The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-06 00:00:00

BRIGHTON PETTY SESSIONS.

On Monday, William Batty, the proprietor of the Cir-
cus in this town, appeared to an information preferred
against kim by the agents of the lessee of the theatre.
The information charged hint with having, on the 26th of
December, at Brighton, without authority, or license, as
required by the statute, caused to be acted for gain or re-
ward, an entertainment of the stage, or pantomime, called
The Gnome King, or the Magic Eagle, by which he had
forfeited the sum of 501,

The information was supported by counsel, Mr. E. S
Creevy appearing for the agents of the theatre; and Mr.
Batty was attended by Mr. Dempster, a solicitor in
Brighton.
The Court was crowded with theatrical and circus
people, and the case, which lasted nearly two hours, ex-
cited great interest in the town.
The Learned Counsel said this information was not laid
from vindictive motives, but simply to claim that protection
which the law threw around theatrical representations, and
that if a conviction took place it was the intention of his
clients to devote that moiety of the penalty which the law
granted to those laying the informations to some charitable
purpose. In support of his argument the Learned Bar-
rister cited the opinion of Lord Tenterden in the King v.
Nevill, reported in the first volume of Barnwell and Adol-
phus, showing that sach representations as The Gnome
hint' came within the meaning of the Act, and could not
be performed without a license.

The solicitor on the other side cited the case of the
King v. Harley, where Lord Kenyon had decided that
tumbling was not an entertainment of the stage, and that
a pantomime was not an entertainment analogous to the
drama, and that it could not be submitted to the Lord
Chamberlain for approval.
The Magistrates were of opinion that a pantomime came
within the words of the statute, "or other entertainment
of the stage," and convicted the defendant in a penalty of
501., including costs. The solicitor for the defendant sig-
nifi.2d that his client would take steps to remove the case
into a higher Court to reverse the recision.

LICENSED VICTUALLERS'

ASYLUM.

The Anniversary Ball, in aid of the funds of this ad-
mirable Institution, took place last evening at the London
Tavern, The Licensed Victuallers' Asylum stands so
isominently forward amongst the first of those benevolent
societies with which the metropolis abounds, and the esta-
blishment of which reflects so much credit upon tha phil-
anthropy and foresight of the age in which we live, that
any especial allusion here to the benefits which it confers
upon those vvho arc the recipients of them, may he con-
sidered an act of supererogation. It may be as well,
however, to observe in passing, that many an aged mem-
ber of the trade, who at one time never expected to be
obliged to have recourse to the Asylum, now find within
its walls that home which, but for its formation, they
would probably have been obliged to seek in a place
less in accordance with their previous habits and feel-
ings When, the various comforts which the Asylum af-
fords to those wi:o are constrained to participate in them,
are considered, it is not surprising to find that it has a
host of friends, nor that they should take every oppor-
tunity of manifesting their sympathy in the object which it
has in view. This was shown last evening by the attend-
ance of a numerous and highly respectable company, for
whose enjoyment every means were put into requisition by
the Committee of Management,
Dancing commenced at eight o'clock, and continued in
every variety of form during the evening, under the able
direction of Mr. Bessell, the master of the ceremonies,whose
services were gratuitously given upon the occasion. Mr.
Adams's celebrated quadrille band officiated in the orchestra,
and gave infinite satisfaction to the company. The services
of Mr. Adams were, like those of the master of thc.cere-
monies gratuitous. The refreshments provided by Messrs.
Bathe and Breach, the proprietors of the tavern, were
ample, and of the best description. Upon the whole amore
admirably arranged entertainment it was impossible to be
present at. The Chairman of the Asylum and the Com-
mittee were unremitting in their endeavours to afford sa-
tisfaction to their friends; arid if we may judge from the
variety of happy faces that we saw around us, there can be
littlemost
effectively.doubt
bu they succeeded in attaining their desire

The eornpany retired from the festive scene at an early
hour this morning. highly delighted with it. We apprc-
bend that the funds of the Asylum will be materially im-
proved by the receipts of last evening—" A consummation
most devoutly to be wished."—Morning Advertiser.

The Treasury are about to make the follow-
ing retirements on superannuated allowances :—Cus-
toms.—Two of the oldest commissioners, some of
the old long-room officers, seventeen of the water-
side officers, landing-waiters, &c., two surveyors, several
clerks, and several principal officers atoutports, Hull,
Bristol, &c.—quite a turn-out in this and other public de-
partments.—From a Correspondent of the Morning Post.
Several of the most eminent of the London Dis-
sentng Ministers have undertaken to deliver a lecture, in
rotation, at the New Broad-street Meeting House, at 12
o'clock on the Tuesday following the first Sunday in the
month, " on these principles of Evangelical Protestantism
which are opposed not only to the Popery of Romanism,
but to that more specious, though less consistent, Popery
of modern Protestantism, usually designated, of late, by the
conventional term of Pusegism.
A singing school for the instruction of the
schoolmasters of day-schools and Sunday-schools, is shortly
to be opened at Exeter Hall, under the patronage of the
National Education Committee.

1 FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE

WHITEFIALL, DFr._3o, 1840.

The Lord Chancellor has appointed James Goulbourn Etches,
Whitchurch, Shropshire, Gent., and Charles Smithson,
New 'Walton, Yorkshire, Gent., to be Masters Extraordinary
in the High Court of Chancery.