The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-30 00:00:00

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N T 4.; WSPAPER

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I\-, Meeting of the Proprietor or - r '1) .u 19.1
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Theatre,
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PRICE 4d.
STAMPED sd.

On Saturday the annual general meeting was held
in the saloon of the theatre to receive the reports of
the committee, and of Mr. 0. Marsh Nelson, archi-
tect to the company of proprietors, to fill up the
vacancies in the Committee caused by the retirement
of six members who go out by rotation, to elect an
auditor, and for other purposes. Mr. Joseph Arden
was called to the chair.

places is in a disgusting condition with respect to the
water and the deposit along its banks. Indeed,
the evidence in this respect gives most abundant
proof that our rivers are every where being silted
up by deposits of cinders and sewage, and that
nobody interferes, the reason, in many cases being,
according to the evidence of Mr. Torn Taylor, the
secretary of the LOcal Government Board (3,897),
that the persons who create the nuisance are
themselves members of the local Boards whose
duty it is to conserve them. That it is a nuisance at
Common Law to discharge sewage into a river has
been decided, but where it is only a public nuisance
there is no .one to put the law into operation. When,
hoWever, direct injury is done to the property of any
Individual, local boards can be restrained from pol-
luting streams by injunction. Indeed, several Boards
of Health have been stopped in this manner. At Ux-
bridge, for instance, Col. Tower obtained an injunc-
tion against the Board for poisoning his fish in the
river Coln with the sewage; at Hitchin the local
Board was restrained in a similar manner, and so
terrified were the members at the penalties threa-
tened by the law that they resigned, and there is
now no Board in the town. At Croydon theßoard
have suffered six or seven injunctions, and have been
so embarrassed with their sewage that they have ab-
solutely been forced to do. what they should have
tione in the first instance, and which has made them
the example to every other town in England—they
have turned it on to the land at a profit! When we
remember that every farmer is compelled by his lease
-to -consume-upon hits ,1an41441,- tbjx..ukookre4gochlood

The CHAIRMAN said that those who had for many
years attended the annual assembly of the proprie-
tors were best aware of the progress that the theatre
had made in the estimation of the public, and to the
patronage and success which had attended it was
owing the increased dividend they had received. He .
thought they might congratulate themselves on
having so enterprising fi lessee, and another gentle-
man associated with him, who had displayed an
amount of zeal and industry never surpassed in the
manageinent of the theatre. There was another
matter which was also deserving of notice, inasmuch
as for years the regular drama had notbeen witnessed
in that theatre, the lessee had made it profitable by
restoring this temple, hitherto famed throughout
the world, to its proper and legitimate objects.
The SECRETARY then read the advertisement con-
vening the meeting, and afterwards the following
report of the committee :

" The accounts for the last 12 months ending Dec. 31,
1864, duly audited, and the annual report of the architect,
are submitted to the general assembly. The receipts, in-
cluding the balance of £1;534 14s. 7d. on the 31st Dec.,
1862, amount to £6,918 3s. ld. The payments amount to
£5,583 18s. 5d., leaving a balance of £1,334 ss. 3d. The
receipts comprise the sum of ..£4,500 from the lessees for
rent of the theatre, and a further sum of £lOO for extra
formances during the season of 1863.4. The payments com-
prise the sum of £1,661 is. 2d. for five quarters' rent to the
Duke of Bedford, and £760 4s. sd. for rates and taxes. The
sum of £1,950 has been paid to the trustees of new renters,
and all the ordinary current expenses of the 12 months
have been paid up to Christmas-day, The committee refer
with pleasure to the continued success of the lessees, and
feel-sestered that, the„generat,misembiaLwni

upon it, it does seem extraordinary that a reverse —rTr
should obtain when human beings are concerned. And
we think we are justly open to the reproach cast
upon us by Liebig, who accuses us of wilfully cast-
ing forth into the ocean those fertilising elements
we have drawn not only from our own "fields, but
from those of Europe and the whole world. But
Croydon, we say, has solved the difficulty Bramah
has slowly brought about, by the introduction of the
water-closet. His invention emptied the cesspools
into the rivers, and for a time robbed the land, for
of old their contents were returned to it in a very
disgusting and costly manner. His invention now
enables the sewage to carry itself on to the land. At
Croydon, being stopped by injunction from throw-
ing the sewage into the Wandle, the local Board
leased 240 acres of land at £4 an acre, turned
their sewage upon it, and relet it for £5 an acre.
Thus they make a clear profit of £240 a year, and
enormous crops are got off the land, which serves as
a pattern card, as it were, to the surrounding farmers
of the value of sewage. Moreover, there appears to
be good reason to believe that at least another hun-
dred acres may be profitably employed, considering
the heavy dressings placed on the land by the pre-
sent tenant. This would yield £340 a year, which
would go in diminution of the rates. It is true that
Croydon is favourably situated for the distribution
of its sewage, as it stands on a height, and it can
therefore be distributed by means of simple gravita-
tion ; but there are hundreds of towns in England
just as favourably placed ; and with this example
before their eyes, of turning this heretofore consi-
dered public nuisance into a source of profit, it is
really disgraceful that they should any longer pollute
our rivers with it. The importance of the principle
of placing entire watersheds under the control of
some central Board is most clearly set forth in the
evidence published in the volume before us, but there
appears to be a very general agreement of opinion that
the functions of Boards appointed for such catchment
basins should be merely to supervise the action of
the local Boards within their district, and to enforce
obedience to the law, leaving the necessary works to
be carried out by the local Boards alone. In short,
that fear of centralisation which is ever before the
eyes of Englishmen, and which has led to evils
almost as great in some cases as those it wishes to
avoid, is clearly evinced by all those who have
given evidence upon this very important subject.
The Committee, in their Report, have embodied
their opinions upon it in the following paragraph :

with satisfaction the report of the architect upon the condi-
tion of the property."
Mr. MARSH NELSON, the architect, read the fol-
lowing report :
" My Lords and Gentlomen,—ln addition to the ordinary
affairs of the theatre, the following works have been done
during the past year, namely, the reconstruction of a por-
tion of the Main Northern Longitudinal Sewer, which had
given way; the rebuilding of the property-rooms,chimney
stacks, and the fence walls on the southern side next
Vinegar-yard. Two houses on the estate, Nos. 16 and 17,
Marquis-court, have been thoroughly repaired, and the
ground landlord (the Duke of Bedford) has converted the
two houses into three, and effected other permanent im-
provements, at his own cost. The result will be an increase
of rental to the proprietors for the remaining term of the
lease. By direction of the sub-committee, I prepared in
March last valuations of the theatre and properties, and
gave evidence at an appeal before the Property-tax Com-
missioners. A reduction of £B4B was obtained in the amount
of the assessment, and a proportionate annual saving will
thus be effected. The monthly report from the firemen
shows that the fire-cocks and apparatus throughout the
theatre for the prevention and extinction of fire are in good
working order, and I have the satisfaction to state that the
lessee (Mr. Falconer) has faithfully carried out the instruc-
tions of the sub-committee, referred to in my last report as
having been highly approved by the inspectors of theatres of
the Lord Chamberlain's department, in removing all barriers
and keeping open all doors of exit communicating with the
various fire-proof corridors and staircases, and in guarding
all exposed lights, both before and behind the curtain.
These precautions, especially the latter one, add to the
security of the property, as well as to the safety of the public.

On the motion of Mr. RAWLINSON, the report
was agreed to.

" We recommend that the important object of completely
freeing the entire basins of rivers from pollution should be
rendered p ossible by general legislative enactment, enabling
the inhabitants of such entire districts to adopt some con-
trolling power for that purpose; but it should include a pro-
vision for compelling local boards to render the sewage of
their districts innocuous by application to the land for agri-
cultural purposes. The case of the valley of the Thames
(where the purification of the river has been sought by the
expenditure of enormous sums, is, to a considerable extent,
counteracted by the increased discharge of sewage from
towns higher up the stream) requires special and imme-
diate attention."

Mr. BURTON moved that the report be adopted.

Mr. ROBINS seconded the motion.

Mr. SHARPE said before the chairman put the mo-
tion he wished to make a few remarks. He wanted to
know if he was right when he said that two quarters'
ground rent were owing to the Duke of Bedford?
The CHAIRMAN said it was paid up to Midsummer.
Mr. SHARPE said it appeared that they had in
hand a balance of £1,334 ss. 3d., and, such being
the case, he begged to repeat what he said at the
last annual meeting, and to express his opinion that
they ought to get out of debt when they had the
means. As they had a sufficient sum in hand, he
thought they ought to pay off the two quarters'
ground rent they were in arrear to the Duke of Bed-
ford, and so get out of debt, and especially as they
would then have in hand a sum sufficient to meet
the ordinary requirements of the committee. He
moved that the two quarters' rent in arrear be paid
to the Duke of Bedford.

Mr. PYEFINCH seconded the motion. He had ex-
pressed the same opinion at their last meeting, and
he was surprised that the suggestion had not been
acted upon by the committee. At a subsequent meet-

ing of the renters, who were only 'interested in the
finances of the theatre, there was a unanimous feeling

that this debt should be paid off. As the committee
had a sufficient sum in hand for the purpose, he was
surprised that they had not done so.

The CHMRMAN said it would be better that he
should give some little explanation of the matter,
as it might save some misconception and discussion.
It was true that at the last meeting the hon.
gentleman moved a resolution almost similar to
the one he then offered to the meeting. At the
meeting of the new renters a resolution was passed,
and the committee stated that they would, as far as
their views were sound, endeavour to carry them,
and to some extent they had carried them out. Any
suggestion from the new renters would always be
received with courtesy, and as far as was consistent
with the protection of all the interests concerned

they would endeavour to carry it out. In 1863 they
paid four quarters' rent, and in the last year, fall-

ing in with the suggestion to which he had referred
and having a large balance in hand, they paid five
quarters' rent instead of four, and thus brought
down their arrears to a lower amount than was ever
known in the memory of anyone in that room. In-
stead, therefore, of being admonished for not having
done more, they expected to have received credit for
their prudence. Supposing their balance at their
bankers should be reduced by the amount suggested,
and any serious calamity should occur, how would
they be placed ? They would have to pay the rent,
taxes, fire brigade, besides payments which were re-
quired to be made monthly and quarterly, and if
anything were to occur to interrupt the prosperity
of the lessees, and they had no money to go on, the
hon. gentleman would not like to be called upon to
put his hand in his pocket to meet the current ex-
penses. Although they had paid the Duke of Bed-
ford five quarters' rent, they had made also an
addi-
tion to his income of the renters, for it was treble
over what it was ten years ago. Things were pro-
gressing, and their prosperity was most unaccount-
able, for property which a short time ago was of the
value of £B,OOO at a sale by auction was now worth
from £50,000 to £60,000. The increased sum of
money which had been paid to the Duke of Bedford
was a proof of the earnestness and independent zeal
and anxiety of the committee, but they must exer-
cise some discretion. Any
suggestion offered, as far
llow, would be adopted and
followed up, and as they had
as prudence would a done in the past • 2,0
they would do in the future.
Mr. SHARPE said the chairman had made a capi-
talt it was only a piece of special
speech, buplead-
ing after all.. He contended that if th
means ofout of
getting
_. debt they the had the
ought to do so.
There was
.no complaint that their rent was not
regularly paid, and as they had the means of get-
ting outso of debt to their grou landlord they ought
to do .. n d

The CHAIRMAN said the facts were not as the hon.
gentleman had stated. If they paid the Duke of
Bedford they had an outstanding debt of £270 to
pay for the repairs of the 'dilapidation of two houses,
and they would then not have enough money in
hand at their bankers to carry on if the lessee was
not to
pay his rent.
Lord W. LENNOX was about offering some obser-
vations, when the chairman ruled that he was out of
order.
The motion was then put, and negatived by a
large majority, and the report was received and
adopted.
The six members of the committee who went out
of office by rotation—viz., Mr. Holmes, Lord Win.
Lennox, Mr. H. Wilson, Mr. O'Dowd, Mr. Arabia,
and Mr. Bond Cabbell—were then re-elected.
The following gentlemen were re-elected as the
sub-committee :—Mr. Joseph Arden, Mr. B. B.
Cabbell, Sir W. De Bathe, Mr. T. Rawlinson, and
Mr. T. Waring.
Mr. Crombie was re-elected auditor, and thanks
were voted to the auditors for their services.
A vote of thanks to the chairman and to Mr.
.Falconer, the lessee, closed the proceedings.