The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-27 00:00:00

LORD SPENCER TO SIR JAMES GRAHAM.

Wiseton, near Bawtry, Jan. 20, 1838.
MY DEAR GRAIIAM,—I only to-day saw in the Morning
Chronicle what O'Connell is reported to have said about you
at the dinner at Dublin. I have accordingly written to Lord
Charlemont a letter, the copy of which I enclose to you, and
of course mean that you may do what you like with it.
I do not know whether you are in town, but I think the
chances are that directing to you there is the best thing that
I can do.— Your's most respectfully,

SPENCER.
LORD SPENCER TO LORD CHARLEMONT.

Wiseton, near Bawtry, Jan. 20, 1838.
MY DEAR LORD,—I see that it is reported in the Morning
Chronicle that Mr. O'Connell, at the dinner at which your
Lordship presided on the 1 lth inst., in alluding to a misunder-
standing which had taken place some years ago between Sir
James Graham and Mr. O'Gorman Mahon, stated that Sir
James Graham made a base and truckling apology to Mr.
O'Gorman Mahon.
Now, as in that transaction I acted as the friend of Sir James
Graham, and as all that he did was by my advice, and under my
directions, I feel it due to him to take the whole responsibility
upon myself, and, as the best mode of doing so, to trouble you
with this letter. I thought at the time, and still think,
that Sir James Graham, in stating the truth in his place
in the House of Commons that he did not mean to allude
to Mr. O'Gorman Mahon when he used the expression of
which Mr. O'Gorman Mahon complained, did nothing in the least
inconsistent with the character of a man of honour and a gen-
tleman ; and that if he had refused to make such a statement
as publicly as he had used the expression he would have acted
in a most unjustifiable manner. It is possible, that my view
of the case may not have been a 'correct one, but, be that as
it may, if Sir James Graham acted improperly, I am to blame,
and not he.

I must beg your pardon for giving you this trouble, but I am
sure you will think the circumstances which have occurred re-
quire me to take some such course.
I shall send a copy of this letter to Sir James Graham, with
the permission to him to use it as he thinks proper.
Believe me, my dear Lord, yours most truly,
The Earl of Charlemont, &c. SPENCER.

DEATH OF MR, JOHN REEVE OF

THE ADELPHI THEATRE.

Mr. John Reeve departed this life on Wednesday evening,
at his residence in Brompton-row, after a long and painful
illness. About six months ago he broke a blood vessel, since
which period he gradually declined; but no fears were enter-
tained for his life till Christmas day, when his disorder assumed
a more serious character. He was born in Ludgate-hill,
London, in 1799. His father was a citizen and Common
Councilman. After leaving school he was apprenticed
to his father, but his insubordination, and nightly visits to
the theatre, led to his removal from his paternal home
to that of Messrs. Nevill and Co., hosiers, in Maiden-
lane. Here Reeve nightly declaimed, first alone, and
afterwards in conjunction with a fellow-apprentice, who,
like himself, had become " stage-struck." From declamation
they proceeded to fencing, singing, &c., and the neighbours
were greatly disturbed by their nocturnal proceedings, which
led to complaints to Messrs. Nevill and Co., the result of
which was merry John's departure. He next became a
clerk in the bankiug-house of Messrs. Gosling and Co.,
Fleet-street, and soon after played at a small theatre in Wil-
son-street, Gray's-inn-lane, but produced little impression in
the inferior characters which were assigned to him. He hired
the theatre for one night, and performed Othello and Syl-
vester Dagyerwood. In the part of the Moor he made no
impression, but his Sylvester Daggerwood so pleased Mr.
Rodwell, father to the late proprietor of the Adelphi, that he
requested Reeve to play the character for him at Drury-lane,
and on the Bth of June, 1819, he appeared at that theatre in
Sylvester Daygerwood, and was received with enthusiastic
applause. " His imitations," said one of the critics, "we do
not hesitate to pronounce to be the best we have ever
seen. They do nut consist of the mere adoption of some sin-
gle characteristic of an actor—they embody the whole of
his peculiarities of voice, gesture, and manner ; they
identify the man—and you might persuade yourself he stood
before you." He repeated the character the following night
for the benefit of Mr. Lanza, and was soon after engaged by
Mr. Arnold to appear at the Lyceum, in a piece written ex-
. ressly for him, called " 1,2, 3,4, 5, by Advertisement," in
which he performed five characters. On the 18th of October,
in the same year, he became a member of the Adelphi com-
pany; and at the close of the season went to Cheltenham and
Bristol, where he was for some time first low comedian. He
subsequently appeared at Drury-lane, the Surrey, and Coburg,
and re-appeared at the Adelphi towards the end of 1822, in
conjunction with Mr. Wilkinson, in an entertainment called
Trifles Light as Air. In 1826 he was engaged at the Hay-
market for five years, and afterwards at the English Opera
House and the Adelphi. At the latter theatre he was seen
to the most advantage, and continued to play there till he
met with the sad accident which put an end to his professional
career.

Reeve was one of the greatest comic favourites on the stage.
He was married in 1821, but his wife died in the following
year, after she had given birth to a son.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

On Thursday a Court wns held for the dispatch of public
business. Upon the motion of Mr. R. L. JONES, it was
ordered that the flooring used on Lord Mayor's-day at the
Guildhall should be laid on forthwith for the accommodation
of the commercial men who now daily assemble in that build-
ing in consequence of the fire at tho Royal Exchange.

THE LATE ROYAL EXCHANGE.

Mr. WIRE begged to ask Mr. R. L. Jones, the Chairman
of the Royal Exchange Committee, whether he was aware of
the expenses incurred in the area of the late building, and if
that were the case, by whose authority, and on whom the ex-
pense would fall ?
Mr. R. L. JONES was not aware by whose authority the
outlay was undertaken, but he was sorry to inform the Court
that a very large sum, he should not think less than 5001., was
already spent ; and not only were there above 100 men em-
ployed amongst the ruins, but offices were built for a clerk of
the works and foreman of the workmen, and that scaffolding of
a permanent nature (more fit to be used in the building of a
new, than in the taking down of an old building) was erected.
Mr. R. TAYLOR feared that there were no funds at the dis-
posal of the United Gresham Committee, which he considered
was now in debt, without knowing how to extricate itself
from its difficulties.
The LORD MAYOR, as Chairman of the United Gresham
Committee, informed the Court that he had given instructions
to Mr. Smith, the architect, to secure the walls sufficiently
for the public safety, but certainly he had issued no direc-
tions calculated to justify such an outlay as that mentioned
by Mr. Jones.
Mr. WIRIE then moved that the Gresham Committee be
instructed not to permit any expenditure without the sanction
of the Committee for building the Royal Exchange.
We omitted to mention in our account of the proceedings
of the last Court, that Mr. Lott moved that the Royal Ex-
change Committee, which was appointed on that occasion,
should have no member upon it for more than four years, if the
Committee should continue beyond that period. His objec-
tion to permanent Committees was, that jobbing crept in and
reigned paramount in Committees of that kind.
When the question was put, the LORD MAYOR declared the
motion to be negatived.
Mr. LOTT then called for a division, and succeeded in his
motion by a majority of two.