The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-09 00:00:00

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

A Moeting of the City.Liintis Committee took
place at Guildhall on Saturday, for the purpose, amongst other
subjects, of takins, into consideration that-ofletting the ground
in Smithfield to the several applicanttfor situations on which to
erect buildings for the exhibition of pantomimes, interludes,
giants, dwarfs, wild beasts, &c. &c. Before the last Court of
Common Council took place, many applications had been
made, the report that efforta were making to put down the fair
altogether having, we understand, caused a great stir amongst
the various managers. A petition-signed by forty licenced vic-
tuallers, resident within the immediate. neighbourhood' of
Smithfield, was presented to the Committee. It stated that the
petitioners had paid heavy premiums for their hOuies, in conse-
quence of the advantages derivable from the annual fair, and
that if the fair were removed, or any prevention were offered to
the usual exhibitions, the property of those houses would. be so
much injured as to cause the ruin of the petitioners.
In the committee, we are informed, the representations made
of the manner in which the different interest:, concerned in the
letting of the ground would be affected, made considerable im-
pression. riThe general feelitig amongst the members was, that
the fair was a very great nuisance, and that the theatrical booths
ought to be suppressed,-that the encouragement given
to thieves by-the great facilities afForded in a large space
crowded with persons of all descriptions, assembled tocsether
principally by the fascination of the shows, was a sufficient
argument of itself against the practice of letting the ground to
the owners of shows. It was also argued, that the petition of
the licensed victuallers was in itself a proof that the fair was
the means of leading to other indulgencies besides the innocent
amusements of looking at all the wonderful things exhibited
in and upon the theatrical buildings-=that the publicans de-
rived so large " a profit from the sale of spirits and beer
during
.the four days, as to lead them to apprehend that
.the loss cf those four days devoted to the celebration of the
Saint, would not only injure, but actually destroy them
and their families. This latter argur-)ent was looked upon
by some as conclusive, but denied by others, who insisted
that the public-houses in the fair and its vicinity were al.
ways conducted with the greatest regularity upon the occa-
sion ; that no scenes of riot took place in them, and that they
were cleared of all visitors at the time prescribed for closing
houses of the kind. After considerable discussion, it was. re-
solved that the ground should be let as hitherto has been the
case. The Lord Mayor, we understand, objected, as lm had
done in the Court of Common Council, to the numerous exhi-
bitions, as tending to excesses in drinking, and other kinds of
debauchery. /le deprecated, at the same time, the idea of
abridging the pleasurqcof the lower orders, so far as those
pleasures were not blended with the mischievous materials
which were to be seen in such abundance in Bartholomew-
fair, The arguments against the _proposal to let the ground
were certainly, in his opinion, very strong; but as the Corpo-
ration had pledged themselves to discuss the question most
fully upon a future occasion, and as it was a subjeat which he
found from the number of interests concerned required deep
attention, he approved of the intention of the Committee not
to deviate from the usual plan upon the present occasion:
We believe that although the prohibition of shows, &c. is
not to be enforced, the fair will cut
.but an indifferent figure as
to dramatic spectacle. Each succeeding year cuts off a certain
portion of the area ; and this year, • we have reason to think,
will introduce the pruning knife even more unceremoniously.
It is whispered that Mr. Wombwell will be denied the op-
portunity of exhibiting poor Nero and Wallace, as his conduct
has excited the utmost disgust in the city.

THE MuttATs.—Within a few days, two sons
of the late King of NAPLES, ACHILLES and NA-
eor.coN MurtAT, made at the Prothonotary's
Office of the Court of Common Pleas of this
county, the necessary declaration of their inten-
tion, preparatory to their becoming citizens of
the United States. We believe that both those
gentlemen intend to settle in Florida. They are
the first members of the BUONAPA lITE family who
have officially recorded their intention to become
citizens of the United States. We do not recol-
lect that any of the illustrious exiles from France,
or any part of the continent of Europe, w.ho have
taken refuge from the political troubles of those
have recently taken any steps to evince
countries,s, a
hrieto
incorporate themselves with the Ame-
rican family. It is pretty generally known, that
in this city, in PM, TALLEYnAND took the oath
of atlP7lance to the United States, and renounced
all K ipgq, Princes,
Potentates, and Powers.—
(Phi'adeiphict Depocraic Press, July 13.)

Madnme ITEIRRIDE has left NPVTI York for
Philadelphia, wherv.stm pijrposeci taking up her
abude,