The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1838.

SCOTTISH MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

IMPORTANT DECISION FOR,

THEATRES.

EDINBURGH.-The election of members to serve in the
Town Council took place on Tuesday, when (states the
Courant) less interest was excited than might have been ex-
pected. In two only of the five wards did a contest take
place ; and of these only one, the fourth, exhibited a close run
opposition. In -the fifth the issue was manifest from the be-
ginning, and two Tories topped the poll.
TILE CONVENERY.—On Wednesday the Deacons of the
Incorporated Trades met in the Magdalen Chapel, to choose
their Convener for the ensuing year. Considerable excite-
ment had been created by this election among the Corpora-
tions; there being candidates for the honour—Mr. Clark,
George-street, Deacon of the Wrights, and Mr. Campbell,
North-bridge, Deacon of the Hitters, and as the trades were
said to be pretty equally divided between these gentlemen,
the result was looked forward to with much interest. On
Wednesday, however, on the meeting of the Convenery, Mr.
Campbell retired from the contest, and Mr. Clark was elected
without opposition. The Council is now complete; and we
believe it will be found that it has left parties much in the

same position as they were before.
EDINBURGII.—THIRD MUNICIPAL DISTRICT.--We under
stand that George Lindsay, Esq., London street, has, on the
requisition of a number of the electors, consented to be put in
nom nation to supply the vacancy occasioned by the non-ac-
ceptance of Colonel Skene. Mr. Lindsay, who was for many
years a most respectable teacher in this City, is a Churchman,
but of Liberal politics—is independent in his circumstances,
and has the entire command of his time. The election takes
place on Monday.
GLASGOW.—The contest on Tuesday was a keen one. It
appears that the Tories put forth their whole united strength,
and were little scrupulous in availing themselves of the foul
influences. " The power of wealth," says the Argus, "over-
awed many of the electors ; fear of the loss of custom still
more, and both together, as the Fourth Ward can well testify,
succeeded in burdening many a conscience with the weight of
broken promises. To a certain extent the foul influences
have been successful ; but, perhaps, in the apathy of the Li-
berals, a more direct cause for the p trtial loss of the Third,
and the total loss of the Fourth Ward, may be discovered. It
was there that the foul influences of Toryism chiefly deve-
loped themselves."
The following is the state of the poll in the various Wards,
as ascertained in the scrutiny :
First Ward.—Whitehead ( L), 445; Hastie ( L), 440 ;
Tennent (C), 371 ; Richmond (C), 342.
Second Ward.—Johnston (L ), 504; Hamilton (L), 430
Lire (L), 430 ; Taylor (C), 333 ; Chisholm (C), 298.
Third Ward.—Hutchison, 469 ; Campbell, 447 ; Graham
418 ; Purdie, 4.
Fourth Ward —Brown, 456 ; Cumming, 435 ; Lumsden
406 ; Fleming, 359.
Fifth Ward.—Kidston (C), 384; Bogle (C), 381 ; Flem.
ing (L), 119.
GREENOCK. —Here, as elsewhere throughout Scotland, the
election of members to serve on the Town Council took place
on Tuesday last. In the first, third, and fourth wards the can-
didates met with no opposition—in the fifth the old member
showed fight, but soon abandoned the useless struggle ; but in
the second ward the contest was very keen, and at the close of
the poll at four o'clock the candidates hail each the same
number of votes. In consequence of the parity of votes a
new election for the second ward is ordered to take place to-
morrow.—Greenock Advertiser.
DUNIBARTON.—Here, too, as predicted from the result of the
registrations, Conservatism has triumpliedL-the election at
four o'clock having terminated in the return of four Conser-
vatives and only one Liberal.
PAISLEY.—LittIe or no interest was manifested in the above
elections.
RENFREW. At Renfrew the Conservatives carried all before
them, no Radical being elected.
RUTIIERGLEN.—Five Radicals and one Conservative have
been returned.

HAmit-ToN.—Here the Conservatives have been worsted i❑
the return of four Liberals.
AIRDRIE.—Six Reformers and six Tories.
MUSSELBURGII.—In this ancient burgh the contest between
the Conservatives and Liberals is what may be termed a drawn
battle—both parties returning two men each.
CUPAR.—Our burgh elections, which have been exciting
some stir for some weeks past, took place on Tuesday, when
the result was the return of four gentlemen hitherto counted
on the Liberal side, and seven Conservatives.
ST. ANDREW'S.—Of the eleven Councillors the Reformers
have put in nine, and the Conservatives one ; for the eleventh
Councillor a Liberal, Mr. Stobie, candle- maker, and Mr.
Mudie, a Tory, are equal in numbers, thus rendering a second
election necessary, unless parties can come to some arrange
ment.

KIRK ALDY.--The Liberals have carried four out of nine of
the new Councillors.
PERTH. —With the exception of a pretty keen competition,
preceded by an active canvass for several days, in the Fourth,
or Glencoe Ward, and some opposition which was unexpec-
tedly raised on the day of election for the First Ward, the
elections this year went off without much interest or stir.
From the political character of the new members, the pre-
sent Council will now be more decidedly Liberal than any of
its predecessors.
ABERDEEN.-The result of the election of Town Council-
lors has made no greater difference on the relative state of
parties than we anticipated, and seven vacancies have been
filled up.
Of the nineteen Town Councillors, the Tories now count,
including Anythingarian Rust, fivz—so that at the least the
Liverals are yet fourteen to five.
In the First Ward, the requisition system proved quite
effective. Mr. Sim was at the bottom of the poll, and Mr.
Donald had comparatively few votes. It is surprising, indeed,
that he had so many, seeing that he did not canvass, and that,
in consequence of the late period at which he started, many of
his friends had pledged themselves to the other candidates.
The Second Ward did its duty nobly, Mr. Smith, on whose
success the Tories counted with the utmost certainty, was, after
a hard run, defeated by a majority of ten !
In the Third Ward, owing to the disgraceful apathy of the
' Liberals, and the profligate zeal of the Tories, Rust, whose
shameful conduct we exposed last week, was returned instead
of Baillie Lumsden. This victory will do the Tories more
injury than their defeat in the Second Ward. Of the two can-
didates, they lost the one that did credit to their choice, and
carried the other.—Aberdeen Herald.
FIRST WARD-Mr. George Henry, Mr. William Allen,
Mr. James Sim.
SECOND WARD-Baillie Simpson, Mr. Andrew Old Man.
THIRD WARD---.Mr. WM. Ross, Mr. Alexander Rust.
INVERNESS.
FIRST WARD—MCSSCS. D. Fraser, jun. (L.) R. Black (C)
SECOND WARD —Mr. G. Mackay (L.) Dr. Forbes (L.)
THIRD WARD-Bailie Cumming (C.) Air. David Rose
(C.), Mr. John Cameron (L.)

APPEAL OF THE PROPRIETORS OF COVENT-
GARDEN THEATRE AGAINST THE OVER-
'SEERS OF THE POOR OF THE SAME PARISH.
Yesterday the Justices acting for the Strand Union held a
special sessions at the Board-room, in Carey-street, for the
purpose of hearing appeals against the Poor-rates of the seve-
ral parishes included in the Union, when the appeal of the
proprietors of Covent-Garden Theatre was first gone into.
Captain Forbes, one of the proprietors of the theatre, at-
tended in person to support the appeal, and Mr. Mousely ap-
peared to resist it, on behalf of the parish of St. Paul, Go-
vent- Garden.
Mr. F. P. WALESBY was in the chair, and the following Ma-
gistrates were also present :—Sir J. J. Hensler, Mr. Bellasis,
Mr. M.William, Mr. A. Smith, Mr. Tulk, Mr. Twining, and
Mr. D. G. Carpenter.
Mr. Corder attended as clerk to the board, and read the no-
tice of appeal, which complained that the theatre was over-
assessed, inasmuch as the premises adjacent to it were rated in
a lower ratio, and that, therefore, the assessment was unequal,
unfair, and unjust.
Captain FORBES said, he appeared as one of' the proprietors
of Covent Garden theatre on behalf of himself and others to
prosecute the appeal, in support of which he should call wit.
nesses, and he was quite sure that the Magistrates, after hear-
ing their evidence, would decide in favour of the appeal.- The
theatre was assessed at the sum of 2,8141., and he should prove
the sum total received last year, and also the amount received
this year, which would show that the parochial assessment was
unjust. He begged to state that Mr. Macready, the preset t
lessee, was only a nightly tenant, and, consequently it was in
his power to terminate the agreement which existed between
him and the proprietors at any time he thought proper. The
gallant Captain then proceeded to state, that the gross amount
of rent list year was 5,8901., and the rent which the proprie-
tors had agreed to pay to the Duke of Bedford was 2,085/.
The taxes amounted to 791/., besides which there were the
salaries for collecting the rent, which amounted to 250/. per
annum, and then there was an item of 701. paid to the watch
and firemen, and 371. for repairs. He would now call the
attention of the Magistrates to the terms of the Parochial As-
sessment Act, under which the appeal was made, which
stated, " that the net annual value of the several heredita-
ments rated thereunto, that is to say, of the rent at which
the same might reasonably be expected to be let from year to
year, free of all usual assessments, rates, and taxes, and tithe
commutation, rent-charge, if any, and deducting therefrom
the probable average annual cost of the repairs, insurance,
and other expenses, if any, necessary to maintain them in a
state to command such • rent." It would be seen by the
extract which he had read from the Act, that insurance
was contemplated, and upon that point he admitted that
no insurance had been effected upon Covent Garden Theatre,
although he had been for the last twenty years endeavour-
ing to effect that object, but the lowest rate at which the in-
surance could be made was four guineas per cent., which
would amount to 6,0001. per annum, so that the insurance
would amount to more than the proprietors received. After
stating that the furniture of the theatre, including the ma.
chinery, dresses, decorations, &c., were of the value of
40,0001., the Gallant Captain concluded by saying, that
whether the theatre was to be considered as a furnished or an
unfurnished house, the Magistrates would see by the evidence
Le should produce that it was rated far above its value, and
added that he was driven to make the appeal in justice both to
the proprietors of the theatre and to keep faith with the
creditors.
Mr. G. Robins, the auctioneer, was then alled forward,
and stated, that he was not a proprietor of Covent-Garden
Theatre, but he was a proprietor of Drury-lane Theatre. He
consiaered the scenery and wardrobe of a theatre was its
furniture, and without them a theatre would let at all.
He considered that the landlord of Covent-garden Theatre
would be a lucky man if he could get 1;000/. a-year for the
bere walls ; and speaking of it as a theatre, he should say that
that sum was its maximum rent. He did not know any way in
which the rent could be raised except by letting the theatre
as a Methodist Chapel, in which case he thought it might pro-
duce 2,0001. a-year. He was of opinion that the theatre
might be let in this manner, as the town was overrun with
theatres, and he thought a Chapel, with a popular preacher,
would be an excellent speculation, for people were more in-
clined to support Chapels than theatres.—(Laughter.) Ile
had dabbled a good deal in theatrical matters, and, from sad
experience, he knew that theatrical property had depreciated
in value very considerably of late years. He had been trying
to let Mr. Braham's theatre, which was decidedly the most
beautiful for its size in London, or he might say in Europe, for
2,000/. a-year, but could get no person to take it at this low
rent even; and he remembered the time Drury- lane Theatre
was let to Mr. Elliston for 11,200/. a-year. The same
theatre was subsequently let to Mr. Price for 10,0001
a-year, and then Captain Polhill became the tenant at a re-
duced rent of 8,500/. a-year, and he was the last tenant the
proprietors ever had. At present he did not think that Drury-
lane Theatre realized more than 1,000/. a-year, after paying
the ground-rent, which left little or nothing for the proprietors,
as the receipts were barely sufficieet to pay the rent to the Duke
of Bedford, and to meet the necessary repairs. The ground-
rent was the same as Covent-garden Theatre. Witness never
let a theatre without a wardrobe, which was necessary to be
kept up from year to year, as there was a considerable wear
and tear in dresses ; and when new pieces were brought out,
new dresses and decorations were required, the cost of which
would of course fall upon the tenant, and noton the proprietors.
He had been on the Sub-Committee 23 years ; since he
left it very little rent had been paid. The new renters, who
had been punctually paid so long as he remained a Committee
man, had received nothing for two years. M. Bunn had a
good natured Committee to deal with, who would not annoy
him by requiring rent.
Cross- examined by Mr. Mousely.—Witness did not think
that if the theatre was let out in different apartments (like
Exeter-hall, for instance), it would realize a larger amount of
rent; at least, he should be sorry to take it on such a specu-
lation, for any purpose, at a rent of 2,000/. a year. If the
theatre were pulled down to-morrow, and new buildings
erected upon the area which it now occupied, he did not think
they would bring a higher rent than at present.
Mr. Mousely—ls not the present rent of 2,085/. a fair sum
for the theatre ?
Witness—l should think it was too much. For the last
three years witness knew little or nothing of the affairs of
Drury-lane Theatre, but he believed Mr. Bunn paid his rent
irregularly. He never knew the theatre to be let for less than
8,000/. per annum ; and when Messrs. Elliston and Price
were the tenants, they broke down in the third year of their
term. Captain Polhill expended 50,000/. on the theatre
during the three years lie was the lessee, but he paid his rent
regularly until the last year, when he also broke down.
Re-examined by Captain Forbes—Witness did not think,
but knew, that theatrical property had depreciated consider-
ably for the last four years. Indeed, how could it be other-
wise, when there were 17 theatres in the metropolis, and four
would be sufficient ?
Mr. Robins was then informed that his evidence would not
be further required, upon which, bowing to the Magistrates,
he said—lf any of you, gentlemen, wish for shares in Drury.
lane Theatre, I have 100 of my own to dispose of, which are
quite atyour disposal, upon very moderate terms.—( Laugher. )
He said he would be content with 500 shillings for five 100/.

-
shares.
Mr. H. Robertson stated, that he was treasurer of Covent-
garden Theatre since the year 1822. The amount of rent
which he received from Mr. Macready last year was 5,4401.,
exclusive of 4501. for a private box. The amount for taxes
was 7911., and the ground rent to the Duke of Bedford was
1,585/. Witness paid last year 2,2021. for repairs to the
scenery, wardrobe, and decorations. He considered the an-
nual amount of repairs to command the present rent would
cost at least 1,0001. per annum. The witness proved that he
had applied to the Sun-office to insure the theatre, and could
not effect it under four guineas per cent. He was quite sure
the proprietors had done all they could to get the highest rent,
and he was sure the shareholders were perfectly satisfied with
their exertions.
W. Bradwell, machinist and decorator of the theatre, proved
that the properties under his charge would cost from 8,0001.
to 10,000/. ; and Henry Sloman, carpenter of the theatre, said
that he valued the rest of the heavy scenery and machinery at
from 15,0001. to 20,000/.
Walter Head, tailor and master of the wardrobe, proved that
the seine of the wardrobe, the armoury, and shoe department,
was between 9,000/. and 10,000/.
By the CIIAIRMAN.—The wear and tear of theatrical ward-
robes were very great, and required to be renewed constantly.
The dresses of all the actors were supplied from the wardrobe
of the theatre, with the exception of Mr. Macready, who found
his own dresses. The dresses of the ladies attached to the
theatre were supplied in the same manner.
Captain Forbes said, that the ladies' wardrobe, the music
library, and other items, were left out of the calculation alto-
gether, in order to cut the matter short.
The Gallant Captain said that was his case.
In answer to a question by Sir Jacob Ilansler, Mr. Mousely,
said that a reduction of five per cent. had been made upon the
assessment of the theatre, and that reduction applied to all the
houses in the parish.
Mr. Mousely then proceeded to address the Mag istrates
against the appeal, and said that if a reduction of the rates
were
made with regard to this theatre, every other theatre in
the metropolis would claim the same benefit under the pre-
sent Act of Parliament. The parish of St. Paul, Covent-
garden, had used every exertion to get at the facts of the case,
-and a Committee having been appointed they determined that
no further reduction could be made in the rates of the theatre.
With respect to insurance, he submitted, that as the theatre
carried on a hazardous business it could not he insured at all,
and consequently the proprietors had no right to set up that
item as an expense incurred by them. He contended that the
rent received from Mr. Macready amounted to a much greater
sum than the annual value, and therefore there was no just
ground of complaint. He admitted that the theatre ought to
be relieved from taxes, the charges for collecting, and other
small items, and he begged to call the attention of the Board
to the great loss the parish sustained in having the theatre
where it stood, because if houses were erected in its stead
they would yield much more in the shape of rates than the
theatre, which was a loss to the parish of 3,0001. a year out of
40,0001., the gross amount of the poor-rates. He should call
a few witnesses, and after hearing their evidence he confidently
relied on the Magistrates to dismiss the appeal.
Mr. Henry Walker deposed that he was one of the assessors
for the parish of St. Paul, Covent-garden, ard assisted to as-
sess the theatre. Re went with others of the Sub-Committee
and examined the theatre both internally and externally, when
they found that four rows of houses could be built on the space
which it occupied. They were further of opinion, from the
area, superstructure, and situation, that if the theatre was
converted to the same purpose as Exeter-hall, it would pro-
duce a much,larger income, The Sub-Committee awned it