The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-24 00:00:00

THEATRE-ROYAL GLASGO

Mr. CHARLES KEAN.—Last night we bad again the
pleasure of seeing this gentleman on the boards of our
Theatre-Royal, in his favourite character of Hamlet. Mr.
Kean's engagement, we are given to understand, will ex-
tend to eleven nights, and no more ; but if we might be
allowed to hazard an opinion from the way he was re-
ceived last night, we would say, that were he to remain here
permanently, he would give a tone to,the dramatic taste of
our fellow citizens which we are sadly in want of at the
present moment, and in his own person create a nucleus
on which would concentrate all that arc distinguished—in a
local point of view at least—in general literature, the arts,
but histrionic excellence in particular. For such, Mr.
Kean, as an actor merely, is most admirably adapted.
With the prestige of Edmund Kean's name, the
mantle of the sire sits gracefully on the shoulders of the
son. Any man would have envied the feelings with which
Mr. Kean must have been animated last night at the
enthusiastic reception he met with. It was a scene of
striking interest to witness the son standing in the attitude
of " proud humility" on the very spot in which his father
had achieved so many signal triumphs in the histrionic art.
The house was literally crammed in every part long before
the curtain drew up, and the appearance of " the observed
of all observers" was the signal for a simultaneous burst of
enthusiastic cheering and waving of hats and handkerchiefs
on the part of the audience, which for a time interrupted the
progress of the play. To enter into a formal critique of
Mr. Kean's Hamlet would now, we are afraid, be deemed
a labour of supererogation, seeing that he is the most per-
fect . representative of that character at present on the
British (we might also add European), stage ; but having a
distinct recollection of his first essay in that part here some
years ago, we are constrained to confess that his progress
towards improvement is allied to the wonderful. In all the
essential attributes he is infinitely superior—such as in the
reading of the text—in elocution—and especially in de-
livery, which is, in grace add chasteness, exceptionless.
Glasgow Courier.

CORPORATION REFORM.

CITY OF LONDON.

On Thursday evening there was a meeting of the members
,
of the City of London Corporation Reform Society, held
at their rooms in the Guildhall Coffee-house, James Han-
nen, Esq., in the chair. Mr. W. F. Rock acted as secretary.
Mr. HANNEN had, he said, to remark before commencing
their proceedings, that he had the same information to give
them as at former meetings, that the Society was making
great progress, and was now in so prosperous a situation
that, if they did not get a single member more, it was
sufficiently formidable in numbers, in respectability, and in
consequence, to go before Parliament, and demand from
the Government a redress of the wrongs endured, and the
evils suffered by the citizens of this great metropolis from
the present Corporation.—(Hear, hear.) It was pain-
ful to him, from his examination of the City accounts,
to be obliged, night after night, to bring before the So-
ciety subjects which reflected such disgrace upon the
Corporation—a Corporation that ought to be the most
liberal and enlightened in the world. The subject he
had now to call their attention to was the unworthy con-
duct pursued by the Corporation upon the visit of her Ma-
jesty to the City. It was his feeling—it was the feeling
of every member of the Society—of every man in Lon-
don, from the Lord Mayor, he was certain, down to
the humblest mechanic, that upon such an occasion as the
Queen's visit no proper expenses should be curtailed.—
( Hear, hear.) If that visit had cost, not 9,0001., but
90,0001., no man would object if it were properly and
bona fide expended in doing honour to the Queen—
( hear)—but then had they not a just right to be indig-
nant when they found that the Corporation took the op-
portunity of spending the citizens' money, not in doing
honour to the Queen, but, under that pretence of wasting
it in presents to their own officers. And yet this shameful
expenditure was sanctioned by their Common Council ;
not a word was said against it by the Liberal Common
Councilmen, who distinguished themselves by the fervency
of their expressions in favour of " civil and religious liberty,"
and their es.thusiasm for " Reform all over the globe.
He wished them to read the following table :
LIST OF PRESENTS MADE BY ORDER OF THE COMMON
COUNCIL, ON THE OCCASION OF THE QUEEN'S VISIT ON
THE 9TH NOVEMBER, AND. CHARGED IN THE GENERAL
ACCOUNT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT EXPENSES.

X s. d.
Present to Mr. Town Clerk
Present to Mr. Remembrancer
Present to his Principal Clerk
Present to Mr. Town Clerk's Principal Clerk 52 10 0
Present to Clerk of City Works and P. Montague 52 10 0
Present to Mr. Town Clerk's three Clerks
Present to Mr. Hall-keeper's First Assistant
Present to City Labourer
Present to four other Assistants l2 12 0

Present to Chamberlain's Clerk, for taking care
of the Plate • 2l 0 0
For hire of Plate on the occasion ............. 257 17 6
Present to Superintendent of Police, 5O 0 0
For Police on this occasion ...
For Platform for the Boys to view the Procession
in City of London Sch00l
For Expenses of Secretary of the School's Pupils
on this occasion

£1,275 10 0
The town-clerk, who got 521. 10s. because the Queen
went to the city, had a salary of 3,000/. and upwards.
Mr. Remembrancer, who pocketed his 52/. 10s. on the
same ground, had a salary of 2,000/. As to the clerk of _
the city works he did not know his income, but he should
like to find it out. The superintendent of the police bad
a salary of 400!., and was paid for the duty he did on the
occasion. There were, besides, the three marshalmen, the
united salaries being 1,396/. It was also worthy of re-
mark that one man was paid 21/. for taking care of plate,
and 257/. for the loan of it. But having exposed in these
items their disposition to extravagance, let him next give
them a specimen of their unparalleled meanness. They
all knew what a benefaetor to the city of London Sir
Hugh Myddelton had been.—(Hear.) That illustrious
man had done for them what they were unable to accom•
plish, aided by three Acts of Parliament—he brought a
supply of water to the city. The family of Sir Hugh
Myddelton had been reduced tp beggary-. How much did
the liberal, the expensive, the feasting, the sump-
tuous, and the magnificent corporation give to a
descendant of Sir Hugh Uyddeiton who was in
t~ ant ? He should read the item for them :—" Pen-
Ision to Jane Myddelton, a lineal descendant of Sir Hugh
Mddleton,:one shtlliug a day--181. 4s."—(Pries of " Oh,