREYS, Coroner for Middlesex.
To the Right Hon. the Lord Chamberlain.
You are aware that on the occasion of the accident at the
Princess's last spring I called the attention of the managers
to it by a circular. The two points to which I now wish to
call your attention are—first, the covering of the ground-
lights or footlights; secondly, the means of enforcing upon
the ballet girls the use of a preparation, like the s lution of
potash, to prevent their dresses catching fire. I wishto call
on you, gentlemen, to offer any observations which you may
have to make on those points.
Mr. EMDEN said he was afraid that employing such a
solution would be useless. In fact, at the Olympic they had
used it, but unfortunately the underclothing of the ballet
girls not being also rendered uninflammable, the precaution
was useless.
Mr. E. T. SMITH said that the great difficulty was that
theatrical managers had not control enough over the girls
employed at the theatre to make them observe the precautions
taken for their safety. As far as Astley's Theatre was con-
cerned they could not go within three feet of the footlights.
The LORD CHAMBERLAIN—Suppose we made it compul-
sory to adopt the use of these solutions ?
Mr. E. T. SMITH—Then they would not get engage-
ments.
The LORD CHAMBERLAIN—I have received several let-
ters, one from a magistrate, suggesting that there should be
legislation on the subject. I only wish to point out to yon
what is the feeling of the public mind in this respect.
Mr. NELSON Line said that the order issued by his lord-
ship on the occasion of the last accident he knew had been
faithfully observed—namely, to have water-pots at each
side, blankets and guards to the float and foot of the theatre,
as well as other guards. That, he thought, was as far as
managers could go. They gave every possible order to the
ballet girls to keep clear from the ground rows.
The LORD CHAMBERLAIN suggested that in the event of
another accident the jury might make the manager respon-
sible, and bring in a verdict of manslaughter against him.
Mr. E. T. SMITH said he believed there were more acci-
dents from fire in private houses in proportion than at
;heatres. _ _ _

Mrs. SWANBOROTIGII said that at the strand Theatre
they had water ready on each side of the stage, wet blankets
and firemen always in attendance, besides the gas men. There
was, besides, protection from the fanlights, and, in event
of having a ballet, wirework in front of every other light.
The LouD CHAMBERLAIN pointed out that it was from
the ground lights that the greatest danger arose.
Mr. B. WEBSTER said that if the ballet attended to the
orders that were given it was quite impossible for them to
come in contact with fire, 'out it was impossible to make the
girls obey these orders. There were grou4 pieces placed
round all ground lights to mask them, and the ballet had no
business to get over these ground pieces, which were _gene-
rally 18 inches in height, It was doing so that caused the
recent death of the columbine, She had gone where she
had positive orders not to go, and had been cautioned night
after night as to the probable consequences.
Mr. CAVE—The underclothing of the ballet is in their
own care, so that rendering the skirt =inflammable is of
itself useless.
The LORD CHAMBERLAIN—But is it not the dress which
catches fire ?
Mr. B. WEBSTERe—No ; it is
generally the under petti-
coats. They generally, instead of wearing crinoline, have
13 or 14 gauze petticoats.
Mr, CAVE produced a printed circular which he had
printed and posted behind the scenes of his theatre (Margie-
bone), calling attention to the recent accidents and to the
rules and regulations for the ballet, imposing fines and in
some cases instant dismissal for infractions by which those
offending would place themselves in danger of catching fire.
lie said that during the present season he had discharged
several girls for not obeying those instructions.
Mr, WEBSTER and Mr. ROBBY explained the nature of
the lights used at their respective theatres, and the pre-
cautions taken to prevent the girls' dresses taking fire ; the
former gentleman saying that all managers were most
anxious to prevent such accidents. He had even adopted
the plan of sending them up to their dressing-rooms as soon
as they were off the stage.
Mr. JOHN DOUGLAS exhibited a model of the arrange-
ment of the lights at the pavilion Theatre, and pointed out
the position and guards to the lights. On another sugges-
tion being made as to the comparative infrequency of such
accidents at theatres as compared with private houses,
The LORD CHAMBERLAIN observed that the public took
no notice of what occurred at private houses, but they
would take notice of what occurred at places of pubic
amusement, and therefore it was his duty, if accidents oc-
curred, to call attention to the fact, with a view to prevent
their recurrence.
Mr. FALCONER and Mr. BISHOP deprecated the idea of
legislation on the subject as futile, and because it might
lead to encroachments which would interfere with managers
in the legitimate conduct of their business.
Reference being made to the models, Mr. Webster, Mr,
E. T. Smith, and other gentlemen explained the different
systems of lighting adopted in their respective theatres and
the precautions taken to prevent accidents.
Mr. E. T. SMITH said he was sure that both theatrical
managers and the public would feel greatly indebted to his
lordship for the great interest he had shown, and for his
extreme desire to prevent those accidents by calling the
attention of managers again to the subject. His lordship
had heard from the different gentlemen present the extreme
difficulty experienced in inducing the girls to keep out of
danger; he would therefore suggest that a circular should be
sent by his lordship, which, being posted behind the scenes
of the different theatres, all engaged there might read. That
would be a caul ion which probably might greatly assist the
efforts of managers, while it would exonerate his lordship
from any supineness in the matter.
Reverting again to the question of rendering the clothing
=inflammable the Lord Chamberlain said he supposed
managers could have no control over the under dresses of
the ballet girls.
This was at once affirmed by all present, and it was
pointed out that it was generally the under clothing which
first took fire. With respect to the solutions for rendering
muslin and tarlatan =inflammable, it wasp ointed out that
its effect was not durable, Mrs. Si,vanborough stating that
it did not last more than a fortnight.
Mr. VINING said he had purchased all his tarlatans where
they were advertised as having been steeped, and gave an
instance of the carelessness of a ballet girl passing close to a
dangerous light the moment the gas- man's back was turned,
both being at once fined for the offence.
Some further conversation deprecating legislation then
took place, Mr. Bishop pointing out the difficulty that en-
actments which would suit the arrangements in large
theatres would be useless for small ones,
Mr. Wet,szen, and other gentlemen again expressed their
conviction that every possible care was taken.
The LORD aa.od whether it would In

practicable, if he issued a circular to have all outer gar-
ments rendered uninffammable, to carry out such a sug.ges-

Mr. FRAMPTON observed that he had provided the ladicF
of his ballet with a solution to render their under clothing
uninflammable, and on inquiry after the lapse of a fortnight
found that none of them had used it—the girls laughing
and excusing themselves on the ground that they had not
had time.;

It was also pointed out by several gentlemen that the
solution could not be applied to silk or satin dresses, or
to dresses ornamented with gold and silver, and that even
when it was applied it was utterly useless if the undercloth-
ing was not treated in the same way.
The LORD CHAMBERLAIN then said that another pcint to
which he wished to call their attention was the question of
ingress and egress at the theatres, suggested by the late
awful occurrence at Chili.

Mr. WEBsTER said he had been very much suprisod at
the leading article in the Tunes; because a church had been
burnt they turned round at once on the theatres. It would
have been more to the purpose if they had directed attention
to the churches of this city, the doors of which were almost
hermetically sealed. Several thousand persons were some-
times in Westminster Abbey and. St. Paul's together, and
if a fire occurred it would be impossible for them to get out,
while every theatre had 10 or 12 doors which could be made
available at once for the exit of spectators. A letter had
been written on this subject about the Olympic Theatre by
some person who knew nothing of the subject. Now, he had
been assured that that theatre, when densely crowded, had
been emptied in seven minutes. In his own theatre, if afire
took place, there were five Extraordinary exits, besides large
scene doors for the entrance of scenes and machinery, all of
which could be thrown open. Besides those he had two large
doors opening outwards, through which 2,000 people bad
gone out in three or four minutes on a recent occasion on:an
alarm of fire in the next street. There was no music-hall in
London that had any such facilities for exit as theatres. He
thou e.at it unfair that such places should remain unnoticed,
and that people should turn round at once and find fault
with theatres.
Mr. SWANDOROUGTI explained the means of exit at the
Strand ; and
Mr FALCONER said the means of exit at Drury-lane were
the best in London.
The LORD CHAMIIERLAIN pointed out that he had no
control over music-halls, and then said that it would be his
duty to send them a circular on the subject of lights, and
also as regarded exits, impressing upon them that the

public would hold them responsible for future accidents.
Mr. WEBSTER, in conclusion, suggested that his lordship
should send them a letter, which they could have printed
and placed in various parts of the theatre, calling with
severity the attention of the ladies employed to the neces-
sity of care. If something of that kind were done he was
sure that managers would act upon it. But they had tried
dismissal, and in fact ho did not know anything which it
was possible to do which they had not done.
His lordship then thanked them for their attendance, and
the assembly retired.