The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-03 00:00:00

The Crusade against the Music Halls.

Mr. Roberts, the solicitor to the metropolitan managers
of theatres licensed by the Lord Chamberlain, applied to
Mr. Elliott, at the. Lambeth police-court, for a summons,
under the 7th section of the 6th and 7th Victoria, cap. 68,
an act for regulating theatres, against the manager and
directors of the Oxford and Canterbury Music Halls, for a
violation of the provisions of the said act at the latter place
of amusement.

Mr. Roberts slid that a proceeding had been taken at this
court some days before, under another section of the same
act, and the result merely stood over for the final judgment
of his worship's colleague, the Hon. G. C. Norton. The
proceedings in that case were taken under the 2d section of
the act for keeping a place of public resort for the public
performances of stage plays without authority, or having
the necessary license from the Lord Chamberlain, which
offence rendered the proprietors of such house or place
liable to a penalty not exceeding £2O for every day on
which such house or
place was kept open.
Mr. Elliott said he understood from what he had heard
of the case that no decision had yet been given by Mr.
Norton, and he therefore thought it would be desirable that
judgment in the case of the former summons should be
delivered before a second summons was taken out.

Mr. Roberts replied that a decision had been virtually
given, as Mr. Norton did not hesitate to say that he was
sorry to be obliged to extinguish the brilliant light of
" Hodge Podge," and had only deferred passing judgment
to give time to Mr. Morton to apply to the Lord Chamber-
lain for a license. The object of his (Mr. Roberts') appli-
cation on the present occasion was for a summons under
another section of the act, namely, the 7th, for permitting
a stage play to be performed without the sanction or license
of the Lord Chamberlain, for which offence the proprie-
tors of the place would be liable to a penalty not exceed-
ing £5O a day. In the course of the proceedings on the
other summons it was given in evidence and sworn to by
Mr. Donne that "Hodge Podge" was a stage play, and
must, if intended for presentation at any of the licensed
theatres, have been submitted to him for his opinion be-
fore its performance. This being the case he (Mr. Ro-
berts) apprehended. there would be no difficulty of proof
that " Hodge Podge" was a stage play.
Mr. Elliott asked if this application was made on behalf
of the Lord Chamberlain.
Mr. Roberts would not say that he appeared there ex
officio on behalf of the Lord Chamberlain, though he had
no hesitation to mention the fact that he had been to his
office on the day before. The parties on whose behalf he
appeared were the gentlemen the lessees and managers of
the metropolitan theatres.
Mr. Elliott, after carefully looking over the Act of Par-
liament on the subject, granted the summons as requested.

THE GARRICK CLUB.—The Telegraph says :
" To mark their sense of the slight put upon an esteemed
friend, whom they had proposed and seconded, but whom
the elective committee had blackballed, Mr. Chas. Dickens
and Mr.Wilkie Collins have retired from the Garrick Club."
ARMY AND POLICE IN INDIA.—A return made up
at the India-office states there are in India 68,336 Euro-
pean troops—that is, non-commissioned officers and men
114,833 native troops—namely, 17,490 cavalry, 2,052 artil-;
lery, and 95,291 infantry ; 154,435 native police, 5,445
other native organised levies, and 14,347 contingents of
native princes. The totals are 58,336 European troops, and
289,060 native troops and police.